Previewing the winter sports season

With winter sports right around the corner, here's a look at which Penn teams will be in action this upcoming season.

Women’s basketball

The women’s basketball team is looking to defend its streak of dominance in this upcoming season.

With the graduation of players like two-time Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year and center Eleah Parker, other players like senior captain Kennedy Suttle will have to fill the gap in the frontcourt. During the 2019-2020 season, Suttle scored 4.1 points per game while only averaging 17.6 minutes; an increase in minutes could lead to Suttle having a career season.

The backcourt will be led by junior captain Kayla Padilla. Padilla had an incredible freshman year in which she averaged 17.4 points; her success earned her Ivy League Rookie of the Year in 2019 and first team All-Ivy honors. 

Sophomore Jordan Obi and freshman Stina Almqvist have yet to play for the Red and Blue, but they’re expected to be key contributors this upcoming season.

The team's season tips off at Hartford on Nov. 14.

Men’s basketball

The men’s basketball team is missing several key players from its last season of play in 2019, such as power forward AJ Brodeur. But there are other players looking to fill the void, like transfer junior Michael Moshkovitz,  freshman Gus Larson, and freshman Nick Spinoso.

In the backcourt, sophomores Jordan Dingle and Max Martz are expected to build off the success of their great freshman campaigns; Dingle won the Ivy League Rookie of the Year in the 2019-20 season. 

Senior captain Jelani Williams is finally expected to make his debut on the court after multiple seasons marred by injuries and COVID-19.

The Quakers will start their season on the road against nationally-ranked Florida State on Nov. 10.

Men’s and women’s swimming and diving

The women’s swimming and diving team will be led by key upperclassmen like junior Catherine Buroker and senior Rachel Maizes. The former achieved program records in the 1000-meter freestyle (9:39.60) and 1650 free (16:09.76), and the latter had placed seventh in the 2019-2020 championships for the 100 breaststroke A Final. 

On the diving side, senior Caroline Dobbs and junior Olivia Francella will lead the way after their strong performances last season. 

The men’s swimming and diving team includes experienced swimmers like seniors Keanan Dols and William Kamps. Dols represented Jamaica in these past Olympic Games in the 200 individual medley. Kamps looks to build off his success in the Ivy League Championships, where he made it to the A final in three events.

Both teams will travel to Columbia to open their seasons; the women will compete on Nov. 5, and the men will compete on Nov. 6.

Men’s and women’s squash

Graduate student Andrew Douglas is back competing for the men’s squash team. Douglas was a huge player for the team, as he was selected first team All-Ivy and first team College Squash Association All-American. 

His teammate, senior Aly Abou Eleinen, was bestowed the same honors. This dominant squash team will look to build off its historic success of last season, where the team placed second in the Potter Cup for the first time.

Women’s squash also has key returners. One such player is junior Amina Abou El Enin. In the 2019-20 season, she was a dominant player for the Quakers, going 13-3 and helping the team to the Howe Cup. Another key junior is Navmi Sharma, who went 11-7 and won a match in the Howe Cup.

Both teams will begin their seasons at the Penn Squash Center on Nov. 13 against Chatham.

Wrestling

Wrestling has several key contributors returning. 

One such player is junior Doug Zapf. After a 30-7 season, Zapf had been an unanimous selection to the first team All-Ivy and qualified for the NCAA championships. 

Sophomores Michael Colaiocco and Cole Urbas are also looking to make a big impact after incredible freshman campaigns. Both qualified for the 2020 NCAA Championships Qualifier. Colaiocco was also named second team All-Ivy and had a 24-7 record, which included nine wins over ranked opponents. 

The team will hit the mats of the Palestra on Nov. 6 in the two-day Wrestle Offs.

Men’s and women’s indoor track and field

Speed is the name of the game for the men and women competing in track and field. That won’t pose a problem for sophomore Isabella Whittaker, who she set a program record in the 400-meter (51.92) at the NCAA East Preliminaries last spring. 

Senior Claire Moreau — who was a 2020 Ivy League Indoors Heps Team Champion — is poised to have another strong season.

The men’s side features seniors Noah Carey and William Hare. Carey is building off his success last season, where he competed in the NCAA Outdoor Qualifier for the 5000 race. Hare himself accomplished the same feat in the 3000 steeplechase. 

Senior Marc Minichello is also bringing his Olympic Trials experience to this indoor season; he finished fourth in the competition with a throw of 76.73m.

Both teams will start their seasons at the Seahawk Invitational at Dec. 10.

Men’s and women’s fencing 

On the women’s side, there are several key fencers. Junior Chloe Daniel — the Ivy League Champion in women’s epee — is back to defend her title. 

Junior Jessica Liang and senior Vanessa Dib both earned a first team All-American selection. They are joined by talented freshman and sophomore classes, which includes freshman Katina Proestakis — who competed for Chile in the Olympic Games in the foil individual event.

The underclassmen on the men’s team proved to be strong competitors at the Temple Open on Oct. 24. Sophomore Bryce Louie, sophomore Blake Broszus, and freshman Eric Yu took home the top-three medals in the foil events. Broszus also represented Canada in the Olympic Games in the team foil event. 

The team also includes strong veterans like seniors Eliot Herbst and Emon Daroian, both of whom fence epee.

The team continues its season at the Ohio State University Invitational on Dec. 5.

Gymnastics

After winning the Ivy Classic in 2020, the gymnastics team hopes to also capture the inaugural Gymnastics East Conference title.

The team includes senior Sydney Kraez. She had been one of the strongest competitors on the 2020 team, scoring personal bests in all five events last season and being the Ivy Classic all-around champion. 

Juniors Rebekah Lashley and McCaleigh Marr are both returning after strong rookie years; the former was named the Eastern College Athletic Conference Co-Rookie of the Year, and the latter was the ECAC Co-Specialist of the Year.

With only seven players who competed in the 2020 Ivy Classic returning, underclassmen will have a great opportunity ahead to contribute and leave their mark.