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Three and a half minutes were left on the clock as host Lehigh prepared to run a third-down play with the game on the line. A conversion would allow the Mountain Hawks, undefeated and ranked 13th in the Football Championship Subdivision, to run more time off the clock and force Princeton to dip into its well of timeouts; a failure would give the Tigers possession with a chance to win the game. Quarterback Michael Colvin dropped back and threw under pressure — but the ball never got near his target, as defensive lineman Caraun Reid ’13 knocked it away at the line of scrimmage.

 

Though he was relatively quiet for parts of Saturday’s game, Reid has plenty of experience making big plays with his big arms. He batted down three passes and also blocked three kicks last season. He’s also rather adept at using the rest of his body. He recorded eight sacks and 16 tackles for losses in 2011 en route to first-team All-Ivy honors.

 

Here’s the scary part for the rest of the league: That wasn’t even Reid at his best. After missing the final nine games of the 2010 season with a pectoral injury, he had surgery in the off-season, which limited his ability to practice and bench-press that summer. Reid felt the effects throughout the season, but it didn’t show in his play. “I was expecting to have a good season, but not to the extent I had last year,” he says. “It was surprising, because I thought I was really weak.”

 

In many ways, Reid doesn’t look like a football player off the field. He dresses well, wears glasses, and is a member of the a cappella group Old NasSoul. But his size is a giveaway — after putting on 20 pounds with a full off-season of lifting, the defensive tackle stands at 6 feet, 2 inches, and 300 pounds — an intimidating figure for opposing linemen.

 

Reid isn’t the only standout senior in the Tigers’ front seven, which looks like Princeton’s biggest strength at this stage. Defensive end Mike Catapano ’13 and linebacker Andrew Starks ’13, the two defensive captains, also have earned all-Ivy recognition in the past. The defense led Princeton’s second-half resurgence Saturday, stopping Lehigh on several other third-down plays and holding the hosts scoreless after halftime.

 

The Tigers’ offense also turned its fortunes around in the second half. Connor Michelsen ’15 was named the starting quarterback — which he knew on Monday but the rest of us didn’t learn until game time — and played all but two series under center, hitting some receivers and overthrowing some others. Running back Akil Sharp ’13 was quiet in the first half, but he eventually found his stride, scoring Princeton’s first touchdown with an impressive 13-yard scamper and fighting for a second score from one yard out.

 

Women’s soccer star Diana Matheson ’08 capped her Olympic run in dramatic fashion, scoring the game-winning goal in the 92nd minute of Canada’s bronze-medal match against France. The goal was Matheson’s first in the 2012 Olympics, and the medal is Canada’s first in the sport – and its first summer team-sport medal since 1936. Princetonians have now captured seven medals in London: one gold, two silver, and four bronze.

 

Coach David Blatt ’81 and the Russian men’s basketball team took one step closer to an Olympic medal Aug. 8, beating Lithuania 83-74 in the quarterfinal round. Russia faces Spain in the semifinals Aug. 10. In an interview with Sports Illustrated’s Ian Thomsen, Blatt, a longtime pro coach in Europe and Israel, admitted that joining the Russian team seemed like an unlikely move when he took the job six years ago: “You take an American growing up in the time of the Cold War, add to it the fact that I’m Jewish and with an Israeli passport, and then you time-warp me into the ex-Soviet Union as the head of the Russian men’s basketball team. It’s almost mind-boggling. And I lasted! I didn’t get my head chopped off in the first year or two.”

 

The U.S. women’s field hockey team will play its Olympic finale in the 11th-place game Aug. 10. The Americans’ lone win was an impressive one – a 1-0 victory against gold-medal contender Argentina – and Katie Reinprecht ’13 sees a bright future ahead for the national program. “We know we can compete with the best teams in the world,” she told Phil Sheridan of the Philadelphia Inquirer. “It’s a matter of learning how to finish games. … We’re a young team, and that’s something we’re still learning how to do.”

An eventful weekend in London included three more medals for Princeton Olympians and a pair of remarkable individual performances.

 

The medal-winning events began early Aug. 4 when Glenn Ochal ’08 and the U.S. men’s four rowed a solid race to earn bronze. The Americans were in third place at each of the splits and finished a comfortable four seconds ahead of fourth-place Greece. U.S. women’s single sculls competitor Gevvie Stone ’07 finished her Olympic run with a victory in the B final, placing seventh overall. Click here for official results.

 

In women’s team epee, Maya Lawrence ’02 and Susannah Scanlan ’14 contributed to a one-touch victory over Russia in the bronze-medal match. The win gave U.S. fencing its only medal in the London Olympics. Click here for NBC video of Lawrence and Scanlan discussing the match.

 

Men’s steeplechase star Donn Cabral ’12 reached the Olympic final in his event, placing eighth in the 15-athlete field, less than seven seconds behind gold medal winner Ezekiel Kemboi of Kenya. Click here for official results.

 

Today’s United States vs. Canada women’s soccer semifinal will put Canadian midfielder Diana Matheson ’08 in the international spotlight. Canada already has made history by reaching the final four, and a win over the Americans would guarantee the nation’s first Olympic medal in women’s soccer. The game will be shown live at 2:30 p.m. Eastern on the NBC Sports Network.

 

Coach David Blatt ’81 and the Russian men’s basketball team will move on to the elimination round after posting a 4-1 record in preliminary games. Click here for official results and schedules.

The U.S. women’s eight, one of the most dominant crews in international rowing, lived up to its reputation in the Olympic final Aug. 2, winning by a 1.47 second margin over second-place Canada. That was good news for three Princetonians: American Caroline Lind ’06, who earned her second gold medal, and Canadians Andreanne Morin ’06 and Lauren Wilkinson ’11, who reached the medal podium for the first time.

 

Also on the water at Eton Dorney today: Glenn Ochal ’08 and the U.S. men’s four won their semifinal race, earning a place in the gold-medal final Aug. 4. Gevvie Stone ’07 of the United States finished fourth in her women’s single sculls semifinal and will compete in the B final Aug. 4. Robin Prendes ’11 and United States men’s lightweight four completed their Olympic run, placing second in the B final (eighth overall).

 

Two other Princetonians rowed in gold-medal finals yesterday. In the women’s pair, American Sara Hendershot ’10 and partner Sarah Zelekna were just 0.2 seconds shy of winning bronze. What does 0.2 seconds look like in a rowing race? Check out this screen shot posted by The Daily Princetonian. Sam Loch ’06 and his Australian crew placed sixth in the men’s eight. Click here for official results and schedules.

 

Women’s epee fencer Maya Lawrence ’02 posted the U.S. team’s best result in the individual competition July 30, reaching the round of 16 with a 15-12 victory over Italy’s Mara Navarria. Lawrence lost her next bout, 15-12, to another Italian, Rossella Fiamingo. U.S. teammate Susannah Scanlan ’14 was eliminated in the opening round by Olena Kryvytska of the Ukraine. The United States women will open against Italy in the team epee competition Aug. 4. Soren Thompson ’05 is slated to compete in the men’s individual epee Aug. 1. Click here for official results and schedules.

 

All eight of Princeton’s alumni rowers have advanced in their respective events. On July 31, Gevvie Stone ’07 (United States) will row in the women’s single sculls quarterfinals and Robin Prendes ’11 (United States) will compete in the men’s lightweight four semifinals. Sara Hendershot ’10 (United States, women’s pair) and Sam Loch ’06 (Australia, men’s eight) will row for gold in their respective events Aug. 1. The women’s eight gold-medal final on Aug. 2 will feature three former NCAA champions from Princeton: Caroline Lind ’06 (United States) and Andreanne Morin ’06 and Lauren Wilkinson ’11 (Canada). Glenn Ochal ’08 of the U.S. men’s four will row in the semifinals Aug. 2. Click here for official results and schedules.

 

Olympic rowing will be in the spotlight this weekend as six of Princeton’s eight rowers begin competition.

 

Four are participants in the women’s and men’s eights — the marquee events of international rowing. American Caroline Lind ’06, a 2008 gold medalist, is looking to return to the top of the podium. Canada, with Andreanne Morin ’06 and Lauren Wilkinson ’11 on board, will be among the leading challengers. On the men’s side, Sam Loch ’06 aims to pull Australia into medal contention.

 

The smaller U.S. boats also include Princetonians: Sara Hendershot ’10 will compete in the women’s pair, and Gevvie Stone ’07 is America’s representative in women’s single sculls. Portions of the rowing competition will be broadcast during NBC’s afternoon coverage July 28 and 29.

 

Sisters Julia Reinprecht ’14 and Katie Reinprecht ’13 will make their London debut when the U.S. women’s field hockey team faces Germany July 29 at the colorful Riverbank Arena, a blue-turf stadium on the edge of the River Lea. The game will be broadcast on the NBC Sports Network at 4:15 p.m. Eastern.

 

The opening ceremonies of the London Olympics are still a few days away, but one of Princeton’s Olympians is preparing for an early kickoff. Women’s soccer midfielder Diana Matheson ’08 and her Canadian teammates will face Japan, the 2011 Women’s World Cup champion, on July 25 at 4 p.m. Eastern on the NBC Sports Network. (Update: CTV also will have a live feed at 11:30 a.m. Eastern.) Matheson has battled back from a knee injury and appeared to be in top form during Canada’s recent tune-up game against New Zealand, looping a perfect shot over the opposing goalie and into the top left corner of the goal (click here for video). Last week, she told Ben Rycroft of the CBC that she had few doubts about being in shape for London. “It was just a matter of how many drugs I was going to have to be on – anti-inflammatories, I mean," she said.

 

 

Women’s epee standout Susie Scanlan ’14 was “made to hold a blade.” [Minneapolis Star Tribune]

 

Men’s four rower Glenn Ochal ’08 has a reputation for grueling, marathon workouts. [Philadelphia Inquirer]

 

The parents of Sara Hendershot ’10, a rower in the women’s pair, noticed her uncommon competitiveness at an early age. [Hartford Courant]

 

When the world’s top athletes begin competing in London next week, 15 Princetonians will be among them, adding to a remarkable legacy that includes 48 medals and more than a century of the Summer Olympians.

 

Princeton’s first visit to the Olympics was by far its most successful: Four track and field teammates in the Class of 1897 traveled to the 1896 Athens Olympics at the suggestion of history professor William Sloane, a friend and colleague of International Olympic Committee founder Baron Pierre de Coubertin. The Princeton students were part of a 27-athlete contingent from the United States.

 

Robert Garrett Jr. 1897 was the American team’s breakout star, earning two gold medals and two silver in the field events. Classmates Albert Tyler and Herbert Jamison also won silver medals, while Francis Lane just missed bronze in the 100-meter dash, finishing fourth.

 

Garrett, who later competed at the 1900 Paris Olympics, remains the most decorated Princeton athlete, with a total of six medals. Karl Frederick 1903 *1904 ranks second on the list with three gold medals (one individual, two team events) in shooting at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics.

Princeton’s SUMMER OLYMPICS contingent climbed to seven athletes on June 4 when U.S. Rowing named Glenn Ochal ’08 to the men’s four. Ochal will join American rowers Robin Prendes ’11 (men’s lightweight four) and Gevvie Stone ’07 (women’s single sculls), and Australian Sam Loch ’06 (men’s eight). A handful of other rowing alumni are auditioning for other U.S. and Canadian boats. Princeton will be sending three fencers to London (Maya Lawrence ’02, Susannah Scanlan ’14, and Soren Thompson ’05), and five Tigers are in the running for spots on the U.S. women’s field hockey squad (Michelle Cesan ’13, Maren Langford ’06, Julia Reinprecht ’13, Katie Reinprecht ’12, and Kathleen Sharkey ’12). Field hockey assistant coach Nate Franks ’07 will be an assistant for the U.S. Olympic team as well.

 

Steeplechase star Donn Cabral ’12 – another Olympic hopeful – is Princeton’s top contender for an NCAA TRACK AND FIELD championship, and the senior will have plenty of company at the national meet in Des Moines this week. Six teammates will join Cabral on the men’s side: Conor McCullough ’15 in the hammer throw; Damon McLean ’14 in the triple jump; middle-distance runners Michael Williams ’14 (800 meters) and Trevor Van Ackeren ’12 (1,500 meters); and distance runners Joe Stilin ’12 (5,000 meters) and Brian Leung ’12 (10,000 meters). Greta Feldman ’13 was Princeton’s lone qualifier on the women’s side. She will run the 1,500 meters. Follow the action on the NCAA Championship Central page from Drake University, the meet’s host.

 

WOMEN’S OPEN CREW made its 16th consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, held May 25-27 on Mercer Lake in nearby West Windsor, and earned a fourth-place finish in the overall standings. The Tigers placed boats in the grand finals of the varsity eight (fourth place), second-varsity eight (fourth), and varsity four (fifth).

 

At the Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta in Cherry Hill, N.J., WOMEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT CREW led all Princeton boats with a fifth-place finish in the national championship final. MEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT CREW also reached its varsity-eight grand final, finishing sixth. MEN’S HEAVYWEIGHT CREW notched victories in two petite finals, for the varsity eight and freshman eight.

 

The men’s lacrosse team ended its season yesterday with a 6-5 loss to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville the first round of the NCAA playoffs. Princeton had a chance to tie the game in the final seconds, but Virginia midfielder Chris LaPierre used his chest to block a shot by Forest Sonnenfeldt ’13 to seal the victory. Players other than goalies rarely use their bodies to block shots going 90 miles per hour, but LaPierre’s play was a fitting end to an intense contest in which both defenses imposed their will on offenses that averaged about 12 goals a game. Virginia, the defending national champion, was seeded fifth in the tournament. Princeton was unseeded.

 

 

Despite the loss, Princeton head coach Chris Bates called his goalie Tyler Fiorito ’12 “the best player on the field.” The Ivy League Player of the Year was exceptional. He made 12 saves, several of them from close range, and played well outside the cage by picking up four ground balls. Chad Wiedmaier ’12, a first-team All-Ivy League selection in each of his four years at Princeton, blanketed Virginia’s Steele Stanwick, limiting the best offensive player in the sport to a goal and an assist.

Even that lone goal wasn’t Wiedmaier’s fault, though it may have been the biggest play in the game. Fiorito made a save with about 30 seconds left in the second quarter and heaved the ball to Tom Schreiber ’14 in Princeton’s offensive end. But Virginia forced a turnover, and LaPierre scooped up the ground ball near his team’s bench. He threw a 70-yard strike to Stanwick, who caught the pass about six yards from Princeton’s goal and flicked it past Fiorito to give Virginia a 5-2 lead with five seconds left in the first half.     

As six boats traveled 2,000 meters in the men’s heavyweight grand final of the Eastern Sprints on Sunday, Harvard opened up a sizeable lead on most of its competitors – not a surprise, considering the Crimson eight was undefeated on the year and had won the last two Sprints titles. The surprise was that Brown would not fall off of the pace. Brown – which had lost three of its six races this season, including one against Harvard – edged the Crimson by 0.3 seconds, taking the Sprints title and surprising many rowing enthusiasts.

 

As a Princeton sports junkie, I was captivated by this result as well, though for a slightly different reason: Brown’s victory denied Harvard the Ivy League heavyweight rowing title. With wins in Sunday’s other races, men’s lightweight and women’s crew, Harvard increased its conference championship count to 10. One more title – say, in men’s heavyweight crew – and the Crimson would have had 11, topping Princeton.

 

But the Bears pulled off the upset, and Harvard finished with 10 championships, tied with the Tigers. It wasn’t quite the dominant performance of last year – when Princeton claimed 15 titles and nobody else had more than seven – but if finishing first in 30 percent of sports marks a decline, the athletic department is in pretty strong shape. (The rest of this year’s list: Cornell 6, Yale 3, Brown 2, Penn 2, Dartmouth 1, Columbia 1.)

 

Three of this year’s titles, in fact, came in sports that were not among last season’s 15: men’s fencing, men’s squash, and men’s lacrosse. In other words, Princeton won at least one championship over the last two years in more than half of the 33 Ivy League sports. (And remember that these standings do not include non-championship sports such as men’s and women’s water polo, in which the Tigers reached the NCAA Championships this season.)

 

Princeton will sit atop the unofficial all-sports standings for a 26th straight year, though Harvard will make it much closer than usual (less than 10 points, if my math is correct). To make a run like that, which started before I was born, a program needs a deep base of talent across all teams. Here is the complete list of Ivy League sports in which Princeton teams finished last this year: football (tied with Columbia, which the Tigers beat) and wrestling (tied with Harvard, which the Tigers beat).

 

 

Steele Stanwick and Tyler Fiorito ’12 were the two top high-school lacrosse recruits in the country four years ago. Fiorito, a graduate of McDonogh School outside of Baltimore, won three of the four games his team played against Loyola High School, Stanwick’s alma mater, but the two men will face one another for the first time as collegians in the first round of the NCAA playoffs on Sunday at 1 p.m. in Charlottesville, Va. The University of Virginia is seeded fifth in the tournament, while Princeton is unseeded.

 

Fiorito has had an excellent career at Princeton. A starter in goal since his freshman year, he’s a three-time All-American and this year’s Ivy League Player of the Year. He’s saved 59 percent of the shots he’s faced this year and led a defense that allowed only 7.19 goals a game despite a 15-7 loss to Yale on Sunday in the Ivy League playoffs.

 

Stanwick has done even better than Fiorito. A starting attackman for four years at Virginia, he put the Cavaliers on his back in last year’s playoffs, scoring three goals and five assists in a 13-12 comeback win in overtime over Bucknell and then keying a 13-9 demolition of Cornell in the quarterfinals. The Cavaliers beat the University of Denver and the University of Maryland in the Final Four on Memorial Day weekend to win the national title, and Stanwick won the Tewaaraton Trophy as the nation’s best college lacrosse player.