Fourth-place Ivy finish a real goal

The Penn women's swimming team captured the Ivy League by surprise last year when it beat Harvard in a December dual meet. The Quakers then erased nine school records and continued their steady climb toward Ivy respectability with a sixth-place finish at the Ivy League championships in February.

That was nothing.

"Last year we accomplished more than we thought we would," sophomore sprinter Linda Fescoe said. "This year I think we can even go beyond that."

Behind the strongest recruiting class in Penn women's swimming history, head coach Mike Schnur continues to raise the bar for the program with each successive season.

This year's freshman class features 12 swimmers and three divers, most of whom will make immediate impacts on the team.

"I think that the freshmen are talented enough not only to contribute right away, but win their events right away," Schnur said.

All this just one year after boasting a class celebrated as the best freshman class in team history.

"I think that they can equal or exceed last year's class," Schnur said.

Freshmen sprinter Katie Stores and distance specialist Julie Russack both enter the year holding high school times that break current Penn records in multiple events.

Freshmen Katie Frazee and Alexis Underwood may also see their names on the record board at season's end.

Yet while the freshman class is expected to make an immediate impact on the team, Penn also boasts a strong returning core of swimmers.

"I'm excited to see what the freshmen can do, but we have definitely said that every class has gotten better over the past four years," senior co-captain April Fletcher said. "This is one of the first years that we're going to have people from every class contributing."

With strength abounding in all four classes, Penn's driving force over the course of the season will be its depth.

"We don't have any real weak spots this year," Fletcher said.

While the team seems to be deep in most events, Penn will capture its most points in the freestyle events. With strong swimmers in all three aspects of freestyle -- sprint, middle distance and distance -- Penn should grab points in both the individual freestyle events and the 400 and 800 freestyle relays.

Penn's other main strength this year will once again be the breaststroke events. Sophomore Jen Block bolsters this season's breaststroke specialty after returning from a third-place finish and school record-setting performance in the 100 breast ÿat the Ivy Championships. Joining Block in the breaststroke will be sophomore Ashley Rader and Underwood.

"We have very strong relays, and part of that is because our breaststroke is so good in the medley," Schnur said. "We rely on Jen Block and Ashley Rader heavily."

After going undefeated last year, Princeton will once again likely put a stranglehold on the rest of the Ivy League. Led by senior captain Kate Conroy -- an NCAA championships qualifier in the 100 and 200 backstroke and the 200 individual medley -- the Tigers are heavy favorites to lock up their third consecutive Ancient Eight crown.

As Penn continues to climb through the ranks of the Ivy League, it plans on reaching previously unattainable goals during each season. Last year's climb began with a win over Harvard, its first since 1983-1984.

This year, the Quakers will look to dethrone Columbia from its previous spot of dominance over Penn. Even before Olympic champion and 2000 NCAA Female Athlete of the Year, Christina Teuscher, suited up for the Lions from 1996-2000, Columbia reigned supreme over the Penn. The Lions have beaten the Quakers in dual meets for the past 11 seasons.

"The Columbia meet is going to be entertaining," Schnur said. "We haven't beaten them in a while and I'd like to turn the tables on them."

At last year's Ivy League Championships, the Lions edged Penn by 10.5 points for fifth place.

"Hopefully we'll get even fourth at Ivies this year, because we have that capability," Fescoe said. "Each class continues to get better and better."

With each passing year, so does the Penn women's swim team under Schnur.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.