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Saturday, January 20
Princeton, N.J.
4:00 PM
Princeton University
vs
Columbia
David, Katie, Jeffrey and Michael Thiers.
The Thiers Family Of Athletes
January 19, 2024 | Women's Basketball
Princeton vs. Columbia
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
Karen and Tim Thiers have four children, three of which played Division I sports.
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Katie is a junior on the Princeton Women's Basketball Team.
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Jeffrey rowed at Washington and helped the third varsity to a gold medal at the 2021 IRA National Championships as a senior.
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Michael is also a rower at Washington and is finishing a graduate season this year after helping the third varsity to a bronze medal at the 2023 IRA National Championships.
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David was more into outdoor sports. He played basketball (his number is why Katie wears 44) and ran track in high school, but joined a Mountaineers club as a freshman in high school and that drew him more than organized sports.
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Even, Katie's grandfather, David, (Washington) and great grandfather, Harding Roche (Princeton) were rowers.
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It was always a bit chaotic in the Theirs' household, getting four different athletes to where they needed to go.
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"It baffles me because my parents had four kids doing sports all different times," said Thiers. "I remember being little and going to all of my brothers' sporting events. I'd go to a lot of basketball games and crew races, but it got a little easier once my brothers knew how to drive. My parents did a great job of showing up to every sporting event for all of us."
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Karen Thiers was into figure skating while Tim grew to be 6'8. Tim was a swimmer until he was a sophomore when the basketball coach saw him at swim practice was like "You're 6 '8, you should try out for the basketball team."
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Growing up the youngest of four with three older brothers had its advantages and disadvantages, but most importantly, it helped grow Thiers' love for sports.
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"They were definitely very tough on me," said Thiers about her brothers. "Obviously being the youngest and the only girl, I was a little spoiled and they would always make sure I knew that. I know watching them play sports made me want to. I remember sitting at my brother's basketball games and thinking it was the coolest thing and wanting to do that."
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Thiers also gave credit to her mother who was very much into outdoor sports like biking, hiking and mountain climbing for her love for sports.
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Interestingly enough, despite all the rowers in the family, Katie never tried it. In grade school, she played a bunch of different sports, but focused on just basketball starting in seventh grade. "My brothers didn't start rowing until they were freshman in high school," said Thiers. "By the time they had started rowing, I had already committed to basketball so I never entertained the idea, but I think I would have like it a lot."
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The Thiers siblings keep tabs on each other despite their busy academic and athletic schedules.
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Michael and all 80 of his teammates at Washington watched the Tigers upset NC State last year in the NCAA Tournament. Katie returned the favor by making the five-hour drive to Eugene, Organon for the PAC-12 Rowing Championships after getting home following her studies at Princeton last year.
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Being a family with three Division-I athletes is not lost on the Thiers' family.
Â
"From a very young age, sports are never something we were forced to do," said Thiers. "It was always something our parents let us pursue like on our own volition, so they were never like, you must go to college, you must play sports. I think that really fostered this independent love of sports from my brothers and I. We just genuinely loved what we were doing and stuck with it."
Â
Katie and the Tigers continue their Ivy League journey tomorrow at 4 p.m. against the Columbia Lions on ESPNEWS.
Â
Watch | Live Stats | Tickets | Game Notes
Karen and Tim Thiers have four children, three of which played Division I sports.
Â
Katie is a junior on the Princeton Women's Basketball Team.
Â
Jeffrey rowed at Washington and helped the third varsity to a gold medal at the 2021 IRA National Championships as a senior.
Â
Michael is also a rower at Washington and is finishing a graduate season this year after helping the third varsity to a bronze medal at the 2023 IRA National Championships.
Â
David was more into outdoor sports. He played basketball (his number is why Katie wears 44) and ran track in high school, but joined a Mountaineers club as a freshman in high school and that drew him more than organized sports.
Â
Even, Katie's grandfather, David, (Washington) and great grandfather, Harding Roche (Princeton) were rowers.
Â
It was always a bit chaotic in the Theirs' household, getting four different athletes to where they needed to go.
Â
"It baffles me because my parents had four kids doing sports all different times," said Thiers. "I remember being little and going to all of my brothers' sporting events. I'd go to a lot of basketball games and crew races, but it got a little easier once my brothers knew how to drive. My parents did a great job of showing up to every sporting event for all of us."
Â
Karen Thiers was into figure skating while Tim grew to be 6'8. Tim was a swimmer until he was a sophomore when the basketball coach saw him at swim practice was like "You're 6 '8, you should try out for the basketball team."
Â
Growing up the youngest of four with three older brothers had its advantages and disadvantages, but most importantly, it helped grow Thiers' love for sports.
Â
"They were definitely very tough on me," said Thiers about her brothers. "Obviously being the youngest and the only girl, I was a little spoiled and they would always make sure I knew that. I know watching them play sports made me want to. I remember sitting at my brother's basketball games and thinking it was the coolest thing and wanting to do that."
Â
Thiers also gave credit to her mother who was very much into outdoor sports like biking, hiking and mountain climbing for her love for sports.
Â
Interestingly enough, despite all the rowers in the family, Katie never tried it. In grade school, she played a bunch of different sports, but focused on just basketball starting in seventh grade. "My brothers didn't start rowing until they were freshman in high school," said Thiers. "By the time they had started rowing, I had already committed to basketball so I never entertained the idea, but I think I would have like it a lot."
Â
The Thiers siblings keep tabs on each other despite their busy academic and athletic schedules.
Â
Michael and all 80 of his teammates at Washington watched the Tigers upset NC State last year in the NCAA Tournament. Katie returned the favor by making the five-hour drive to Eugene, Organon for the PAC-12 Rowing Championships after getting home following her studies at Princeton last year.
Â
Being a family with three Division-I athletes is not lost on the Thiers' family.
Â
"From a very young age, sports are never something we were forced to do," said Thiers. "It was always something our parents let us pursue like on our own volition, so they were never like, you must go to college, you must play sports. I think that really fostered this independent love of sports from my brothers and I. We just genuinely loved what we were doing and stuck with it."
Â
Katie and the Tigers continue their Ivy League journey tomorrow at 4 p.m. against the Columbia Lions on ESPNEWS.
Â
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