Princeton University Athletics
Welcome to the Celebration of 50 Years of Princeton Women's Athletics
October 15, 2020 | General
Visit the 50 Years of Princeton Women's Athletics Website
From the first time they stepped forward in competition to the most recent moments we've witnessed from our female student-athletes, the young women who represent Princeton University have done so in extraordinary fashion.
The 2020-21 academic year marks 50 Years of Women's Athletics at Princeton University and we are proud to celebrate the remarkable stories, accomplishments and legacy of the women who have proudly worn Princeton uniforms.
We have a year-long celebration planned and invite you to join us! Our digital and social platforms will showcase short stories, excerpts from a forthcoming book commemorating 50 Years of Women's Athletics, special video content and "The First 50" podcast.
To officially kick off our celebration highlighting 50 Years Of Women's Athletics at Princeton University, here is Ford Family Director of Athletics Mollie Marcoux Samaan '91.
Dear Tigers,
Scholars, trailblazers, leaders and champions. These qualities, and so many more, describe the women who have competed for Princeton Athletics over the past 50 years. Starting with Helena Novakova '72 and Margie Gengler Smith '73 in a tennis tournament in New Paltz on October 17, 1970 (podcast link), and followed by the first team competition on April 12, 1971 (a women's tennis match vs. Penn), nearly 5,000 women have represented the Orange & Black in varsity competition. Our Princeton Athletics family looks forward to commemorating the 50th Anniversary of Women's Athletics at Princeton throughout the year ahead, celebrating this tremendous history and incredible legacy.
None of us could have imagined that we would be celebrating our 50th anniversary of women's athletics virtually and without our teams competing this fall; however, these unique times have only reinforced the value of this experience and the power of being a part of something far greater than oneself. This impact has been felt by the Princeton women student-athletes who played a role in pioneering each of our 18 women's varsity teams and helping to elevate each from humble beginnings to some of the very best programs in the country.
We are immensely proud of Princeton women's vast athletic achievements, including more than 200 Ivy League championships (nearly one-third of all titles awarded), 22 individual and 33 team national championships, 35 Olympians and four Rhodes Scholars, to name a few. Even more impressive is the character of these women and the impactful and accomplished careers they have led, all while continuing their commitment to Education through Athletics and our current Tiger student-athletes. We were thrilled recently to announce the naming of our first athletic field for an alumna (release) and our first Women's Head Coach Endowment in recognition of the leadership of the women's lacrosse team's Chris Sailer (release). Both of these ground-breaking gifts have served as prominent displays of our community's commitment to women's athletics at Princeton and the transformative impact athletics has had on so many female student-athletes.
We encourage you to share in this celebration over the next year as we feature many of our incredible alumnae, sharing their journeys and perspectives in the form of feature articles, podcasts, group discussions, speaker series events and more, including a book on the first 50 years of women's athletics, with excerpts available on the webpage throughout the year. Visit GoPrincetonTigers.com/50Years to stay current on new content and programming. We plan for the celebration to run through the fall of 2021 and are hopeful to have opportunities to gather in person and showcase the strength of our Princeton Athletics community.
Thank you for your continued support, and we look forward to commemorating and celebrating the 50th anniversary of women's athletics with you.
Mollie Marcoux Samaan '91
Ford Family Director of Athletics
