Ann Wetzel, Ed’52, the former head coach of women’s squash, died on May 15. She was 92.

Ms. Wetzel was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Philadelphia. While attending Penn, she was a key member of the 1951 undefeated women’s squash team and was the runner-up in the Middle States tournament. Ms. Wetzel was a Philadelphia squash racquets champion as a sophomore and won a national squash championship as a junior.

In her post college playing career, Ms. Wetzel quickly became one of the top players in the country, amassing several titles, including four Pennsylvania State titles, eight Philadelphia and District titles, and one Connecticut title. She went on to start the women’s squash program at Penn, becoming the first Head Coach of Women’s Squash in 1974. During her time as a coach, she compiled a 154-116 record (.570 winning-percentage). She went on to coach three-time National Singles Champion Alicia McConnell (1982-1984), CSA (College Squash Association) First-Team All-American Karen Kelso (1984-1985), 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 1975-1978, where she amassed a 30-9 record (.769 winning-percentage). Ms. Wetzel retired from Penn in 1992.

In 1995, Ms. Wetzel was inducted into the CSA Hall of Fame and received a Pennsylvania’s Humanitarian Award for her work in prison ministry, Amnesty International, and coaching. She was inducted into the Penn Athletics Hall of Fame Class II in 1998 and into the U.S. Squash Hall of Fame in 2003.

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

Ms. Wetzel is survived by her daughters, Jane, Barbara (Harold Rowland), and Betsy (Kevin Lynch); seven grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Donations in Ms. Wetzel’s honor can be made to the Finnish American Village Home at 1800 South Drive, Lake Worth, FL 33461 or at www.farh.org.