Honoring Greg Paczkowski, And Soon To Honor Others

If you're reading this, odds are good you're a big Princeton sports fan.

Or related to TigerBlog. One or the other.

Either way, do you know who Greg Paczkowski is? Probably not. Have you benefited from something he's done for Princeton Athletics?

Almost surely. And that's especially true if you're a Princeton athlete.

TigerBlog can't even begin to list all of the things Greg does for Princeton. If there's a task that needs to be completed, Greg is on it.

His official title is Associate Director of Athletics for Facilities, which gives you some idea of "what" he does, though not "how much," "how well" or "with such a great attitude" he does all these things.

Greg is a tough guy not to like. He works hard. He gets things done well. He's easy-going. He laughs a lot. He's a total asset to the organization in every way.

This was made even clearer Wednesday at the month department staff meeting, when Greg was awarded the Lorin Maurer Award for the 2018-19 academic year. Here's the description of the award:
Awarded to that member of the Princeton Athletics family who best reflects the passion, dedication and infectious enthusiasm that defined Lorin Maurer’s character and her inspiring impact on colleagues and friends. Awarded in the memory of Lorin Maurer h78, 1978-2009.

As you know, TigerBlog writes about Lorin each February on the anniversary of her death in a 2009 plane crash, shortly after her 30th birthday. With each passing year, there are fewer and fewer Princeton Athletics staff members who knew Lorin, but Greg is one of the ones who did.

When he said a few words on accepting the award, he mentioned how he remembers how much Lorin would smile and that he has tried to be the same way. It was a pretty touching few minutes, as a current staff member accepted an award named for a friend who died tragically young.

As for Greg, yes, he very much deserves the award. The words above fit him perfectly.

Greg Paczkowski is not the only person winning awards around here for the next few days. In fact, there's less than a week until the Gary Walters Princeton Varsity Club Awards Banquet, which will be held this coming Thursday night in Jadwin Gym.

So far this week, Princeton has announced the winners of the Class of 1967 Citizen-Athlete Award and the Marvin Bressler Award, as well as the six finalists for the Roper Trophy and the von Kienbusch Award.

Chris Young, who at 6-11 isn't that much taller than Greg Paczkowski by the way, is the winner of the Citizen-Athlete Award, for outstanding commitment to sport and society. Young is the former Princeton men's basketball and baseball player who pitched 13 years in the Major League while winning a World Series, pitching in an All-Star Game and earning a Comeback Player of the Year Award.

Today Young is an executive with Major League Baseball. HERE is the story about his award.

Here's what the Bressler Award represents:
Awarded to that member of the Princeton family who, through heartfelt support of the University’s student-athletes and coaches, best embodies a belief in the lifelong lessons taught by competition and athletics as a complement to the overall educational mission. Awarded in the spirit of Marvin Bressler, professor of sociology, 1963-94.

The 2019 winner is Karen Jezierny, the University's Director of Public Affairs. You can read more about Karen HERE.

The Art Lane Award, for outstanding contribution to sport and society by an undergraduate athlete, and the Class of 1916 Cup, given to the senior athlete in highest academic standing.

Beyond those two, there is also the matter of the Roper Trophy and von Kienbusch Award, given to the top senior male athlete and female athlete.

There are six finalists for both awards, and the winners will be announced at the banquet.

The story about the women's finalists is HERE. The men's story is HERE.

TigerBlog has written this many times before, but one of his favorite things about Princeton is to look around at Freshman-Athlete Orientation and wonder who in that room will end up as a Roper Trophy winner or von Kienbusch winner.

The only downside of wondering that is that there's no way to back to that day and see what the 12 finalists were thinking.

Whoever ultimately wins, the banquet is about honoring the entire class of senior athletes.

And why not? Every one of them has accomplished something extraordinary.