Photo by: Beverly Schaefer
The Decade In Review, Part 2 - The Top Athletes
December 31, 2019 | General
Before turning the page on the 2010s, GoPrincetonTigers takes a look back at the last 10 years in Princeton sports.
Part I featured the top events for each of Princeton team in the last 10 years and can be seen HERE.
Part II features the top athlete from each team (note - for the four rowing teams, the top boat of the decade was selected).
The events and athletes were selected by the Office of Athletic Communications staff. Feedback is welcome and encouraged by emailing your thoughts and suggestions to jprice@princeton.edu, and some of those responses will be published early in the new year.
Happy New Year to all, and thank you for your support of Princeton Athletics.
Baseball
Mike Ford '13
Ford was the first Tigers to win all Ivy major postseason awards in a career (Rookie, Pitcher and Player) and was the first Ivy Player to win Pitcher and Player of the Year in the same season in 2013. He was the Tigers' first Ivy Player of the Year and was later named the school's first Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Finalist and Gregg Olson Award semifinalist.
Men's Basketball
Ian Hummer '13
The 2013 Ivy League Player of the Year, Ian Hummer helped Princeton to the 2011 NCAA Tournament while earning three All-Ivy honors including first-team recognition twice. A second-generation Tiger basketball player, Hummer finished with 1,625 points, the second-most in program history and the most since Bill Bradley '65, and his 725 rebounds were also the most since Bradley while standing fifth all-time.
Women's Basketball
Niveen Rasheed '13
Prior to Niveen Rasheed's arrival in Princeton, N.J., the women's basketball team had not claimed an outright Ivy League title in 31 years. Four years and four championships later, a dynasty was born and Rasheed graduated as one of the greatest players in Ivy history. Rasheed would later become the first Associated Press All-American in program history as she finished her career with 1,617 career points. She graduated third all-time in rebounds (860), fifth in scoring average (16.7) and field goals made (604), sixth in rebounds average (8.7) and among a myriad of other top-10 career and season records.
Men's cross country
Donn Cabral '12
Donn Cabral was the 2010 Ivy League Heps cross country champion and 2011 runner-up. He also was a two-time All-America in cross country, a two-time NCAA cross country qualifier and a three-time first-team All-Ivy League runner.
Women's cross country
Alex Banfich '12
Alex Banfich was the 2010 Heps cross country champion and a two-time NCAA qualifier who earned All-America honors both times. Her fifth-place finish in the 2011 race was the best in program history, and she was also finished 20th in 2010.
Men's fencing
Jonathan Yergler '13
Jonathan Yergler won the NCAA épée title in 2012, giving Princeton its first men's individual NCAA champion since 2001. Yergler was a four-time All-America, adding two NCAA runner-up finishes to his NCAA title.
Women's fencing
Eliza Stone '13
Eliza Stone was the 2013 NCAA saber champion and was a four-time All-America, turning in three top-three finishes. The NCAA individual title was Princeton's first in 13 years and its second all-time, though three have followed in the years since.
Field hockey
Kathleen Sharkey '13
The former Tiger is the team captain for the U.S. Field Hockey squad. She is Princeton's all-time leader in points (245) and goals (107). The four-time All-American was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year (2008), Player of the Year (2010) and Offensive Player of the Year (2012).
Football
John Lovett '19
During a decade that produced three Ivy League titles, multiple Players of the Year, NFL signees and program-record-setters, John Lovett stood out as the clear Player of the Decade. Princeton's only two-time Ivy League Player of the Year, he won the 2018 Bushnell Cup after leading the Tigers to their first undefeated season since 1964. Since his debut in 2015, Princeton went 23-4 in games that he started, and it won 13 of 14 Ivy League games during his two Ivy League Player of the Year seasons (2016, 2018).
Men's golf
Greg Jarmas '14
Greg Jarmas was a three-time All-Ivy League honoree and, in 2013, won the first individual Ivy League title since 2005, helping Princeton to the Ivy League team title that year. He earned second-team All-Ivy honors in 2012 and 2014, finishing 10th and ninth at the league tournament those years.
Women's Golf
Kelly Shon '14
A four-time All-Ivy League honoree and a three-time first-teamer, Shon was the 2013 and 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year, earning WGCA honorable mention All-America in 2013. After winning the 2013 Ivy League individual title, Shon qualified as an individual to the NCAA Regionals for the third time, finishing second at the NCAA East Regional to earn an individual bid to the NCAA Championships and become the first Tiger since 1997 to compete in the NCAA finals.
Men's hockey
Ryan Kuffner '19
Of all of these selections, the toughest could be this one, separating Ryan Kuffner from Max Veronneau, because so much of their success was from playing together. Kuffner gets the nod by the slightest of margins after a career that saw him break a 55-year-old Princeton record for career goals and finish with 75, as well as 77 career assists (sixth all-time) for 152 career points (second all-time). Kuffner was a first-team All-America and Hobey Baker nominee as a senior and a second-team All-America as a junior, as well as a two-time All-ECAC selection.
Women's hockey
Kelsey Koelzer '17
Kelsey Koelzer was a dominant defender at Princeton, including being named a first-team All-America and twice being named a Patty Kazmaier Award Top 10 candidate. She was the 2016 ECAC Defender of the Year and a three-time All-ECAC pick, as well as a three-time first-team All-Ivy selection and the 2016 Ivy League Player of the Year. In addition she was an Academic All-Ivy League selection and a three-time member of the ECAC All-Academic team.
Men's lacrosse
Michael Sowers '20
While Tom Schreiber has assumed the mantle of the "Best Player in the World" and Zach Currier isn't too far behind, Sowers is still the choice for the top player. Sowers has needed just three years to break the 25-year-old school record for career points, and in three years he has the three highest single-season points totals, not to mention the school records for points in a game and assists in a season, while being named a Tewaaraton finalist and first-team All-America and earning three unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selections.
Women's lacrosse
Olivia Hompe '17
Princeton's career leader in points (285) and goals (198), Olivia Hompe was a Tewaaraton finalist and first-team All-America as a senior, as well as a three-time first-team All-Region and three-time first-team All-Ivy League selection. Hompe, a three-time Ivy League tournament all-tournament selection and 2015 tournament MVP, ranks second all-time at Princeton in career assists and also has the school records for goals (75) and points (110) in a season. She was also a two-time Academic All-Ivy pick and was named to the IWLCA All-Academic team.
Men's heavyweight rowing
The 2016 Varsity Eight
The 2016 Tiger varsity eight had the best postseason finish of any Princeton V8 of the decade, earning silver at the Eastern Sprints and bronze at the NCAA Championships. Princeton held off Brown by less than a second to finish second at Sprints and help clinch a second straight Rowe Cup, and then it fought off both Washington and Harvard at the IRA Championships to return to the medal dock. The varsity eight finished assured Princeton the top Eastern spot in the Jim Ten Eyck points race at the IRA Championships.
Men's lightweight rowing
The 2010 Varsity Eight
It would not be easy, but the Princeton Tigers opened the decade by repeating as both the Ivy League and IRA national champion. Unlike the 2009 Tigers, Princeton wouldn't go through the regular season unscathed, as a loss in the Goldthwait Cup brought some uncertainty to the postseason. The Tigers repeated as Eastern/Ivy champion by defeating Harvard at Sprints, and then a dominant stretch midway through the IRA final on Cooper River helped secure the eighth national title for the Tigers, who fought off a late charge by Navy to win the gold.
Women's lightweight rowing
The 2011 Varsity Eight
Princeton went 8-0 through the regular season and earned the No. 1 ranking, and then it ended an eight-year Sprints drought by defeating reigning champion Wisconsin by nearly four seconds to win EAWRC gold. The Tigers put together a great East vs. West showdown in the IRA final at Cooper River, and though it was barely edged by Stanford for the national title, the Tiger crew remains one of the top boats in program history.
Women's open rowing
The 2011 Varsity Eight
The 2011 Princeton open women sprinted through the regular season with a perfect record, then beat Brown by more than four seconds to win the Ivy League title, but it needed one final victory to cement itself as one of the elite boats in program history. A brilliant start in the NCAA grand final gave the Tigers a lead for the first half, and despite a hard charge from California, Princeton put the race away by over the final 500 to complete the perfect season. Led by future Olympian Lauren Wilkinson, Princeton won the program's third NCAA individual title, and only the second for a varsity boat (2006).
Men's soccer
Thomas Sanner '16
The third all-time leading scorer in Princeton history, Thomas Sanner scored 32 career goals, of which 13 were game-winners. He was named the 2015 unanimous Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Region, and he was also a two-time first-team All-Ivy League selection. He also started his career by winning the Ivy League Rookie of the Year Award and being named second-team All-Ivy as a freshman.
Women's soccer
Tyler Lussi '17
Tyler Lussi's 53 goals from 2013-16 surpassed the record of 47 that Esmeralda Negron '05 held, and her 122 points surpassed Negron's record of 112. Lussi helped the Tigers to the Ivy title and NCAA tournament in 2015 and 2016, winning a first-round game against Boston College in 2015 in the first NCAA women's tournament game held at Roberts Stadium.
Softball
Alex Peyton '13
Alex Peyton earned four All-Ivy honors in three years, appearing twice on the 2013 list for earning second-team honors as a pitcher and honorable mention at first base. Peyton finished fifth on Princeton's career home run list, with 24, and 15th on the career extra-base hit list, with 44. Her 62 career games started in the circle ranks eighth, and her 428 2/3 career innings pitched ranks seventh.
Men's squash
Todd Harrity '13
Winner of the 2011 CSA individual national championship, Harrity reached three CSA finals and was a four-time All-American and All-Ivy League honoree. He won multiple Ivy League Player of the Year honors, including during his senior season. While all of his individual honors would be more than enough for this award, he was Princeton's #1 player on the team that ended Trinity's 13-year championship run in the 2012 team championships. Harrity was undefeated during that weekend, including a 3-0 win over Trinity that evened the match at 4-4 and set up the championship finish.
Women's squash
Julie Cerullo '13
Julie Cerullo was a four-time All-American and All-Ivy League honoree, and she was also a CSA semifinalist during her career. Cerullo helped Princeton earn the 2013 Ivy League title.
Men's swimming and diving
Jon Christensen '12
A 2012 Roper Trophy recipient, Jon Christensen was an eight-time Ivy League individual champion, and he earned both the high point swimmer and career high point swimmer honors at the 2012 Ivy League Championships. He posted the best individual finish at the NCAA Championships for any Tiger men's swimmer when he finished seventh in the 200 breast at the 2012 national championships. He still holds program records in both the 100 and 200 breast.
Women's swimming and diving
Lisa Boyce '14
One of only two Princeton women (Alicia Aemisegger) to have earned multiple All-America honors this century, Lisa Boyce capped a brilliant career with a 7th-place finish in the 100 fly at the 2014 NCAA Championships. She was a dominant performer at the Ivy League Championships, where she won nine individual events over her career, including eight of nine in her last three years. She still holds the Princeton records in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 back and 100 fly.
Men's tennis
Matija Pecotic '13
The first and only three-time Ivy League Player of the Year, Matija Pecotic was a four-time All-Ivy League honoree in singles, three-time first-teamer in singles, and an ITA All-America honoree in 2013, Princeton's first since 1984. Also in 2013, Pecotic advanced to the NCAA singles tournament and became the first Tiger since 1996 to win an NCAA singles tournament match.
Women's tennis
Lindsay Graff '15
LindsayGraff was the 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year and won seven All-Ivy League honors between singles and doubles over her four years. She helped Princeton to two NCAA team tournaments, including the program's first-ever NCAA team tournament win in 2014, and she also played in the NCAA doubles tournament as a freshman in 2012.
Men's track and field
Donn Cabral '12
The only athlete on the list to be honored twice, Cabral is the top Princeton men's track athlete as well as the top cross-country athlete. Cabral was the 2012 NCAA champion in the steeplechase, as well as a six-time All-America between the steeplechase and the 5,000. Outdoors he was a three-time Heps steeplechase champ, and he also won three Heps 10,000 titles as well, and to that he added one 3,000 title and two 5,000 titles indoors. He also went straight from winning the 2012 NCAA title to reaching the Olympic finals in the steeplechase in London, and he reached the final again four years later in the Rio Games.
Women's track and field
Julia Ratcliffe '17
The Ivy League has never had one athlete dominant an event to the extent that Julia Ratcliffe dominated the women's hammer throw. Ratcliffe, who came to Princeton from New Zealand, was the 2014 NCAA hammer throw champion and the 2015 runner up, as well as a three-time first-team All-America and four-time Ivy League Heps hammer champion and a two-time indoor Heps weight throw champ. She also won four Penn Relays titles and was a five-time Academic All-Ivy selection between indoor and outdoor. For all of her remarkable achievements, perhaps the most amazing is that she has the 134 best throws in league history.
Men's volleyball
George Huhmann '20
The 2019 EIVA Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, Huhmann led the 2019 Princeton Tigers to their first Eastern title and NCAA tournament berth since 1998. A two-time All-American, Huhmann broke in as the EIVA Newcomer of the Year in 2017 and already has nearly 1,000 career kills while hitting just below .330 during his three years. In the EIVA championship clincher, he had 25 kills and six blocks to lead the Tigers to a 3-2 thriller over Penn State.
Women's volleyball
Cara Mattaliano '17
Cara Mattaliano is the only Princeton player to win multiple Ivy League Player of the Year awards, and she led the Tigers to Ivy League titles in both 2015 and 2016. She recorded more than 1,000 kills in her career and was one of the league's best two-way players, as she also ended her career with more than 1,000 digs.
Men's water polo
Jordan Colina '18
Jordan Colina was a two-time All-American who finished his career with 226 goals, sixth highest in Princeton history, and 112 assists, third most in the program.
Women's water polo
Ashleigh Johnson '17
One of only two Princeton athletes ever to win an Olympic gold medal and then come back to compete for the Tigers (Bill Bradley was the other), Ashleigh Johnson won the C. Otto von Kienbusch and Cutino Awards during her senior season in 2017. She was the first player in Princeton women's water polo history to be named first team All-America and third ever to be picked as All-American in each of her four seasons. Johnson finished her Princeton career with a 100-17 record, along with a school-record 1,362 saves and a .693 save percentage. She was a 19-time Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Defensive Player of the Week award winner, a four-time first-team all-conference player and the CWPA Player of the Year.
Wrestling
Matthew Kolodzik '21
He came in as the highest-ranked recruit during Chris Ayres' tenure at Princeton, and he somehow exceeded the highest of expectations that followed him. The program's first freshman All-American and three-time All-American, Kolodzik is a two-time EIWA champion and three-time first-team All-Ivy League honoree. His best performance to date came at the 2018 NCAA Championships, where he defeated the #2, #3, #4, and #6 wrestlers to place third at 149 pounds, Princeton's best finish since Greg Parker '03 was the 2002 runner-up.
Part I featured the top events for each of Princeton team in the last 10 years and can be seen HERE.
Part II features the top athlete from each team (note - for the four rowing teams, the top boat of the decade was selected).
The events and athletes were selected by the Office of Athletic Communications staff. Feedback is welcome and encouraged by emailing your thoughts and suggestions to jprice@princeton.edu, and some of those responses will be published early in the new year.
Happy New Year to all, and thank you for your support of Princeton Athletics.
Baseball
Mike Ford '13
Ford was the first Tigers to win all Ivy major postseason awards in a career (Rookie, Pitcher and Player) and was the first Ivy Player to win Pitcher and Player of the Year in the same season in 2013. He was the Tigers' first Ivy Player of the Year and was later named the school's first Olerud Two-Way Player of the Year Award Finalist and Gregg Olson Award semifinalist.
Men's Basketball
Ian Hummer '13
The 2013 Ivy League Player of the Year, Ian Hummer helped Princeton to the 2011 NCAA Tournament while earning three All-Ivy honors including first-team recognition twice. A second-generation Tiger basketball player, Hummer finished with 1,625 points, the second-most in program history and the most since Bill Bradley '65, and his 725 rebounds were also the most since Bradley while standing fifth all-time.
Women's Basketball
Niveen Rasheed '13
Prior to Niveen Rasheed's arrival in Princeton, N.J., the women's basketball team had not claimed an outright Ivy League title in 31 years. Four years and four championships later, a dynasty was born and Rasheed graduated as one of the greatest players in Ivy history. Rasheed would later become the first Associated Press All-American in program history as she finished her career with 1,617 career points. She graduated third all-time in rebounds (860), fifth in scoring average (16.7) and field goals made (604), sixth in rebounds average (8.7) and among a myriad of other top-10 career and season records.
Men's cross country
Donn Cabral '12
Donn Cabral was the 2010 Ivy League Heps cross country champion and 2011 runner-up. He also was a two-time All-America in cross country, a two-time NCAA cross country qualifier and a three-time first-team All-Ivy League runner.
Women's cross country
Alex Banfich '12
Alex Banfich was the 2010 Heps cross country champion and a two-time NCAA qualifier who earned All-America honors both times. Her fifth-place finish in the 2011 race was the best in program history, and she was also finished 20th in 2010.
Men's fencing
Jonathan Yergler '13
Jonathan Yergler won the NCAA épée title in 2012, giving Princeton its first men's individual NCAA champion since 2001. Yergler was a four-time All-America, adding two NCAA runner-up finishes to his NCAA title.
Women's fencing
Eliza Stone '13
Eliza Stone was the 2013 NCAA saber champion and was a four-time All-America, turning in three top-three finishes. The NCAA individual title was Princeton's first in 13 years and its second all-time, though three have followed in the years since.
Field hockey
Kathleen Sharkey '13
The former Tiger is the team captain for the U.S. Field Hockey squad. She is Princeton's all-time leader in points (245) and goals (107). The four-time All-American was the Ivy League Rookie of the Year (2008), Player of the Year (2010) and Offensive Player of the Year (2012).
Football
John Lovett '19
During a decade that produced three Ivy League titles, multiple Players of the Year, NFL signees and program-record-setters, John Lovett stood out as the clear Player of the Decade. Princeton's only two-time Ivy League Player of the Year, he won the 2018 Bushnell Cup after leading the Tigers to their first undefeated season since 1964. Since his debut in 2015, Princeton went 23-4 in games that he started, and it won 13 of 14 Ivy League games during his two Ivy League Player of the Year seasons (2016, 2018).
Men's golf
Greg Jarmas '14
Greg Jarmas was a three-time All-Ivy League honoree and, in 2013, won the first individual Ivy League title since 2005, helping Princeton to the Ivy League team title that year. He earned second-team All-Ivy honors in 2012 and 2014, finishing 10th and ninth at the league tournament those years.
Women's Golf
Kelly Shon '14
A four-time All-Ivy League honoree and a three-time first-teamer, Shon was the 2013 and 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year, earning WGCA honorable mention All-America in 2013. After winning the 2013 Ivy League individual title, Shon qualified as an individual to the NCAA Regionals for the third time, finishing second at the NCAA East Regional to earn an individual bid to the NCAA Championships and become the first Tiger since 1997 to compete in the NCAA finals.
Men's hockey
Ryan Kuffner '19
Of all of these selections, the toughest could be this one, separating Ryan Kuffner from Max Veronneau, because so much of their success was from playing together. Kuffner gets the nod by the slightest of margins after a career that saw him break a 55-year-old Princeton record for career goals and finish with 75, as well as 77 career assists (sixth all-time) for 152 career points (second all-time). Kuffner was a first-team All-America and Hobey Baker nominee as a senior and a second-team All-America as a junior, as well as a two-time All-ECAC selection.
Women's hockey
Kelsey Koelzer '17
Kelsey Koelzer was a dominant defender at Princeton, including being named a first-team All-America and twice being named a Patty Kazmaier Award Top 10 candidate. She was the 2016 ECAC Defender of the Year and a three-time All-ECAC pick, as well as a three-time first-team All-Ivy selection and the 2016 Ivy League Player of the Year. In addition she was an Academic All-Ivy League selection and a three-time member of the ECAC All-Academic team.
Men's lacrosse
Michael Sowers '20
While Tom Schreiber has assumed the mantle of the "Best Player in the World" and Zach Currier isn't too far behind, Sowers is still the choice for the top player. Sowers has needed just three years to break the 25-year-old school record for career points, and in three years he has the three highest single-season points totals, not to mention the school records for points in a game and assists in a season, while being named a Tewaaraton finalist and first-team All-America and earning three unanimous first-team All-Ivy League selections.
Women's lacrosse
Olivia Hompe '17
Princeton's career leader in points (285) and goals (198), Olivia Hompe was a Tewaaraton finalist and first-team All-America as a senior, as well as a three-time first-team All-Region and three-time first-team All-Ivy League selection. Hompe, a three-time Ivy League tournament all-tournament selection and 2015 tournament MVP, ranks second all-time at Princeton in career assists and also has the school records for goals (75) and points (110) in a season. She was also a two-time Academic All-Ivy pick and was named to the IWLCA All-Academic team.
Men's heavyweight rowing
The 2016 Varsity Eight
The 2016 Tiger varsity eight had the best postseason finish of any Princeton V8 of the decade, earning silver at the Eastern Sprints and bronze at the NCAA Championships. Princeton held off Brown by less than a second to finish second at Sprints and help clinch a second straight Rowe Cup, and then it fought off both Washington and Harvard at the IRA Championships to return to the medal dock. The varsity eight finished assured Princeton the top Eastern spot in the Jim Ten Eyck points race at the IRA Championships.
Men's lightweight rowing
The 2010 Varsity Eight
It would not be easy, but the Princeton Tigers opened the decade by repeating as both the Ivy League and IRA national champion. Unlike the 2009 Tigers, Princeton wouldn't go through the regular season unscathed, as a loss in the Goldthwait Cup brought some uncertainty to the postseason. The Tigers repeated as Eastern/Ivy champion by defeating Harvard at Sprints, and then a dominant stretch midway through the IRA final on Cooper River helped secure the eighth national title for the Tigers, who fought off a late charge by Navy to win the gold.
Women's lightweight rowing
The 2011 Varsity Eight
Princeton went 8-0 through the regular season and earned the No. 1 ranking, and then it ended an eight-year Sprints drought by defeating reigning champion Wisconsin by nearly four seconds to win EAWRC gold. The Tigers put together a great East vs. West showdown in the IRA final at Cooper River, and though it was barely edged by Stanford for the national title, the Tiger crew remains one of the top boats in program history.
Women's open rowing
The 2011 Varsity Eight
The 2011 Princeton open women sprinted through the regular season with a perfect record, then beat Brown by more than four seconds to win the Ivy League title, but it needed one final victory to cement itself as one of the elite boats in program history. A brilliant start in the NCAA grand final gave the Tigers a lead for the first half, and despite a hard charge from California, Princeton put the race away by over the final 500 to complete the perfect season. Led by future Olympian Lauren Wilkinson, Princeton won the program's third NCAA individual title, and only the second for a varsity boat (2006).
Men's soccer
Thomas Sanner '16
The third all-time leading scorer in Princeton history, Thomas Sanner scored 32 career goals, of which 13 were game-winners. He was named the 2015 unanimous Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-Region, and he was also a two-time first-team All-Ivy League selection. He also started his career by winning the Ivy League Rookie of the Year Award and being named second-team All-Ivy as a freshman.
Women's soccer
Tyler Lussi '17
Tyler Lussi's 53 goals from 2013-16 surpassed the record of 47 that Esmeralda Negron '05 held, and her 122 points surpassed Negron's record of 112. Lussi helped the Tigers to the Ivy title and NCAA tournament in 2015 and 2016, winning a first-round game against Boston College in 2015 in the first NCAA women's tournament game held at Roberts Stadium.
Softball
Alex Peyton '13
Alex Peyton earned four All-Ivy honors in three years, appearing twice on the 2013 list for earning second-team honors as a pitcher and honorable mention at first base. Peyton finished fifth on Princeton's career home run list, with 24, and 15th on the career extra-base hit list, with 44. Her 62 career games started in the circle ranks eighth, and her 428 2/3 career innings pitched ranks seventh.
Men's squash
Todd Harrity '13
Winner of the 2011 CSA individual national championship, Harrity reached three CSA finals and was a four-time All-American and All-Ivy League honoree. He won multiple Ivy League Player of the Year honors, including during his senior season. While all of his individual honors would be more than enough for this award, he was Princeton's #1 player on the team that ended Trinity's 13-year championship run in the 2012 team championships. Harrity was undefeated during that weekend, including a 3-0 win over Trinity that evened the match at 4-4 and set up the championship finish.
Women's squash
Julie Cerullo '13
Julie Cerullo was a four-time All-American and All-Ivy League honoree, and she was also a CSA semifinalist during her career. Cerullo helped Princeton earn the 2013 Ivy League title.
Men's swimming and diving
Jon Christensen '12
A 2012 Roper Trophy recipient, Jon Christensen was an eight-time Ivy League individual champion, and he earned both the high point swimmer and career high point swimmer honors at the 2012 Ivy League Championships. He posted the best individual finish at the NCAA Championships for any Tiger men's swimmer when he finished seventh in the 200 breast at the 2012 national championships. He still holds program records in both the 100 and 200 breast.
Women's swimming and diving
Lisa Boyce '14
One of only two Princeton women (Alicia Aemisegger) to have earned multiple All-America honors this century, Lisa Boyce capped a brilliant career with a 7th-place finish in the 100 fly at the 2014 NCAA Championships. She was a dominant performer at the Ivy League Championships, where she won nine individual events over her career, including eight of nine in her last three years. She still holds the Princeton records in the 50 free, 100 free, 100 back and 100 fly.
Men's tennis
Matija Pecotic '13
The first and only three-time Ivy League Player of the Year, Matija Pecotic was a four-time All-Ivy League honoree in singles, three-time first-teamer in singles, and an ITA All-America honoree in 2013, Princeton's first since 1984. Also in 2013, Pecotic advanced to the NCAA singles tournament and became the first Tiger since 1996 to win an NCAA singles tournament match.
Women's tennis
Lindsay Graff '15
LindsayGraff was the 2014 Ivy League Player of the Year and won seven All-Ivy League honors between singles and doubles over her four years. She helped Princeton to two NCAA team tournaments, including the program's first-ever NCAA team tournament win in 2014, and she also played in the NCAA doubles tournament as a freshman in 2012.
Men's track and field
Donn Cabral '12
The only athlete on the list to be honored twice, Cabral is the top Princeton men's track athlete as well as the top cross-country athlete. Cabral was the 2012 NCAA champion in the steeplechase, as well as a six-time All-America between the steeplechase and the 5,000. Outdoors he was a three-time Heps steeplechase champ, and he also won three Heps 10,000 titles as well, and to that he added one 3,000 title and two 5,000 titles indoors. He also went straight from winning the 2012 NCAA title to reaching the Olympic finals in the steeplechase in London, and he reached the final again four years later in the Rio Games.
Women's track and field
Julia Ratcliffe '17
The Ivy League has never had one athlete dominant an event to the extent that Julia Ratcliffe dominated the women's hammer throw. Ratcliffe, who came to Princeton from New Zealand, was the 2014 NCAA hammer throw champion and the 2015 runner up, as well as a three-time first-team All-America and four-time Ivy League Heps hammer champion and a two-time indoor Heps weight throw champ. She also won four Penn Relays titles and was a five-time Academic All-Ivy selection between indoor and outdoor. For all of her remarkable achievements, perhaps the most amazing is that she has the 134 best throws in league history.
Men's volleyball
George Huhmann '20
The 2019 EIVA Player of the Year and Tournament MVP, Huhmann led the 2019 Princeton Tigers to their first Eastern title and NCAA tournament berth since 1998. A two-time All-American, Huhmann broke in as the EIVA Newcomer of the Year in 2017 and already has nearly 1,000 career kills while hitting just below .330 during his three years. In the EIVA championship clincher, he had 25 kills and six blocks to lead the Tigers to a 3-2 thriller over Penn State.
Women's volleyball
Cara Mattaliano '17
Cara Mattaliano is the only Princeton player to win multiple Ivy League Player of the Year awards, and she led the Tigers to Ivy League titles in both 2015 and 2016. She recorded more than 1,000 kills in her career and was one of the league's best two-way players, as she also ended her career with more than 1,000 digs.
Men's water polo
Jordan Colina '18
Jordan Colina was a two-time All-American who finished his career with 226 goals, sixth highest in Princeton history, and 112 assists, third most in the program.
Women's water polo
Ashleigh Johnson '17
One of only two Princeton athletes ever to win an Olympic gold medal and then come back to compete for the Tigers (Bill Bradley was the other), Ashleigh Johnson won the C. Otto von Kienbusch and Cutino Awards during her senior season in 2017. She was the first player in Princeton women's water polo history to be named first team All-America and third ever to be picked as All-American in each of her four seasons. Johnson finished her Princeton career with a 100-17 record, along with a school-record 1,362 saves and a .693 save percentage. She was a 19-time Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Defensive Player of the Week award winner, a four-time first-team all-conference player and the CWPA Player of the Year.
Wrestling
Matthew Kolodzik '21
He came in as the highest-ranked recruit during Chris Ayres' tenure at Princeton, and he somehow exceeded the highest of expectations that followed him. The program's first freshman All-American and three-time All-American, Kolodzik is a two-time EIWA champion and three-time first-team All-Ivy League honoree. His best performance to date came at the 2018 NCAA Championships, where he defeated the #2, #3, #4, and #6 wrestlers to place third at 149 pounds, Princeton's best finish since Greg Parker '03 was the 2002 runner-up.
Inside Training Camp: Princeton Football 2025
Thursday, September 04
Highlights from 2025 Gary Walters ’67 PVC Awards Banquet
Monday, June 09
Reflections from the Princeton Athletics Class of 2025
Tuesday, May 27
Princeton Athletics 2024-25 Highlights
Tuesday, May 27