Tigers of the Week: Caroline Lind '06, Andreanne Morin '06, Lauren Wilkinson '11, Maya Lawrence '02, Diana Matheson '08, Glenn Ochal '08, and Susannah Scanlan '14

 

“Someone pinch me?”

 

Those were the words rower Andreanne Morin ’06 tweeted to fans and friends Aug. 2 after finally reaching the medal podium in her third Olympic appearance. Morin, the stroke of the Canadian women’s eight, and teammate Lauren Wilkinson ’11 each earned silver. American Caroline Lind ’06 won gold in the same event, becoming the first Princeton woman to win multiple gold medals in rowing. (She also was part of the U.S. women’s eight in Beijing.)

 

The “pinch me” moments continued in a record-setting week for Princetonians. Glenn Ochal ’08 of the U.S. men’s four added to Princeton’s rowing medal count, earning bronze Aug. 4. Ochal was happy to be part of the first United States medal in the event since 1992, but he also has an eye toward the future. “Bronze is great,” he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. “But there are still two boats ahead of us we want to catch.”

 

Also on Aug. 4, U.S. women’s epee teammates Maya Lawrence ’02 and Susannah Scanlan ’14 captured bronze by the thinnest of margins – a one-touch overtime win over Russia. Lawrence later said in an NBC interview that she was too nervous to watch the action and focused on the scoring lights instead. When she saw green, she joined the celebration for America’s first medal in the event’s history.

 

Women’s soccer star Diana Matheson ’08, the last alumni athlete to earn a medal in London, capped her Olympic experience Aug. 9 with one of Canada’s most memorable moments. In the 92nd minute of a scoreless bronze-medal match against France, Matheson tried to set up a scoring opportunity for teammate Sophie Schmidt. But Schmidt’s shot was deflected and rebounded back to Matheson’s feet. With a single touch, Matheson sent the ball into the lower right corner of the goal. (Click here to watch the game-winning goal and other highlights.)

 

The seven medals in London marks a new best for Princetonians, beating out the six medals earned by the University’s first Olympians at the 1896 Athens Games. Alumnus David Blatt ’81 played a key role in an eighth medal, coaching Russia to the bronze in men’s basketball.