Freshmen usually don't get a chance to compete in rowing's varsity championship races. But at yesterday's Head of the Charles Race in Boston, the men's freshman four was given a chance to shine on the water and finished ninth out of 21 teams with a time of 17:11.

Even though track is an individual sport, the impact of a runner's teammates and competitors can make or break a race. While staying as a pack can help push a team to victory, focusing on opposing runners can disrupt a team's race plan. On Saturday, at the Pre-National meet in Terra Haute Ind.

Despite being sidelined in the hospital recovering from a mastectomy, Penn volleyball coach Kerry Carr wants her team to focus on winning, not her fight against cancer. "She didn't want us to be distracted," sophomore Julia Swanson said. And so, the Quakers headed into their first weekend without Carr as coach hoping to pick up their second conference win of the season.

If there is a line between success and gimmickry, Norries Wilson is trying to wash it away with a splash of Diet Coke. On Saturday's evidence, the Columbia coach is succeeding. Columbia deserved better from this game. Penn's offense did nothing. None of the Quakers' three scoring drives were longer than 10 yards: They simply took advantage of slapstick, Benny Hill-esque mistakes Columbia made deep in its own territory.

klitzman@dailypennsylvanian.com Brown and Princeton might have only been picked to finish third and fifth, respectively, in the Ivy League preseason media poll, but when the Bears (2-2, 1-0 Ivy) visit the Tigers (2-2, 1-0) tomorrow at 1 p.m., at least a share of first place will be on the line.

When the Penn field hockey team last faced Columbia, the Quakers were done in by a controversial call and an Ariel Leon goal eight minutes into overtime. At Franklin Field on Sunday, they'll be looking to avenge that 1-0 loss on Oct. 14 of last year and rebound from blowout losses to No.

By ELI COHEN Contributing Writer dpsports@dailypennsylvanian.com The athletes and coaches of the Penn volleyball team know exactly what head coach Kerry Carr, who had a mastectomy on Tuesday, needs right now. Wins. And lots of 'em. The Quakers (5-10, 1-2 Ivy) will be looking to add two more when they travel to New England to face off against Brown (9-7, 1-3) and Yale (10-3, 4-0) this weekend.

On a day dominated by defense on both sides, Penn capitalized on five turnovers by Columbia to take an early lead and ride out a 15-10 win at Franklin Field. Defensive back Britton Ertman intercepted Columbia's Shane Kelly twice, and a Kelly fumble gave Penn the ball at the 2-yard line, setting up its only touchdown.

There's bad luck - and then there's Columbia luck. The Lions' football program is certainly no stranger to losing streaks. Its 44-game skid in the 1980s is the second-longest in Division I history. But now, trying to ride out a 12-game tumble - the second-longest active rut in the Football Championship Subdivision - Columbia(0-4, 0-1 Ivy) seems to be getting the short end of every stick and the raw end of every deal.

By ANDY KUHN Contributing Writer dpsports@dailypennsylvanian.com The seven-hour ride to New Hampshire will be almost as challenging for the men's soccer team as the actual game with Dartmouth. That's because of what the ride home might mean. The fear of departing with an "L" to an Ivy League opponent is motivation enough for the Quakers to play at the top of their game.

The men's soccer team returned to early-season form Saturday night with a 1-0 victory over host Dartmouth. Goalkeeper Drew Healy notched nine saves en route to his eighth shutout of the season, bringing the Quakers' to 8-2-3 overall. The lone goal came off the foot of senior midfielder Alex Grendi in the 33rd minute.

Goalkeeper Sara Rose has posted four shutouts for the women's soccer team this season, including blank slates over Harvard and Cornell - and there is nothing to stop her from thinking that Dartmouth will struggle to put one past her tomorrow in Hanover, N.

At this weekend's National Tennis Center Invite, the Quakers got to play on Arthur Ashe Stadium and use the same locker rooms as the pros. But even with a behind-the-scenes tour of U.S. Open facilities, the women couldn't quite channel their inner Maria Sharapova.

After a poor showing in Friday's first half against Columbia, in which the Penn women's soccer team was outshot, 7-3, and outscored, 1-0, coach Darren Ambrose had a message for his players. "Darren talked to us at halftime and basically asked, 'Why are you so scared? You don't have anything to be afraid of.

In early September, volleyball coach Kerry Carr was planning her season, making note of tough opponents like Princeton, exhausting trips to Florida and California and the "Dig Pink" breast cancer awareness event for Penn's home match against Dartmouth on Oct.

With the chance to give her team a commanding three-point lead late in the second set, Penn's Julia Swanson made a critical error blocking Columbia sophomore Colleen McNutt, allowing the Lions to close the gap to 21-20. On the next play, Swanson exacted her revenge.

By BRANDON MOYSE Senior Sports Editor bmoyse@dailypennsylvanian.com The margin for error in soccer is perhaps the narrowest of any team sport. One shot, one bounce or one penalty can make all the difference. "It's a funny game in that regard," Penn men's soccer coach Rudy Fuller likes to say, something he repeated after last Saturday's match with Columbia.