Sports

Column: Breaking down the Sweet 16

As is the case with most fans, my NCAA tournament preparation isn’t complete without a bracket based solely on which team’s mascot would win in a fight (which can be found on The Daily Princetonian website and not in the print edition because it is 3,600 words long) and, of course, a meticulously constructed spreadsheet comparing every team’s statistics in important categories such as offensive and defensive efficiency, rebound rate, three-point-shooting percentage and several others. Or maybe I’m wrong on that one.

Wahl '96 campaigns for FIFA job

Make room, Bob Bradley ’80: there may soon be a new Princeton alumnus in the upper echelons of the professional soccer world. Grant Wahl ’96, a senior soccer writer for Sports Illustrated, announced in mid-February in one of his regular columns that he plans to run for president of FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, challenging three-term incumbent Swiss Sepp Blatter and Qatari challenger Mohammed Bin Hammam in the June 1 elections.

On Tap with ... Kate Scarpetta

After a spring break trip to a tournament in Augusta, Ga., in which the women’s golf team placed 13th out of 17 schools, senior Kate Scarpetta sat down with senior writer Caroline Wang and discussed a range of topics, including her sports abilities outside of golf, her fondness for humming songs by boy bands and a certain audition she’d like to forget.

Baseball: Team goes 2-8 in annual week-long spring road trip

After a winter of preparation and a season-opening series against No. 10 Louisiana State University, the baseball team embarked on a weeklong spring break trip. It began at the Terry Sisisky Classic against host Virginia Commonwealth University and Holy Cross and ended with a three-game series at Georgetown.

On the Prowl: Spring Break Retrospective

Women's Lacrosse: Top-10 foes drop Princeton in Va.

The women’s lacrosse team opened its Ivy League season with a resounding victory but could not do the same against two top-10 non-conference foes, dropping a pair of games late in the week to fall to 3-3 on the season.

Softball: 3 victories highlight Maryland Tournament

The softball team went three for five at the University of Maryland Tournament this weekend, netting wins against Villanova and Utah while losing to Maryland and splitting a pair with Hampton.

Men's Basketball: Princeton fans, alumni and parents experience the NCAA Tournament

As much as the men’s basketball team hoped that the game against Kentucky would be a stepping-stone to greater success rather than the end of a stellar season, it was quite a finale. Although the Tigers lost 59-57 in Tampa, Fla., on Thursday, Princeton pushed the Wildcats to the final buzzer, providing some of the most exciting moments of the opening day of the NCAA Tournament’s second round. The Tigers’ chance for an upset captivated viewers across the nation, but above all gave the faithful Princetonians in Tampa reason to cheer. Here are some notes and quotes from the stands at the St. Pete Times Forum.

Men's Lacrosse: Penn loss extends skid

Sunday marked the last day of spring break, a time when most members of the Princeton community could return from vacation refreshed and relaxed. Men’s lacrosse head coach Chris Bates had no such luck.

Women's Golf: Tigers get first taste of spring at Augusta course

This past week, playing in sunny Augusta, Ga., just miles away from the legendary Augusta National Golf Club, the women’s golf team placed 13th of 17 in its opening spring season tournament. Despite its lack of on-course success, however, the team soaked up the sun and used the tournament as a chance to, as senior Kate Scarpetta poetically put it, “shake off the frost and rust we had over the winter.”

Fencing: Team to send 12 to NCAAs

After a strong performance at the NCAA regional competition at Drew University on March 12, the men’s and women’s fencing teams are poised to send 12 fencers to the NCAA championships.

Women's Water Polo: Team has mixed results on California tour

As midterms came to a close, the No. 18 women’s water polo team flew west to soak up the sun and challenge the best teams in the country. Princeton (11-8) began its spring break games in San Diego at the Aztec Invitational on March 12. The Tigers then traveled up the coast, making a pit-stop at Concordia mid-week before making their way to Los Angeles for the Loyola Marymount University Invitational.

Women's Swimming: Waters finishes top 40 at NCAA Championships

Senior Megan Waters represented the women’s swimming and diving team this weekend in the NCAA Championships at Jamail Texas Swimming Center in Austin, Texas. Waters was recently named Ivy League Championships Swimmer of the Meet after leading the Tigers to the 2011 Ivy League title —  the team’s 10th victory in the last 12 years. After a perfect showing at the Ivy League Championships, Waters qualified to compete in three individual events in Texas: the 50-yard freestyle, the 100-yard butterfly and the 100-yard freestyle. She set school records in all three events during her final swims at the Ivy League Championships at DeNunzio Pool.

Track and Field: Higginson takes fifth at NCAAs

Since classes ended for spring break, both the men’s and the women’s track teams have kept up momentum from a strong year. Senior distance runner Ashley Higginson capped her final indoor season with an All-America honor at the NCAA Championships. On Saturday, the men opened their outdoor season with a set of wins at the University of South Florida’s Bulls Invitational.

NCAA Tournament Live Blog: Women's Basketball vs. Georgetown

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The women's basketball team looks for its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory when it faces fifth-seed Georgetown in the first round. Follow the action with our live blog!

Women's Basketball: Hoyas end Tigers' season in NCAA Tournament

COLLEGE PARK, Md. – The women’s basketball team lost only four games in the regular season. Each defeat came by single digits, and the Tigers had a chance to win each in the final minute. But in the last game of their season, their fate was sealed well before the final horn. No. 12-seed Princeton (24-5 overall, 12-2 Ivy League) could not handle a high-octane Georgetown defense in the first half.

Women's Basketball: Tigers aim for first-ever tourney win

Last season, the women’s basketball team reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history. This time, the Tigers are not satisfied with just reaching the Big Dance: they have their sights set on another program milestone, a postseason victory.“I feel like the more times you get to the tournament, the better the chances are that we’ll get [a win],” head coach Courtney Banghart said during the Ivy League postseason media teleconference. “Considering we brought back so much from last year’s group that really expected to win last year, I couldn’t be more excited about bringing their experience and fight into this tournament.” 

Column: Requiem for a team

The last three classes of Princetonians never saw the men’s basketball team reach the NCAA Tournament. The unfortunate men and women to graduate in 2008, ’09 and ’10 suffered through the reign of Penn and Cornell, witnessing a dry spell that was the program’s longest in more than three decades. This year, the Tigers ensured that five thousand current students would not meet the same fate.

NCAA Tournament Live Blog: Princeton vs. Kentucky

The men's basketball team is back in the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2004. Follow the action with our live blog! We'll start a little bit before the 2:45 tip.

NCAA Tournament: The mascot bracket

It’s NCAA tournament time once again, and that means it’s time for the third edition of the Annual Mascot Fight Bracket, in which we go through the tournament choosing the victors based on which team’s nickname would beat the other team’s nickname in a fight. I use the nickname rather than the actual mascot; for example, when Stanford plays, they are represented by the color cardinal red, not that weird tree they have. Either way, it’s not exactly a fear-inspiring sight. Without further ado, the 2011 Mascot Bracket.