Mike Kaiser

Three days ago, the women's squash team officially reclaimed the top spot in the College Squash Association rankings. Now, the Quakers (10-0, 5-0 Ivy) look to close out the perfect regular season that eluded them last year, as they travel north to take on Harvard and Dartmouth.

After a gutsy come-from-behind win against Princeton last Wednesday, the women's squash team showed no sign of a letdown in a doubleheader against a pair of upstart squash programs on Saturday. In its first year as a varsity program, George Washington was doomed from the start.

When the Penn women's squash team showed up at Princeton last season, it was full of optimism after just gaining the No. 1 spot in the country. Already, the Quakers had an eye on the possibility of winning their first national title since 2000. But the Tigers soundly dashed those dreams, as the Red and Blue finished fourth in the country, unable to recover from the 7-2 loss.

With top-ranked Trinity (7-0) coming to town tonight, the men's squash team finds itself adding new elements to its practice regimen. Contemplating how Penn (5-3) could defeat the Bantams - college squash's premier team for the past decade - one Penn player offered a simple response: "Pray.

As many Penn students journey across campus this weekend for Rush, the men's squash team will be on a trek of its own, rushing through New England for a series of crucial mid-season matches against non-conference foes. Riding a two-match winning streak after three early losses, Penn (2-3, 1-2 Ivy) looks to get to .

Though officially part of the Centennial Conference, the Franklin & Marshall Diplomats (4-3) have been the unofficial doormat of the Ivy League this year. After opening the season with four wins over non-Ivy opponents, the Diplomats enter tonight's match at Penn (1-3, 1-2 Ivy) having lost their last three matches to Dartmouth, Yale and Princeton by a combined score of 25-2.

Squash is thought of as a gentleman's game, associated with while polo shirts and Northeastern prep schools. But there was very little gentlemanly behavior on display when Penn split a weekend doubleheader at Ringe Courts yesterday. Ed Cerullo, playing as Brown's No.

One year removed from a No. 5 final ranking, the Quakers enter this season looking for similar achievements. "It adds a little more pressure," coach Craig Thorpe-Clark said. "Excellence is no longer hoped for; it is expected." Still, there are many questions entering the season.

She did it again. Senior Jesse Carlin won her second consecutive Ms. Penn title and senior Jason Myers took home the title in last night's Mr. & Ms. Penn Bodybuilding Competition.

Freshman Anguel Tolev, running in today's Heptagonal championships in New York, has come a long way since immigrating to the United States in 1998. Tolev's family immigrated to Denver from Bulgaria when he was nine. He didn't know a word of English. No biggie.