Roundtable | Who's the MVP of the 2018 spring season for Penn sports?

Though some team sports have seen mixed results for Penn Athletics this spring, the school has seen some major individual standouts midway through the season. School records have fallen left and right on the track already, while other major marks appear to be en route to getting dropped in other sports as well. 

With so many individual stars to pick from, though, one has to be the best. And so our associate sports editors take to the roundtable to debate, who's been the MVP of the spring for Penn thus far?

Evan Viroslav, Associate Sports Editor — Gabby Rosenzweig, women's lacrosse

In terms of putting the team on your back, nobody has demonstrated that more than sophomore attack Gabby Rosenzweig this season. Leading Penn women’s lacrosse in both goals and assists – a truly mind-boggling feat – Rosenzweig has transcended her position adjacent to the crease in order to lead the No. 11 Quakers (8-2, 2-0 Ivy) to another successful season. 

Averaging almost three goals per game against ranked opponents in 2018, Rosenzweig has turned a lot of heads, being recently added to the watch list for the Tewaaraton Award – given to the best male and female college lacrosse player. Rosenzweig clearly showed promise last season, finishing fourth on the teams in points as a freshman, but this year she’s emerged as a force to be reckoned with, already having surpassed last year’s point total by nine. 

Recently, Rosenzweig found herself on Inside Lacrosse’s Midseason All-America second team and truly has nowhere to go but up. Being the best player on arguably Penn's best spring team surely places Rosenzweig at the top of the school's spring player’s leaderboard. She’s already left her mark on this campus, and her mark of 5.10 points per game this season is on pace to shatter Nina Corcoran's single-season school record of 4.25. There is no doubt that she will leave Penn with a plethora of other records and accolades.

Will DiGrande, Associate Sports Editor — Maura Kimmel, women's track and field

If there’s one underrated spring athlete who deserves recognition, it’s Maura Kimmel. The track and field team started its outdoor season two weeks ago, and in that time Kimmel has broken the school record in discus not once, but twice. At home for the Penn Challenge on March 24, the sophomore set the record in both the discus and the shot put, en route to a first and second-place finish in those events on the day, respectively. To have a program record in one event is a feat in itself, but to earn two on the same day is historic. 

Just one week later, at the Raleigh Relays hosted by North Carolina State, Kimmel once again had a phenomenal day. She not only reset the school discus record with a throw of 53.83m, but the West Sunbury, Pa. native won the entire event despite competing against elite athletes from all over the East Coast. Kimmel bested 46 other throwers to take home the title, her second for discus in as many weeks. Already rewriting Penn track and field’s record books and still with over half of her college career to come, this won’t be the last you hear about Kimmel.

Sam Mitchell, Associate Sports Editor — Josh Goldenberg, men's golf

Although the spring season has just gotten started, one member of Penn men’s golf is already making a strong case for season MVP. Junior Josh Goldenberg tore through the team’s first five tournaments this fall and is poised to make a big splash once conference play begins in the spring.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Goldenberg had a big impact this season. In the 2016-17 season, the junior had a stroke average of 75.3, which was the second best on the team. He also regularly placed in the top-3 in the team in tournaments, and was one of the most consistent top performers.

He’s also shown that he’s ready to take another leap as an athlete this season. In his third fall with the team, Goldenberg dropped his stroke average to an all-time personal low of 72.0 and has been the lowest scorer on the Penn squad in the majority of the tournaments so far. The leap he’s taken since last season and his increasing importance on a Penn team that is looking to contend for a conference championship this season all point to him being the spring MVP.