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(06/01/97 9:00am)
Baltimore, Md. Ross opened the scoring one minute, 25 seconds into the contest, and the Quakers (4-7) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Lafayette got on board with 15:08 remaining in the period, but trailed 11-5 at the half. The Leopards cut the lead to 14-9 with 12:14 to play, but would get no closer. Ross scored all four of her goals in the first half. Ending with 17 points on the season, Ross always had her eye on goal. Penn goalie Sue Back made 12 saves. Back played all 60 minutes of almost every game, and could be counted on by her teammates to ward off the toughest opponents. "We played really well as a team in both the game against Yale and against Lafayette," Back said. "Our skills and enthusiasm were up. We wanted to have a strong finish to the season, and we accomplished that." This season has been a frustrating one for the Quakers who don't feel they were ever able to display the full extent of their ability. Penn lost its first game against its toughest opponent, No. 4 Loyola, but played an aggressive first half and proved to be stronger competition for the Greyhounds than expected. Penn's improvement was more evident in its second game against Cornell. Both teams were primed for the game -- the Big Red out for revenge and the Quakers looking for a repeat performance. Penn won by a goal, scored by middie Sue Pierce, in sudden-death overtime. Pierce led the team with 21 goals and 12 assists. The Red and Blue were, however, less concerned with their games than with the sudden sickness of tri-captain Curran Kelly. Kelly, who became ill just before the match in Ithaca, N.Y., suffered from an unknown virus and was unable to play for weeks. The Quakers entered the Temple game unfocused and concerned about their teammate. After their second loss, the Quakers decided that they would have to prove that they were a better team than they had recently demonstrated. They entered the Harvard game determined to win for Kelly and for themselves. Indeed, Penn left Harvard victorious for the first time in the program's history. Additionally, the win moved Penn into the NCAA rankings for the first time. After an easy win against West Chester, however, the Quakers fell to Dartmouth by 10 goals. A slow start caused two more Ivy losses against both Princeton and Brown. The Tigers double-teamed recent scoring threats Pierce and tri-captain Amy Tarr, forcing the Quakers to look for other options. Tarr is a solid player who is looked to for leadership. In the game against Brown, attacker Jamie Schemberg, finally demonstrated her shooting potential and scored three goals. Tied with Ross for scoring in the Ivy League, Schemberg scored a goal in almost every game. The Red and Blue followed these matches with a win against Columbia but were unable to continue a winning streak. Rutgers was a disappointing one-point loss in overtime, but freshman Brooke Jenkins had a particularly good game. Jenkins scored three goals and retrieved many groundballs. Jenkins, referred to as the team quarterback, has proven herself an invaluable player. Finally Penn suffered a two-point loss in its final Ivy match against Yale, despite aggressive play and two seven-point comebacks. Attacker Emmy Hansel scored two goals against the Elis and displayed her tell-tale speed. Throughout the season, the Quakers relied upon Hansel to retrieve the ball from their defensive end and take it all the way to goal. "We played really good games against tough competition. It's unfortunate that we didn't come up with more wins in the close games like Rutgers and Brown," Back said. "Our overall record could have appeared better -- it could have just as easily have been 7-4 as 4-7."
(04/25/97 9:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team won its final game of the season, 16-11, last night at Lafayette (8-6). Four goals from midfielder Darah Ross and three from Amy Tarr put Penn over the edge. Ross opened the scoring one minute, 25 seconds into the contest, and the Quakers (4-7) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead. Lafayette got on board with 15:08 remaining in the period, but trailed 11-5 at the half. The Leopards cut the lead to 14-9 with 12:14 to play, but would get no closer. Ross scored all four of her goals in the first half. Ending with 17 points on the season, Ross always had her eye on goal. Penn goalie Sue Back made 12 saves. Back played all 60 minutes of almost every game, and could be counted on by her teammates to ward off the toughest opponents. "We played really well as a team in both the game against Yale and against Lafayette," Back said. "Our skills and enthusiasm were up. We wanted to have a strong finish to the season, and we accomplished that." This season has been a frustrating one for the Quakers who don't feel they were ever able to display the full extent of their ability. Penn lost its first game against its toughest opponent, No. 4 Loyola, but played an aggressive first half and proved to be stronger competition for the Greyhounds than expected. Penn's improvement was more evident in its second game against Cornell. Both teams were primed for the game -- the Big Red out for revenge and the Quakers looking for a repeat performance. Penn won by a goal, scored by middie Sue Pierce, in sudden-death overtime. Pierce led the team with 21 goals and 12 assists. The Red and Blue were, however, less concerned with their games than with the sudden sickness of tri-captain Curran Kelly. Kelly, who became ill just before the match in Ithaca, N.Y., suffered from an unknown virus and was unable to play for weeks. The Quakers entered the Temple game unfocused and concerned about their teammate. After their second loss, the Quakers decided that they would have to prove that they were a better team than they had recently demonstrated. They entered the Harvard game determined to win for Kelly and for themselves. Indeed, Penn left Harvard victorious for the first time in the program's history. Additionally, the win moved Penn into the NCAA rankings for the first time. After an easy win against West Chester, however, the Quakers fell to Dartmouth by 10 goals. A slow start caused two more Ivy losses against both Princeton and Brown. The Tigers double-teamed recent scoring threats Pierce and tri-captain Amy Tarr, forcing the Quakers to look for other options. Tarr is a solid player who is looked to for leadership. In the game against Brown, attacker Jamie Schemberg, finally demonstrated her shooting potential and scored three goals. Tied with Ross for scoring in the Ivy League, Schemberg scored a goal in almost every game. The Red and Blue followed these matches with a win against Columbia but were unable to continue a winning streak. Rutgers was a disappointing one-point loss in overtime, but freshman Brooke Jenkins had a particularly good game. Jenkins scored three goals and retrieved many groundballs. Jenkins, referred to as the team quarterback, has proven herself an invaluable player. Finally Penn suffered a two-point loss in its final Ivy match against Yale, despite aggressive play and two seven-point comebacks. Attacker Emmy Hansel scored two goals against the Elis and displayed her tell-tale speed. Throughout the season, the Quakers relied upon Hansel to retrieve the ball from their defensive end and take it all the way to goal. "We played really good games against tough competition. It's unfortunate that we didn't come up with more wins in the close games like Rutgers and Brown," Back said. "Our overall record could have appeared better -- it could have just as easily have been 7-4 as 4-7."
(04/21/97 9:00am)
Yesterday afternoon, as the rest of the student body was beginning to roll out of bed after the weekend's activities, the Penn women's lacrosse team (4-7, 2-4 Ivy League) was preparing to face its final Ivy League competitors of the season. Although the Quakers had hoped to use yesterday's game to prove themselves in the Ivy League, Penn fell 12-10 to Yale (9-2, 3-2). The Red and Blue were down 7-1 before Darah Ross scored two goals. Penn got as close as 11-10 but could not get any closer. Penn midfielder Darah Ross scored the first goal of the game, but the Elis followed with seven goals and their roll could only be stopped by two more goals by Ross and a third by junior attacker Sue Pierce. Although Yale's leading scorer, Emily Groom, scored an eighth for the Elis, it was the Quakers' Jamie Schemberg who made the last goal of the half. In the second half, Penn outscored Yale by one goal. Junior middie Emmy Hansel and freshman attacker Brooke Jenkins both scored two goals during the period. For the Quakers, the game ended as it had begun, with Ross scoring their first and last goals. "We started off slowly, but we fought to come back," Jenkins said. "We brought it from 1-7 to 10-11 and were proud of ourselves." The Quakers' game was much cleaner than their last, with quick, sharp passing and successful catches. The only problem seemed to be that Yale was always one step ahead of them. Although the Elis' superior play could be attributed to their lack of "Fling-itis," it is more likely the precise advice from their coach, Amanda O'Leary, which kept them on the ball. O'Leary, who attended last Thursday's game against Rutgers, has been keeping close tabs on Penn's team. At that game, she took extensive notes on the offensive and defensive tendencies of the Quakers as well as the techniques of certain players. Noting which Penn's defensive style, its goalies' weaknesses, and which of its players go to goal versus those who look for a pass, O'Leary also recorded strategies that Yale should use to take advantage of the Quakers' weaknesses or to foil their plays. The Elis, whose record is nearly equal to Penn's, were certainly able to outsmart the home team. Although unable to beat Yale, the Red and Blue were successful in demonstrating their tenacity and determination through their nine-point comeback. The Quakers consistent upward trend can only mean further success next year.
(04/18/97 9:00am)
An overtime goal from Rutgers' Brandi Bailey dropped Penn to 4-5. The Penn women's lacrosse team (4-5) went head-to-head with Rutgers last night at Franklin Field. The game ended 9-9 in regulation, but the Lady Knights scored one goal in the first three-minute, non-sudden death overtime and the Quakers were never able to come back. "We played well enough to win," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "We had a two-point lead and then Rutgers came back. We were fighting adverse conditions and the kids hung in there, and coming up with a win would have been nice. We needed to win for comfort level. Where are we at? We're struggling now." Overall, the two teams appeared to be evenly matched. Both seemed to have difficulty gaining control of the groundballs and allowed their passes to get sloppy as their opponent's defense strengthened. Both teams' goalies also had difficulty defending low shots. And both teams have a handful of very strong players on whom they can always rely. Penn has been pleased with its improvement this season, but so far the Red and Blue have been unable to prove themselves as a legitimate national power. Rutgers, preceding the final Ivy match against Yale Sunday at 1 p.m. at Franklin Field, would have been the ideal time to do so. Unfortunately the Lady Knights have made great improvement as well. Rutgers has a good blend of veterans and freshmen who combine to be the most successful team in school history. It was, in fact, ranked 14th in this week's Brine poll, marking its first appearance in top 15 ever. With less than five minutes gone, Rutgers junior tri-captain Dina Cavallo (2 goals) made the first goal of the game, with an assist by Liz Chambers. Chambers (2 goals), a freshman, is a very versatile player who has earned a starting position on the team. Although the Lady Knights' Robin Erthal only scored one goal, she controlled the settling of the ball and looked for the backdoor cut from her teammates. On the attack, Rutgers brought back last year's points leader in senior attacker Brandi Bailey. As the Lady Knights' top scorer and assists leader, Bailey is looked upon as a leader on the field and as the playmaker of the team. With two goals, including the winning goal in overtime, Bailey did not let her team down. As for the Quakers, their focus is on teamwork, but the accomplishments of some cannot go unnoticed. Junior attacker Sue Pierce (2 goals), who has 28 points this season, is fourth in overall scoring in the Ivy League. With 16 points in five games, she leads the Ancient Eight. Jamie Schemberg and Darah Ross are tied for fourth in the League, scoring 11 points each. In last night's game, the Red and Blue worked well together, each player contributing her best skills to the overall benefit of the team. Freshman Brooke Jenkins was scrappy, recovering missed catches, chasing after groundballs, cutting at the crease to help her struggling teammates, and scoring three goals for Penn. Midfielder Emmy Hansel,used her speed to make fast breaks and scored a goal as well. Fellow middie Ross (2 goals, 1 assist) was aggressive on both defense and offense, making several strong shots on goal. Senior tri-captain Amy Tarr (1 goal, 1 assist) and Schemberg (2 goals, 1 assist) were both tenacious. And sophomore goalie Sue Back made seven saves and performed well in a game in which she was consistently pelted with shots and in which her view of the ball was often obscured due to crowding of the players. Although certain individual achievements were notable, what was most evident was Penn's teamwork. The Quakers' bond is very important to them, and the cheer of "Team" at the end of each team meeting spurs the team on more than any other shouts of encouragement. "We played with a lot more heart than we have in the last couple of games -- we played like a team," Hansel said.
(04/10/97 9:00am)
The No. 13-ranked Quakers scored only four goals in each half in their 16-8 loss to No. 11-ranked Princeton. The Penn women's lacrosse team had looked forward to this season as one which would be much-improved from previous years. With strong senior athletes, promising freshmen and a new lineup designed to maximize the team's talent, the Quakers hoped to better last year's record -- especially in regards to their third-place Ivy League finish. Last night, however, the No. 13 Red and Blue (3-4, 2-2 Ivy League) lost 16-8 to Princeton (4-5, 3-1) at Franklin Field. For the third year in a row, Penn has won its first Ivy League matches, against Cornell and Harvard, and then proceeded to lose to Dartmouth and Princeton in back-to-back games. The Tigers, ranked 11th in the nation in the USILA/Brine poll, scored within the first two minutes of the game, making their presence known. Penn retaliated with four goals during the first period, but the Tigers outscored them, 9-5. Within two minutes of each of the Quakers' goals, Princeton matched Penn with at least one goal of their own. Respectively, the Tigers' Hilary Maddox and Melissa Cully scored four and three goals each. Not only does Princeton have seven more substitutes than Penn, but they need only two more players to have a complete second team. In addition, three of the Tigers have the advantage of having played together in high school. Hailing from Baltimore, Md., the epicenter of lacrosse, Princeton's Cully, Tice Burke, and Brent McCallister have been playing together for at least five years. As for the Quakers, Brooke Jenkins and Emily Hansel scored two goals each. Goalkeeper Sue Back played the entire 60 minutes of the game and made nine saves. But Princeton executed sharp passes and shot both frequently and quickly, making Back's job particularly difficult. Within the first seven minutes of the game the score was tied twice, but from then on the Tigers made a run with the ball. Although their score was more than double that of the Quakers' during the rest of the game, Penn refused to admit defeat. The Red and Blue fought back right down to the last minute, when Hansel made the Quakers' final shot of the game. Despite the Quakers' determination, it has been a tough season thus far. Tri-captain Curran Kelly contracted a virus just less than three weeks ago, and the emotional strain weighed heavily on the team. Consequently, Penn has not been as strong without her leadership. Kelly made her second debut of the season during last night's game. The Quakers welcomed her return, and look forward to striving, as a whole team, toward victories in the remaining five games. Penn's tenacity combined with teamwork should be the panacea for their recent losses.
(04/07/97 9:00am)
In a game eerily similar to last year's, Penn's women's lacrosse team lost to Dartmouth. The Big Green outhustled and outscored the Quakers in a match which ended 16-6. As the first game in a three-game series, No. 12 Penn had hoped to prove better competition for No. 9-ranked Dartmouth. Not only did the Big Green (5-0, 2-0 Ivy League) take more shots than the Quakers, but they also managed to convert more than 50 percent of those shots into goals. With 23 minutes to go in the first half, the two teams were tied, but only 30 seconds later Dartmouth scored again, beginning a trend of consistent scoring throughout the game. At halftime, the Penn coaches demanded a more aggressive defense. With a first-half score of 8-2, Penn needed to stop any fastbreaks and become more tenacious on defense. Even though Penn (3-3, 2-1) was able to get the ball into the offensive end more frequently, the Quakers were unable to keep up with Dartmouth's fast pace of scoring. Penn earned four goals in the second half, twice as many as they had in the first period, but the Big Green doubled their score. The smooth execution of its passing series was an asset to Dartmouth, half of whose goals had assists. To some spectators, the game may have seemed a lost cause after only the first half, but the Quakers refused to give up. With only 49 seconds left in the game, junior Sue Pierce scored the final shot of the game. "I don't think that the score of Friday's game shows the way we can play or our game," Pierce said. "The most frustrating aspect of Friday night's game was not knowing what went wrong." Although this season has many similarities to last year's, Penn hopes that the remainder will be different. After losing to the Big Green last year, the Red and Blue proceeded to be defeated in four of their last six games. Despite the disappointing contest, the Quakers are ready to face Princeton and Brown. "Dartmouth's behind us and we have to move on," Pierce said. "We play Princeton on Wednesday and Brown on Saturday, and that's what is most important to us now. If we continue playing like a team and play together, then we should be able to win." As they get stronger as a team and improve their play, the Quakers are looking forward to the challenges which lie ahead. Having proved to themselves that their dedication and hard work have paid off, Penn needs only to remind its competitors.
(04/01/97 10:00am)
The Quakers broke into national prominence with a 10-9 victory over Harvard in Cambridge, Mass. In 25 years at Penn, Quakers women's lacrosse coach Anne Sage had never beaten Harvard on their turf? until Saturday, that is. Not only was Penn's 10-9 victory over the Crimson a monumental game in Sage's career, but it launched the team into the NCAA rankings. Last year the Quakers beat the Crimson for the first time in 27 years. This year Penn (2-2, 2-0 Ivy League) continued that winning streak. In 1995 the team earned only one Ivy League victory; last year they earned three. This season, the Red and the Blue are already two-for-two in the league, and are currently in first place in the Ancient Eight. "Any time you play an Ivy League game it's definitely intense and competitive. We knew that no matter where the rankings are (Harvard was ranked No. 13 by the NCAA coming into the game), Harvard was going to be tough and physical and we responded pretty well," Penn tri-captain Amy Tarr said. "We started off very strong during the first 10 minutes. They came back strong and made a run with the ball. From that point on we played neck and neck down to the wire until we pulled it out in last couple of minutes with two goals." Although Harvard (3-2, 0-2)was out for revenge for last year's defeat, and had the advantage of playing at their Ohiri Field, the Quakers were on fire. Many of the players' parents attended the game, and the incentive to put on a good game for the fans was high. "Brooke [Jenkins] was sick and didn't travel with us, and Curran [Kelly] is still out, and that made us nervous," Quaker senior Caroline Chen said. "Just before the game we had a team meeting and decided that we wanted to do this for them. We wanted to prove to everyone, and to ourselves, that we have ability to pull together and show we can do it." With very few substitutes, the players were exhausted by the end of the game, claiming that the last two minutes seemed like an eternity. With only four minutes left, Penn's Jen Leisman scored and was immediately followed by her teammate Sue Pierce. Pierce earned a second goal with a free position just over a minute later. Seemingly secure with a score of 10-7, Penn was soon on shaky ground. The Crimson managed to instill fear in the Quakers, making two goals with less than a minute left in the game. The Red and the Blue, however, remained strong on defense and did not allow a game-tying shot. Despite the huge win, which brought Penn into the NCAA rankings for the first time ever, the Quakers are still realistic about what needs improvement. The acknowledgement of flaws is greatly overwhelmed by an aura of enthusiasm and determination. Ranked No. 12, in a tie with Princeton, among Division I teams, Penn is anxious to play another league game. "We need to work on a full game -- playing our game, concentrating on possession and fewer turnovers, and being aggressive on ground balls and at the offensive end," Tarr said. Penn is particularly looking forward to Friday's game against Dartmouth as an opportunity to show its stuff. Both the Quakers and the Big Green are undefeated, and Penn is the league leader. Compared to1995's record of 0-7 in the league, Penn women's lacrosse team has certainly risen in the rankings.
(03/27/97 10:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team lost at No. 7-ranked Temple yesterday afternoon, 13-5. To the players, however, it was not the points that were missing, but senior tri-captain Curran Kelly. Kelly, who became ill last weekend before the Cornell game and remains under observation at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, where she is suffering from an unknown virus. "We did well considering that we didn't have a veteran senior," Penn coach Anne Sage said. "Curran is the mother of the group. She's the glue and the leader on the field." Sage sees each player as having certain characteristics which contribute to the strength of the team as a whole. It is the "blend of personalities" and "fun that they have together" that makes them so strong on the field. They depend on one another, both on and off the field, and when someone is missing the whole team is hurt. The team did not have its heart in the Temple game. Kelly's indefinite absence is weighing heavily on their shoulders. The Quakers went through the motions of the game, but the energy just wasn't there. Ultimately, the players performed as expected, but they were two steps behind. "Mighty and fierce" Sue Pierce was aggressive in the fan and scored Penn's first goal. Following Pierce's lead, Emmy "Forrest" Hansel used her speed against the Owls and took the ball all the way to goal. Junior Darah Ross followed her "nose for goal" and scored a third for the Quakers. Sophomore Jen Leisman and freshman Brooke Jenkins scored the remaining two goals. Ultimately, though, Penn looked sloppy, showing poor fundamentals. The matchup with Temple proved similar to last week's match with Loyola. The two teams played an even first half, but Penn's turnovers increased in the second half. The Red and Blue kept throwing the ball away and the Owls jumped on their mistakes. As the Quakers' errors increased, the Owls turned it up a notch. "We have to recognize that when we play a ranked team we can't throw the ball away, miss catches or miss groundballs," Sage said. Penn goalie Sue Back was tough in the net. The more mistakes the Quakers made, the more action there was for Back. With Temple on offense for the majority of the second half, Back saw a lot of action and made numerous saves as shots were fired at her. The loss seemed unimportant to the Quakers whose mentality for last night's game was a game is a game, win or lose. Penn has been working hard and has already seen improvements. What's more, the game itself, when compared to other team issues, seemed insignificant. "If you play against the best, then you learn all of your mistakes," Sage said. "We've learned so much from playing against Temple and Loyola who are both ranked. We aren't disappointed because when we go against a team not in the top 10, that's where we can show our stuff."
(03/24/97 10:00am)
So far, the 1997 season of Penn women's lacrosse has been a mirror image of last year's with one exception -- the Quakers are more competitive. At last year's league opener, Penn just edged out Cornell with a score of 10-9 in regulation. On Saturday, the Red and Blue again defeated the Big Red 15-14 in sudden death, as junior Sue Pierce got the game-winning goal at the 1:14 mark. Both teams entered the game with a must-win attitude, the Big Red determined to seek revenge for last year's loss, and the Quakers determined to have a repeat performance. Cornell (2-2, 0-1 Ivy League) met the Quakers after two successful matches during which they scored a total of 29 goals. The Quakers (1-1, 1-0), however, had a losing record and only four goals in their first game of the season. Last week's loss to Loyola had taught the Quakers many lessons. While Loyola had easily beaten Penn last year, the Quakers proved a much more competitive team last week. Blaming last week's defeat on turnovers, the Red and Blue entered Saturday's match knowing they had to play a controlled game on the defensive side while remaining aggressive on offense. Cornell senior Lauren Feinstein was also expected to be a threat. Feinstein has been leading the Big Red with seven goals in the last two games and a career best of five in the most recent match. But on Saturday, the Quakers' defense restricted her to two goals and one assist. "It was snowing, and the conditions were not very good. Also, Curran Kelly got sick before the game. We had everything going against us," Penn tri-captain Jill Brown said. "It was a very similar type game to last year -- a little bit panicked at times, a running game back and forth. This year, Cornell was in the lead most of the time, which shows our persistence." Although Cornell's offense had been consistently improving, Penn was aggressive in the fan and took 39 shots on goal. The Quakers scored on two of six free positions, whereas Cornell missed all eight of theirs. Freshman Brooke Jenkins scored her second goal of the season and Tarr scored two points. "A key point was the balanced shooting. We had some key shots--Darah Ross was our leading scorer and Sue Pierce came up with a great one at the end [of double overtime]," said Tarr. Otherwise the score was controlled by Penn's juniors. Ross led the Quakers with five goals while teammates Jamie Schemberg, Emily Hansel, and Pierce scored two points each. Sophomore goalie Sue Back had two saves in 18 minutes, and freshman goalkeeper Melissa Rantz made her collegiate debut. In the final 50 minutes of the game, Rantz recorded seven saves. "It was a great win as a team and gives us momentum going into this week with two tough games, Temple and Harvard," Tarr said. Despite its 1-1 record, Penn is optimistic about the season. With noticeable improvement so early in the season, the Quakers are confident that they can improve last year's standing of 3-3 in the Ivy League.
(03/19/97 10:00am)
The Penn women's lacrosse team controlled much of the first half, but was outscroed 6-2 in the second frame. A 10-4 defeat by highly regarded Loyola was not shocking to Penn's women's lacrosse team, but their domination of the first half was a pleasant surprise last night at Franklin Field. Although the score was tied at two at the end of the first half, Penn dominated almost the entire session. Loyola co-captain Michelle Meyer, with an assist by Erin Wylde, made the first goal of the half. Rather than letting down their guard, the Quakers charged back. Only 40 seconds later, Penn junior Jamie Schemberg tied the score. The Quakers followed Schemberg's lead and poured on the pressure. Cutting picked up on the offense and passes were made more quickly. Six minutes later, Penn junior Sue Pierce scored the second goal and gave her team a one-goal lead, 2-1. Overwhelmed and relieved, the Red and Blue settled down for a few minutes. They were in control of the offense until Loyola made a fast break. For an entire minute, the Greyhounds (2-0) swarmed around the goal searching for the opportune moment to shoot. The pressure allowed Penn's sophomore goalie Sue Back to shine. Although she had to leave the safety of the cage numerous times, Back managed to make three consecutive saves and rescued herself with a pass to tri-captain Amy Tarr. Tarr had a fast break and led her team back to offense. Although the Greyhounds intercepted and returned to the other end of the field, it was not long before the Quakers were back on offense. After some unsuccessful shots on goal, the Quakers lost control once again. But the goalie was back to save the day. With three more saves within four minutes, the junior could not be stopped. That is, until the last 90 seconds of the game when Loyola's Emily Franey, with an assist by Meyer, equalized. Despite the surprisingly close first half, the Greyhounds overwhelmed the Quakers during the second half. After less than two minutes were underway in the second session, Loyola's Allison Valentino assisted Kerri Johnson's goal. Within the next three minutes, Johnson scored again, and Meyer had the assist. When Greyhound Robyn Disney made yet another goal, Penn coach Sage called a time-out. Immediately after the draw and initial pass, Penn's Pierce scored her second goal. Her efforts were to no avail, however. The Greyhounds dominated the next 10 minutes of the game and chalked up four goals. The Quakers came back with five minutes left and freshman Brooke Jenkins, with a second assist by Chen, scored their final goal. Loyola led to the end, with a Meyer-Valentino goal-assist combination in the last second of the game. If the Greyhounds were underestimating Penn, they realized their error by the end of the first half. Loyola's misjudgment, however, was the Quakers' gain. In the first half, Penn worked as a team and gained confidence which will help them when they play lesser competition.
(02/25/97 10:00am)
Last weekend, Penn participated in a lightning-fast Eastern Women's Swimming League Championships at Princeton. Although the swimming was at a much higher level than last year, the meet seemed all too familiar to the Quakers. For the second year in a row, Brown won top honors and Penn finished 10th of 11 teams. Although they did not beat as many teams as they had hoped, the Quakers performed better than last year. This season, at least three swimmers and six divers made automatic qualifications for the NCAA championship meet, and many others posted NCAA consideration times. Last year, however, no one qualified. The increase in speed made the 1997 Easterns one of the most competitive in years. The ESWL Swimmer of the Year was Columbia's Christina Teuscher, who amassed 60 points, only 25 less than the Quakers earned. A national champion and 1996 Olympic Gold medalist in the 800-freestyle relay, the freshman set three new meet records. Included among these three is the 1650-meter freestyle in which she finished 33 seconds before the next finisher. Despite Teuscher's strong performance, Brown came out on top. Freshman Katie Cowan and junior Kari Klassen both earned only three fewer points than Teuscher. Sophomore Tana Belisle-Leclerc finished sixth overall (47 points) with her teammates Katrina Walters and Megan Rhea only a point behind. The Bears' depth won the meet for them for the second year in a row. Princeton finished second, 57 points behind the Bears and 200 points ahead of the third-place finishers Yale. Penn earned 85 points, finishing 10th of 11 teams as they did last year. "The team as a whole competed very well. They stepped up for the relays, swimming faster in the relays than in their individual events for the most part," Penn sophomore Kelly James said. "Overall, the hard work that people have put in paid off with fast swims. The meet in general was considerably faster than last year." Every Quaker knew they had to give it their all to have a chance of reaching the night finals. Many Quakers swam their best times ever, and five were fast enough to qualify for the night finals. What is more, all five of them -- Jenn Walsh, Lauren Hibbert, James, Michelle Amicone and Christy Meyer, swam at least two seconds faster at night than they had in the morning. Walsh swam her best time ever in the 100-butterfly, placing eighth in the event and becoming Penn's first finalist in an individual event in five years. Hibbert posted best times in all three of her events and dropped 10 seconds in her 500-freestyle. James swam a personal best in both the 100-backstroke and the 200-backstroke. Freshman Michelle Amicone swam her personal best (55.37) in the 100-freestyle and had the fastest split on the 200-freestyle. Penn junior co-captain Christy Meyer swam a best time in the 100 breaststroke. The 400-freestyle relay team swam its best all year, placing eighth in the finals. Finally, sophomore Penn diver Johanna Minich placed 21st in the three-meter dive. A novice collegiate diver, Minich beat out seven other divers, including three upperclassmen. "It was wonderful to end our season on a good note and definitely needed for this year," Meyer said. "The incredible speed this year created an intensity and general upbeat feeling. All of us had huge smiles as we got out of the pool and looked at the clock. Such success boosted the team morale and made everyone think 'Wow, I can do this, too'."
(02/20/97 10:00am)
After another lackluster season, the Penn women's swimming team competes in Easterns in Princeton, N.J. - the last team competition of the year. Beginning today and continuing until Saturday, the Penn women's swimming team will be participating in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championships -- the event they have been preparing for since winter break. The Quakers will face the six other teams in the Ivy League as well as Army, Navy, Johns Hopkins and Swarthmore. Although they lost to Army and every other team in the league, the Red and Blue expect to perform better than they did at last year's championship, when they placed 10th of 11 teams. "We're all really psyched for Easterns," Penn sophomore Lauren Hibbert said. "Everyone has been feeling really good these last few days of practice, so hopefully everything will fall into place when we have to race. We've been gearing for this meet for a long time now, and I think everyone is ready to swim fast? we'll be going after Army, that's our best shot at beating someone, and even Dartmouth, too." Although Brown won last year, they are not necessarily this year's favorite. Yale just narrowly beat both Princeton and Brown in dual meets, and thus all three will be contending for the top honor. The Quakers believe that the intense competition among the Elis, the Tigers and the Bears will push them to swim faster. "Our team goals include relays, placing in the top five in the medley relays and 400-freestyle relays," Quakers sophomore Lauren Ballough said. "Princeton is one of the fastest pools in the country and definitely the fastest in our league. The situation for competition is great, we have been consistent all year, and we have trained harder than ever. Last year we were an even younger team, so now we have some experience. It's all a mental game." Sophomore Johanna Minich will represent Penn's diving team at Princeton. In her first season of collegiate diving, Minich led all Penn divers in every meet, and won the overall diving competition at the meet against Columbia and Rutgers. "I do have a few goals for this meet," Minich said. "I hope to perform as well if not better than I have at some of my best meets this season. I think the pressure will affect me positively and force me to dive my best. I will be competing a couple of new dives that I've just learned, so this will add tremendously to the pressure to perform." Over the last few weeks, the Quakers have been sacrificing dual meets in order to be in prime form for Easterns. Additionally, they have been tapering so that when they are shaved and ready to race they will be overwhelmed by their speed. Penn, although young, has been extremely focused this year and even mentioned ECACs back in November. Their great enthusiasm and optimism is immediately evident, although it hasn't been the solution to their record. The Quakers have a last chance to prove themselves and to show the other teams the progress they have made this season.
(02/10/97 10:00am)
The Quakers could not overcome Army, which was fully tapered and shaved for its championship meet. The Penn women's swimming team (3-8) lost its last dual meet of the season to Army on Saturday. The Quakers beat Army last year but were still expecting a challenge since the Black Knights, like the Quakers, have improved greatly since last year. What Penn didn't know, however, hurt them. "We went in prepared for a very close meet," Penn co-captain Christy Meyer said. "What we didn't know is that Army will have their championship meet in two days. They had already shaved, tapered and completely rested." The Quakers' championship, Easterns, is almost a week later than Army's, and so they have just begun to taper. The point of tapering is to feel rested and ready to swim fast by the day of the meet, but at the beginning tapering is difficult. The decrease in yardage makes the swimmers feel out of shape. As a result, most of Penn's squad did not swim as well as they had last weekend against Johns Hopkins and Harvard. Penn assistant coach Mike Schnur, had said that if the Quakers won three of four key races -- 100-yard backstroke, and the 200-, 500- and 1000-freestyle -- they would win. Of the four, the Red and Blue was only able to capture one. In fact, they only garnered two wins during the whole meet. Freshmen Jamie Taylor and Jenn Walsh won the 500-freestyle and the 200-butterfly respectively. "The obvious disadvantage was that we had to get up really early for a long bus ride," Penn sophomore Lauren Ballough said. "But I think that the main difference between this year and last year -- last year we won -- is Army's freshmen. That class had great depth." Some of the Quakers did step up for this meet and swam well, but they didn't stand out since Army was well-rested and prepared to race. Heather Rouse, for example, performed well in her first attempt at the 100-breaststroke. Usually a freestyler, Rouse decided to swim the 50-breaststroke last week and was successful. Due to these surprising results, Rouse decided to swim the 100-breaststroke at Easterns and wanted to practice once before the championship. Additionally, the Quakers who aren't going to Easterns -- Carrie Van Sykel, Kourtney Krom, Caroline Flood, Sarah Murray and Daily Pennsylvanian writer Heather Reardon -- shaved for Saturday's meet and swam to the best of their ability. Krom swam her fastest 200-butterfly ever. "The five of them stepped up for their last meet of the season and swam better than others on the team," Meyer added. "Many of them swam some of their best times." Penn did not earn the win it was hoping for, but the Quakers have two more weeks to pull everything together and prove to its competitors at Easterns that they have made great improvements this season. After all, seeing is believing, and they have not shown much yet.
(02/04/97 10:00am)
W. Swimming beats Johns Hopkins but loses to Harvard, 133-91. This weekend was a busy one for the Penn women's swimming team. On Friday, the Quakers beat Johns Hopkins 139-90, but lost yesterday to Harvard 133-91. Despite having finished the dual-meet season without a single league win, Penn has managed to remain focused on the progress they're making this season. "The team has come together well at the end of the season, and as a result everyone is swimming better for it," Quakers sophomore Jenn Triolo said. The improvement was more evident at Friday's meet, where the Quakers won five of eight individual events and came in first in both relays. The relay team -- Michelle Amicone, Jamie Taylor, Triolo and Alycia Kaufman -- finished first with one of their best times ever, two minutes, 23.79 seconds. In addition, Triolo placed second in the 200-backstroke with a time of 2:52. Penn freshman Jen Walsh won both the 400-individual medley and the 200-butterfly, and her teammate Caroline Shipps won the 50-breaststroke and the 100-breaststroke. Sophomore Johanna Minich again had a strong performance, placing second in the one-meter dive and first in the three-meter. "Beating Rutgers was key," Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert said. "It reinforces our own confidence. Beating Hopkins is also a great sign of improvement, since last year it came down to the last relay and we tied them." Yesterday, however, the Crimson were able to snap the Quakers' winning streak of two with a score of 133-91. Both Penn and Harvard have had two meets within the last four days and were tired for the contest. The coaches, who are long-term friends, took this into consideration during the hour-long meet, an unusually short time. Both Lawlor-Gilbert and Harvard coach Maura Scalise were interested in doing what's best for the swimmers. Their goal was just to have them compete, not to push them to their physical limits. Minich placed second in both the one-meter and the three-meter dives. Penn's Kelly James won first place in the 500-freestyle, as did Heather Wilder in the 200-breaststroke. Wilder, Price and Jen Marzullo swept the 200-breaststroke, finishing first, second and third, respectively. "The women are tough and tenacious," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "Taylor, for example, swam the 200-yard butterfly, had a break for one event and then swam the 200-yard backstroke. They're upbeat, positive, enthusiastic and willing try stuff. That's why they're great to coach." Amicone, Bridget Adams, Triolo and Heather Rouse finished first in the 200-freestyle relay, and their Quakers teammates Christy Meyer, Lauren Hibbert, James and Gretchen Price came in three seconds behind them. "We're competing well -- the sophomores are really pulling it together," James said. "We're a lot stronger, and our times are consistently better than first semester. Although we may be second best, we're showing our depth by stepping up, getting in there and racing." With only one more meet left before Easterns, the Quakers can only hope that their upward trend continues and that it reaches a point at which they can challenge their former competitors at the Championships. But is three weekends enough time?
(02/04/97 10:00am)
W. Swimming beats Johns Hopkins but loses to Harvard, 133-91. This weekend was a busy one for the Penn women's swimming team. On Friday, the Quakers beat Johns Hopkins 139-90, but lost yesterday to Harvard 133-91, both at Sheerr Pool. Despite having finished the dual-meet season without a single league win, Penn has managed to remain focused on the progress they're making this season. "The team has come together well at the end of the season, and as a result everyone is swimming better for it," Quakers sophomore Jenn Triolo said. The improvement was more evident at Friday's meet, where the Quakers won five of eight individual events and came in first in both relays. The relay team -- Michelle Amicone, Jamie Taylor, Triolo and Alycia Kaufman -- finished first with one of their best times ever, two minutes, 23.79 seconds. In addition, Triolo placed second in the 200-backstroke with a time of 2:52. Penn freshman Jen Walsh won both the 400-individual medley and the 200-butterfly, and her teammate Caroline Shipps won the 50-breaststroke and the 100-breaststroke. Sophomore Johanna Minich again had a strong performance, placing second in the one-meter dive and first in the three-meter. "Beating Rutgers was key," Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert said. "It reinforces our own confidence. Beating Hopkins is also a great sign of improvement, since last year it came down to the last relay and we tied them." Yesterday, however, the Crimson were able to snap the Quakers' winning streak of two with a score of 133-91. Both Penn and Harvard have had two meets within the last four days and were tired for the contest. The coaches, who are long-term friends, took this into consideration during the hour-long meet, an unusually short time. Both Lawlor-Gilbert and Harvard coach Maura Scalise were interested in doing what's best for the swimmers. Their goal was just to have them compete, not to push them to their physical limits. Minich placed second in both the one-meter and the three-meter dives. Penn's Kelly James won first place in the 500-freestyle, as did Heather Wilder in the 200-breaststroke. Wilder, Price, and Jen Marzullo swept the 200-breaststroke, finishing first, second and third, respectively. "The women are tough and tenacious," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "Taylor, for example, swam the 200-yard butterfly, had a break for one event and then swam the 200-yard backstroke. They're upbeat, positive, enthusiastic, and willing try stuff. That's why they're great to coach." Amicone, Bridget Adams, Triolo and Heather Rouse finished first in the 200-freestyle relay, and their Quakers teammates Christy Meyer, Lauren Hibbert, James and Gretchen Price came in three seconds behind them. "We're competing well -- the sophomores are really pulling it together," James said. "We're a lot stronger, and our times are consistently better than first semester. Although we may be second best, we're showing our depth by stepping up, getting in there and racing." With only one more meet left before Easterns, the Quakers can only hope that their upward trend continues and that it reaches a point at which they can challenge their former competitors at the Championships. But is three weekends enough time?
(01/30/97 10:00am)
Last night, the Penn women's swimming team faced Rutgers and Columbia at the Scarlet Athletic Club. Columbia was the overall winner, beating the Quakers (175-124) and Rutgers (176-123). The Red and Blue won against Rutgers (161.5-137.5), but still have just one more chance -- against Harvard -- to achieve a league win. At last weekend's meet against Navy, Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert wanted the team to focus on preparing for yesterday's meet rather than on beating Navy. The Quakers had hoped to beat Columbia, but were unsuccessful. Although Penn may have more depth, Columbia has a few phenomenal swimmers whose times are substantially better than those of its competitors. In the 1,000-meter freestyle, Columbia's Molly Conroy and Megan Hast beat Jamie Taylor, Penn's third-place finisher, by nine and seven seconds, respectively. Similarly, the Lions' Rachel Strong beat Penn's first finisher, Kelly James, by four seconds. Columbia Olympian Christina Teuscher, however, was the most impressive. Teuscher placed first in both events she swam. In the 500-freestyle the second-place finisher, Penn's Taylor, was seven seconds behind her. In the 200-freestyle Teuscher was five seconds faster than her closest competitor, the Quakers' Jen Triolo. "With an Olympic medalist [Teuscher] competing for them, Columbia was hard to beat, but we fought it out until the last relay, which Penn took easily," Penn freshman Heather Wilder said. "This was our toughest showing yet -- defeating a Division I team without having rested and going into a stretch of three meets in five days. We're looking forward to [Johns] Hopkins and Harvard this weekend." The Quakers have been improving their times in each of the last few races, and had looked forward to their first league win. Although they were unable to achieve this feat, the younger members on the team, especially the freshmen, really stepped up their performance last night. Freshman Jenn Walsh placed first in the 200-butterfly, second in the 200-individual medley and third in the 100-butterfly. Of the whole team, the Quakers thought that Walsh had the best performance yesterday. Caroline Shipps took second in the 50-freestyle, and third in the 100-freestyle. Wilder placed third in both the 200-IM and the 200-breaststroke. Finally, Taylor placed second in the 500-freestyle and third in the 1000-freestyle. The Quakers' sophomores performed well, too. Triolo placed second in the 200-freestyle, recording her best time all year. Johanna Minich placed second in the 3-meter dive and won the overall diving competition. Alycia Kaufman finished second in the 100-breaststroke, and first in the 200-breaststroke. "Our best event was the 400-freestyle relay," Penn co-captain Christy Meyer said. "Caroline [Shipps], Alycia [Kaufman], Jenn [Triolo], and Jamie [Taylor] were awesome. They each swam to the best of their ability and it didn't bother them that no one was left to see them. Triolo even beat her best 100-meter split of this year. The four of them wanted to swim their best time, and had an incredible lead [four seconds] over the other competitors." Despite the Quakers' strong performances, they were yet again unable to achieve a league win. The strength of the younger team members, however, is an indication that Penn might have a better chance in the future. Penn has two home meets this weekend. On Friday at 4 p.m. they face Johns Hopkins. Sunday at noon marks the Quakers' last chance for a league win this season.
(01/27/97 10:00am)
Although the Penn women's swimming team lost to Navy on Friday, many of the Quakers swam their personal bests of this season. Penn is using some of the earlier meets to prepare for the more challenging ones later in the season. The team's tenacity and steady improvement since winter break have proved their potential. "Navy women were tough, but we swam well," freshman Heather Wilder said. "Notable efforts were put in by many swimmers, especially sophomore Gretchen Price, who won the 1000-meter freestyle, warding off Navy's best all the way." Price's teammates believe that her victory was long overdue. Over the past two years, she has been training hard, but it was not paying off. On Friday, however, Price clocked her best time since she has been at Penn. Fellow freshman Jenn Walsh fought her way through the 200-meter butterfly and was just touched-out for first place. Walsh has been suffering from severe shoulder problems all season, but she nonetheless held her stroke steady and managed to pull out a time of 2 minutes, 12 seconds. Quakers co-captain Christy Meyer also swam her best time for the 200-meter breaststroke. "Overall, as a team, it was not a bad meet, but the point score doesn't reflect how we swam," Meyer said. "It seemed like it was a lot closer -- it definitely wasn't a blowout. "A lot of girls were able to ignore Navy's intimidation and swam really good times for this part of the season. Many people just won't give up -- each meet they beat their best times. The Red and Blue had strong performances in diving as well. Navy had two very experienced divers, but the performances by Penn sophomore Johanna Minich and freshman Ruthie Rowbatham showed how much improvement the two have made this season. Minich got third place on the one-meter and second place on three-meter. Rowbatham finished fourth on both boards. Rowbatham and Minich have been the only Penn divers at the last two meets. Both of them have been getting consistently better, and have had no relapses. According to Minich, Rowbatham, who placed second in the one-meter in last weekend's meet against Brown, is making huge improvements and learning new dives. "Everyone seemed to race well," freshman Jamie Taylor said. "The further away from Christmas training we are, the better we have been swimming, and the better we will swim. This week we have a lot of big meets -- like Columbia -- that we are very excited about." Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert opted to have a men's line-up, meaning there were fewer events, to help her team focus on the meet at Rutgers on Wednesday.
(01/21/97 10:00am)
Swim teams usually alter their lineup when blowing out opponents. The Penn women's swimming team was blown out of the water by Brown last Saturday, 230-65. The Quakers were surprised because Brown did not alter its line-up after achieving a substantial lead, but rather swam to the best of their ability. Aware that the Bears would soundly defeat the Quakers, Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert wanted the team to use this meet as a learning experience. The swimmers were encouraged to take it out strong to determine how far they are in their training. Additionally, many swimmers competed in new events both for fun and in hopes that they could swim a third event at Easterns. Sophomore backstroker Lauren Ballough did not swim because of a shoulder injury and both freshmen diver Ruthie Rowbotham and sophomore breaststroker Lauren Wald were sick. The illnesses and change in line-up may have cost the Quakers some points in individual events, but even without those difficulties, Penn could not have won the meet. Earlier in the season the Red and Blue had lost to both Yale -- a contender with Brown for top honors at Easterns -- and Harvard, who along with Princeton, is favored to some as a close second. Although Penn was not surprised by the outcome, they were disconcerted by the actions of the other team. Coaches and athletes alike expect that teams who are winning will back off once they establish a significant lead. The competitors, more than anyone else, should appreciate the efforts of the athletes no matter what their ability. Brown, however, showed little respect for the Quakers. They consistently kept the pressure on and the score rising. "The women handled themselves very well in the face of such belittlement and competition," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "They showed their faith in themselves and in their work." Although Brown consistently took the first three places in both swimming and diving, Penn never let up. Rowbatham had slight difficulty with the 3-meter dive, but she performed well on the 1-meter. In order to be successful, the Quakers must not only be skilled and fast, but they must be tough and have their heads on straight. Last weekend's performance proved that the Quakers have mastered the latter two, and need only to continue the upward trend in bettering their individual events. "They [Brown] are a strong team and our whole team was tired. But despite these two obvious obstacles I feel that it was a good opportunity for our team to display grit and tenacity," freshman Jamie Taylor said. "Personally, I feel that no matter what, to be successful in the long run, I just have to keep swimming the races as tough as I can no matter how tired I am. I think this holds true for our entire team." Lawlor-Gilbert considers the women on this year's team to be the building blocks that a coach needs to have a strong team. "They are really a together team as far as attitude," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "It's especially tough to keep it up when their efforts are not met with a winning record, but they are still rising up to meet the challenge and will eventually prevail."
(01/17/97 10:00am)
The Quakers believe its continual rebuilding process is approximately two years behind their male counterparts. Over the last few years, the Penn women's swimming team has not had an impressive record. In fact, no one on the Quakers squad has ever been on the winning end of an Ivy League meet. How have the Quakers fallen from their status as a swimming powerhouse in the not-too-distant past? "Since my freshman year we've been rebuilding," Penn co-captain Christy Meyer said. "We've come a long way since then. We've recruited girls who really want to swim and in the last two years the team has grown from nine [members] to 24." Indeed, prior to that, there had been many Penn swimmers who were unsatisfied with the program and who consistently threw around blame for the Quakers' poor record. Such pervasive negativity eventually influenced the team as a whole, and made it difficult for the swimmers to focus on their swimming. In the fall of 1994, the dissenters had decided that they no longer wished to be a part of the team. The remaining swimmers decided that it was their job to make the team good again. As the team of dedicated swimmers grew in size, the Quakers say that the coaches became more flexible and receptive to suggestions. Everyone has been able to work together as a unit. Penn is also in a very competitive league in which funds, and therefore programs, vary greatly in scope. "Many schools have separate men's and women's programs and have greater support systems around their squads," said Penn coach Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert. "Unfortunately this means that certain teams inevitably fall a step behind and the other coaches take advantage of it." "Some are at a great financial advantage and are thus able to accomplish more," assistant coach Michael Schnur said. "There is a lot of heavy recruiting in the league." Additionally, there is the issue of Title IX. The federal law that states that schools that receive federal funding must have gender-equitable athletic opportunities. Due to suits or complaints of negligence, certain schools are extremely generous in their support of the women's teams. Schnur and Lawlor-Gilbert agree that such situations make their job particularly challenging, but can only carry on and lobby for change. "Rather than singing the blues about what we don't have, I prefer to talk about the girls," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "They're tough, willing to work hard, and have a great mental attitude. It's the best place to be in the [Ivy] League and we can't have it all. But we want it all and we're going to get it all eventually." The Quakers (0-4 Ivy League) will have the opportunity to see how successful this rebuilding has been on Saturday, when they compete against Brown in Providence, R.I. Although the Bears are a superior team, Penn hopes to see that they have closed Brown's edge since last year. "Brown is a huge team with lots of depth," Penn co-captain Kourtney Krom said. "Many of their swimmers are strong in more than just one event. In addition, they have 12 seniors and we have none." Although the Red and Blue stand little chance of beating Brown, individual swimmers will be great competition for the Bears. Lawlor-Gilbert changed the lineup, which will allow the Quakers to have fun with the meet and to earn best times in different events. "We expect them to win," Quakers sophomore Jen Triolo said. "We are racing ourselves and trying to post qualifying times for Easterns." It would be surprising if Penn's women's team could achieve a record like that of Penn's men's squad, which is competitive in the Ivies, overnight. But a gradual improvement is certainly possible -- four years ago they found themselves in the same position as the women. "We're two years behind the guys in rebuilding our program," said Meyer. "That's Jeff Brown's [Penn men's team star] year. So in two more years we could possibly be at their level."
(01/14/97 10:00am)
Quakers endure four hours of practice a day and a meet with N.C. State in Florida. Although the weather was beautiful, the Quakers did not have much time to appreciate it. The improvements they made, however, more than compensated for having to sacrifice a week of break. The swimmers welcomed the opportunity to swim outdoors in a 50-meter pool, but with a pair of two-hour practices a day, Penn's team did not have much spare time to have fun. According to their coach, Kathy Lawlor-Gilbert, "they trained exceptionally well and showed a sign of progress." In addition to such strenuous training, Penn participated in two meets during the break -- the Ibis Invitational at the University of Miami on January 5, where they trained, and a league meet against Dartmouth last Saturday. At the Ibis Invite, Miami (126) beat both Penn (30) and North Carolina State (49) decisively. Freshman Jamie Taylor was sick and unable to participate, which made a significant difference in the distance and relay events. N. C. State didn't expect much competition from Penn, but the Quakers surprised the Wolfpack by giving the favorites a run for their money. "We gave N. C. State all that they could handle," Lawlor-Gilbert said. "It's too bad we couldn't have pushed just a little more, but we simply weren't relaxed enough." The Red and Blue faced the same difficulties at the Dartmouth meet. Returning to Penn after intensive training, the team endured a bus ride to Hanover, N.H., and then raced immediately afterwards. The timing of the meet was unfortunate, but the Quakers couldn't sacrifice training for Easterns for one dual meet. The Big Green (167) beat the Quakers (127), but it was not a blowout. The first event, the 200-medley relay, was a close loss and Penn placed second, fourth and fifth. The 1000-meter freestyle was a battle among three swimmers. Taylor placed third with a time of 10 minutes, 37.74 seconds, and Dartmouth's first-place finisher, Gret Duckworth, had a time of 10:36.85. In the third event, the 200-free, freshman Michelle Amicone and sophomore Jen Triolo swam well, placing third and fourth respectively. After the first three events, the divers competed in the one-meter and three-meter. Although the Quakers are a couple of weeks behind Dartmouth in training, Johanna Minich and Ruthie Rowbottom made good showings, coming in fourth and fifth, respectively, in both events. The performances of Kourtney Krom (first) and Jen Walsh (third) in the 200-meter butterfly were particularly impressive. In addition, freshman Caroline Shipps won both the 50-meter and the 100-meter free. "We had a chance to win [at Dartmouth], I just think we were too tired from all of that training," Shipps said. "It was definitely worth it, though, because we'll be ready for Easterns." Although the scores of the meets may not be impressive, Penn was proud of its performance. Having had no time to rest before the meets, however, they were not expected to perform their best. Regardless of the results, the Quakers team made progress. As a result of their hard work, dedication, and enthusiasm, the Red and Blue are "on the edge of breaking through" to a new level, if not gaining a rare league victory, according to Lawlor-Gilbert.
