Princeton Athletics Presents Annual Awards At Gary Walters '67 PVC Awards Banquet

Princeton Athletics returned as a community to Jadwin Gym on May 19 for the annual Gary Walters '67 PVC Awards Banquet. After two vritual events in 2020 and 2021, the Class of 2022 was honored in-person for their excellence and achievements in competition, in the community and in the classroom.

As part of the ceremony, Princeton's major yearly awards were presented to deserving recipients:

C. Otto von Kienbusch Award
Awarded annually to a Princeton senior woman of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman. Presented in memory of C. Otto v. Kienbusch '06, friend and benefactor of women's athletics at Princeton.

Kyla Sears has rewritten the record books for Princeton women's lacrosse during the most successful offensive career in program history. The 2022 Ivy League Attacker of the Year, Sears now ranks No. 1 all-time in points by a Tiger with 285, No. 1 in goals with 202, No. 1 in assists with 97 and No. 1 in free position goals with 68. An efficient performer, she has scored at least one goal in every career game played. Her production has made an impact nationally as she ranks No. 7 among active players in points-per-game, No. 12 in goals-per-game, and No. 20 in assists-per-game. A three-time first-team All-Ivy selection, Sears ranks No. 3 all-time in points by an Ivy League player, No. 4 in goals and No. 7 in assists. In 2018, she established new Ivy League freshmen records for goals with 64 and points with 83. A three-time Ivy League champion, Sears' 40 assists in 2019 are a single-season program record. Sears was named one of 25 nominees for the Tewaaraton Award as national player of the year in 2022.

William Winston Roper Trophy
Awarded annually to a Princeton senior man of high scholastic rank and outstanding qualities of sportsmanship and general proficiency in athletics. Presented by Mrs. William W. Roper and the Class of 1902.

Kevin O'Toole made Princeton men's soccer history, becoming the first Tiger to win multiple Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year awards over his career and leading Princeton to only the second perfect Ivy League season in program history. O'Toole scored seven goals and added nine assists to lead the Ivy League in scoring on his way to third-team All-American honors from both United Soccer Coaches and College Soccer News. A three-time first-team All-Ivy selection, O'Toole tallied 15 goals and 18 assists during his Princeton career, dishing out the fourth-most assists in program history and he will graduate as a two-time Ivy League champion. In January, O'Toole was drafted 34th overall in the MLS SuperDraft by NYCFC and has begun his professional career.

Art Lane '34 Award (Co-Recipients)
Awarded to an undergraduate athlete in recognition of his or her selfless contribution to sport and society. Given in memory of Art Lane '34 by friends and family.

Ornella Ebongue picked up the sport of rowing upon her arrival to Princeton, but wasted no time in making her impact felt on the water and in the community.

Ebongue has been instrumental in the implementation and success of Princeton Rowing's STEM to Stern program, which provides local underserved middle school students access to the sport of rowing and STEM curriculum. Additionally, she has served her residential college community as a student assistant, helping to support and promote civic engagement opportunities. Ebongue participated in the PVC-sponsored Coach for College program in the summer of 2019, where she taught mathematics, life skills and sports to underprivileged youth in rural Vietnam.

After working as a lifeguard and realizing she was saving children of color at a disproportionately high rate, Ebongue took action, helping to implement swimming programs in the Greater Boston area that provides children of color ongoing access to free swimming lessons.

Ebongue is an Operations Research and Financial Engineering major from Milton, Mass.

Elle Ruggiero, a captain and two-time All-American for Princeton women's squash, helped lead the Tigers to a top-five national ranking in each of her three full seasons.

A two-time College Squash Association Scholar-Athlete, Ruggiero has dedicated herself to service both on campus and abroad. She was a member of the First College Council, Athlete Ally and Student-Athlete Wellness Leaders. She has also volunteered as a tutor with the FUTURO Program, providing academic support and mentorship to first and second-generation high school students.

Ruggiero has interned with Child Family Health International, the International Planned Parenthood Federation and the United States Agency for International Development. For her impactful work across these organizations, Ruggiero was awarded the Henry Richardson Labouisse '26 Prize, which funds international civic service projects. She will spend the next year in Brazil studying maternal mortality during the Zika epidemic and COVID-19 pandemic.

Ruggiero, from Malvern, Pa., is studying in the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs with certificates in Spanish and Latin American Studies.

Class of 1916 Cup
Awarded each year to the Princeton varsity letterwinner who continuing in competition in his or her senior year achieved at graduation the highest academic standing. Given by the Class of 1916 on the occasion of its 50th reunion.

Jake Mayer is an economics major and team captain for Princeton men's golf. A native of Scotch Plains, N.J., Mayer earned Academic All-Ivy honors this spring after being named a GCAA All-America Scholar in 2020.

Mayer helped lead the Tigers to the 2019 Ivy League championship, and paced Princeton in scoring at the NCAA Athens Regional. He was named PING All-Northeast Region and awarded the program's Martin P. "Buff" Wohlforth '76 Memorial Award, presented to the individual who has contributed the most to the Princeton golf program, for that campaign.

Mayer served as co-president of the Student-Athlete Service Council (SASC) for the past two years, helping to organize a variety of on and off-campus service initiatives to connect varsity student-athletes with the Princeton community. He has also been an active volunteer coaching golf with the Special Olympics of New Jersey.

Class of 1967 PVC Citizen-Athlete Award
Presented by the Princeton Varsity Club for selfless and noble contributions to sport and society.

Sari Chang Guthrie '84 is a Registered Architect and principal at JACOBSCHANG Architecture in New York City. She focuses on projects that have environmental and social impact, while cultivating sustained individual, civic, and institutional relationships. Chang oversees projects from pre-design through fabrication and construction, partnering with companies, private organizations/institutions, public advocacy groups, and residential clients. In New York City, Sari has focused attention on her own neighborhood where advocacy groups have utilized JACOBSCHANG's design services to catalyze projects to revitalize the waterfront on northern Manhattan's east side with an emphasis on equity and social justice.

A native of Needham, Mass., Chang became an immediate standout on the women's track & field team upon her arrival to Princeton. Competing in the hurdles, high jump, long jump and pentathlon, she became the first Women's Indoor Heps individual champion in Princeton history. During her career in the Orange and Black, Chang garnered first-team All-Ivy honors in the 55m hurdles, long jump and 4x200m indoors, and 100m hurdles and long jump outdoor. She graduated from Princeton in 1984 with a degree in Architecture, later earning a Master of Architecture from Yale University.

Chang has made a commitment to service and her community throughout her professional career. She sits on numerous boards and councils, and is currently a Board Director of Friends of the East River Esplanade, Family Advisory Council Member of NYU Langone Hassenfeld Hospital and Advisory Council Member of Princeton Blairstown Center. She is the Vice-Chair of the Board and Co-Chair of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Committee for the National Dance Institute, helping to empower New York City public school children through dance and live music. Additionally, Chang is the Chair of Governance and former Board Chair of Make-A-Wish Metro NY and Western NY, having been a leader within the organization for more than a decade. She has helped raise funds to support the purchase of medical equipment needs (i.e., wheelchairs, medical beds, and handicap accessibility) as part of the wishes of several children.

Chang, who married classmate and record-setting receiver for Princeton football, Kevin Guthrie '84, has also dedicated herself to the Princeton University community. She has been active with the Asian Alumni Association, Schools Committee and Annual Giving Class Leadership including co-chairing the Special Gifts Committee for her 25th Reunion. An active leader and volunteer with the Friends of Princeton Track & Field/Cross Country, Chang was recognized as the Larry Ellis Alumni Award recipient in 2019, which celebrates alumni who have made significant contributions to the Track & Field program both during and after their time in a Princeton uniform.

Marvin Bressler Award
Awarded to that member of the Princeton family who, through heartfelt support of the University's student-athletes and coaches, best embodies a belief in the lifelong lessons taught by competition and athletics as a complement to the overall educational mission. Awarded in the spirit of Marvin Bressler, professor of sociology, 1963-94.

Alec Dun serves as Associate Dean in Princeton University's Office of the Dean of the College. In his role, Dun provides guidance to students, faculty and other constituents on matters affecting the academic lives of undergraduates and helps to manage and balance the relationship between academic and athletic affairs. In addition to being a resource for nearly 1,000 varsity student-athletes, Dun is a long-standing Athletic Fellow for the Princeton men's and women's tennis programs.

Dun works closely with Athletics' Student-Athlete Services team to oversee and shape the entire Princeton Athletics Fellows program. He partners with his colleagues in the Office of the Dean of the College to shape the roles of fellows and enhance the advising experiences of student-athletes. Dun is a strong advocate for all Princeton student-athletes and works closely with the Office of the Registrar and Athletic Compliance to manage all athletic eligibility matters.

An Amherst College graduate, Dun earned a degree in history and competed for both the tennis and squash teams. He came to Princeton in 1997 as a graduate student in History and received his doctorate in 2004. He then taught in the History Department for the following 13 years, serving as junior adviser and departmental representative for various periods along the way.

During his time at Princeton, Dun has also taught in the Freshman Seminars Program and the Freshman Scholars Institute, served as an academic adviser for Butler College and has been a mentor in the Scholars Institute Fellows Program. A historian specializing in early America and with a particular interest in issues involving race, slavery, and revolution, Dun is the author of several essays and articles, as well as the 2016 book, Dangerous Neighbors: Making the Haitian Revolution in Early America.

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