Princeton University Athletics
Syl Apps, Ted Martell, Christi Samaras: Lane Award
March 31, 2000 | General
Lane Award
Awarded to an undergraduate athlete in recognition of his or her selfless contribution to sport and society. Presented by the Lane family in memory of Art Lane '34.
Syl Apps
Syl Apps is a name synonymous with hockey. It's a name synonymous with success, revered in Canada due to the legendary heroes in his family.
His grandfather is in the NHL Hall of Fame. His father played 10 years in the NHL. It would seem that he has huge footprints to fill, but Apps is not concerned. One of the co-captains on the 1998-99 men's hockey team, Apps is more concerned with fulfilling the footprints that his family left off the ice.
He does that, and then some.
Apps does everything at 100%. He turned a fragile freshman frame into one of the most physically sound bodies on the ice his senior year. He was more than happy to run over an opponent if it meant getting the puck. And sometimes, even if it didn't.
But it's the Apps off the ice that deserves equal honor and respect. An Academic All-Ivy League honoree, he worked just as hard making sure his studies and his work in the community never were hindered by his athletic achievements. He worked at the Daily Bread Food Bank in Toronto as well as the CANFAR Fundraising Event, a Canadian Foundation for AIDS research.
At Princeton he worked four straight years at the Mercer County Special Olympics. By his senior year he was the organizational chair for the spring track and field competition. He also was the manager of P-Flix, an on-campus video rental store serving students and faculty.
He was a director at hockey camps and a head steward at Upper Canada College in his native Toronto. His calendar was filled at all times, but he handled everything with dedication and class.
His footprints may be the hardest to fill.
Career Highlights 1999 Regional Academic All-America ... 1999 ECAC Best Defensive Forward ... 1998-99 captain ... 1999 second-team All-Ivy League ... 1999 Richard F. Vaughan Cup ... 1998 Mariucci Classic MVP ... 1998 Mariucci Classic all-tournament team ... 1998 ECAC all-tournament team ... 1997, 1998 Academic All-Ivy League.
Ted Martell
Ted Martell has spent three years as Princeton's top defensive longstick midfielder in lacrosse. It is an important position that lends itself to few stats and even less glory.
Perhaps the satisfaction of knowing that he was a key part of three national championships and four Ivy League titles in his four years at Princeton is good enough for him.
Martell and his fellow workers at Habitat for Humanity are the longstick defensemen of the real world. They work very hard and get very little recognition, but they also make a huge difference.
Martell, who graduates with a degree in architecture, spent a full summer building houses in a poorer section of Trenton. That's building houses, as in hammers and nails and sweat.
Working in the summer sun, Martell put in eight hour days, Monday through Friday, working on the project. He also spent time working as a civic planner in the city, and he spent another four hours per week working on the project during the school year as well.
by Jerry Price
Career Highlights two-year starter as Princeton's longstick midfielder ... key member of defensive unit that led nation in scoring defense each of the last two seasons ... member of three NCAA champions ... member of four Ivy League champions ... 24-0 career Ivy League record.
Cristi Samaras
When one mentions the name Cristi Samaras, what comes to mind? One of the best attackers in the game of women's lacrosse? Maybe. Someone who holds six University scoring records. That's a possibility. Take Samaras off the field and she holds a different recognition. Her contributions to women's lacrosse extend beyond the grass and turf markings. She has a limitless capacity for using her talents to give back to others.
A three-time first-team All-America selection, Samaras has played an integral part in the promotion of women's lacrosse to inspire young players. In 1997 Samaras designed a five-step stickwork program that has been used in camps and clinics nationwide to help players of all ages and abilities refine their ball-handling skills. New coaches have to make the adjustment to a new setting with a new team, which can be a major challenge. Samaras, the nation's leading scorer in 1998, designed a 12-step program for rookie coaches to get from the first day of practice through opening day, which included drills and practice schedules.
During the fall of 1998, Samaras organized and directed "Jerseyball," a fall lacrosse league for girls in the local area. All through her own initiative, she arranged field space, tournament play and guest speakers and players. She has served as a guest speaker for numerous camps and clinics, including the NIKE Leadership Camps to help inner city children.
As the treasurer of the Varsity Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and a trustee of the Princeton University store, Samaras has contributed to the Princeton community as an athlete and as a person. Her high-energy personality and off-the-wall wit are rare and unique and certainly hard to forget.
No matter what comes to mind at the mention of Cristi Samaras, she has no doubt made a lasting impression on those who have had the pleasure of knowing her.
by Jenn Garrett
Career Highlights 1998,1999 Ivy League Player of the Year ... 1995 Ivy League Rookie of the Year ... program's all-time leader in points (270), goals (189) and assists (81) ... set the school's single-season records for points (85) and goals (56) in 1998 ... 1999 captain ... 1996, 1998, 1999 first-team All-Ivy League ... 1996, 1998, 1999 first-team Brine/IWCLA All-America ... 1998, 1999 first-team All-Mid-Atlantic ... 1999 Mid-Atlantic Most Valuable Player among attackers ... 1998 USWLA first-team All-America ... 1999 Emily C. Goodfellow '76 Women's Lacrosse Award.