Princeton Names Six Finalists For Roper Trophy For Top Senior Male Athlete

The Princeton University Department of Athletics has named six finalists for the 2019 William Winston Roper Trophy, given annually to the top senior male athlete.

The six finalists are Jesper Horsted of the football and baseball teams, Adam Kelly of the men's track and field team, Ryan Kuffner of the men's hockey team, John Lovett of the football team, Myles Stephens of the men's basketball team, and Max Véronneau of the men's hockey team.

Jesper Horsted
Jesper Horsted, an Ivy League champion and first-team All-Ivy League selection in two sports, set the Princeton football career records with 196 receptions and 28 touchdown receptions, as well as program single-season records with 92 receptions and 14 touchdown receptions in 2017.

In 2018, as Princeton had its first perfect season in 54 years, Horsted caught 72 passes for 1,047 yards and 13 touchdowns, ranking in the top 10 in the country in touchdown catches and receptions per game. His seven straight games with at least 100 receiving yards spanning 2017 and 2018 are also the Ivy League record.

Horsted, who also had two career rushing touchdowns, was a two-time first-team All-Ivy League selection and a Bushnell Cup finalist for Ivy Offensive Player of the Year this past fall. As a senior he earned second-team All-American honors and played in the East-West Shrine Game.

In addition he was also a unanimous first-team All-Ivy League baseball player who led the Ivy League in hitting and helped Princeton to the Ivy League championship and NCAA tournament in 2016.

A sociology major from Shoreview, Minn., Horsted has signed a free agent contract with the Chicago Bears.

Adam Kelly
After qualifying for his second NCAA Championship in the weight throw this past indoor season, Adam Kelly entered the championship ranked seventh before a stunning second-place finish to earn his first first-team All-American honors. Kelly was ninth at his first indoor nationals in 2017 to capture second-team All-American accolades.

He was the Ivy League weight throw champion the last two years after second-place finishes as a freshman and a sophomore, and he was named this year's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Regional Field Athlete of the Year. Kelly holds the Ivy League record and Princeton school record in the weight throw (76 feet, 8.5 inches).

Outdoors in the hammer throw, Kelly has competed in two NCAA Championships to date and has qualified for the NCAA Regionals all four years while earning two All-American honors. He was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer of the Meet at this year's Ivy League Heps. Kelly is second all-time at Princeton in the hammer with a 71.92 (235 feet, 11 inches) and third all-time in Ivy League history. He has earned 72 career Heps points, and Princeton has won the indoor or outdoor title seven times in eight tries.

Kelly is an operations research and financial engineering major from Barrington, R.I.

John Lovett
John Lovett, a touchdown-producing machine during his time at Princeton, finished his career as a two-time Bushnell Cup winner as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, in 2016 and then, after missing the 2017 season due to injury, again this past fall.

He also became the eighth Princeton football player in the last 100 years to be a two-time first-team All-American and was a three-time first-team All-Ivy League selection.

During his time at Princeton, Lovett scored touchdowns by throwing, rushing and receiving, and he was a nearly unstoppable short yardage force. As a senior, when he was at the controls of the highest scoring offense in Ivy history at 47 points per game, he led the league in total offense (303.0 yards/game) and was second in both rushing (99.3 yards/game) and passing (203.7 yards/game).

His 20.9 points-responsible-for per game ranked fourth in the country, and he led the Ivy League with 18 passing touchdowns while also finishing sixth in the nation in completion percentage (66.1 percent).

A history major from Wantagh, N.Y., Lovett signed a free agent contract with the Kansas City Chiefs.

Ryan Kuffner
Ryan Kuffner is the all-time leading goal scorer in Princeton men's hockey history and the only Princeton men's hockey player ever to be a two-time All-American.

He also led a program that was last in the league with just five total wins in his freshman year to an ECAC Hockey championship and NCAA tournament appearance as a junior.

As a senior, Kuffner finished second in the nation with 1.42 points per game (22 goals and 22 assists for 44 points in 31 games). He was also second in the nation in goals per game for the second consecutive year, averaging 0.71 goals per game. He was a finalist for the ECAC Player of the Year award, a nominee for the Hobey Baker Award, first-team All-ECAC and first-team All-Ivy League.

He finished his Princeton career second on the all-time scoring list with 152 points on 75 goals and 77 assists, breaking the school record for goals that stood for 56 years. He also owns the record for goals in a single season with 29. He was named to the ECAC All-Rookie Team has a freshman and has been named to the ECAC All-Academic team all three years.

An economics major from Ottawa, Ont., Kuffner signed with the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, March 12 and made his NHL debut on March 16 against the New York Islanders, just one week after his final collegiate game on March 9. He played in 10 games for the Red Wings and averaged 10:56 minutes of ice time while also playing on the power play.

Myles Stephens
Myles Stephens is one of the top offensive and top defensive players in Princeton men's basketball history.

On one side of the court, Stephens finished his career with 1,346 points, 10^th best in the long history of the program. On the other, his ability to guard players at basically any position earned him the league's Defensive Player of the Year award.

In addition to his points total, Stephens also ranks 10^th all-time at Princeton with 561 rebounds and ninth in blocked shots with 80.

Stephens is a two-time first-team All-Ivy League selection, including his sophomore year, when he was also named the league's top defender and the Most Outstanding Player of the first Ivy League tournament, which Princeton won to became the first team to go 16-0 in the league.

After a second-team All-Ivy award as a junior, he came back with his second first-team recognition as a senior, when he was also second-team All-District and Academic All-Ivy League.

Stephens is a history major from Lawrenceville, N.J.

Max Véronneau
Max Véronneau is an All-American and a two-time nominee for the Hobey Baker Award. He helped take the Princeton men's hockey team from worst to first, winning the ECAC Hockey Championship and earning an NCAA tournament appearance his junior year.

Véronneau also is the record holder for points in a season with 54, surpassing a record that stood for 58 years, from Princeton's 2017-18 ECAC Hockey Championship season. During that season, Véronneau led the nation in assists per game and was third in the nation overall in scoring, averaging 1.53 points per game, and leading the Tigers offense with 55 points in 36 games. He was named All-American, first-team All-ECAC and All-Ivy League.

This past year he finished second on the team in scoring with 37 points and ranked ninth in the nation in both points and assists per game to earn All-ECAC and All-Ivy League honors once again. He was named the ECAC Hockey Player of the Month in February after tallying 11 points in six games.

Véronneau finishes his Princeton career ranked fourth all-time in scoring with 143 points (52 goals, 92 assists). He is second all-time in Princeton history in career assists and holds the school record for assists in a season with 38 from the 2017-18 season.

Twice named to the ECAC Hockey All-Academic Team, Véronneau was also a finalist for the Senior CLASS Award and earned second-team Senior CLASS All-America honors.

Véronneau signed with the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday, March 12 and made his NHL debut on March 14 versus the St. Louis Blues. He scored his first NHL goal on March 16 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and had two goals and two assists in 12 games, while averaging 12:31 of ice time, playing on the top line and on the power play.

He is a mechanical and aerospace engineering major from Ottawa, Ont.

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