Introducing the Red and Blue: Meet Penn’s 31 varsity teams

While Penn may not be known for its athletic programs, that doesn’t mean that the Red and Blue doesn’t have some of the strongest programs in the nation. With 31 varsity teams competing at the Division I level, there’s plenty of talent — the Quakers saw 12 current and former athletes compete at the Paris Games.

If you’re currently suffering from Olympics withdrawal, fear not. Here’s a quick introduction to every single varsity team that could be your next team to cheer on as the 2024-25 academic year kicks off.

Baseball: Coming off two consecutive dominant seasons, this summer saw a massive roster shake-up as several Quakers signed Major League Baseball contracts, including star right-handed pitcher Ryan Dromboski to the hometown Phillies.

Basketball (Men’s): This year will be an interesting one for the Red and Blue, as the team comes off what can only be considered a disappointing season that culminated with Penn losing one of its sole bright spots on the roster, freshman guard Tyler Perkins, to the transfer portal. 

Basketball (Women’s): The team was one missed referee call from an underdog Ivy Madness finals appearance, so expect nothing but energy and excitement from the women’s basketball team as the team sees the return of Ivy League Rookie of the Year and sophomore guard Mataya Gayle as well as second team All-Ivy and senior guard Stina Almqvist.

Cross country (Men’s): After finishing second at last year’s cross country Ivy Heptagonal Championships, first team All-Ivy senior Dylan Throop will be someone to keep an eye on as he chases a first-place finish to wrap up his time at Penn. 

Cross country (Women’s): Major and consistent contributors to the women’s side of the program Liv Morganti and Maeve Stiles may be gone, but don’t count out junior Lily Murphy, who was named second team All-Ivy last season as a sophomore.

Fencing (Men’s): At the 2024 NCAA Fencing Championships, senior Bryce Louie claimed the program’s first individual foil title since 1997 over fellow teammate and recently graduated Blake Broszus — the duo was named The Daily Pennsylvanian’s Performance of the Year.

Fencing (Women’s): Like the men’s team, the women are also coming off one of their best seasons in recent history, winning a share of the Ivy League title for the first time in two decades. 

Field hockey: Last year, Penn field hockey had an up-and-down season that ended with a one-goal loss to Harvard in the inaugural Ivy League Tournament — with stalwart Allison Kuzyk now graduated, there’s plenty of opportunity for someone else to step up and take the team’s play to the next level.

Football: Junior wide receiver Jared Richardson and sophomore running back Malachi Hosley will be looking to build upon their impressive 2023 campaigns to lead the Quakers; however, losing All-American defensive lineman Joey Slackman and offensive coordinator Dan Swanstrom could have huge impacts on a team that was already on the end of too many close losses last year. 

Golf (Men’s): Penn men’s golf has been mediocre at best in recent years, and the search for a team talisman to elevate this program will continue into this year — and most likely the future as well. 

Golf (Women’s): The women’s team has tasted success in recent years, placing third at the Ivy championships last season and taking home the top prize the year before — led by second team All-Ivy selection sophomore Maggie Ni, the Quakers should continue to excel. 

Gymnastics: Penn gymnastics is currently in the process of making itself a dynasty within the Gymnastics East Conference after winning its third straight GEC championship this past season.

Lacrosse (Men’s): Penn is a lacrosse school and last season, the men’s team did not disappoint, as it lit up the field with thriller after thriller, even in games where it wasn’t favored — this year should be more of the same, especially as sophomore Leo Hoffman grows into his role on the team. 

Lacrosse (Women’s): Penn women’s lacrosse has been nothing short of dominant in recent memory, and that trend doesn’t seem like it will end any time soon — coming off a season that saw the team make a deep run into the NCAA Division I Tournament, senior Anna Brandt and sophomore Catherine Berkery will be the faces of this year’s group, who could contend for an NCAA championship title. 

Rowing (Men's Heavyweight): Not to be confused with its brother team, the lightweight rowing team, the heavyweight rowing team is coming off a season that saw the Quakers have their best finish at the EARC Sprints since 2001 — the member easiest to identify is senior Sam “The Beacon” Sullivan, nicknamed aptly for his wild mane.

Rowing (Men's Lightweight): The lighter of the two men’s rowing teams has collected plenty of silverware under coach Colin Farrell, but the team peaked in relevance on campus after allegations regarding a culture of racism surfaced late in April of 2024.

Rowing (Women's): The offseason saw some turnover in leadership as former coach Wesley Ng announced his resignation from the program, replaced by Bill Manning — after a stellar season that saw the team come in 10th at the NCAA Championships, it’ll be interesting to see where Manning takes the group. 

Sprint Football: The lesser known of the football teams — where all players weigh less than 178 pounds — is commonly the butt of many Sidechat posts, and its performance in recent years hasn't quite lived up to expectations. But if a career in football doesn’t work out, sophomore Michael West can always transition to a career in foosball. 

Soccer (Men’s): Last season, the Quakers saw their season end in heartbreak as the team crashed out of the inaugural Ivy League tournament in the semifinals to a penalty shootout with Brown despite entering the tournament as the favorites — the Red and Blue will get its chance for revenge on Oct. 12. 

Soccer (Women’s): In her second year at the helm and in the last game of the season, coach Krissy Turner finally secured her first Ivy League win in a 2-1 defeat of Cornell, which the team hopes to use as momentum for an even better season heading into this fall. 

Softball: In her first year at the head of the program, coach Christie Novatin immediately got to work, improving from an 8-37 record to 11-29 — while there are still plenty of areas for the team to grow, sophomores Chloe Lesko and Megan Huang both shone in their rookie seasons, but only Huang will remain, as Lesko transferred to UCSD. 

Squash (Men’s): Playing in one of the best squash centers in the nation, the men’s team is riding high after earning its first-ever national championship this past spring — a result that was preceded by several heartbreaks at the previous Potter Cup tournaments. 

Squash (Women’s): Last year was one to forget for the women’s team as injuries plagued the group throughout the season en route to an unmemorable finish — led by junior Malak Taha, the Quakers will be looking to return to the top of the Ancient Eight.

Swimming and diving (Men’s): This team is headlined by senior Matt Fallon, Paris Olympian and American record holder in the 200-meter breaststroke, and after missing out on the finals due to contracting COVID-19 at the Games, Fallon will be looking to produce yet another dominant season for the Red and Blue.

Swimming and diving (Women’s): The women’s group has been led by a solid pack of long-distance swimmers over the past few seasons, and all eyes will be on whether or not junior freestyle and individual medley specialist Anna Moehn can step into the shoes that recently graduated, first team All-American distance freestyler Anna Kalandadze has vacated. 

Tennis (Men’s): Men’s tennis, led by junior Matt Rutter, had an up-and-down season last year, finishing a 2-5 record in Ivy League play — but this year’s team will be quite different from last year’s, as four new freshmen will be introduced to the squad. 

Tennis (Women’s): Sophomore Esha Velaga had a stunning rookie campaign that rejuvenated a program that struggled in 2023, and the reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year and unanimous first team All-Ivy selection will definitely be someone to watch as she gears up for her second year.

Track and field (Men’s): The men’s track and field team was headlined by sophomore sprints/hurdler Ryan Matulonis and pole vaulting duo made up of senior Jimmy Rhoads and recently graduated Scott Toney last season, but only Matulonis will be returning, as Rhoads announced that he is entering the transfer portal and Toney is taking his fifth year of eligibility with him to Washington.

Track and field (Women’s): The women’s group is coming off of a historic season where the group secured a first-place finish at both the indoor and outdoor Ivy Heps and the program’s first individual title at the Penn Relays — it’ll be interesting to see how the team replaces the losses of key members of the group such as recent graduates Bella Whittaker and Liv Morganti. 

Volleyball: It’s been quite some time since Penn volleyball has been good, but with a relatively young group of players on the roster, now is as good a time as any to see if the Quakers can make some progress in their rebuild.

Wrestling: This year marks the last one for which coach Roger Reina, the winningest coach in program history, will be at the helm of the program — and with five returners with NCAA Wrestling Championships experience, Penn wrestling should add yet another dominant season to its recent track record.

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