Women's Squash | May 15, 2024

PHILADELPHIA- With heavy hearts, we write to share that former student-athlete, Head Coach of Women's Squash, national champion, and Penn Athletics Hall of Fame member, Ann Wetzel Ed'52 passed away last Wednesday.

As a two-sport athlete for the Quakers' squash and tennis teams, Wetzel left a legacy at the University. She was a key member of the 1951 undefeated women's squash team where she was the Middle States tournament runner-up and Philadelphia squash racquets champion as a sophomore. Wetzel's greatest achievement came her junior year when she won a national squash championship.

Wetzel went on to start the women's squash program at Penn, becoming the first Head Coach of Women's Squash in 1974, where she remained until retiring in 1992. During her time as a coach, Wetzel compiled a 154-116 record (.570 winning-percentage). Wetzel went on to coach three-time National Singles Champion Alicia McConnell (1982-84), CSA (College Squash Association) First-Team All-American Karen Kelso (1984-85), 15 CSA Second-Team All-Americans and 11 All-Ivy honorees.

In 1973, she co-founded the United States Women's Intercollegiate Squash Racquets Association (USWISRA), later known as the Women's Intercollegiate Squash Association (WISA), which eventually became the Women's College Squash Association (WCSA).

She also coached tennis from 1975-78, where she amassed a 30-9 record (.769 winning-percentage).

The University recognized Wetzel's achievements in 1998, when she was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame Class II.

In 1995, Wetzel was inducted into the Squash Hall of Fame. The CSA honors Ann's legacy with the Ann Wetzel Award. As of 2023, the Wetzel award is given to the senior women's player who has shown the greatest level of improvement over their four-year career. In 2019, the University's squash program honored Wetzel with the Ann Wetzel Squash Pavilion inside the Penn Squash Center.

Wetzel was predeceased by her husband Charles M. Wetzel, son Charles Mark Wetzel III, her brothers, William Dietrich, Hardy Dietrich, Herbert James Dietrich, MD, and her sister Jane (Dietrich) Donaghy and grandson James Patrick Lynch. Anne is survived by her daughters, Jane (Clark Spargur, deceased), Barbara (Harold Rowland), Betsy (Kevin Lynch), seven grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
 
Relatives and friends are invited to attend Wetzel's memorial service at the Covenant Presbyterian Church at 400 Lancaster Avenue in Frazer, Pa., on Monday, June 17th.  The family will receive from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. with a memorial service to follow.  Burial will at the Washington Memorial Chapel cemetery in Valley Forge. 

In honor of Wetzel, donations can be sent to the Finnish-American Village Home at 1800 South Drive, Lake Worth, Fla. 33461.  Online through Info@farh.org