Get ready to be amazed! The University of Pennsylvania's women's swimming team absolutely dominated Villanova, shattering records and making a splash in the pool. It was a night of incredible performances, leaving spectators in awe. Let's dive into the details!
The Scene:
- Date: November 5th, 2025
- Location: Sheerr Pool, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Format: SCY (Short Course Yards, 25 yards)
- Final Score: Penn Women 179, Villanova Women 115
This wasn't just any win; it was a statement. The Penn Quakers not only triumphed over the Villanova Wildcats but also put an end to the Wildcats' impressive four-meet winning streak. Adding to the drama, this marks the Quakers' 5th consecutive victory against Villanova.
Record-Breaking Performances:
The Sheerr Pool was practically buzzing with excitement as two pool records were broken. This meet was the second for the Penn women this season, with the first being just four days prior against Delaware. Both meets were held in the newly renovated Sheerr pool, which seems to be a hotbed for record-breaking swims.
Kayla Fu's Dominance:
Sophomore Kayla Fu was the star of the show, breaking pool records in both of her outings. But here's where it gets controversial... Was she the only one? No! Teammate Kate Levensten also joined in on the record-breaking fun.
The Penn women displayed a commanding performance, with Villanova managing only two individual victories and one relay win.
Key Highlights:
- The Penn team, consisting of Amy Qin (24.82), Kate Handley (29.71), Amber Smith (24.27), and Fu (24.11), set the tone by winning the 200 medley relay in 1:41.91. This was over two seconds faster than their winning time against Villanova last year (1:43.98).
- Anna Boeckman initiated a nine-event winning streak for the Quakers, clocking 10:10.27 in the 1000 freestyle, a five-second improvement from last year's meet.
- Anna Moehn also showed significant improvement, winning the 200 free in 1:51.97, over one-and-a-half seconds faster than her time last year (1:53.66). She also won the 500 freestyle in 5:04.20.
- Levensten set a new pool record in the 100 backstroke with a time of 54.28, just one-hundredth of a second faster than the previous record held by Harvard's Anya Mostek in 2024.
- Kate Handley won the 100 breaststroke in 1:04.62, improving her time from last year by over a second.
- Margaret Hu won the 200 butterfly in 2:02.82.
- Fu continued her impressive season with two individual victories and a second pool record in a week. She won the 50 free in an in-season best time of 23.09 and the 100 free in 49.80, breaking the previous record of 49.86 held by Brown's Jennifer Boyd.
- Freshman Connie Wang won the 200 backstroke in 2:01.13.
- Freshman Brianna Cong won the 100 fly in 55.44.
Villanova's Victories:
- Winnie Jalet won the 200 breaststroke in 2:20.50.
- Anna Farley won the 400 IM in 4:29.29.
- The Wildcats' team of Carlota Colomer Guasch (24.50), Riley Kudlac (23.44), Alyssa McHale (24.17), and Kayla Bolster (23.58) won the 200 free relay in 1:35.69.
What's Next?
The UPenn women will face Columbia at Sheerr pool this Friday, marking their third meet in a week. The Wildcats will look to bounce back against Providence College in Providence, Rhode Island, on Saturday.
Final Thoughts:
What do you think about the Quakers' performance? Did Kayla Fu's dominance surprise you? Let us know in the comments below! And this is the part most people miss...Do you think the renovations to the Sheerr Pool played a role in the record-breaking times?
