GOLD STANDARD: Star goalie Ashleigh Johnson makes a save for the U.S. national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics. Rising Princeton University senior Johnson helped the U.S. go on an undefeated run to the gold medal at the Rio Games. (Photo Courtesy of U.S.A. Water Polo)

Across the sporting landscape, 2016 was a year of turbulence and unpredictability featuring such startling developments as the Chicago Cubs winning their first World Series since 1908, the Cleveland Cavaliers rallying from a 3-1 deficit to win the NBA Finals and earn that city’s first major pro title since 1964, and Villanova capping an unlikely run to the NCAA men’s basketball title with a buzzer beater for the ages. Of course, on the political scene, Donald Trump’s stunning win in the U.S. presidential election was the shocker of shockers.

Reflecting that volatility, the local sports scene provided its share of surprises, breakthroughs, and memorable milestones. During the winter, the Princeton University women’s basketball team fell just short of winning the Ivy league title, dropping two nail-biters to Penn to finish one game behind the Quakers. Yet, the Tigers still made the NCAA tournament, becoming the first Ivy men’s or women’s hoops team to ever get an at-large bid to that competition. Princeton University wrestling standout Brett Harner made All-American at 197 pounds to become the first Tiger wrestler to achieve that honor since 2003. Tiger women’s hockey star defenseman Kelsey Koelzer became the first player ever from that program to be named a first-team All American.

In the spring, the Princeton baseball team produced a remarkable turnaround, rising from the Ivy cellar in 2015 to the league title, utilizing a number of late-inning rallies along the way. Legendary women’s track coach Peter Farrell retired after 39 years at the helm, having taken the program from club status to a league powerhouse. He led the Tigers to second place at the Outdoor Heps and was named the Ivy Coach of the Year. Over his career, Farrell guided the Tigers to 27 Ivy League team titles and coaching 55 All-Americas and 182 Ivy League champions. There was an unpleasant jolt to the men’s lacrosse program as head coach Chris Bates was relieved of his duties, days after he apparently made contact with a Brown player near the sideline during a 19-8 loss to the Bears in early April.

After being picked fifth in the Ivy preseason media poll, the Princeton football team stormed to a memorable campaign, going 8-2 overall and 6-1 Ivy to share the league crown with Penn. The Tiger field hockey team looked dead in the water when it lost a second league game of the season as Harvard rolled to the league title. But Princeton earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney and made an unlikely run to the Final 4 under the leadership of new head coach Carla Tagliente.

On the high school scene, the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball team earned its first state title since 1999, winning the state Prep B championship. The PDS boys’ lacrosse team enjoyed a memorable spring, winning the Mercer County Tournament for the first time in program history. The Panthers also won the state Prep B title in posting a 15-1 record. The PDS field hockey team wrote its own remarkable turnaround story, going from 6-13-1 in 2015 to 16-4 this fall, winning the state Prep B title and making the MCT title game.

Led by its corps of distance running stars, the Princeton High indoor track team made history as it won the team title at the North 2 Group 3 indoor sectional meet. It was the program’s first-ever indoor sectional crown and the first sectional title for PHS boys’ winter or spring track since 1989. Producing a season for the ages in the fall, the Little Tiger boys’ cross country team won the Mercer County Championship, the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet, the state Group 4 meet, and the Meet of Champions (MOC). It was the first-ever MOC cross country team title for the Little Tigers and just the second ever for a Mercer County school (WW/P-N boys in 2008).

The Hun School baseball team gave its legendary coach Bill McQuade a special sendoff present, winning the state Prep A title as he guided the program in his 46th and final season after announcing his retirement earlier in the year. In the fall, the Hun football team extended an historic run, going 8-0 for the second straight year, pushing its state-best winning streak to 22.

Winter Wins

The Princeton University women’s basketball team failed to win its second straight Ivy League title as it dropped two nail-biters to champion Penn to come in second. But head coach Courtney Banghart’s team still made history, receiving an at-large bid the NCAA tournament, becoming the first Ivy men’s or women’s hoops team to earn that distinction.

The Tigers lost to West Virginia 74-65 in the first round of the NCAAs to finish with a record of 23-6. The game marked the last appearance for a stellar group of seniors, Amanda Berntsen, Michelle Miller, Annie Tarakchian, Alex Wheatley, and Taylor Williams, who left quite a legacy. That quintet produced a resume that includes two Ivy championships, three NCAA tournament appearances, four postseasons, the greatest season in Ivy League basketball history (31-1 in 2014-15), the first NCAA tournament win in program history, and more than 4,500 total points.

Falling just short of an Ivy title as it was second to Yale with a 12-2 league record, the men’s hoops team also went the postseason as it played in the NIT. Coach Mitch Henderson’s squad lost to Virginia Tech 86-81 in overtime in the NIT to end with a final record of 22-7.

Prospects looked bright for the future as the team was welcoming back junior stars Steven Cook, Henry Caruso, and Spencer Weisz.

On the ice, the women’s hockey team won the Ivy title and made its first trip to the NCAA tournament since 2006. Coach Jeff Kampersal’s squad lost 6-2 to eventual national champion Minnesota in the first round to finish the winter at 22-9-2.

Junior defenseman Kelsey Koelzer made history, becoming the first Tiger women’s player to earn first-team All-American honors. Koelzer scored 33 points on 17 goals and 16 assists and was named Ivy Player of the Year and a first-team All-ECAC Hockey selection.

Under second-year coach Ron Fogarty, the men’s hockey team continued to struggle, going 5-23-3. But with a core of superb freshmen in Ryan Kuffner, Max Veronneau, Alex Riche, and Josh Teves along with star junior goalie Colton Phinney, the program appeared to be headed in the right direction.

Continuing to make an impact on the national scene, the wrestling team placed second in the Ivy standings, nearly stunning national power and perennial league champion Cornell before losing 23-16. Coach Chris Ayres’ squad went 8-8 overall and 4-1 Ivy and sent four wrestlers to the NCAA championships. Junior Brett Harner placed eighth at 197 pounds, earning All-America honors, the first Tiger to do so since Greg Parker did so in 2003. He was joined at the NCAAs by Jordan Laster (141), Ray O’Donnell (285) and Jonathan Schleifer (174).

Sparked by All-Americans Mary Ellen Ubina and Olivia Fiechter, the women’s squash team took fourth at the Howe Cup national team championships. Coach Gail Ramsay’s squad went 12-4 overall and 5-2 Ivy.

Continuing its rebuilding process, the men’s squash team placed 12th at the Collegiate Squash Association national team championships. Coach Sean Wilkinson guided the Tigers to a 4-13 overall record and 1-6 Ivy.

The Tiger fencing program excelled in the NCAA championships once again as Princeton took third overall, placing in the top four at the competition for the sixth straight year. Coach Zoltan Dudas had four men’s fencers earn All-American honors, sophomore Edwin Chin and junior Peter Pak at saber, sophomore Thomas Dudey at foil and junior Alex House at epee. Four Tiger women, senior Gracie Stone at saber, junior Ashley Tsue at foil, freshman Charlene Liu and senior Isabel Ford at epee, also earned that honor.

Producing an incredible comeback, the men’s swimming team won the Ivy championship meet, overtaking Harvard for the title. Coach Rob Orr’s squad didn’t lead at any point during the championship weekend until the 19th of 21 events, taking the title with 1520.5 points. Harvard, which led the other 18 events and brought out the absolute best in its top Ivy rival, took second with 1499 points.

In the NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships, the 200 freestyle relay quartet of En-Wei, Hu-Van Wright, Sandy Bole, Julian Mackrel and Alex Lewis finish to earn All-America Honorable Mention since 200 medley really did so in 2012.

The women’s swimming tried to come up with a rally of their own at the Ivy championships but they ended up third behind champion Harvard and runner-up Yale. Coach Susan Teeter got a big win at the Ivy meet as freshman standout Lindsay Temple prevailed in the 200 backstroke.

Overcoming Cornell on the final day of the Ivy Indoor Heptagonal Championships, men’s track took first to earn its 19th title at the competition. Coach Fred Samara’s squad produced three 1-2 finishes and four additional victories on the final day of the three-day event.

Sophomore Carrington Akosa was named the Most Outstanding Track Performer of the meet after winning the 200 and taking second in the 60. Other individual victors at the meet included freshman Charles Volker in the 60, junior Ray Mennin in the 400, sophomore Josh Ingalls in the 800, sophomore Noah Kauppila in the 1,000, junior Chris Cook in the shot put, sophomore August Kiles in the pole vault, and junior Xavier Bledsoe in the high jump.

Senior Cecilia Barowski and junior Allison Harris starred as the women’s track team came in fourth at the Ivy Indoor Heptagonal Championships. Barowski won the 500 in a meet record of 1:11.34 while Harris won the pole vault to provide highlights for coach Peter Farrell’s squad. Harris was named the Most Outstanding Field Performer of the meet. Senior Taylor Morgan also came up big, winning the pentathlon.

It was a rebuilding year for the men’s volleyball team as it finished 4-18 overall and 4-10 Eastern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (EIVA). Coach Sam Shweisky’s team was led by senior Devin Stearns, who was named to the All-EIVA team after ranking among the league’s best hitters.

Spring Surprises

Producing a remarkable reversal of fortune, the baseball team rose from the cellar in 2015 to the Ivy crown this spring. Coach Scott Bradley’s team went 24-20 overall and 13-7 Ivy this year after going 7-32 and 4-16 Ivy in 2015.

The Tigers came from behind for several wins, including a 2-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat Yale 2-1 in the third and decisive game of the Ivy League Championship Series. Princeton fell 5-3 to Louisiana-Lafayette and 7-2 to Sam Houston State to get eliminated in the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament.

Junior Chad Powers was named the Ivy Pitcher of the Year and was joined by teammates senior Billy Arendt, junior Zach Belski, freshman Jesper Horsted and senior Danny Hoy as first-team All Ivy selections. Bradley was named the Ivy Coach of the Year.

Sparked by freshman first baseman Kaylee Grant and senior Skye Jerpbak, the softball team also won the Ivy title. Coach Lisa Van Ackeren’s squad went 14-6 in Ivy play to win the league’s South division and then defeated North champion Harvard 2-1 in the best-of-three Ivy championship series. The Tigers fell 7-0 to James Madison and 2-1 to Longwood in the NCAA tournament to finish the season at 23-28 overall.

Grant and Jerpbak were both first-team All-Ivy selections while sophomore outfielder Kylee Pierce earned second-team honors. Van Ackeren was named the Ivy Coach of the Year.

The trio of junior goalie Ellie DeGarmo, junior attacker Olivia Hompe and senior defender Liz Bannantine were standouts as the women’s lacrosse team tied Penn for the Ivy regular season title, earning its third straight crown. Coach Chris Sailer’s squad fell 10-9 in overtime to Cornell in the Ivy tournament semis but still earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tourney. The team’s season ended with another nailbiter as UMass edged the Tigers 13-12 in overtime to leave Princeton with a final record of 11-6 overall.

DeGarmo was named the Ivy Defender of the Year and was a first-team All-Ivy choice along with Hompe and Bannantine. Junior defenders Amanda Leavell and Madeline Rodriguez were second-team All-Ivy selections.

After a slow start, controversy swirled around the men’s lacrosse team as coach Chris Bates apparently made contact with a Brown player near the sideline during a 19-8 loss in early April to the Bears which dropped the Tigers to 2-6. Bates was subsequently dismissed with offensive coordinator Matt Madalon taking the helm on an interim basis. Madalon righted the ship, leading the Tigers to a 3-2 mark in their final five games as Princeton ended the spring at 5-8 overall and he was later promoted to permanent head coach.

Junior midfielder Zach Currier provided many of the on-field highlights, getting named as a first-team All-Ivy performer and an honorable mention All-America selection. Senior attackman Ryan Ambler and sophomore midfielder Austin Sims earned second-team All-Ivy honors.

Playing without All-American goalie Ashleigh Johnson, who took a hiatus from school to help the U.S. national team win a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, women’s water polo still enjoyed a solid campaign. Coach Luis Nicolao’s squad, going 19-7 and making the semifinals of the Collegiate Water Polo Association (CWPA) Championship.

Continuing its renaissance, the men’s heavyweight varsity 8 took second at the Eastern Sprints and third at the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championships. Coach Greg Hughes’ program showed its depth at the Sprints, earning its second straight Rowe Cup team points title at the event. The Tigers placed second in the team points race at the IRA.

Displaying its quality, the men’s lightweight varsity eight placed third at the Eastern Sprints and the IRA championship regatta. Coach Marty Crotty’s other boats also medaled at the IRAs as the four with coxswain held off Yale by 1.3 seconds to earn bronze, while the four without coxswain beat Harvard by just over one second for silver.

Upsetting top-ranked Brown, the women’s open crew varsity 8 placed first at the Ivy League championship regatta. Coach Lori Dauphiny’s top boat went on to take sixth in the Grand Final at the NCAA Championships.

Continuing its rebuilding efforts, the women’s lightweight varsity 8 took fourth at the Eastern Sprints and sixth at the IRA championship regatta. Coach Paul Rassam’s program appears well-positioned going forward as it had only three senior rowers on its 2016 roster.

Falling short in a battle with Cornell, the men’s track team took second at the Ivy Outdoor Heptagonal Championships. Coach Fred Samara’s program has now either won or finished second at outdoor Heps every year for the last decade.

Individual victors in the meet for the Tigers included junior Adam Bragg in the pole vault, junior Chris Cook in the shot put and junior Greg Leeper in the 400 hurdles. The 4×100 relay team of sophomore Carrington Akosa, freshman Josh Billington, senior Daniel McCord and freshman Charles Volker also prevailed.

In the final Outdoor Heps in the storied career of head coach Peter Farrell, Princeton took second behind Harvard. It was the swan song for the legendary coach, who retired after 39 years at the helm, guiding the Tigers to 27 Ivy League team titles and coaching 55 All-Americas and 182 Ivy League champions. Farrell was named the Ivy Coach of the Year. Individual winners for Princeton at the Heps included senior Allison Harris in the pole vault, Cecilia Barowski in the 400, and sophomore Kennedy O’Dell in the hammer throw. The 4×400 relay team of Barowski, senior Meghan McMullin, sophomore Quinn Parker, and junior Elisa Steele also took first.

The men’s golf team placed sixth at the Ivy League Championships. Coach Will Green’s squad was led at the competition by sophomore Eric Mitchell, who took sixth individually to earn second-team All-Ivy honors.

Junior Hana Ku starred as the women’s golf placed second at the Ivy championships. Coach Erika DeSanty’s squad finished 13 strokes behind champion Harvard with Ku tying for fourth individually.

It was a season of near misses for the men’s tennis team, who lost three 4-3 matches in league play as it went 14-11 overall and 2-5 Ivy. Coach Billy Pate’s squad featured two second -team All-Ivy performers in singles in junior Thomas Colautti and sophomore Diego Vives with junior Alexander Day and sophomore Luke Gable earning second-team All-Ivy honors at doubles.

Continuing its run at the top of the Ivies, the women’s tennis team won its third straight league crown. Coach Laura Granville’s squad ended up going 13-10 overall and 5-2 Ivy, finishing the season with a 4-1 loss to Gerogia Tech in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Granville was named the Ivy Coach of the Year while senior Amanda Muliawan earned first-team All-Ivy honors at singles and sophomore Katrine Steffensen was a second-team All-Ivy choice at singles.

Olympian Efforts

A number of athletes with Princeton connections competed at 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, producing some memorable performances along the way.

Gevvie Stone ‘07 earned silver in the single sculls, the first U.S. athlete to medal in that event since 1988, while star goalie Ashleigh Johnson ’17 anchored the water polo squad on an undefeated run to the gold medal.

Former Tiger women’s soccer star Diana Matheson ’08 helped the Canadian women’s team to a second straight bronze. Princeton field hockey stars, Katie Reinprecht ’13, Julia Reinprecht ’14, and Kat Sharkey ’13 helped the U.S. squad turn heads as it won four straight games before losing to eventual gold medalist Great Britain in its last game of pool play and then suffered a 2-1 loss in the quarterfinals to Germany, who went on to take bronze. Princeton fencing standout Kat Holmes ’17 made it to the Round of 32 in the women’s individual epee and then helped the U.S. place fifth in the team competition.

Princeton track legend Donn Cabral ’12 took ninth in the men’s steeplechase while Tiger track coaches Priscilla Frederick and Robby Andrews competed in the women’s high jump and the men’s 1,500, respectively, with Frederick taking 28th in her event and Andrews advancing to semis in the 1,500.

Adding to Princeton’s storied rowing tradition in Olympic competition, Glenn Ochal ’08, helped the U.S. men’s eight take fourth while Lauren Wilkinson ’11 competed for the Canadian women’s eight that took fourth. Two other former Princeton rowers, Taylor Nase ’13 and Robin Prendes’11, saw their U.S. men’s lightweight four take 10th overall while Kate Bertko ’06 and Devery Karz placed 10th in the women’s lightweight double sculls.

Fall Feats

Featuring a one-two punch at quarterback in Chad Kanoff and John Lovett along with a rugged defense that got better and better as the season went on, the football team shared the Ivy title with Penn. Coach Bob Surace’s team rebounded from a 23-20 overtime loss to Harvard in late October to win its last four games in convincing fashion, outscoring its foes 153-31 in that span, including a 28-0 victory over Penn. The Tigers went 8-2 overall and 6-1 Ivy as they won the program’s 11th league title.

Junior Lovett accounted for 31 touchdowns this fall, rushing for a program-record 20, passing for 10 and making one TD reception, on the way to being named the 2016 Bushnell Cup winner as the Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year. Lovett and junior defensive lineman Kurt Holuba were both named to the 2016 STATS FCS All-America Teams.

Carla Tagliente took the helm of the field hockey team after Kristen Holmes-Winn left the program in June for a job in the sports performance field and bonded quickly with her new players. Tagliente, a former All-American player at Maryland who had been the head coach at UMass, guided Princeton to big non-conference wins over Albany and Delaware to set the Tigers up for a run at a 12th straight Ivy League title.

When Princeton faltered with losses to Cornell and eventual league champion Harvard, Tagliente righted the ship after Princeton earned an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. The Tigers upset fifth-ranked Penn State 2-1 and seventh-ranked Virginia 3-2, avenging regular season losses to both teams, on the way to the NCAA Final 4. Princeton lost 3-2 to eventual national champion Delaware in the semis to end the fall at 12-8. Senior Cat Caro triggered the late surge, scoring a career-high 18 goals and getting named as the Ivy Offensive Player of the Year and a first-team All-American.

Senior star Cara Mattaliano led the way as the women’s volleyball team enjoyed a banner season. Coach Sabrina King’s squad started 2-3 and then went on a 14-match winning streak, jumping to the top of the Ivy standing. The Tigers clinched the title on the last weekend of the season, rallying to beat Cornell 3-2 while runner-up Yale fell out of the race with a loss to Harvard. It was Princeton’s first outright Ivy title since 2007.

The Tigers fell at Brigham Young 3-0 in the opening round of the NCAA tournament to finish the season with a 19-5 overall record. Mattaliano, for her part was named the Ivy league Player of the Year for the second straight season to become the first player in program history to win the award more than once. Freshman Maggie O’Connell joined Mattaliano as a first-team All-Ivy pick and was the league’s Co-Rookie of the year. King was named the Coach of the Year.

Led by record-setting forward Tyler Lussi, the women’s soccer team got off to a hot start, going 9-1-1 in its first 11 games. But coach Sean Driscoll’s squad lost some nail-biters down the stretch, ending at 10-4-3 overall and 2-3-2 Ivy.

Senior Lussi was named as an All-American for the second straight year, after tallying 10 goals and four assists in earning third-team recognition. She ended her career with program records in goals (53) and points (122). Lussi was a first-team All-Ivy selection as was classmate Jesse McDonough.

The men’s soccer team also got out of the gate well, starting with a 4-2 mark.

Coach Jim Barlow’s team, though, couldn’t get over the hump in Ivy play, going 1-3-3 with all three losses coming by one goal.

Senior Greg Seifert enjoyed a breakout season, scoring a career-high 11 goals after being moved to forward from defense on the way to earning first team All-Ivy recognition. Senior defender Patrick Barba was also a first-team All-Ivy selection.

Despite being hampered by a number of injuries, the men’s water polo team posted an 18-9 record. Coach Luis Nicolao guided his team to third place at the NWPC (Northeast Water Polo Conference) tournament. Freshman Sean Duncan was named the NWPC Rookie of the Year while sophomore Matt Payne earned first-team All-NWPC recognition. Duncan made the All-NWPC second team along with teammates Joran Colina, Ryan Wilson, and Vojislav Mitrovic.

William Paulson and Connor Lundy led the way as men’s cross country placed second at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships. Junior Paulson was second individually at the meet while Lundy placed third for coach Jason Vigilante’s squad.

With two of its top runners sidelined, senior Alex Markovich set the pace for women’s cross country. The senior placed eighth individually at the Ivy League Heptagonals to lead coach Brad Hunt’s squad to a sixth place overall in the team standings.

Hun

Continuing its domination of the Mercer County Tournament, the Hun School boys’ hockey team topped Notre Dame 6-2 in the championship game to win its third straight country crown. The scoring punch of junior forwards Jon Bendorf and Blake Brown combined with the stellar play of senior goalie Diesel Pelke sparked the Raiders throughout the winter. Head coach Ian McNally’s squad finished with a record of 17-8-2, ending the year by falling 5-2 to Wyoming Seminary (Pa.) in the championship game of the Mid-Atlantic Invitational Tournament.

Led by senior guards Jose Morales and Niall Carpenter, the boys’ basketball team went 10-13. Coach Jon Stone’s squad ended the season with two tough defeats, falling 63-58 to Blair Academy in the MAPL semis and then losing a 68-66 nail-biter to Lawrenceville in the opening round of the state Prep A tourney.

It was a rebuilding year for the girls’ basketball team as the Raiders took their lumps. Although the team posted a 1-22 record, coach Bill Holup credited his players for working hard through the adversity.

The spring season was highlighted by a finale for the ages as the baseball team swept Peddie 3-1 and 4-1 to win the state Prep A title in the 46th and final season for legendary head coach Bill McQuade.

Rebounding from a loss in the opening round of the double-elimination competition, the Raiders won four straight games to earn the title. In the championship round against Peddie, the pitching of Robby Huselid in the opener and the combination of James Werosta and E.J. Locascio in the finale made the difference as Hun ended the season at 16-7.

Led by senior stars Alexis Goeke and Kasey Abitz along with junior standout Julie Fassl and precocious freshman Megan Donahue, the softball team won the MAPL title and advanced to the state Prep A semis. Coach Kathy Quirk’s squad posted a sparkling 13-3 final record.

Owen Black and Luke Prybylski triggered the offense while goalie Jon Levine led a stingy defense as the boys’ lacrosse program enjoyed another superb season. Coach M. V. Whitlow guided the Raiders to an 11-7 record and appearances in the state Prep A title game and the Inter-Ac Challenge quarterfinals.

The trio of Kate Davis, Shannon Dudeck and Delia Lawver helped lead the way as the girls’ lacrosse continued its rebuilding process. Coach Liz Cook’s squad ended the spring at 9-8.

Riding a 14-game winning streak coming into the season, the football team enjoyed another perfect fall. Coach Todd Smith led the team to an 8-0 campaign highlighted by a come-from-behind 23-14 win at Peddie in late October that clinched the MAPL title. Running back Joshua Henderson helped spark the offense while Penn State-bound lineman Fred Hansard dominated in the trenches on both sides of the ball to help the Raiders extend its state-best winning streak to 22.

Julie Fassl, Kate Davis, Delia Lawver, and Sophia Albanese helped fuel a late season surge as the field hockey team rebounded from a 0-4 start to go 9-10.

Coach Kathy Quirk’s squad made appearances in the state Prep A semis and the MCT quarterfinals.

Hampered by a string of injuries, the boys’ soccer struggled to a 5-13 record. Coach Pat Quirk credited seniors Patrick Nally and Logan Leppo with holding the squad together as it fought through adversity.

Dropping a number of close contests, the girls’ soccer team experienced a frustrating fall. Coach Joanna Hallac’s squad went 7-10-2 as senior Abby Gray spearheaded the midfield while junior Kara Borden provided production at forward.

PDS

Ending a title drought, the Princeton Day School boys’ basketball won the Prep B championship, edging Morristown-Beard in overtime in the finals. It was the first state crown for the program since it won the Prep A title in 1999.

Coach Tim Williams’ squad was led by guards Chase Lewis and David Coit along with forward John McArthur as it posted a final record of 16-8.

The PDS girls’ basketball team didn’t win any titles but it made progress as it defeated Stuart in the opening round of the Prep B tournament to advance to the semis. Coach Kamau Bailey guided the Panthers to a record of 12-13 as Ryan Robinson, Bridget Kane, Madison Coyne, Shayla Stevenson and Brooke Smukler made valuable contributions.

Producing a startling reversal of fortune, the boys’ hockey team went 15-6-3 after winning just three games the year before. Coach Scott Bertoli led the team to the state Prep final where it fell 3-0 to Morristown-Beard. The leadership and production of senior captain and star forward Connor Fletcher along with sparkling goaltending from junior Logan Kramsky were two keys to the PDS turnaround.

Showing improvement as well, the girls’ hockey squad enjoyed a fine season, going 15-8-1 on the way to taking third place in the WILHMA (Women’s Interscholastic Hockey League of the Mid-Atlantic) tournament. Coach Lorna Cook’s team edged perennial nemesis Morristown-Beard in the third-place game at the WILHMA tourney. Kiely French and Kristi Serafin starred at both ends of the ice for the Panthers while standout goalie Annika Asplundh produced another superb campaign.

Featuring talent all over the field and a special team chemistry, the boys’ lacrosse had a season for the ages, losing only once on the way to the program’s first ever Mercer County Tournament title and the state Prep B championship.

Coach Rich D’Andrea guided the team to a 15-1 record as Connor Fletcher, Joey Levine, Jonah Tuckman, Coby Auslander, Elon Tuckman and Will Brossman spearheaded the attack while defenders James Fragale, Amir Melvin, Jack Amaral and goalie Connor Green stifled foes.

Boasting a high-powered attack of its own, the girls’ lacrosse team rolled to a second straight state Prep B championship. Coach Jill Thomas directed the Panthers to an 18-11 win over Pennington in the Prep B title game to give PDS a final record of 13-5. Morgan Mills, Hannah Bunce, Madison Mundenar, Kyra Hall, Kate Bennett all piled up plenty of points as the Panthers caught fire down the stretch of the season.

Exceeding expectations after some heavy graduation losses, the baseball team went 12-8 and advanced to the Prep B semis. Coach Ray O’Brien’s squad was led by the Franzoni brothers, Paul and Luke, along with Dom Gasparro, Sam Guarini, Chase Fleming, and Ryan Augustus.

Bolstered by an influx of young players, the softball program made progress. Coach Paul Lano’s team posted a 2-7 record.

Showing its depth, the boys’ tennis team won its fourth straight Prep B title.

Coach Will Asch got Prep B titles Scott Altmeyer at first singles and Lex Decker at second singles while Leo Nye and Noah Liao prevailed at second doubles.

With star goalie Grace Barbara and standout defender Madison Coyne leading the back line and Damali Simon-Ponte fueling the attack, the girls’ soccer maintained its status as one of the top sides in the area. Coach Pat Trombetta guided his squad to an undefeated regular season campaign and another terrific postseason run which saw the Panthers advance to the MCT title game where they fell 2-1 to Hopewell Valley and to a share of the prep B title after drawing 0-0 with Montclair Kimberley Academy in a game shortened by thunderstorms. PDS ended the fall at 17-1-4 as it won a title for the fourth straight year, with three straight Prep B crowns and the 2013 MCT championship.

Welcoming new head coach, Ollie Hilliker, the successor to longtime mentor Malcolm Murphy, the boys’ soccer team displayed a gritty game, battling a number of formidable foes tooth and nail. Steeled by some early season tests, the Panthers saved their best for last, earning the state Prep B title with a 1-0 win over Newark Academy in the title game. PDS posted a final record of 12-5-2 in winning their first Prep B title since 2010. Jack Amaral, Coby Gibson, and goalie Ryan Sparks led the defense while David Cedeno, Diego Garcia and C.J. Uche sparked the offense.

Writing a heartening turnaround story of its own, the field hockey team went 16-4 after posting a 6-13-1 record in 2015. Coach Heather Farlow’s squad advanced to the MCT championship game and won the state Prep B title, defeating local rival Stuart Country Day 2-0 in the final to earn that crown. Sasha Sindhwani, Val Radvany, Madison Mundenar, Gretchen Lindenfeldar, and Gwen Allen helped generate offense while Eva-Marie Petschnigg, Elizabeth Brennan, Kiely French and goalie Lexie Hausheer were key performers at the defensive end.

Touria Salvati advanced to finals in second singles while the pair of Tarika Kumar and Grace Marshall made it to the first doubles finals to provide highlights as the girls’ tennis team ended up fourth in the team standings at the state Prep B tournament. Coach Ed Tseng also guided his team to an eighth-place finish in the MCT.

PHS

Brianna Romaine, Madeleine Deardorff, Melinda Tang, and Abbey Berloco starred as the Princeton High girls swimming team won its fourth straight title at the Mercer County Swimming Championships. Romaine placed first in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke at the county meet for coach Carly Misiewicz’s team while sophomore Berloco won the 50 free and 400 free on the way to being named Most Valuable Swimmer on the girls’ side at the meet. Junior Tang took first in the 200 free and third in the 400 free while senior Deardoff prevailed the 100 butterfly and placed second in the 200 individual medley. PHS went to fall 97-73 to defending state champion Scotch Plains Fanwood in the semifinals of the North 2, Group B sectionals to suffer its only defeat of the season as it went 13-1.

Christian Chiang, Stephen Kratzer, and Alex Petruso led the way as the boys’ swimming took third at the county meet. Coach Carly Misiewicz guided the Little Tigers to a 9-5 record and an appearance in the quarterfinals of the North 2, Group B sectionals.

Led by junior star Brendon McCormick, Eamonn McDonald, Tooker Callaway and goalie Sawyer Peck, the boys’ hockey team enjoyed another winning season. Coach Terence Miller’s squad went 12-8-4 as it advanced to the MCT semis.

Maggie Herring sparked the offense and Callie Urisko starred in goal as the girls’ hockey battled hard all winter long. Coach Christian Herzog directed the Little Tigers to a 2-9 record.

The combination of Matt Hart (21.9 points a game) and Zahrion Blue (19.2 points a game) gave the boys’ basketball team the top one-two scoring punch in the area. Hart provided a major highlight of the season as he passed the 1,000-point mark in mid-February. Coach Mark Shelley’s team went 8-17 and he stepped down after the season to spend more time with his family. He was succeeded by Pat Noone.

Sharp-shooting guard Julia Ryan starred as the girls’ basketball team posted a 7-17 record. Dan Van Hise left the program after the season and was replaced by assistant Steve Hennessy.

Led by its corps of distance running stars, the PHS indoor track team made history as it won the team title at the North 2 Group 3 indoor sectional meet. It was the program’s first-ever indoor sectional crown and the first sectional title for PHS boys’ winter or spring track since 1989. Alex Roth and Will Hare led the way in the distance events for coach Ben Samara’s team. Roth was second in the 1,600 and second in the 3,200. Hare was fourth in the 1,600 and third in the 3,200. Sophomore Alex Ackerman also finished sixth in the 3,200.

The boys’ lacrosse program welcomed a new head coach, Chip Casto, who moved up from being assistant while longtime coach and New Jersey Lacrosse Hall of Famer Peter Stanton moved to an assistant role. The program didn’t miss a beat as Rory Helstrom, Eamonn McDonald and Johnny Lopez-Ona sparked the Little Tigers to a 12-5 record and made appearances in the semis of both the MCT and North Group 3 tourney.

The one-two punch of Taylor Lis and Julia Ryan propelled the attack as the girls’ lacrosse team enjoyed another fine campaign. Coach David Schlesinger’s squad went 10-8, making the South Group 4 state quarterfinals.

Continuing its winning tradition, the boys’ tennis team placed second at the MCT and advanced to the quarterfinals of the North 2 Group 3 sectional tournament. Coach Sarah Hibbert’s team was led by young stars Noah Lilienthal and Jerry Gu at first and second singles, respectively.

Star infielders Hayden Reyes and Colin Taylor enjoyed a big senior season for the baseball team. Reyes became the first player in program history to pass the 100-hit mark in his career. Coach David Roberts guided his squad to a 9-14 record and an appearance in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional.

Pitcher Kayla Volante starred for the softball team as it went 9-14. Coach Dave Boehm later stepped down after five years at the helm of the program.

With its distance runners setting the pace, the boys’ track team finished second at the Mercer County Championships and fifth in the Central Jersey Group 4 boys’ sectional meet. Alex Roth starred in the 1,600 and 3,200 with Will Hare excelling in the 3,200 for coach Rashone Johnson’s squad.

Jackie Patterson emerged as a star for the girls’ track team, winning the 400 and helping the 4×400 relay to victory as PHS placed fourth in the county meet.

Coach Jim Smirk’s team ended up seventh at the sectionals, highlighted by Patterson’s win in the 400 at that meet.

Joseph Phelan led the way as boys’ golf placed seventh of 16 teams at the Mercer County Tournament. Phelan fired a 77 to finish 11th in the individual standings for coach Sheryl Severance’s team.

Producing a season for the ages, the boys’ cross country team won the Mercer County Championship, the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet, the state Group 4 meet, and the Meet of Champions (MOC). It was the first-ever MOC team title for the Little Tigers and just the second ever for a Mercer County school (WW/P-N boys in 2008). Senior Alex Roth, junior Will Hare and sophomore transfer Acasio Pinhiero were the big three for coach Jim Smirk’s squad.

Chloe Taylor, Annie Walker, Izzy Trenholm, and Annefleur Hartmanshenn set the pace for the girls’ cross country team as it produced a superb campaign.

Coach Jim Smirk guided his girls runners to second at the county meet, second at the sectional meet, and seventh at the group meet.

Led by senior stars Sam Serxner, Andrew Goldsmith, and Alex Ratsan, the boys’ soccer team maintained its status as one of the top sides in the area. Coach Wayne Sutcliffe’s squad lost only once in the regular season and battled powerful Pennington a 1-1 tie through regulation and 20 minutes of overtime in the MCT championship game to earn a share of the title. The Little Tigers were upset in the opening round of the Central Jersey Group 4 tourney by Manalapan on penalty kicks after the teams played to a 2-2 draw through regulation and two overtimes. PHS ended the fall at 17-1-2.

With a roster featuring a number of new faces, the girls’ soccer got better and better as the season went on. Led by veterans Zoe Tesone, Devon Lis, and Colette Marciano, the Little Tigers advanced to the quarterfinals of both the county and sectional tournaments. Coach Val Rodriguez guided her young squad to a final record of 11-8.

With senior Elise Gerdes starring at second singles and a pair of freshmen, Samantha Singer and Spencer Watts stepping in at first and third singles, respectively, girls’ tennis tied for second at the MCT and won the Group 4 Central Jersey sectional final. Coach Christian Herzog’s team ended the fall at 17-3 after losing 4-1 to Ridge in the state Group 4 semifinals.

Hit by some big graduation losses, the football went on a youth movement and took some lumps as it went 1-9. With junior quarterback Vince Doran and star receivers, junior Jakob Green and sophomore Issac Webb, slated to return, coach Charlie Gallagher is looking forward to the future.

The quartet of Avery Peterson, Jordyn Cane,
Georgia McLean and Mariana Lopez-Ona triggered the attack as the field hockey team enjoyed another winning season. Coach Heather Serverson guided her team to a 14-6-2 record and appearances in the MCT and North 2 Group 4 sectional semis.

Led by Anna Cao, Rachel Cheng and Noa Levy, the PHS girls’ volleyball team experienced a breakout season. In its third year as varsity program, the Little Tigers went 17-5 and made its first-ever appearance in the Public State Group 4 tournament. Coach Patty Manhart guided the team to the title in the Spiketoberfest WJIVL (West Jersey Interscholastic Volleyball League) tourney.

Stuart

The arrival of forward Bey-Shana Clark and guard Jalynn Spaulding made a big difference for the Stuart Country Day basketball team as it posted a record 19-11 after going 11-16 the season before. Coach Justin Leith guided the Tartans to the MCT quarterfinals.

Senior stars Julia Maser and Tori Hannah were offensive catalysts for the lacrosse team. Coach Kelsey O’Gorman directed the squad to a 5-12 record.

Featuring depth, the track team enjoyed a stellar season, going 9-1 in dual meet competition and standing second at the state Prep B championship meet through eight events before it was called off due to inclement weather. The Tartans set or tied 11 school records this spring and earned medals in their division at the Penn Relays in the 4×100 and 4×400 relays. Coach Len Klepack’s squad was sparked by the McGowen triplets, Pam, Juliet, and Natalie, Kate Walsh, Priscilla Francois and Bey-Shana Clark.

Saving its best for last, the field hockey squad made an inspiring postseason run, knocking off two higher seeded teams to advance to the state Prep B championship game against neighboring Princeton Day School. Although Stuart fell 2-0 in the title game, coach Missy Bruvik was proud of her team’s run and and sees it as a foundation for future success. The Tartans ended the fall at 5-11-2, led by the play of goalie Alexxa Newman, who was the backbone of the team’s stingy defense and kept the Tartans in most games.