Sports shorts: Olympic update, NCAA track qualifiers, and rowing results

Princeton’s SUMMER OLYMPICS contingent climbed to seven athletes on June 4 when U.S. Rowing named Glenn Ochal ’08 to the men’s four. Ochal will join American rowers Robin Prendes ’11 (men’s lightweight four) and Gevvie Stone ’07 (women’s single sculls), and Australian Sam Loch ’06 (men’s eight). A handful of other rowing alumni are auditioning for other U.S. and Canadian boats. Princeton will be sending three fencers to London (Maya Lawrence ’02, Susannah Scanlan ’14, and Soren Thompson ’05), and five Tigers are in the running for spots on the U.S. women’s field hockey squad (Michelle Cesan ’13, Maren Langford ’06, Julia Reinprecht ’13, Katie Reinprecht ’12, and Kathleen Sharkey ’12). Field hockey assistant coach Nate Franks ’07 will be an assistant for the U.S. Olympic team as well.

 

Steeplechase star Donn Cabral ’12 – another Olympic hopeful – is Princeton’s top contender for an NCAA TRACK AND FIELD championship, and the senior will have plenty of company at the national meet in Des Moines this week. Six teammates will join Cabral on the men’s side: Conor McCullough ’15 in the hammer throw; Damon McLean ’14 in the triple jump; middle-distance runners Michael Williams ’14 (800 meters) and Trevor Van Ackeren ’12 (1,500 meters); and distance runners Joe Stilin ’12 (5,000 meters) and Brian Leung ’12 (10,000 meters). Greta Feldman ’13 was Princeton’s lone qualifier on the women’s side. She will run the 1,500 meters. Follow the action on the NCAA Championship Central page from Drake University, the meet’s host.

 

WOMEN’S OPEN CREW made its 16th consecutive trip to the NCAA Championships, held May 25-27 on Mercer Lake in nearby West Windsor, and earned a fourth-place finish in the overall standings. The Tigers placed boats in the grand finals of the varsity eight (fourth place), second-varsity eight (fourth), and varsity four (fifth).

 

At the Intercollegiate Rowing Association regatta in Cherry Hill, N.J., WOMEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT CREW led all Princeton boats with a fifth-place finish in the national championship final. MEN’S LIGHTWEIGHT CREW also reached its varsity-eight grand final, finishing sixth. MEN’S HEAVYWEIGHT CREW notched victories in two petite finals, for the varsity eight and freshman eight.