Princeton University Athletics
Friday TigerBlog - More Congratulations
July 03, 2026 | Tiger Blog
After a day of congratulations yesterday, TigerBlog offers up a few more today:
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TB has no idea how big Ieisha Jackson's feet are. He does know that she has big shoes to fill.
Jackson has been named as the successor to the retired Karen Malec and is now the Associate Director of Athletics for Event Operations.
Not that Jackson isn't up for the task. Far from it. In fact, TigerBlog — and anyone who has worked with her — knows that she brings a lot of the same characteristics, personality and work habits that Karen brought to the job for so many years.
Has it really been eight years since she started at Princeton? According to her Instagram post:
Eight years ago, I started my first "big girl" job at Princeton University as the Director of Track Operations. About a month into working here, I sought out the Associate AD for Event Operations, Karen Malec, and let her know I was interested in events and to let me know if I can be helpful in any way. Fast forward 3 years later, an opening came up in her unit, and I became the Manager of Event Operations. As luck would have it, another position, better suited for me at the time, would open 3 months later. So I became the Manager of Intercollegiate Programming and 3 years later, Assistant Director of Athletics for Programming. My career journey at Princeton has been nothing short of a blessing and it's not over yet. That being said, as I enter my ninth year working in Princeton Athletics, I do so with the great honor and privilege of carrying on Karen's 36 year legacy. I'm excited to share that I have been promoted to the Associate Director of Athletics for Event Operations at Princeton University.
As you can see behind her, Ieisha is now on her fifth title in her time at Princeton. TigerBlog isn't sure if he has the record for all-time job titles at Princeton Athletics, but he does have 11 of them.
Congratulations to Ieisha. Princeton Events is in good hands.
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He's not a Princetonian, but he is an Ivy Leaguer. Columbia alum Michael Zheng won again at Wimbledon, moving into a third-round match today against No. 3 seed Felix Auger-Aliassime today around 11:30 Eastern time.
Zheng also hit one of the more remarkable shots you'll ever see to save a set point in his second round win over Nicolas Mejia Wednesday. Had he lost that point (which you've probably seen by now), he would have been down two sets to none. Instead he won in four 6-7, 7-6, 6-1, 6-4.
Zheng is the two-time NCAA singles champion, and he defeated Princeton's Paul Inchauspe in the semifinals this past fall. Inchauspe did defeat Zheng in the first singles match between Princeton and Columbia in the ECAC tournament championship match in February at the Si Qin Indoor Family Tennis Center.
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Today will be the second straight day in Princeton where the temperature soars past 100 degrees, and it certainly feels every one of those degrees if you step outside. TigerBlog will take this over the weather of six months ago, when Princeton was in the beginning of one of the coldest Januaries it has ever had.
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And finally, congratulations to the United States of America, which turns 250 tomorrow.
The Declaration of Independence that formally separated the new country from the British Empire was unanimously adopted by the Second Continental Congress, in Philadelphia. That took a lot of courage, since the Empire, well, struck back and didn't let it go without a war that lasted into the next decade.
What was the fledgling country's original name? It wasn't the United States of America. It was "The United Colonies." It wasn't until Sept. 9, 1776, that the Continental Congress adopted the name United States of America.
Have a great — and safe — Fourth of July everyone.
