Meet the best men’s athletes graduating in the Class of 2026.
Baseball — Thomas Shurtleff
Senior pitcher Thomas Shurtleff, also the team co-captain, has been an anchor for Penn baseball. In his collegiate career, Shurtleff helped the Red and Blue win back-to-back Ivy League Tournament titles in 2023 and 2024, with a chance for a three-peat this season. A consistent force in late-game situations, he won Ivy League Pitcher of the Week in 2025 and threw a seven-inning shutout with 10 strikeouts against Princeton this season.
Men’s basketball — Ethan Roberts
After two years at Penn, senior guard/forward Ethan Roberts leaves behind a legacy. Having played at Army and Drake before eventually choosing Penn, Roberts immediately became an indispensable player for the Quakers.
During his senior season, the team played in the Big 5 Classic, won the Ivy League tournament, and appeared in March Madness for the first time in eight years. While a concussion kept Roberts from playing in the postseason, his contributions earlier in the season earned him second-team selections in the Big 5 and the Ivy League, as well as a Mid-Major Player of the Week nod in November 2025.
As Roberts heads to Notre Dame to play under his fifth coach in as many years, he leaves a gap that will be hard to fill. To borrow his own words from his transfer announcement, Roberts will be ”forever a Quaker.”
Men’s cross country — Sahil Dodda
Senior distance runner Sahil Dodda has put together a respectable career during his four years at Penn. His most notable performances came during his junior year, when he placed seventh in the Ivy League Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, and finished 22nd in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships with a personal-best 10K time. He continued this success into his senior season, setting new personal bests in the 5,000 meters and 4 meters. Dodda also holds a fourth-best time of 14:16.25 in the program record book for the indoor 5K.
Men’s fencing — Simon Kushkov
Senior saber Simon Kushkov is all too familiar with success. Kushkov dominated from the moment he set foot on Penn’s campus. As a freshman, he finished sixth in saber at the 2022-23 NCAA Championships, maintaining a nation-leading win percentage of 0.611.
His win streak continued into his junior year, when he placed first at the NCAA Mid-Atlantic/South Regional while finishing second in saber at the Ivy League Championship. That same year, he earned First Team All-Ivy, First Team All-Region, and an honorable mention All-America recognition after finishing 12th in the NCAA Championships. Kushkov capped his career at Penn with an honorable mention All-Region selection.
Football — Jared Richardson
Senior wide receiver Jared Richardson broke onto the scene his sophomore season and never looked back. Originally a quarterback, Richardson saw little game action as he converted to the role of wide receiver during his freshman season. But by his sophomore year, the Pennsylvania native had become a fixture of Penn football. He was first on the team and second in the Ancient Eight in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, garnering a First Team All-Ivy selection.
His senior season was his best yet, as he established himself as senior quarterback Liam O’Brien’s primary offensive option. Richardson finished his Penn career with another First Team All-Ivy selection and an FCS Second Team All-American, thanks to his career-high 12 touchdowns and 1,033 receiving yards — becoming the sixth player in program history to reach the 1,000-yard mark.
Richardson still has one remaining year of eligibility, which he will use at last year’s ACC champion Duke.
Sprint football — Jake Wang
Senior wide receiver and tight end Jake Wang first emerged as an offensive powerhouse during his breakout sophomore season, finishing among the CSFL’s top receivers. He ended the season with 481 yards, earning him Second Team All-CSFL honors. After not seeing any games in 2023, Wang returned and steadily built momentum for a standout senior season.
In his final season, the California native led the team with 35 receptions for 504 yards and three touchdowns, while also contributing defensively with 14 tackles. Wang’s all-around presence on both ends of the field earned him Second Team All-CSFL honors again. The three-time All-CSFL honoree has served as a strong presence for Penn Sprint Football’s offensive core across all three seasons he played.
Men’s golf — Owen Hayes
As the sole graduating senior on the men’s golf team, Owen Hayes stood as a reliable presence over the past two years. Although Hayes did not see action during his first two seasons, he still put together respectable performances when it mattered. During his junior season, Hayes posted a 77.8 stroke average across 10 tournament rounds. His most notable performance came in the spring of his junior season when he placed 23rd overall at Columbia’s Roar-EE Invitational. Hayes continued to compete as a reliable performer for the team throughout the spring and into his senior year, helping the team place fifth out of 12 in the Princeton Invitational.
Men’s lacrosse — Griffin Scane
Senior midfielder Griffin Scane has been an offensive leader for the team, winning second-team All-Ivy honors in 2025, as well as honorable mention All-America recognition from both USA Lacrosse Magazine and Inside Lacrosse before the 2026 season. In 2026, he won All-Ivy honorable mention, recording 10 games with multiple points. He scored a career-high five goals twice in 2025, against Villanova and Yale.
Heavyweight rowing — Cole Riedinger
Captain of Penn men’s heavyweight rowing, senior Cole Riedinger spent almost all four years in the Varsity 8+ boat for the Quakers. As a freshman, he won the Ted A. Nash Award, given to the most promising freshman oarsman; as a senior, he was named Quaker of the Year.
Since rowing for Penn, Riedinger has helped bring the heavyweight program to new heights. The program finished ninth overall at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association National Championship Regatta in 2024, the team’s best performance in decades. In 2025, Riedinger was also a member of the varsity boat that helped bring the Blackwell Cup back to Penn for the first time in 23 years.
Off the water, Riedinger has served as Penn’s representative for the Ivy League’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, and as vice president of the NCAA SAAC.
Lightweight rowing — Ian Holly
Senior Ian Holly has rowed in the Varsity Eight for all his seasons at Penn. At the IRA National Championship Regatta, his boat never placed worse than fourth in the grand final. His Penn career is not quite over yet — he has one last chance to compete in the EARC Sprints and IRA Nationals in May.
Two years ago, he was part of the team that took home the Jope Cup at EARC Sprints for the second time in program history — awarded to the team with the most total points at the regatta. In the summer after his junior year, Holly represented the United States at the World Rowing U23 Championships. He leaves the Quakers’ lightweight rowing team having continued their steady upward trajectory.
Graduating from the School of Engineering and Applied Science this May, Holly will remain at Penn for one more year to complete his accelerated master’s degree in robotics.
Men’s soccer — Patrick Cayelli
From bench player to captain and unanimous first team All-Ivy selection, senior midfielder Patrick Cayelli saw a steady rise during his years at Penn. Throughout his four seasons, the Quakers qualified for the Ivy League tournament every year and won it twice. In his senior season, the South Carolina native led the team and the Ivy League in many offensive categories, including goals, assists, shots on goal, and points.
In December 2025, Cayelli was drafted by Austin FC in the 2026 MLS SuperDraft, where he is now a regular starter for the developmental team.
Men’s squash — Omar Hafez
The world has been senior Omar Hafez’s oyster as he ends his career at Penn.
In his first year, Hafez had a 16-1 individual record and was awarded Ivy League Rookie of the Year. As a sophomore, Hafez notched another perfect record that helped the Quakers upset No. 1 Trinity to win the CSA National Team Championship — the team’s first in program history. He helped the program win back-to-back national titles and a perfect 20-0 season in 2025, even through difficult times in his personal life.
In his final year donning the Red and Blue, the now-senior captain made it to the CSA Individual Championship final again, and this time, he hoisted the Pool Trophy to return the title to Penn squash. In February, Hafez notched his 68th career win — becoming the winningest player in Penn men’s squash history. While Hafez and the team fell short in their quest for a third national title, he finished his career as one of the most decorated players in program history — adding All-Ivy, CSA All-American, and 2026 Skillman Award finalist honors at the end of his senior year to an already-stacked resume.
Men’s swimming and diving — James Curreri
A four-year Ivy League championships qualifier and mainstay on multiple relays, senior backstroke/freestyle specialist James Curreri has been a consistent presence on the roster, especially following the graduation of a large senior Class of 2024 and three stars last year. In his Ivy League championships debut as a freshman, Curreri won the B-final of the 100-yard backstroke and finished 12th in the 200 back.
At the 2024 Ivy championships, Curreri hit personal bests in the 500 free and 1,000 free en route to a bronze medal in each event. Curreri also led off Penn’s 400 medley relay in a personal-best split, helping the team set a new program record. In his final season, Curreri served as a leader in and out of the pool, setting multiple records and supporting the team as its captain. In the regular season, Curreri erased the 200 back pool record by over a second. In his final meet as a Quaker at the 2026 Ivy championships, Curreri shaved about 0.20 seconds off an eight-year-old program record in the 200 back with a time of 1:42.32.
Men’s tennis — Manfredi Graziani
Senior Manfredi Graziani graduates from Penn as one of the most accomplished players in men’s tennis program history. Throughout his four years, Graziani proved to be a prolific force on both the singles and doubles courts. During his junior season, he earned a second-team All-Ivy selection in singles, compiling more than 100 career match wins against nationally ranked opponents. He qualified for the ITA All-American Championships singles and sat at No. 41, the highest ITA Singles Ranking in history for Penn.
He continued this success in the doubles court during his senior year. Alongside his partner, junior Aaron Sandler, the pair became Penn’s first-ever NCAA doubles semifinalists and ITA doubles All-Americans, reaching a program-best No. 2 national ranking.
Graziani was also critical for both of Penn men’s tennis NCAA Championship appearances. In his final season, he earned First Team All-Ivy honors in both singles and doubles.
Men’s track and field — Kampton Kam
Senior high jumper Kampton Kam may be leaving Penn, but he is not yet done with his athletic career. In his four seasons as a Quaker, Kam collected three indoor Ivy League titles, two second-place finishes at the outdoor Ivy League Heptagonal Championships — he gets one more chance this May — and three All-America selections across indoor and outdoor seasons. He also has two titles from The Penn Relay Carnival after back-to-back wins the past two years.
At the 2025 South Florida Invitational, Kam broke the 30-year-old Singapore men’s outdoor high jump national record, clearing 2.25 meters. At the 2025 Southeast Asian Games, he took home the silver medal for Singapore. His season is not over yet, with Ivy Heps and NCAA Regionals on the horizon, and he will likely collect a few more accolades before departing for the world of professional athletics.
Wrestling — CJ Composto
The three-time All-American may be leaving Penn, but his wrestling career is far from over. After four successful years at Penn, CJ Composto is set to become a professional wrestler at the Pennsylvania Regional Training Center after graduating. He qualified for NCAA Championships in all four of his seasons as a Quaker, won the inaugural 141-pound title at the Ivy League championships in his junior season, and even competed internationally, earning a gold medal for Team USA at the U23 Pan American Wrestling Championships.
At the conclusion of his senior season, Composto received the Class of 1915 Award, awarded annually to the student-athlete who “best exemplifies the spirit and tradition of University of Pennsylvania Athletics.”
