Princeton University Athletics
Players Mentioned
Lightweight Rowers James Agolia, Isaiah Brown Earn 2014 Shapiro Prize
October 15, 2014 | Men's Rowing - Lightweight
Men's lightweight rowers James Agolia and Isaiah Brown were recipients of the 2014 Shapiro Prize for Academic Excellence. It is an annual Princeton award that honors exceptional academic achievement during freshman and sophomore years.
"I am honored to have received the award," said Brown, an Operations Research and Financial Engineering major. "As a student athlete, I appreciate being recognized for my work in the classroom, as well as on the water."
Both Agolia and Brown earned Intercollegiate Rowing Association All-Academic Honors this past year. Brown led the varsity eight to a bronze medal at the Eastern Sprints while rowing in the 5-seat, and he helped the lightweights get back to the IRA grand final. He was also part of Princeton's victorious row at the 2013 Head of the Charles, a title the Tigers will hope to defend this coming weekend. Agolia stroked the 3V to a fifth-place finish at the Eastern Sprints and reached the IRA grand final in the V4.
"I'm so happy for James and Isaiah," head coach Marty Crotty said. "The fact that they're able to be such high achievers in the classroom and at the boathouse speaks volumes about their maturity and character. The Shapiro Prize represents their contributions in the classroom, but they are also critical contributors to our team. When you try to figure out how they can do it all, on top of their duties as residential college advisors, its just baffling."
From the Daily Princetonian: Formerly known as the President's Award for Academic Achievement, the prize was first awarded in 1998 when former University President Harold Shapiro GS '64 and his wife Vivian endowed the prize.
Over the summer, potential candidates for the prize are nominated by directors of study and small groups of University faculty members within each residential college. Each candidate must subsequently be endorsed by the deans in the Office of the Dean of the College to receive the award.
Winners are considered for the prize based on the difficulty of their courses as well as the depth to which they engage in their respective fields of study.