When he was in kindergarten, Sean Estrada was just like all the other kids. Now there's one big difference. The recently-graduated Penn offensive lineman always wanted to play for the San Francisco 49ers, and 17 years later, the Santa Ana, Ca. b native is suiting up for his favorite team.

Models, bottles, good weather, and college basketball. Yes, the true Penn fan can have it all this winter break in sunny Florida. Early details of next year's schedule are starting to come out, and it looks like the Quakers will be enjoying part of their winter down south.

All the Quakers wanted to do last weekend was row, row, row their boats - intensely and consistently - down the Cooper River. But by the time the Penn light- and heavyweight crew teams departed from the Intercollegiate Rowing Association Regatta in Camden, N.

For the first three days of the NCAA Men's Golf Championship in Williamsburg, Va., last week, one player seemed to be the center of attention. He was patted on the back by coaches, interviewed by magazines and TV networks, and cheered by fans. Who was this man in the spotlight? Was it then-leader Kyle Stanley of Clemson? Rob Grube of Stanford? Eventual winner Jamie Lovemark of the University of Southern California? The right answer, in fact, is freshman Quakers golfer Chance Pipitone.

Jesse Carlin is a fast learner. Many runners spend most of their careers training for a specific event. She picked one up in about two weeks. By placing third in the 800-meters at the NCAA Regionals in Gainesville, Fla., on Sunday with a time of 2:06.29, the rising senior extended Penn's four-year streak of sending at least one athlete to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.

Villanova great Porter dies after beating Howard Porter, one of the greatest players in Villanova basketball history, died Saturday. He was 58. He was found brutally beaten in an alleyway in Minneapolis 10 days ago, and was then hospitalized until he died.

Gilly Lane used to laugh at the thought of playing professional squash. But then again, that was four years ago. That was before he had four All-Ivy and All-American selections under his belt, before he became the first Penn squash player to win the College Squash Association's Skillman award, and before he represented the U.

Lightning lit up the sky over Philadelphia Sunday night, but it also lit up Franklin Field in the form of the women's lacrosse National Championship game between No. 1 Northwestern and No. 3 Virginia. When the Cavaliers scored four straight second-half goals to close a 11-7 deficit to 12-11, the stadium was electric.

This year the Penn women's lacrosse team earned its first Final Four berth, achieved its highest national ranking ever and went undefeated in the Ivy League for the first time. So it wasn't unexpected that the team would end the season on another historic note.

School's out, but the work isn't over. Penn rowers, the victims of the three-season sport, have extended their stay well into May, competing in several events as well as their league championships, the EARC and EAWRC Sprints. All three teams - heavyweight and lightweight men and women - have placed in the top ten at their respective championships, with a fourth place and two ninth place finishes.

Despite a 13-game winning streak and a No. 2 national ranking this season, the Penn women's lacrosse team is no blueblood in the sport. In fact, this year's appearance in the NCAA tournament is only the third in team history.

This year the Penn women's lacrosse team, in its best season in program history, earned its first ever Final Four berth, achieved its highest national ranking and went undefeated in the Ivy League for the first time. So it wasn't unexpected that the team would end the season on another historic note.

As usual, a small but strong Penn contingent will be competing in the men's and women's track and field NCAA Regionals. The teams are going to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend. But instead of taking in the sun, they're taking on some of the best athletes in the country.

"Freshman, get to the back of the bus," Penn golf's senior captain Sean Barrett ordered as the team prepared to head out for its final round at the NCAA West Regional in Tempe, Ariz., last weekend. With the Quakers in 23rd place (of 27), this was very likely Barrett's last ride to a course as captain.

After working for 15 of them, I should know by now: What makes a good editor? They should come up with the best story ideas. They should be supportive of the good writing, critical of the bad. They should push me when I should be working harder, but more importantly, they should tell me to take a breath when I'm in a little too deep.

I have a confession to make: I was never really all that into sports. Not at first, anyway. I casually followed baseball and hockey, but wasn't one of those guys who could recite stats or name 500 different players. And I was in the marching band in high school, but really couldn't care less about how our thoroughly mediocre football team did.

When the Penn women's tennis team hits the court at noon Friday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in Williamsburg, Va., onlookers have every reason to doubt the Quakers. This is a team, the skeptics might say, that is bereft of senior leadership in the lineup and outmatched in the singles lineup.