I didn’t think there were many more ways Penn could work to stifle any hope of creating a sports culture at this University.

Penn football will travel to Princeton for a pivotal Ivy matchup Saturday. In advance of the game, we sat down with Tiger junior quarterback John Lovett, the reigning Ivy Offensive Player of the Week after accounting for seven total touchdowns Saturday at Cornell.

I set out to write this column about nutrition. As you’ll soon read, that’s not what happened. The idea came to me last Monday after morning practice when coach Mike Schnur gathered the men’s and women’s swim teams for a meeting.

The men and women of Penn swimming and diving enter 2016’s spate of races with a strong sense of accomplishment.

One thing’s for sure. Mark Andrew is no stranger to making a splash. After breaking out as freshman and smashing the Ivy League record in the 400 IM, his prowess in the pool has caught a lot of attention, and with the graduation of Penn swimming legend and NCAA champion Chris Swanson, the spotlight on Andrew will only brighten.

When asked to describe last year’s edition of Penn swimming and diving in two words, current senior Grant Proctor was at a loss. Across the pool deck, a teammate had a quick answer: “The best.”

I have never won anything in my entire life. Let’s back up a second. First, some background: This loser is a back up quarterback for Penn sprint football.

Traditions are funny. Teams often start their seasons against the same opponent every year, and sometimes without good reason. But Penn swimming is breaking the mould with their first meet this year — and breaking out of their comfort zone in the process. For virtually as long as time itself, the Quakers have started their season with a dual meet against Columbia.

Football’s Sam Philippi, men’s soccer’s Dami Omitaomu, and field hockey’s Alexa Hoover were all recognized for spectacular performances that propelled their respective teams to victories this past week.

The men’s cross country team started Postseason racing with a bang on Saturday, as they captured their first Ivy league title in 43 years.

It's easy to feel like Penn football is an obvious favorite to beat Princeton this Saturday and (eventually) win another Ivy League title. It's hard to argue with ten straight Ivy wins (which I'm about to do).

The adage normally goes that you win some, and you lose some. But when you are Penn women's soccer, apparently you also tie some. After 110 minutes, there was nothing to separate the Quakers (9-3-3, 2-2-2 Ivy) and Brown (8-2-5, 3-1-2), as the two teams fought to a 1-1 draw this Saturday at Rhodes Field. The day started off with a Senior Day pregame ceremony honoring Penn's six seniors, where the players were recognized on the field with their families for their contributions to the program.

On a chilly night in Philadelphia, the Brown Bears began their hibernation. Just a few hours after their gridiron counterparts fell to the Ivy-leading Quakers on Franklin Field, Brown men’s soccer came up just short in a match that featured some exceptional strikes on goal.

Home is where the wins are. Penn rowing made waves Saturday and Sunday at the Head of the Schuylkill Regatta.

Who said it needs to be pretty? Penn football, despite not scoring in the second half, grinded out a gritty 21-14 victory over Brown to stay perfect in Ivy League play. The Quakers (5-2, 4-0 Ivy) relied heavily on the star power of junior wide receiver Justin Watson to jump out to a 21-0 lead in the first half.

Penn sprint football is back on top. With a 27-20 double overtime win over Cornell on Friday, the Quakers clinched at least a share of the Collegiate Sprint Football League title for the first time since 2010.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, as far as Ivy League cross country teams are concerned. This Saturday, two dozen of Penn’s fastest men and women will be making the short trip up to Princeton’s West Windsor Fields for the annual Ivy League Heptagonal Championships.