Princeton golf certainly didn't fade quietly into the winter off-season. With both the men's and women's team posting top five finishes over fall break, coaches and players alike are looking anxiously towards the spring season and eyeing Ivy titles.
The men's team spent Fall Break at the Lansdowne Resort in Leesburg, Virginia, competing in the Hoya Invitational. Placing third in a strong field of 12, the Tigers finished under par for the first time in the program's history. Senior Cassidy Traub was the low man for Princeton, shooting two rounds of 70 and tying for fourth overall.
"Finishing behind one district team [Penn State] really takes a little pressure off of us at Ivies and gives us confidence going into the spring season," Traub said.
Head coach Will Green agreed with Traub. "It was particularly gratifying because we beat several teams we needed to beat in our effort to secure one of the four at-large bids our region receives to the NCAA tournament in May," Green said.
Trailing Penn State and right on the heels of St. John's and Maryland, the Tigers are poised for an unprecedented spring season. While the Ivy matches have been relatively easy wins in the past, the NCAA tournament has, until recently, been just out of reach.
Freshman standout Jason Gerken trailed Traub by only two shots with a 142 to take ninth overall. Gerken also shot the low round of the Invitational with a second round 69.
"Playing a bogey-free round was nice — I felt that I scored better than I should have," Gerken said.
All the players who traveled managed to make significant contributions to the team. Sophomore David Huestis finished tied for 25th with rounds of 78-71, junior Greg Johnson took 34th with two rounds of 75 and sophomore Creighton Page finished tied for 53rd with a 156.
The Tigers also stopped a trend of losing steam in the final round. The highlight of the weekend for Princeton was the second round, where the Tigers shot 3-under par as a team. With three players under par — Traub, Gerken and Huestis — and all five players contributing, Princeton rallied to secure third place.
The women's golf team also managed to do its share of record breaking over the weekend. The Tigers traveled to Croabas, Puerto Rico for the Pat Bradley Championship, and broke the all-time Princeton womens golf single round score of 297 by shooting a 295.
Sophomore Avery Kiser continued to demonstrate outstanding play last weekend. Kiser led the team for the fifth straight tournament and managed to tie for sixth overall with a three round total of 229.
"I struggled the first day with the course and the heat but was able to come back strong the final two days," Kiser said.
"It was definitely one of the toughest courses we've ever played on," head coach Eric Stein said.
Other Tiger standouts included sophomore Meg Nakamura with a 72, junior Esty Dwek with a 73, and senior Megan Milam, who shot a 78.
With their sights set on the spring, both the men and women of Princeton will now begin indoor practices.
Read More
Preview: No. 3 men’s lacrosse plays No. 5 Syracuse in NCAA quarterfinals
Hayk YengibaryanShould the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Should the Tigers beat the Orange, they will advance to the Final Four for the first time since 2022 as they look to win their first national championship since 2001.
Six for six: men’s and women’s track and field both complete triple crown
Luke StocklessMen’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Men’s and women’s track and field each won the Ivy League title this past weekend, capping off a dominant season in which both teams won the triple crown — a feat not seen in 14 years.
Nation’s No. 2 miler Mena Scatchard ’25 to transfer to Stanford for graduate year
Luke StocklessThe Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.
The Tigers’ most decorated distance runner ever has decided to use her final year of eligibility at Stanford after graduating from Princeton this May.