Penn men's and women's basketball may have their Ivy Weekends, but the other winter teams haven't slowed down one bit. Here's what to watch for from a trio of sports this weekend.
Men’s and women’s squash
Nearing the end of its 10-2 season, Penn men’s squash is on a three-match winning streak and is looking to add a fourth against No. 11 Columbia this Friday. The team scored 9-0 wins over Brown and Yale last weekend, with standout performances from junior Andrew Douglas and senior Wil Hagen at Brown, and freshman Tushar Shahani scoring his ninth win of the season against the Bulldogs.
"I’m looking forward to honoring our seniors, David Yacobucci and Wil Hagen, in their last match on Friday night," men's coach Gilly Lane said. "Both players have been a part of what’s been probably one of the most successful four years in Penn men’s squash history and I’m really excited to honor them."
After losing 6-3 to Columbia in 2019, the team is hoping for revenge this Friday. On Sunday, the Quakers will play another New York rival, No. 13 Cornell.
"We haven’t beaten Columbia for a pretty long time. It doesn’t matter what our record is, it doesn’t matter what their record is, it’s always a really tough match," Lane said. "And then it’s a quick turnaround and we head to Ithaca, where we’ve had some up and down results in recent years."
Meanwhile, Penn women’s squash is coming to the end of a tumultuous season. With an overall record of 6-5 and a recent loss to Yale, the women’s team is facing Columbia this weekend for an attempt at redemption. In their tight match against Yale, sophomore Jamila Abou El Enin managed to throw down a comeback match of 3-1 after an initial loss. The women’s team defeated Columbia this time last year, so hopes are high for this weekend despite a tough series of games.
Men’s and women’s track and field
This weekend, Penn men’s track and field is traveling to State College, Pa. to face off against Penn State. At the start of a whirlwind season, track and field is already breaking records and staking its claim for a few NCAA qualifiers by the end of their season. After earning 11 top-11 all-time performances at Villanova, the Quakers are dominating and looking to put down more PRs at Penn State this weekend.
The women are also closing in on Penn State this weekend after dominating Villanova. Some standout performances include sophomore Mayyi Mahama’s second weight throw win in two weeks and 400-meter race program record holder, junior Uchechi Nwogwugwu earning the seventh-best time in program history.
Wrestling
Looking to improve its overall record of 5-4, Penn wrestling broke into its Ivy League competition last Saturday with dual victories at Brown and Harvard. This weekend, the Quakers are taking on Columbia and Cornell on the same day in a set of back-to-back matches, which will challenge even their best athletes. Among them is freshman Cole Urbas, who won his last seven dual matches, and sophomore Doug Zapf, who earned the Quakers a decisive early lead against Harvard.
"Last year we had a tough loss to Columbia. We lost to Cornell as well, but I think the Columbia loss stung a little bit. This is a good opportunity to wrestle them in our home gym, an opportunity for redemption and to get back at them," sophomore captain Carmen Ferrante said. "I think as far as us and Cornell, it’s also a great opportunity. They’ve been one of the best teams in the Ivy League for a really long time. We’re looking at it as a good opportunity for us to prove ourselves and shock some people."
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