The Princeton community gathered on May 23, 2024 to celebrate and honor the Princeton Athletics Class of 2024 as part of the Gary Walters '67 PVC Awards Banquet. Ford Family Director of Athletics, John Mack '00 led the celebration and spoke to the impact, achievements and legacy of this year's graduating seniors.
BANQUET SIGHTS & SOUNDS
PRINCETON ATHLETICS 2023-24 HIGHLIGHT VIDEO
CLASS OF 1916 CUP
Awarded annually to the Princeton varsity letterwinner who, continuing in competition, achieved at graduation the highest academic standing.
This year's finalists were Ellie Mueller (lacrosse), Nate Tavakolian (track & field/cross country), Sebastian Fisher (track & field/cross country), Tristan Szapary (fencing), Alastair Cho (squash) and Sam Davidson (field hockey) [left to right on graphic].
CLASS OF 1916 CUP - RECIPIENT
SAM DAVIDSON '24 | FIELD HOCKEY
Sam Davidson is a senior captain and defender for Princeton field hockey. In her 30 career starts, she helped the Tigers to two Ivy League Championships and a 2019 postseason run that culminated in an appearance in the National Championship game. A two-time Academic All-Ivy selection, Davidson tallied 11 goals on penalty strokes during her career, converting at an impressive 90+% rate.
Davidson served her team as a SCORRE leader, educating coaches and teammates on healthy relationships and building a culture of respect and inclusion. Additionally, she volunteered with the Princeton Best Buddies chapter and was a peer mentor for Princeton Women in Economics and Policy. Davidson also served on the Ivy League Field Hockey Social Justice Committee. From North Andover, Mass., Davidson is majoring in sociology.
CHRIS SAILER LEADERSHIP AWARD
Given annually to senior student-athletes that demonstrate exceptional leadership and a commitment to serving others.
This year's finalists were Caroline Spahr (squash), Ian Murphy (ice hockey), Yu Kyung Kim (golf), Marissa Hart (soccer), Leilani Bender (rugby) and Matt Allocco (basketball) [left to right on graphic].
CHRIS SAILER LEADERSHIP AWARD - RECIPIENTS
MATT ALLOCCO '24 | BASKETBALL
Matt Allocco is a two-year team captain and two-time All-Ivy performer for Princeton men's basketball. His senior season saw Allocco join the exclusive 50/40/90 club, becoming just the eighth player in NCAA Division I history to average shooting splits of 50% from the field, 40% from three and 90% from the free throw line while scoring 12+ points and logging 30+ minutes per game.
Allocco, who never missed a game during his Princeton career and regularly guarded the opponent's best perimeter player, was the catalyst and inspirational team leader behind one of the most successful three year stretches in program history. This 2022-2024 run saw the Tigers capture three consecutive Ivy League championships for the first time in nearly three decades.
As a junior captain, Allocco led the Tigers to upset wins over No. 2 seed Arizona and No. 7 seed Missouri and a berth in the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, Princeton's first time playing in the regional round since 1967. He followed that up with a senior campaign that saw the Tigers match their best start in program history and claim an outright Ivy League title. Allocco is a sociology major from Hilliard, Ohio.
LEILANI BENDER '24 | RUGBY
Leilani Bender is a senior flanker for Princeton women's rugby. The two-year captain has been instrumental in leading the Tigers during their transition to varsity status these past two seasons. Bender garnered All-NIRA honors in Fall 2023 and was invited to participate in USA Rugby's Talent ID camp this spring. Additionally, she has been honored with the program's Most Versatile Player and Top Defensive Player Awards, as well as the Phil Rogers Award for leadership and sportsmanship.
Bender has also been a positive force in the community, actively volunteering with Reading with the Tigers, PVC youth sports clinics and serving as a tutor and teaching assistant for middle and high school students. She is a student leader within Princeton Campus Recreation and serves with Natives of Princeton helping to bring visibility and awareness to Native and Indigenous issues. An All-Academic honoree and Shapiro Prize recipient, Bender is a civil and environmental engineering major from Honolulu, Hawaii.
ART LANE '34 AWARD
Awarded to an undergraduate student-athlete(s) in recognition of his or her selfless contribution to sport and society. Given in memory of Art Lane '34 by family and friends.
This year's finalists were Jalen Travis (football), Aria Nagai (soccer), Kate Monihan (ice hockey), Grace Jackson (softball), Colin Freer (lacrosse) and Jen Estes (soccer) [left to right on graphic].
ART LANE '34 AWARD - RECIPIENT
JALEN TRAVIS '24 | FOOTBALL
Jalen Travis is a senior captain and offensive lineman for Princeton football. A two-time All-Ivy performer and Ivy League champion, Travis has helped guide the Tigers to a 75% winning percentage during his Princeton career.
Travis was recently named the national male collegiate recipient of the Athletes For A Better World Coach Wooden Citizenship Cup, which honors character, teamwork, and citizenship. Travis previously founded his own nonprofit organization, The Just Action Coalition, to engage, educate and empower youth in social justice activism in his hometown of Minneapolis, Minn.
On Campus, Travis was active as a Student-Athlete Wellness Leader and co-director of the Minority Pre-Law Association. He also served as a liaison for Princeton's Advocacy and Activism Student Board at the Pace Center for Civic Engagement and as an advisory board member for the Program for Community-Engaged Scholarship (ProCES). Travis has been awarded a Truman Scholarship to attend law school and pursue a career in public service. Travis is an Anthropology major pursuing a certificate in African American Studies.
TIGER REFLECTIONS FROM THE CLASS OF 2024
CLASS OF 1967 PVC CITIZEN ATHLETE AWARD
Presented by the Princeton Varsity Club for contributions to sport and society.
RECIPIENT - STU FRANCIS '74
Stu Francis ’74, is a former captain and Ivy champion for Princeton golf. He graduated from Princeton with a degree in economics before leading a career as an accomplished businessman, dedicated volunteer and advocate for sport and the arts.
Francis recently served a three-year term as President of the United States Golf Association (USGA), helping to implement a number of initiatives to grow the game of golf while promoting gender equality, environmental sustainability and inclusion throughout the sport.
Francis has also been a long-time volunteer and supporter within Princeton Athletics and the University at-large. He has been a member of the PVC Board of Directors for more than a decade, and the men’s golf head coaching position is endowed in Francis’ honor. He has been a long-time volunteer with Annual Giving and Class Leadership, served on the Campaign Executive Committee and Advisory Council for the Lewis Center for the Arts.
"This is why Princeton athletes are viewed as such attractive recruits for my industry. You have proven that you are smart, driven, work well with a team and know how to perform under pressure. You can now be confident to go into the world and accomplish great things, including service, in the manner that best fits your evolving life plan." - Stu Francis '74
"A commitment to serve the highest good can be part of just about everything you do in your life. First, select the right time for integrating service into your life, but don’t wait too long. Second, select what is really meaningful to you. And finally, whatever you choose, make your volunteer service enjoyable!"
MARVIN BRESSLER AWARD
Presented to that member of the Princeton family who, through heartfelt support of the University's student-athletes and coaches, best embodies a belief in the lifelong lessons taught by competition and athletics as a complement to the overall educational mission.
RECIPIENT - DR. MIKE GROSS
Dr. Mike Gross is the Head of Sport Psychology Services. In this role, he provides mental health counseling, performance consultation, and outreach services to the Athletic Department and its 38 Athletic programs.
Gross supports Princeton Athletics by regularly meeting with student athletes for mental health and sport performance related concerns; and facilitating an ongoing, weekly drop in student athlete meditation group. In addition, he delivers educational workshops and outreach presentations for teams, coaches, sports medicine personnel, the athletic department, and the campus community on a wide range of topics pertaining to sport performance and mental health.
SPECIAL RECOGNITIONS & AWARDS
HONORARY LIFETIME MEMBERS | OLIVIA HOMPE '17 *21 & GABY JOSEPH '18
Olivia Hompe '17 *21 (women's lacrosse) and Gaby Joseph '18 (men's soccer) were each awarded an Honorary PVC Lifetime Membership as part of the banquet for their continued service, leadership and positive impact on society in her time since graduation.
Olivia Hompe, a former All-American and Tewaaraton Award Finalist, was part of Princeton’s SINSI Graduate Fellowship. She earned a masters from Princeton's School of Public and International Affairs and currently serves her country in a role with the United States government supporting foreign affairs.
Gaby Joseph, a former Spirit of Princeton recipient, has also continued to live out Princeton's mantra of "in the nation's service", earning his medical degree and MBA from Stanford as part of their inaugural class of Knight-Hennessy Scholars, while now serving his orthopedic surgery residency in New York City.
Princeton alumni and members of the Princeton Athletics community can also become PVC Lifetime Members by making a one-time $5,000 gift to the PVC. Lifetime Members receive benefits of annual PVC membership for life, while ensuring that the quality of the Princeton student-athlete experience at Princeton remains the best in the country.
FORD TIGER GAME CHANGERS AWARD | WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD AND PRINCETON ROWING
Presented annually to a Princeton varsity team(s) that best represents the spirit of serving the broader Princeton community. This year's banquet marked the first time that this award was presented.
WOMEN'S TRACK & FIELD
Princeton women’s track & field has actively volunteered with the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen, Mercer Street Friends Food Bank, Arm in Arm Pantry and community clean-up efforts at the Deliverance Church. They have also undertaken a series of year-long initiatives to bring awareness to cancer and cancer prevention to the campus community.
MEN'S & WOMEN'S ROWING
Princeton rowing continues to lead and give back with their Stem to Stern program, which has helped make the sport of rowing more accessible – as part of the program, the rowing teams transport, coach and teach both rowing and STEM curriculum to middle schoolers from Trenton multiple times a week.
Additionally, the programs have developed an incredibly strong partnership with the Special Olympics of NJ, and embarked on their day of service as part of their annual training trip to Florida in concert with Arshay Cooper’s Day of Service initiative.
WILLIAM WINSTON ROPER TROPHY
Awarded annually to a Princeton senior man of high scholastic rank and outstanding qualities of sportsmanship and general proficiency in athletics. Presented by Mrs. William W. Roper and the Class of 1902.
This year's finalists were Tristan Szapary (fencing), Liam Johnson (football), Ben Harrington (volleyball) and Karim Elbarbary (squash) [left to right on graphic].
WILLIAM WINSTON ROPER TROPHY - RECIPIENT
TRISTAN SZAPARY '24 | FENCING
Tristan Szapary's final bouts as a member of the Princeton fencing team added him to the program's record books for all-time when he knocked off top-seeded Henry Lawson of Harvard, 15-9, in the épée semifinals and then beat Notre Dame's Jonathan Hamilton-Meikle 15-14, winning on a double touch to take the title. It was Princeton's ninth individual men's fencing national championship and first since 2012. The All-American honor that came with the NCAA title was Szapary's second straight.
Over his Tiger career, Szapary, a two-time team captain and a neuroscience major from Wynnewood, Pa., was a two-time NCAA regional champion and three-time All-Ivy League honoree, twice earning first-team honors. Szapary's final season also saw the team return to the top of the Ivy League, winning its first men's Ivy title since 2017. That followed a 2023 season where Szapary helped the team to a national runner-up finish at the 2023 NCAA Championships.
C. OTTO VON KIENBUSCH AWARD
Given annually to a Princeton senior woman of high scholastic rank who has demonstrated general proficiency in athletics and the qualities of a true sportswoman. Presented in memory of C. Otto von Kienbusch ’06, friend and benefactor of women’s athletics at Princeton.
This year's finalists were Ellie Mitchell (basketball), Ellie Marquardt (swimming & diving), Sarah Fry (lightweight rowing), Sarah Fillier (ice hockey), Madison Curry (soccer) and Kaitlyn Chen (basketball) [left to right on graphic].
C. OTTO VON KIENBUSCH AWARD - RECIPIENT
KAITLYN CHEN '24 | BASKETBALL
A three-time Ivy League Tournament Most Outstanding Player, Kaitlyn Chen has been the gold standard during the best stretch of Princeton Women's Basketball history. In just three playing seasons, Chen has led the Tigers to three Ivy League titles, three Ivy League Tournament crowns and three NCAA Tournament appearances. Chen, an Anthropology major from San Marino, Calif., helped the Tigers become the first Ivy League women's team to win NCAA Tournament games in back-to-back seasons.
The two-time unanimous First-Team All-Ivy selection and 2023 Ivy Player of the Year has amassed a 74-16 mark during her time at Princeton, including three Top-25 victories. The true definition of a student-athlete, Chen was named a College Sports Communicators Second Team Academic All-American as a senior, the program's first since 2016, after finishing her Tiger career with 1,276 points and 359 assists.