It’s a new year for Penn Athletics and with a new year comes new predictions.

Following an outstanding season in which the Red and Blue captured their first Ancient Eight title since 2003-04, Penn brought its summer to a close with a 10-day trip to Italy in mid-August before the semester begins.

Two weeks away from their season opener, as the Red and Blue welcome six freshmen to the roster, the Quakers will be forced to deal with the loss of significant depth from last year’s team.

Though the circumstances are certainly different in 2014 — title defending being much different than title chasing — the team appears mentally up to the challenge of repeating as Ivy champs.

As the women’s soccer team prepares for its season opener against Mount St. Mary’s on September 5, it is looking to build on the program’s culture of success.

Expectations for sports teams can be a gift and a curse. This is one of the key issues at hand for Penn cross country entering the 2014 season.

Outside of an inexperienced O-line, the strength returning all around new QB Alek Torgersen, from the coaching staff on down, puts Penn football in a solid place to succeed.

For the Penn football program, 2014 is set to be a season of firsts and one, all-important last.

The former Penn basketball guard formally signed with the Dutch Basketball League’s Aris Leeuwarden on July 23rd, ending a search for a professional contract that began after Commencement.

As the summer winds down and students begin to wander back to campus over the next few weeks, it only seems fit to reflect on the summer that was for Penn Athletics.After all, it’s been an eventful summer.

After impressing on the mound this past spring, Penn lefty Ronnie Glenn was provided a summer opportunity most college ballplayers only dream of – a chance to play in the Cape Cod Baseball League.

Rising sophomore Stephanie Cheney, who played in 22 games for the Quakers last season, has left the program, leaving the team without a piece in the post that coach Mike McLaughlin could have utilized.

Following an outstanding season in which the Red and Blue captured their first Ancient Eight title since 2003-04, Penn will bring its summer to a close with a 10-day trip to Italy in mid-August before the semester begins later in the month.

As we march towards a future with dwindling attendance and a steadily aging donor base, Penn Athletics needs to figure out how it can once again be part of the culture, part of the true Penn experience.And with a new AD in place and renewed energy around the department, the time is now.

After two Second-Team All-Ivy selections in his first two years as Penn’s second baseman, Vilardo is set to graduate early and head to Purdue to take advantage of his final two years of baseball eligibility and pursue a masters degree in management.Vilardo’s latest move, one he contemplated deeply, was years in the making.

Early Monday afternoon, Penn Athletics announced that Alex Tirapelle has been named the newest head coach of Penn's wrestling program.Tirapelle becomes the program's 19th head coach after former Penn coach Rob Eiter resigned in late May.

Nearly three and a half months after her position was announced, new Athletic Director Grace Calhoun began her term at the beginning of July. Calhoun had previously been the Athletic Director at Loyola of Chicago and is Penn’s first female athletic director.