Hurrah, hurrah! Penn men’s squash has secured its third straight regular-season Ivy Title after sweeping Dartmouth, securing a 12-2 overall record.
The Quakers began the season with a seven-game win streak, winning four of those games in complete shutouts. After losing back-to-back games against No. 1 Trinity and No. 5 Yale, the Red and Blue continued the rest of their season the way they started, obliterating their opponents.
This is the first time in program history that Penn secured three consecutive regular season Ivy titles. Penn enters the inaugural Ivy League Squash Tournament favored to win it all.
A key part of the team is senior captain Omar Hafez. He played a particularly outstanding season, securing his 12th individual win of the season against Dartmouth. With this win, Hafez now holds the most all-time wins of any Penn squash player. This was not his only notable achievement of the season — it came after he won the 2026 College Squash Association Individual Championship.
“It’s an honor to become the winningest person of all time in this prestigious program, [I] just feel over the moon for this accomplishment, but my main focus is my team [and] I don’t focus on individual records much, and I am really happy to win with my teammates the Ivy League,” Hafez said about making program history. “My main focus is the Ivy tournament this upcoming weekend at Princeton.”
This also marks the first time in program history that Penn players won the CSA Individual Championship two years in a row. And although this is Hafez’s final year on the team before he graduates in the spring, the Quakers are in good shape with their younger talent, especially the freshmen.
Winning national titles is not foreign to freshman twins Alex and Philip Dartnell, both of whom won multiple championships and awards in squash before coming to Penn. Freshmen Will Newman and Henry Fogel also had national championships to their name before starting their careers at Penn. Both Newman and Alex Dartnell demonstrated their potential against Dartmouth, wrapping up their first season with 3-0 wins.
This season was closely watched by fans to see who would win the Ivy title outright. Two years ago, the Red and Blue had to share the title with Ancient Eight rival Princeton. This season, the team defeated No. 6 Princeton, with Hafez getting a victory in the first position. It was Penn’s 10th win of the season and its third victory against Princeton in a row, beating them at their home.
RELATED:
Nonstop Nattys: Omar Hafez brings home national championship for Penn men’s squash
Fate and family has been integral to the journey of Penn men's squash's Omar Hafez
The Quakers’ biggest problem in the Ivy League was fifth-ranked Yale. The Quakers put up a tough fight against the Bulldogs in the regular season, but could not bring it home. It was the program’s 22nd overall loss against Yale.
In the national championship picture, the Red and Blue must worry about Trinity. This year, the Bantams handed the team their first loss. They have always been a concern for the Quakers, at one point, winning every matchup for 19 years straight.
Although Penn lost to Trinity and Yale this year, the team has an essential advantage at securing another CSA Team Championship. The Quakers will not have to travel far, since the tournament will take place at the Arlen Specter US Squash Center in Philadelphia, minutes away from Penn’s campus.
All eyes are on this history-making team as they enter the postseason to possibly win their third national championship in a row.
