Princeton University Athletics
Another Year Of The Tigers
June 27, 2001 | General
June 27, 2001
If you're looking for one way to sum up the overwhelming athletic success that has been the norm at Princeton University of late, consider this: The 2000-01 season was nothing the Orange and Black hadn't seen before.
In other words, it was just another year of the Tigers.
So just what is the standard at Princeton these days? Consider all of these 2000-01 accomplishments:
* Princeton finished 24th in the Sears Directors' Cup Division I standings
* two teams won national champions (men's lacrosse, women's lightweight crew)
* three individuals won national championships (squash's David Yik and Julia Beaver and fencing's Soren Thompson)
* 14 teams won Ivy League championships, tying the league record for most in a school year, set one year earlier by Princeton
* Princeton established a four-year league record for Ivy championships with 50 * a total of 33 Tigers won All-America honors, up from 22 the previous year
* Princeton won the unofficial Ivy League all-sports points standings for the 15th straight year
Princeton athletics produced at least one team national champion for the 15th straight season, and unlike last year, the Tigers didn't have to wait until the last day of the athletic calendar to do so. This time, they did it a week earlier.
The men's lacrosse team renewed its rivalry with Syracuse--in what has grown into one of the best matchups in college sports--when the teams met Memorial Day in the NCAA championship game. Syracuse, who had defeated Princeton in the three prior meetings by a combined 49-17 total, was a huge favorite.
Instead, an inspired Tiger team rose to the occasion, jumping to a 5-1 lead before heading into the fourth quarter ahead 8-4. The Orangemen came back, however, tying it first at 8-8 and then at 9-9 on a goal with 16 seconds remaining to force overtime. Each team would have chances in the OT, and it was Princeton who cashed in, on a goal by B.J. Prager assisted by Ryan Boyle with 3:41 gone. The 10-9 win gave Princeton its sixth national title in 10 years, four of which have now come in overtime.
Like the men's lacrosse team, the women's lightweight crew knows something about winning national titles. The Tiger women won their third straight IRA championship, capping a year that saw the heavyweight men finish in second place and the open women again qualify for the grand final at the NCAA championships.
The first three Ivy championships were won in the fall. The field hockey team again swept through the league, going 7-0 and advancing to the NCAA tournament. The women's volleyball team won another championship as well, and their reward was a trip to Nebraska to take on the nation's No.1 team in an environment rarely seen in the sport.
The women's soccer team won its first championship in more than a decade and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second straight year.
The men's and women's fencing teams each won the league again, the women doing so by rallying from a 13-8 deficit to defeat Yale 14-13. The women's swimming and diving team and the men's indoor track and field team romped to their own championships, as the men produced three All-Americas and the women finished the season ranked 25th nationally.
The highlight of the winter, however, was probably the men's basketball team. The Tigers had been decimated by injuries and defections in the off-season, most notably All-America center Chris Young (professional baseball), shooting guard Spencer Gloger (transferred to UCLA) and head coach Bill Carmody (to Northwestern). In their place stepped head coach John Thompson, who directed a mix of inexperienced younger players and the holdover veterans to the 34th league title in 101 seasons of Tiger basketball. Princeton blew open a tight Ivy race, hammering each of the other three contenders in the final five nights.
While Thompson's coaching performance was extraordinary, so too has been the work of Tiger wrestling coach Michael New, who has completely rebuilt the Princeton program. The Tigers won their first league match in six seasons and sent three wrestlers to the NCAA championships, ending a nine-year drought.
As always, the spring was not lacking for athletic drama at Princeton. The baseball team had to overcome the loss of Young as well and amazingly produced the Ivy Pitcher of the Year in Ryan Quillian, the first Princeton pitcher ever so honored. The Tigers won the Gehrig Division title for the sixth straight year and then rallied to beat Dartmouth in 10 innings in Game 3 of the Ivy championship series, scoring the winning run on a single by Steve Young. Princeton then aquitted itself well in the NCAA tournament, defeating the Citadel for its first NCAA win in 36 years.
Both lacrosse teams won league championships, and the women advanced to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
Like fencing and lacrosse, the golf team swept the men's and women's titles. Julia Allison was the league's individual women's champion as well.
The final league title came when the men's heavyweight crew won the varsity race at Eastern Sprints.
Erin Lutz earned All-America honors as a diver and gave Princeton important team points for the swimming and diving title. A top scholar, she was the University's nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year as well as one of four recipients of the C. Otto von Kienbusch Sportswoman of the Year Award. Beaver, whose squash title was her third, All-America and Ivy field hockey Player of the Year Hilary Matson and two-sport star Julie Shaner, All-Ivy eight times between lacrosse and soccer, were the other three winners.
On the men's side, there were three winners of the Roper Trophy as outstanding senior male athlete. Seven-time Heptagonal champion shot-putter Scott Denbo, honored as an indoor and outdoor All-America, was one. Joining him was his teammate Dennis Norman, who won two outdoor Heptagonal discus championships while also finding time to become the fourth three-time first-team All-Ivy football player in school history and the seventh-round draft choice of the Seattle Seahawks as an offensive tackle. The other winner, Matt Striebel, also showcased his skills in two seasons, competing in both soccer and lacrosse. Between the two Striebel was All-Ivy five times, All-America twice, Ivy champion five times, NCAA tournament participant five times, NCAA champion twice and Academic All-Ivy three times.
Devon Keefe, Jen Cannistra and Harrison Gabel earned the Art Lane Award for service to the school and the community. Oliver Stroeh won the 1916 Cup as the senior athlete with the highest academic standing. by Jerry Price