In their last tuneup before the Ivy League Heptagonal Championship, Penn men’s and women’s cross country teams competed against nationally-ranked teams at the Penn State National Open in State College, Pa. 

On Saturday, the Red and Blue went on the road to take on four-time defending Ivy League champion Dartmouth. The Big Green came out on top, handing the Quakers a 3-1 loss.

The Red and Blue were victorious, winning 1-0 in a hard-fought nail-biter that came down to the final few minutes. 

Friday afternoon was a de facto elimination game between Penn field hockey and Columbia, and the Red and Blue played like it from start to finish. 

The Quakers secured their first and second Ivy League victories of the season upon welcoming Columbia and Cornell to the Palestra this weekend, beating Columbia 3-0 and Cornell 3-1.

Sulaimon combined for 29 kills and four blocks over both games, the first and second in Ivy play all season for the Quakers, and the 17 against the Big Red tied her career-high set earlier this season against Georgetown. 

Both games at the Palestra will feature special celebrations. In Friday's game against the Lions, the team will be commemorating Breast Cancer Awareness Month with its annual “Dig Pink” event. 

Always a strength for Penn, this year's defensive unit has exceeded the already high expectations placed on them.

The Quakers will match up with Columbia on Friday in a battle between two teams currently tied for third place in the Ivy League.

This season, Penn cross country has called upon a core of exceptionally strong underclassmen. A large number of the Quakers' scorers at each meet have come from fresher faces.

Although injuries have kept a few of the best runners for Penn men’s and women’s cross country off the course, both teams are ready to move past them as the Quakers head into the most important stretch of their schedule.

Coming off a 2-0 loss to Columbia, the Quakers were unable to get anything past UMBC, drawing the Retrievers 0-0. Penn could not convert any of their 11 shots and put just one shot on goal. 

The team’s results this season might be ever-changing, but its leadership has been steady and constant. No matter how the Quakers play, Mirkin has been there with words of encouragement and motivation. 

Before the starting gun sounds at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships in a few short weeks, the Quakers will travel across the state for a final tuneup.  

The 1-0 win over Lehigh came courtesy of Sands' sixth game-winning goal in the season, enough to tie for second most in the nation. The senior forward's deciding strike gave the Quakers the win and extended their undefeated streak to eight games. 

Penn now has a few days to reflect before it returns home to face Ivy foe Columbia at home on Friday.  

Several teams' performances have been quite surprising so far — both positively and negatively — so in this roundtable, our writers debate which team has been the biggest surprise.