Four Football Players Make All-Ivy First Team; 12 Honored In All

Nov. 26, 2002

The first winning season for Princeton football ended with good news for Princeton, as 12 players earned All-Ivy recognition. Four players, senior tailback Cameron Atkinson (Mantua, N.J.), senior defensive back Kevin Kongslie (Salem, Ore.), junior linebacker Zak Keasey (Clarkston, Mich.) and junior defensive end Joe Weiss (Somers Point, N.J.), earned first-team All-Ivy spots.

Atkinson led the Princeton offense with 1,028 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns. He averaged 102.8 yards per game and closed his career with a 233-yard performance in the 38-30 win over Dartmouth last Saturday. Atkinson ended his career third on the all-time rushing list at Princeton with 2,449 yards, and he became the first 1,000-yard rusher for a season since Keith Elias in 1993. Keasey led the defense in tackles for the second consecutive season, making 88 stops in 2002 (54 solo/34 assisted). He had five sacks and 14 tackles for loss, both of which were second-best on the team. He also made one interception, which ended a 19-point rally for Lafayette in Princeton's first win of the season. Both Keasey and Atkinson were unanimous first-team selections.

Weiss led the team with eight sacks and led the Ivy League with 18 tackles for loss. He had 62 tackles (33/29) and was named the Ivy League Defensive Player of the Week after leading the team with 11 tackles and deflecting a pass that would eventually be intercepted in the final seconds of a 32-25 comeback win over Cornell.

Kongslie, who was also a first-team selection in 2001, made 51 tackles (26/25) in the secondary and made two interceptions, including one last Saturday against Dartmouth. He also recorded seven passes defensed.

Six players earned All-Ivy second-team honors. On the offensive side of the ball, senior co-captain and wide receiver Chisom Opara (Lutherville, Md.) led the receiving corps with 57 receptions for 772 yards and three touchdowns. He ended his career third on the all-time receiving list at Princeton. Senior offensive tackle Lance Baird (Weston, Fla.) helped anchor an offensive line that led Princeton's rushing attack to more than 155 yards per game.

Four defensive players were named to the second team. Junior defensive end Tim Kirby (San Mateo, Calif.) made 46 tackles (22/24), including eight tackles for loss and four sacks. Senior co-captain and linebacker Drew Babinecz (Malvern, Pa.) was third on the team in tackles with 65 (31/34) and recorded four tackles for loss, two interceptions and eight passes defensed. Sophomore cornerback Jay McCareins (Naperville, Ill.) led the team with five interceptions, including four on potential go-ahead drives in the final minutes, and added a team-best 13 passes defensed. Junior free safety Brandon Mueller (Valencia, Pa.) made 56 tackles (33/23) and finished second on the team with four interceptions.

Two Princeton players earned All-Ivy honorable mention. Senior center Roger Patterson (Eagle River, Alaska) started each game and was a key component on the offensive line, and Blake Perry (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.) finished second on the team with 66 tackles (48/18) and recorded seven tackles for loss and one sack.

Princeton's 2002 team award winners and 2003 captains were announced at the season-ending banquet. The captains will be Kirby and quarterback Dave Splithoff (Glendale, Ill.) Splithoff is the first quarterback since Jason Garrett in 1989 to serve as team captain. The 2002 team awards winners are (brief synopsis of award listed below in italics):

John P. Poe-Richard W. Kazmaier Award: Cameron Atkinson
team MVP)

Charles W. Caldwell Award: Kevin Kongslie, Lance Baird
(most improved over career)

Dr. Harry R. McPhee Award: Drew Babinecz
(leadership)

Ronald A. Rogerson Award: Rob Currey, Roger Patterson
(fortitude)

Richard W. Colman Award: Clark Webb
(scholar-athlete)

Class of 1952 Award: Donald Scott
(special teams)

Harland "Pink" Baker Award: Abi Fadeyi, Justin Stull
(defensive freshmen)

Donold B. Laurie Award: Andrew Wilson
(offensive freshman)

2002 All-Ivy Teams:

First Team Offense
Wide Receiver *Carl Morris, Harvard
Wide Receiver Rob Milanese, Penn
Wide Receiver Chas Gessner, Brown
Tight End *Casey Cramer, Dartmouth
Offensive Line *Kevin Noone, Dartmouth
Offensive Line *Jamil Soriano, Harvard
Offensive Line Chris Clark, Penn
Offensive Line Jack Fadule, Harvard
Offensive Line David Farrell, Yale
Quarterback Mike Mitchell, Penn
Running Back *Cameron Atkinson, Princeton
Running Back *Robert Carr, Yale
Fullback Nate Archer, Cornell
Fullback Scott Wedum, Dartmouth
Kicker * Peter Veldman, Penn

First Team Defense
Defensive Line *Chris Pennington, Penn
Defensive Line Joe Weiss, Princeton
Defensive Line Jason Lange, Yale
Defensive Line Pete Combe, Cornell
Linebacker *Travis Belden, Penn
Linebacker *Zak Keasey, Princeton
Linebacker Steve Lhotak, Penn
Linebacker Dante Balestracci, Harvard
Defensive Back *Vince Alexander, Penn
Defensive Back Fred Plaza, Penn
Defensive Back Kevin Kongslie, Princeton
Defensive Back Philip Murray, Columbia
Punter Alex Ware, Dartmouth

Asa S. Bushnell Cup (Player of the Year)
Carl Morris, Harvard Wide Recceiver

Rookie of the Year
Josh Dooley, Dartmouth Linebacker

Second Team Offense
Wide Receiver Jay Barnard, Dartmouth
Wide Receiver Chisom Opara, Princeton
Wide Receiver Keith Ferguson, Cornell
Tight End Nate Lawrie, Yale
Offensive Line Pat Girardi, Columbia
Offensive Line Kevin Boothe, Cornell
Offensive Line Kyle Metzler, Yale
Offensive Line Ben Noll, Penn
Offensive Line Lance Baird, Princeton
Quarterback Brian Mann, Dartmouth
Running Back Joe Rackley, Brown
Running Back Stephen Faulk, Penn
Kicker Trevor MacMeekin, Cornell

Second Team Defense
Defensive Line Mike Armstrong, Harvard
Defensive Line Ryan Strahendorf, Penn
Defensive Line Tim Kirby, Princeton
Defensive Line Stuart Satullo, Yale
Linebacker Nate Spitler, Cornell
Linebacker John Perry, Harvard
Linebacker Ken Estrera, Yale
Linebacker Joel Sussman, Cornell
Linebacker Drew Babinecz, Princeton
Defensive Back Jay McCareins, Princeton
Defensive Back Clayton Smith, Dartmouth
Defensive Back Brandon Mueller, Princeton
Defensive Back Barton Simmons, Yale
Punter Nick Rudd, Columbia

Honorable Mention Offense
Tight End Chris Walther, Brown
Offensive Line Chris Kupchick, Penn
Offensive Line Bob Reeves, Dartmouth
Offensive Line Rory Hennessey, Yale
Offensive Line Matt Dukes, Penn
Offensive Line Roger Patterson, Princeton
Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, Harvard
Quarterback Neil Rose, Harvard
Running Back Marcus Blanks, Cornell

Honorable Mention Defense
Defensive Line Ric San Doval, Penn
Defensive Line Jeff Roether, Columbia
Defensive Line Erick Tyrone, Columbia
Defensive Line Luke Mraz, Yale
Defensive Line Mark Patterson, Yale
Linebacker Joel Barone, Brown
Linebacker Chris Carey, Columbia
Linebacker Jeremiah Watts, Brown
Linebacker Brad Kitlowski, Cornell
Defensive Back Chris Raftery, Harvard
Defensive Back Kevin Stefanski, Penn
Defensive Back Blake Perry, Princeton
Defensive Back Hunter Young, Brown
Defensive Back Niall Murphy, Harvard
Defensive Back Pat McManus, Penn
Punter Josh Appell, Penn

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