If the men's lacrosse team had any prayer of earning an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, Towson shot down those dreams. Eighteen times, to be exact. The Quakers struck first on Saturday, taking a 3-1 lead in the first quarter, but their opponents sealed the victory by halftime with a 10-1 run.

The last four times the women's lacrosse team faced Northwestern, the scores were 13-6, 17-8, 13-4 and 12-2 all in favor of the Wildcats. But yesterday the No. 5 Quakers reversed three years of futility against Northwestern, earning a huge upset 11-7 over the Wildcats at Franklin Field.

In getting two wins over Columbia this weekend, freshman Jessie Lupardus did not just shatter the program mark for victories and strikeouts in a single season: She also won more games (19) than any Penn softball team did from 1974-2006. It was all part of a record-setting weekend for the Quakers.

The last thing the Quakers wanted to do was count themselves out. Then, just like that, they were forced to. After dropping the first of its four-game set with Columbia, 5-4 on Saturday, Penn's faint hopes of forcing a playoff with the Gehrig Division-leading Lions were dashed, to be replaced with the inevitability of a season that was more of a learning experience than a winning one. The Quakers had needed a sweep (and then some) to prolong their season.

Penn senior Tim Kaijala remembers track coach Charlie Powell sending him out on the last day of the Penn Relays four years ago. Kaijala was to be the anchor of the Quakers' 4x800-meter team. "It was the most nervous I've been in my whole life," he recalled after this year's Relays.

It's been a hard-luck kind of season for Penn. It lost its number-two starter, two of its everyday outfielders from last year and countless games that could have gone its way. But if the baseball gods have any mercy, they will send some good fortune the Quakers' way this weekend when they face Columbia in their final games.

Penn senior lacrosse captain Sarah Waxman has accomplished a lot in her career: She's has been named National Goalkeeper of the Year, has been to the Final Four, and is currently leading the nation in goals against average. But one thing she hasn't done in four tries is beat Northwestern.

Penn coach Brian Voelker said that there are a lot of "lasts" this time of year. He was referring to the team's last road trip of 2008 and the seniors' last of their careers. More noticeable, however, is the last time that the Red and Blue scored more than five goals - April 5.

Familiar Philly face to join Miller's bench Glen Miller has found himself a new right-hand man. Philadelphia native and Saint Joseph's alum John Gallagher will join the Penn basketball program as an assistant coach, according to the Philadelphia Daily News.

After the final pitch on Sunday, Penn softball seniors Christina Khosravi and Annie Kinsey will take off their Red and Blue for the last time. The duo has set the bar high for future middle infields at Penn. They've missed just one game combined in their collegiate careers.

Tomorrow's race is named after Charles Francis Adams, Secretary of the Navy during the Herbert Hoover administration. But it's Harvard -- not Navy - that has dominated the Adams Cup, taking home the trophy each of the last seven years. Those two schools will join Penn for the latest installment of the battle that began in 1928.

Every year, there are pre-season workouts, and then there is the pre-season meeting. The captains and coaches of Penn men's swimming sit down and lay out the rules for the upcoming season. How many practices can you miss? Can you drink two or three days in advance of a meet? But 2006 was different.

While a quarterback's pads won't make his throws more accurate and a point guard's shorts won't improve his jump shot, a swimmer's suit can make the difference in a race. Over the last decade, Speedo has developed a new line of suits that improve performance, culminating in the February release of the LZR Racer.

Adrian Thomas doesn't have a particular affinity for stealing bases. In fact, there are six Penn players who have swiped more bags than the team's newly anointed leadoff man. But the left fielder knows how to make his presence felt on the bases. Thomas' savvy baserunning helped the Quakers to a 6-2 victory against Lehigh (20-26, 4-12 Patriot) yesterday to salvage a split in the doubleheader.

Christina Khosravi is no stranger to walk-off wins. She did, after all, cap an extra-inning affair with a game-ending knock on April 2 against La Salle. Yesterday, however, Khosravi's mere presence earned Penn a last-inning win. With freshman Alisha Prystowsky on second and no outs in a 3-3 game, Drexel pitcher Ellen Boundy opted to intentionally walk the Quakers' slugging shortstop.

For the Penn track team, this is the most wonderful time of the year. Senior captain Jesse Carlin said Penn Relays are "like Christmas." Women's head coach Gwen Harris said, "I've been coming to Penn Relays since I was a kid. It is one of the best meets there is.