SOLID GOLD: Star goalie Ashleigh Johnson handles the ball in action for the Princeton University women’s water polo team. Last Friday, rising Princeton senior Johnson helped the U.S. top Italy 12-5 in the gold medal match at the 2016 summer Olympics. Johnson, who made nine saves in the win, was named the outstanding goalie of the tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Nelson Diebel ’96 was the last Princeton University athlete to prevail in the pool at the Olympics when he earned two golds in swimming at the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games. 

That is until last Friday, when rising Princeton senior Ashleigh Johnson helped the U.S. women’s water polo team defeat Italy 12-5 in the gold medal match at the Rio Summer Games.

The imposing 6’1 Johnson, a native of Miami, Fla., was at her imperious best in the final, making nine saves in stifling the Italian shooters. She was named the outstanding goalie of the tournament, having made 48 saves and giving up only 28 goals in six games for the undefeated American squad.

With Johnson as its safety blanket, the U.S. offense had free rein, outscoring its foes 73-32 in earning its second straight gold medal.

The Princeton women’s squad will be looking to produce that kind of dominance when Johnson returns for her senior season.

Johnson, however, wasn’t the only Princeton grad to earn a medal on Friday as former women’s soccer standout Diana Matheson ’08 helped the Canada women’s soccer team edge host Brazil 2-1 in the bronze medal match.

Gritty midfielder Matheson played 66 minutes in the match, leaving with the Canadians up 2-0.

It was the second bronze medal for Matheson as she scored a stoppage-time goal to help Canada edge France 1-0 in the third-place match at the 2012 London Summer Games to help clinch the country’s first-ever women’s soccer medal.

Two Princeton track coaches, Priscilla Frederick and Robby Andrews, were also in action in Rio last week.

Frederick, the lone female representative from Antigua and Barbuda, finished 28th overall in the women’s high jump with a leap of 6’ 4.50.

Andrews, a Manalapan, New Jersey native and former University of Virginia standout, took third in his opening heat in the men’s 1,500 meters on August 16 and then placed fifth in the semis last Thursday, apparently booking a spot in the finals.

But in a heartbreaking twist of events, Andrews was disqualified for stepping one foot outside the track on the last turn when he was involved in some jostling for position with a group of foes.