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On Tap with ... Taylor Tutrone

20131118_TaylorTutroneOnTap_MonicaChon
20131118_TaylorTutroneOnTap_MonicaChon

The men’s squash team kicks off its season on Saturday against Franklin & Marshall, and junior Taylor Tutrone will be back on the court for his third year hitting for Princeton. Tutrone recently sat down with the ‘Prince’ to talk about his teammates, tracksuits and Batman.

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Q: Where are you from, and what is it like there?

A: I’m from Baltimore, Md. It’s the outskirts of where “The Wire” was filmed, which is like heroin trafficking, but my life’s not quite like that. It’s kind of suburban.

Q: When did you start playing squash?

A: I probably hit my first squash ball when I was like six years old and started getting competitive around 12.

Q: Did you play any other sports growing up?

A: Yeah, I still play tennis and golf.

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Q: If you could be a professional athlete, what would you be and why?

A: I would probably be a professional tennis player. I guess it suits my personality.

Q: Who is the quirkiest member of your team and why?

A: [Sophomore] Nick Barton. He’s like this mysterious character. He’s got a couple of tattoos, and he’s done some funny stuff that I can’t say.

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Q: What’s the best part of being an athlete at Princeton?

A: I’d say probably the exercise and the camaraderie.

Q: What about the worst?

A: The worst? I mean it’s like an extra two classes in your schedule.

Q: If your team had to run a triathlon, who do you think would win and why?

A: Probably [senior] Dylan [Ward]. It’d be between him and [junior] Sammy [Kang]. Sammy’s like a machine—he’s like in the Singapore Navy or something—and Dylan’s got the body type for triathlons.

Q: If you were stranded on a deserted island and you could only bring three things with you, what would you bring?

A: Are you talking the Caribbean or like an ice cap in Antarctica?

Q: We’re talking “Pirates of the Caribbean” island.

A: Okay, I would bring a dog, an acoustic guitar and a gun.

Q: Why? That’s an odd mix.

A: A dog for company, a gun for protection if it turns out to be crap, who knows, and a guitar because you need something to occupy your mind.

Q: What do you like to do when you’re not playing squash?

A: I like to play guitar. I like a lot of old stuff.

Q: What’s the most embarrassing song on your iPod?

A: I don’t have any embarrassing songs. I only listen to good music.

Q: What’s the weirdest thing that’s ever happened to you during a squash match?

A: One time I hit [junior] David Hoffman in the face when I was a kid, and he started crying and bleeding.

Q: How old were you? Have you known David for a long time?

A: I was probably 15 or 14. We’ve been right next to each other on the lineup for like eight years.

Q: So who’s better, you or David?

A: Me.

Q: Do you keep track of your all-time record or something?

A: No, but he would agree.

Q: I hear you’re a huge fan of tracksuits. Tell me about your fashion sense.

A: I just had them. I own like two or three. I’m a big fan of “The Sopranos,” and there are a lot of badasses who wear them on the show.

Q: Where do you buy these?

A: My mom gets them for me.

Q: What’s your major?

A: Psychology.

Q: If you could bring one teammate to bring along with you to this deserted island, who would you pick?

A: [Senior] Ash [Egan]. Me and Ash are pretty tight.

Q: What’s your favorite squash team tradition?

A: The Batman-Tigers thing before we play. You know the Batman voice? He does that voice where he says, “Swear to me,” and we say “Tigers” like that. Steve Harrington [’13] started that.