Facing a Dartmouth team hitting over .320 on the season, the Quakers knew that keeping the ball off their opponent's sweet spot would have to be a high priority. But when you hand out 16 free passes in two contests, winning the hits column of the box score usually isn't enough.

The men's tennis team is now once again in control of its own destiny. Thanks to decisive 6-1 and 5-2 victories over Yale and Brown, respectively - paired with Princeton losses to the same two teams - the Quakers (11-8, 2-1 Ivy) catapulted themselves back into a tie for second place with four matches remaining.

San Diego may have been a pleasant respite from the dreary weekend weather in Philadelphia, but men's heavyweight coach Fred Honebein hopes that his team is "pissed off" after its trip out West. The team struggled, finishing 10th overall in the San Diego Crew Classic.

The Quakers are getting used to playing in close games. They're almost getting too used to it. On Saturday afternoon at Dartmouth, the Red and Blue built up a six-goal lead in the first half, only to see the Big Green torch them for seven of the next eight goals, tying the game at eight and forcing overtime.

Penn coach Gwen Harris was cheering Shaunee Morgan right to the finish line in the 400-meter run. But with about 10 meters to go, Harris came to her senses. Harris's frantic "Come on!"s and "All right!"s gave way to a calmer "Relax, relax, relax." Relax, Shaunee Morgan.

Rachel Manson and Melissa Lehman may have sore shoulders after yesterday's game against Harvard. Despite a lack of cohesion from the Penn defense, the two attackers carried the Quakers to a 14-10 victory. "Our defense was very undisciplined today," head coach Karin Brower said.

Against Yale on Friday, the Penn women's tennis team found itself tied 2-2, winning two of the first three singles matches after dropping the all-important doubles point. The Quakers needed to take two of the remaining three matches in order to leave New Haven, Conn.

While most of his peers were playing little league baseball and Pop Warner football, senior Ben Nace was focusing on a more unorthodox athletic pursuit - becoming a world-class rower. Although he now hails from Dallas, Nace credits his family's northeastern roots for inspiring him to pursue his passion for rowing.

When the men's tennis team faces off against Brown and Yale at Lott Courts this weekend, junior Justin Fox hopes "history will repeat itself." Penn has beaten both New England schools by a 5-2 margin, each of the last two years and wants to make it three in a row.

Before heading back on the road, the Penn's women's lacrosse team still has to tie up one loose end at home. The Quakers (8-1, 3-0 Ivy) look to extend their six-game win streak against Harvard at Franklin Field on Sunday. On paper, the Quakers should breeze to a win.

Time is ticking for the men's golf team and its upperclassmen. With only two tournaments left before Ivy Championships, the seniors - Michael Kornheiser and captain Dean Merrill - are almost finished their collegiate careers. They will continue their final quest for an Ivy Title at the Notre Dame Invitational in Sount Bend, Ind.

In its second weekend of Ivy play, the Penn women's tennis team faces opponents at two ends of the spectrum Yale (5-8, 1-0 Ivy) has butted heads with a number of national powerhouses; Brown (9-5, 0-1 Ivy) is a middling team with a schedule softer than a Tempur-pedic.

Some of the country's fastest runners will meet tomorrow at Franklin Field for the annual Penn Invitational. Nearly two dozen schools - including strong Ivy foes Cornell and Columbia - will compete. On the women's side, Penn's four All-American runners - Jesse Carlin, Claire Kim, Stacy Kim and Shaunee Morgan - are top seeds in the events in which they will compete.

Two years ago, the Penn and Harvard softball teams used a rain delay to stage an impromptu dance party. But this year's Quakers will go to Boston on Sunday with a very different mindset: Revenge for their 2007 Ivy League Championship loss. Before Penn (16-8, 3-1 Ivy) plays two against the Crimson (7-14, 0-2), it will take a seven-hour bus ride to Hanover, N.

When legendary Penn rower and coach Joe Burk passed away in January, the current men's heavyweight crew team lost a valuable role model but gained insight into the legacy he left behind. Burk's passing set the tone for a successful off-season that emphasized personal development.

As the Penn men's lacrosse team ran onto the practice field yesterday, shouting and cheering, it was clear that last Saturday's 13-5 loss against No. 8 Cornell wasn't on anybody's mind. The focus this week has been tomorrow's matchup with Dartmouth (4-4, 0-1 Ivy).

Harvard's record is a measly 1-17 overall and 0-2 in the Ivy League. Dartmouth was dead last in the Rolfe Division last year. But Penn's top starting pitcher and captain Todd Roth is not looking forward to the northward road trip his team has on tap. "It's probably gonna be a really long weekend," he said.