The Graduation Issue 2024: Best of graduating seniors in women’s sports

With graduation right around the corner, here are the best graduating women’s student-athletes in the Class of 2024 to have donned the Red and Blue.

Basketball — Jordan Obi

Senior guard Jordan Obi is one player who has had an instant impact on the team since donning the Red and Blue. After her freshman year was canceled as a result of COVID-19, Obi wasted no time in asserting her presence on the court her sophomore year. Obi was a three time Ivy League Rookie of the Week in addition to being the only Quaker to start and play in all 26 games that year. Her junior year, Obi would build on her early success, posting six double-doubles en route to leading the team in defensive rebounds and finishing second in scoring.

In her final year with the Red and Blue, Obi put together her best performance yet. In the team’s first matchup against Brown, Obi became just the 25th player in program history to tally 1,000 career points and the seventh fastest player to do so, having reached the mark after just 74 games. Obi captained the team to its second straight appearance in Ivy Madness where the Quakers were one missed referee call away from sending the game to overtime against the favorite, Princeton. 

Obi concludes her four years with the Red and Blue with 1,142 career points — good for 11th all-time in program history. Obi also nabbed First-Team All-Ivy and Academic All-Ivy honors after previously garnering Second-Team All-Ivy nods for her sophomore and junior campaigns. For her final year of collegiate eligibility, Obi will be making the move to Kentucky where she will be looking to turn around a program that finished 12th in SEC play this year. 

Cross Country — Liv Morganti

Senior Liv Morganti is best known for her stunning 3000-meter steeplechase runs, but her success extends well beyond the track. In her senior campaign with the cross country team, Morganti was the Red and Blue’s lone representative at the NCAA Division I National Championships. To get there, Morganti led the women’s cross country team to a third place finish at the NCAA Regional Championships, which is tied for the program’s best performance at that level. 

Individually, Morganti crossed the finish line on the 6k course in fifth place with a time of 19:50.2 — a program-record Regionals time. The finish was more than enough to earn herself First-Team All-Ivy and First-Team All-Region honors and automatically qualify her for the NCAA Championships, where she placed 144th in a field of 255 runners. For her graduate year of eligibility, Morganti will be taking to the track for CU Boulder. 

Fencing — Sabrina Cho

Senior foilist Sabrina Cho concludes her career with the Quakers after qualifying for the NCAA Division I Championships each year at Penn. In her rookie campaign, Cho finished 5th place at the NCAA Regional competition to earn herself Second-Team All Region honors. At the NCAA Championships that year, Cho finished in 14th. 

During her junior year and second season, she improved upon her previous performance, finishing sixth in the foil at the NCAA Championships, earning Second-Team All-American honors in addition to a First-Team All-Ivy selection. Her year was highlighted by a trifecta of 3-0 performances against Brown, Yale, and Harvard at the Ivy Round-Robins. 

In her final season with the Red and Blue, Cho dominated, leading the program to its first Ivy League championship title since 2004 after finishing the competition 5-1. Cho once again competed at the NCAA Championships where her 11th place finish garnered her a second straight All-American honor. Cho’s consistent achievements at the top levels of the sport will be missed by the Red and Blue moving into future seasons.

Field Hockey — Allison Kuzyk

Senior forward/midfielder Allison Kuzyk contributed instantly when she joined the program. In her rookie campaign, she was one of just three sophomores to play in all 16 games of the season, finishing third on the team in points scored and securing herself a place on Team Canada for the 2021 Field Hockey Junior World Cup. 

Her second season saw her garner two Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week honors en route to earning Second-Team All-Ivy recognition. Kuzyk finished second on the team in goals, which was also good enough to come in ninth in the Ancient Eight. Kuzyk was the only Ivy League player that season to score three goals in a single game. 

Her senior year was arguably her most accomplished. Kuzyk was the co-recipient of the team’s Anna Townsend Award as MVP as she led the team in points and goals. She scored in seven straight games — good enough for the second-longest scoring streak in program history. Her performance was more than enough to earn her First-Team All-Region, First-Team All-Ivy and PhillySIDA Academic All-Area recognition. 

Gymnastics — Sara Kenefick

Senior Sara Kenefick’s three-year career with the Red and Blue aligned with some of the program’s best performances. In her first year, Kenefick earned first-team All-GEC honors on floor and second-team All-GEC honors on the beam. Her first place floor performance with a score of 9.975 helped Penn clinch a Gymnastics East Conference Championship title. During that season, Kenefick was GEC Gymnast of the Week twice. 

In her junior year, she earned First-Team All-GEC honors once again on floor as the team won its second straight GEC Championship title. In her final season, Kenefick’s strong performances on floor and vault helped lead the team to its third straight GEC Championship. In this performance, this team scored a season-high mark of 196.275 to beat out seven other schools. 

Kenefick finished in fourth in the all-around in a season that saw her named to the First-Team All-GEC team in both the all-around and floor while also picking up second-team All-GEC team honors in vault and uneven bars. This makes Kenefick the first ever Quaker to become a three-time First-Team All-GEC selection on floor.

Lacrosse — Izzy Rohr

Senior defender Izzy Rohr has quickly put together a career that will be hard for future Quakers to live up to. After missing 2022 due to injury, Rohr established herself as a main staple of the Red and Blue defense as she returned. Rohr was named the unanimous Ivy League Defender of the Year, unanimous Ivy First-Team All-Ivy selection, and to the Ivy League All-Tournament Team. 

Rohr played a pivotal role on a Quaker team that went undefeated in the Ivy League and won the Ivy League tournament title after missing the tournament completely the season prior. She started in all 19 games and led the Ancient Eight in caused turnovers while ranking fourth in ground balls. Ahead of her senior season, Rohr was named a Inside Lacrosse Preseason Second-Team All-American and a USA Lacrosse Preseason Third-Team All-American. 

In her senior season, Rohr once again was a dominant force on the defensive end of the field. Rohr became just the second Ivy League player to earn a second consecutive Defender of the Year title since the award was created in 2013 — the only other person to do so was former Penn defender Meg Markham in 2014 and 2015. Rohr once again led the league in overall caused turnovers in addition to caused turnovers per game, anchoring a defense that ranked eighth in the nation in caused turnovers per game and 10th in the nation in scoring defense. 

Despite losing in overtime to Yale in the Ivy League tournament championship game, she was named to the All-Tournament Team and also picked up USA Lacrosse All-America Third Team recognition for her performances this year. The Quakers are still alive and well in the NCAA Division I Championships this year as they head to Evanston, Ill. to take on Northwestern in the quarterfinals. Rohr’s season will keep on going as the team eyes a deep run into this year’s tournament. 

Rowing — Catherine Moore

Senior Catherine Moore started off her career with the Quakers in the second varsity 8+ boat. There, Moore helped lead Penn to plenty of first and second place finishes. At the Ivy League Championship her sophomore year, Moore made the jump to the varsity 8+ boat for the first time, where she helped the Quakers to a fourth place finish. At the NCAA Championships that same year, she contributed to a ninth place finish. 

Her junior year built upon that success. The Quakers improved on their finish from the year prior at the Ivy League Championship with a second place result and fourth place finish at the NCAA Championships. Moore’s performance from that season garnered her Second-Team CRCA All-America and Second-Team All-Ivy honors. 

With the Ivy League Championships set to take place this year on May 19, Moore will have one final chance to add to her resume as a rower for the Red and Blue as the group chases a first place finish. 

Soccer — Ginger Fontenot

Senior defender Ginger Fontenot came in as a day-one starter for the Quakers. In her first season, she was one of just four players to start every game, finishing the season with a goal and an assist. Her second season saw her build on this success, starting in all 15 matches that she played. Fontenot cemented her role on a backline that limited opponents to one or fewer goals in 12 matches en route to being named Second-Team All-Ivy. 

Fontenot concludes her career with the Red and Blue having started in every game in which she has played. In her last year, that number was 13 of the 16 total matches that Penn played. As a team captain, Fontenot once again anchored a backline that conceded one or fewer goals in 14 of the 16 matches in which it played. Her performance earned her First-Team All-Ivy honors, making her the only Quaker to receive any All-Ivy recognition this year.

Softball — Brianna Brown

Senior outfielder Brianna Brown’s first collegiate game was a sign of things to come for her time at Penn. In that first game, she recorded two hits, a stolen base, and a run scored en route to a 2-1 win over Delaware. As a freshman, she finished the year playing in eight of the 10 games, starting five of those. Her sophomore year built off that performance, where she recorded the second most stolen bases and was third on the team with 34 hits, posting a 0.293 average. 

Brown’s outstanding play, especially on defense, led to her being named a team captain in her junior year where she was one of just two players to start all 45 games. She led the team with 134 at-bats, 39 hits, 21 runs scored, and 20 stolen bases while recording the third-best hitting average of 0.291 on the team. Her 20 stolen bases tied the single-season program record and was good for second in the Ivy League. 

In her senior year, Brown played her best season yet in nearly all offensive categories. Brown led the Ancient Eight with 17 stolen bases, and also led the team with a 0.331 hitting average, scoring 23 runs while tallying 40 hits across 37 starts. Brown also posted a career-best 0.965 fielding percentage in center field. The performance led to Brown earning Second-Team All-Ivy honors. 

Squash — Avni Anand

Senior Avni Anand was just one of four team members to compete in all 16 matches during her sophomore year, leading the team with 12 wins. Five of those came in Ivy League play and two more came at the College Squash Association Individual Championships. Anand’s outstanding play contributed to Penn’s Howe Cup win over Columbia. 

Her stellar performance led to her being named a team captain heading into her junior season. Anand once again picked up two wins at the CSA Individual Championships, tying for second on the team with eight total victories. Her 3-0 win in the Kurtz Cup Final helped secure Penn the win over Dartmouth. Anand wraps up her time representing the Red and Blue with an impressive 9-4 record this past season, playing out of the third and fifth spots. 

Swimming & Diving — Anna Kalandadze

Senior distance freestyler Anna Kalandadze was named The Daily Pennsylvanian’s Women’s Senior Athlete of the Year for a reason. After transferring from Berkeley ahead of her sophomore year, Kalandadze has absolutely dominated in the pool. Her first season with the Red and Blue saw her finish in second and third at the Ivy Championships in the 1,000-yard free and 1,650y free respectively, earning herself Second-Team All-Ivy honors. She also helped set a program record in the 800-yard freestyle relay. 

Her second season was an explosive one. She took home two individual Ivy League titles in the 500 and 1,650 free, setting both an Ivy and Penn record in the former with a time of 15:53.88. She also set a school record in the 400y individual medley en route to being named an Academic All-Ivy selection. At the NCAA Division I Championships, she finished in 10th place in the 1650, earning herself Second-Team All-American recognition. Her performance earned herself The DP’s Women’s Athlete of the Year that year.

In her final season with the Quakers, Kalandadze did not slow down, headlining yet another dominant individual and team performance by the distance group at the Ivies. Kalandadze repeated as the Ivy League champion in both the 500 and 1650 free events. At the NCAA Championships this year, Kalandadze finished in fourth, placing in front of Olympians and previous NCAA champions. The senior will take the pool next at the US Olympic Trials to be held in June. 

Tennis — Iris Gallo

Senior Iris Gallo is currently the sole senior on the women’s tennis team. And while her freshman fall season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was one of three players to go 2-0 in single play during the shortened spring season. In her sophomore year, she went 4-6 in singles play and 3-2 in doubles play. 

Gallo’s breakout season came her junior year, where she finished the season with an overall 8-9 record, including a 2-3 record in Ivy League play. While playing at the No. 4 spot, Gallo went a perfect 2-0. Gallo’s performance led to her earning CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-Ivy recognition. 

In her last year with the Red and Blue, Gallo once again finished the season going 8-9 in singles play in addition to finishing doubles play with a record of 6-8. Gallo contributed to a Quaker team that closed out its season unbeaten at home en route to an overall record of 17-7, going 5-2 in Ancient Eight play. 

Track & Field — Bella Whittaker

Senior sprinter and The DP’s Women’s Athlete of the Year Isabella Whittaker has absolutely dominated during her time as a Quaker. In her first-ever meet, she set Penn’s second-best times in the 200-meter and 400m races. By the end of her first outdoor season with the Quakers, Whittaker would tie the program record in the 200m and set the program record in the 400m at the NCAA East Preliminaries. Her freshman campaign concluded with an Honorable Mention All-America nod after placing 24th in the 400m at the NCAA Championships.

During her sophomore season, she helped lead the Penn 4x400m relay team to three separate first place finishes, including at the Ivy League Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Individually, she took home the gold in the 400m at both the Big Five Meet and the Ivy League Outdoor Track and Field Championships. Her junior year was no less impressive, as she took home second in the 400m at the Ivy League Heptagonal Indoor Track and Field Championships while claiming two Ivy Heps Outdoor titles in the 4x100m relay and 4x400m relay. Whittaker once again returned to the NCAA Championships where she helped the 4x400m relay team finish in 16th place en route to claiming All-American status. 

Like many other seniors, Whittaker saved her best for last. In her last year representing the Red and Blue, Whittaker set Ivy League records in the 400m and 500m races. At both the Indoor and Outdoor Ivy Heps, Whittaker took home first-place in the 400m and 200m races, guiding the women’s track and field team to first-place finishes at both meets. Whittaker’s performance at the outdoor Ivy Heps in the 400m was good for a meet record while her run in the 200m race set a new program record. 

Whittaker is set to compete in the U.S. Olympic Trials later this year and will be taking her talents to Arkansas for her graduate year of eligibility. 

Volleyball — Jo Armstrong

Senior setter Jo Armstrong has faced her share of setbacks during her time representing Penn, but that hasn’t stopped her from putting together a solid resume over the three seasons that she has represented the Red and Blue. In her debut season, she played in six matches, recording 15 assists, six digs, and a service ace in her collegiate debut. 

During her junior season, Armstrong played in 24 sets across eight matches, clocking in at second on the team with 245 assists. Her senior year was her best as she played in 52 sets across 15 matches. Armstrong finished her last season leading the team with 441 assists and was fourth on the team with 92 digs. Among Ivy League players, she finished fourth in assists per set. Armstrong would also conclude her career with 23 kills, 92 digs, and eight service aces in her final season. 

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