Previewing Ivy Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships

Several Quakers look to make their mark at this weekend’s meet in Princeton, N.J.

ASHIL SRIVASTAVA Sports Associate

The start of the Ivy League Championship for women’s swimming and diving is upon us. The four-day competition commences on Feb. 15 in Princeton, N.J., and will feature the best of the best from the Ancient Eight.

All teams will be hunting Yale, which has been a dominant force all season and has yet to lose a meet. The team has a dominant 7-0 conference record, 9-0 overall. Yale’s success carries over from last year, which was another undefeated season across the board. In fact, the Elis’ swimming team hasn’t tarnished its polished regular season record since a loss to Princeton on Feb. 2, 2020. More recently, the Yale Bulldogs won the Ivy Dual Meet (HYP meet), topping Harvard and Princeton a few weeks ago.

Other solid teams include Harvard and Princeton, which boast overall records of 6-2 and 8-3, respectively. Neither squad was able to topple Yale earlier this season, but both teams still have the best chance of dethroning the favorites in the tournament. The Crimson currently hold the title of defending champions as they captured the 2022 Ivy Championship, beating second-place Yale and third-place Penn.

The Quakers have been inconsistent all year

Moforehan Abinusawa already making strides in track and field

The freshman sprinter set a program record last month at Penn 10-Team Select

ANIKA GURURAJ Sports Associate

and sit near the bottom of conference standings with a disappointing 2-5 Ivy record. However, they are coming off a solid win against Rider, which they can use to build some momentum.

The Red and Blue have a notable win against the Tigers from earlier in the season — another glimmer of hope.

Senior Anna Kalandadze has been excellent all year and holds top-50 NCAA times in the 500m freestyle, 1000m freestyle, and the 1650m freestyle. She will be the team leader, and Penn’s best chance at winning the longer freestyle events. The Quakers hold a top-50 NCAA time for the 800m freestyle relay as well.

Fellow senior Margot Kaczorowski will be another swimmer Penn will rely on to power its championship dreams. She adds experience to the Quaker roster, after having swam in the 400m and 800m freestyle relays at last year’s tournament.

With teams of varying depth in the mix, the Ivy Championships should put on an entertaining show for the Princeton crowd. Penn has potential to snag the top spot from the favored teams in a few events, but it would take monumental effort to pull off a win.

Freshman Moforehan Abinusawa of Penn track and field is wasting little time in creating a name for herself, putting up impressive times such as a recent 7.37 in the 60-meter sprint semifinal of the Tiger Paw Invitational in Clemson, S.C., last weekend.

“One of her motivations is to be the best version of herself, no matter where she’s at or what she’s doing,” assistant coach Chené Townsend said. “That innate competitiveness is something that is unique to her.”

Abinusawa grew up less than an hour from Penn’s campus in Fort Washington, Pa., making the University a familiar setting for her. It was even more familiar given that her older brother Olatide, a senior who competes in shot put and javelin, also suits up for the Quakers.

Growing up, track wasn’t her first choice. Instead, her journey to the sport was a little unconventional.

“I initially was a soccer player,” Abinusawa said. “I started really young — three or four years old. My dad would get a lot of comments from other parents about how quick I was on the field, and so he entered me into track at 10 and I really enjoyed it, and have done it since.”

Speed helped on the soccer field, but after switching sports, Abinusawa found herself to be better suited for track.

“I think when it comes to translating skills, a lot of improvement in soccer came from individual practice,” she said. “I developed a level of independence in bettering myself as an individual athlete, which was very useful when it came to track, where the training is on an individual basis.”

Despite the age difference, both Abinusawa siblings started competing in track around the same time; their different events allowed them to support each other at meets. Both siblings have fond memories of competing as kids, particularly the innocent joy of it.

“From my perspective, as a kid she just enjoyed spending time on track,” said Olatide. “It wasn’t about being super competitive, but just about her love for the sport.”

As college loomed large, Abinusawa looked to her brother as an example of the opportunities being a Quaker would offer.

“While I am an athlete, I am also a student too,” the younger Abinusawa said. “When it came to college, I wanted to go somewhere I could thrive in the classroom as well. Seeing my brother find that balance at Penn really gave me the confidence that this would be the place for me as well.”

With her brother already drawing attention at Penn and Abinusawa setting a stellar reputation for herself at the high school level, the collegebound sprinter was surely getting noticed by recruiters.

“The first time I saw her compete, I thought she was built for this, that she belongs,” Townsend said. “She was a class above the kids she was competing with and I thought she would be a good fit for Penn.”

College is always a big shift for students, which was something Abinusawa experienced last semester.

“It’s definitely a step up,” she said. “Being at the collegiate level, it is so much more competitive and intense, but also it is a much more welcoming environment with more team spirit than I’ve ever experienced before. I have a wonderful team around me who have taken me in and have definitely made settling into college life a lot easier.”

Team spirit is a feature of the Quaker experience that she deeply values, crediting the bond she shares with her teammates for her positive transition into college. Her teammates have been instrumental in helping Abinusawa build confidence.

Townsend reaffirmed Abinusawa’s collaborative ethos, praising her for her friendly and approachable personality, stating she adds a jovial and easygoing personality to the team.

While still new to Penn, Abinusawa is already maturing in leaps and bounds, looking to lend support and gain encouragement from her team while growing with them in the coming years.

“Track is unique — it is individual, but there is also a heavy reliance on your team, especially when it comes to bigger meets and conferences,” she said. “I feel like I have found the balance of being able to shine in those individual moments, but also integrating and lending support to my team when needed, and I aim to do so for the years to come as well.”

Moforehan Abinusawa will next compete at the Ivy League Indoor Heptagonal Championships in Hanover, N.H. on Feb. 25.

In Photos: Penn community, Philadelphia experience Eagles’ last-minute Super Bowl defeat

An outcome that might have broken the spirits of many sports fans across the country seemed to bring the city closer together Sunday night

ANNA VAZHAEPARAMBIL

Five years ago, the Eagles won their first Super Bowl in franchise history, and residents of Philadelphia stormed the streets in celebration. People climbed up lampposts, set off fireworks, and even overturned cars as the city transformed into a sea of chaos and partying.

This past Sunday, the Birds returned to the big game, only this time, they fell short — much to the city’s dismay. A somber mood blanketed Penn after the loss, as students left the various watch parties around campus and returned to their dorm rooms. Eagles fans streamed out of bars in Center City, some visibly crying, others angrily screaming, “F**k the Chiefs.”

However, an outcome that might have broken the spirits of many sports fans across the country seemed to actually bring the city closer together on Sunday. As hundreds gathered on Broad Street after the game, frustration and despair were rampant — but under all that simmered hope, an unwavering loyalty to the Birds, and a thirst for vengeance.

Residents of Hill College House streamed the Super Bowl together in their club lounge. Penn hosted watch parties in a majority of the college houses as well as in Houston Hall, offering snacks, bingo, raffle prizes, and more to keep students entertained throughout the night.

Emotions ran high during the game, and fans were on their feet cheering with every successful play made by the Eagles. Houston Hall erupted into shouts and applause after wide receiver A.J. Brown caught a 45-yard pass from quarterback Jalen Hurts. The excitement continued into halftime, as the Eagles maintained a 10-point lead over the Chiefs.

However, the back-and-forth nature of the game brought lows, too. Touchdowns from the Chiefs’ running back Isiah Pacheco and wide receiver Kadarius Toney in the second half resulted in the Eagles trailing by one point with only 12 minutes left. Nervousness and anticipation permeated the air. Everyone’s eyes were glued to the TV in Houston Hall’s game room.

The energy was mirrored over in Center City, where dozens of fans gathered outside a screen set at Uptown Beer Garden to watch the final minutes of the game. Despite the rain and low temperatures, the group’s morale was high.

When Hurts ran into the Eagles’ end zone for the two-point conversion, tying the game at 35-35, the atmosphere became electric. Beer cans were tossed and shouting intensified as people celebrated together and reveled in their hope for a positive outcome.

Clinging to each other in desperation, Eagles fans then watched the Chiefs’ placekicker Harrison Butker make a 27-yard field goal in the final eight seconds of the game. With one kick, the team’s dream of another Super Bowl victory was ripped away from them, and supporters were left stunned in disappointment and grief.

On Broad Street, people began pouring out of bars and watch parties. Many headed straight to the SEPTA station by City Hall, while others wandered aimlessly, still reeling from the loss.

Yet, within 30 minutes, the street became packed. People fed off each other’s emotions, repeatedly chanting “F**k the Chiefs” and cheering on unofficial Philadelphian icons in the crowd — such as a costumed Elmo wearing an Eagles jersey and a man dressed as Benjamin Franklin.

Center City saw a heavy police presence on Sunday, with hundreds of officers lined up outside City Hall and stationed in the streets by the time the game finished. As the crowd became more violent as the night progressed, police with riot gear and batons deployed smoke bombs in an attempt to stabilize the crowd and protect buildings. Despite the increased security, the city continued to celebrate. A group of drummers led the crowd forward, pushing their way past people as they marched down Broad Street towards City Hall.

As the night continued on, Philadelphia residents continued to use each other as support. Even without another Super Bowl victory for the Eagles, the city always finds hope to celebrate.