Today's "Friday in the summer" entry begins with some reckless driving.
C'mon pup. Two paws on the wheel.
She might not be a great driver, though she does crush it when it comes to parallel barking.
And with that ...
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Congratulations go out to Matt Smith, who has been named the new head lightweight men's rowing coach at Princeton.
Want to be impressed? Read this excerpt from the story about his hiring (you can read all of it HERE):
Following
his graduation from Wisconsin in 2000, Smith was commissioned as an
officer in the U.S. Army where he continued his elite rowing career in
the Army’s World Class Athlete Program.
During
his time in the military, Smith was promoted twice, eventually earning
the rank of Captain, and was awarded the Bronze Star and Meritorious
Service Medals for exceptional duty in combat and peacetime operations.
He is a graduate of the U.S. Army Ranger School and Airborne School.
A seven-time member of the U.S national rowing team, Smith has won medals at the Pan-American Games, World Championships, and National Championships, while also representing the U.S. in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
That checks off a lot of boxes, doesn't it?
Smith replaces Marty Crotty, a legendary figure in Princeton rowing history as an athlete and coach. Smith, though, is no stranger to the Shea Rowing Center, of course.
Over his 11 seasons coaching heavyweight boats at Princeton, Smith has helped guide the Tigers to 27 medals at Sprints and 13 medals at the IRA national championship regatta. Since 2021, 24 of Smith’s rowers have gone on to earn All-America honors.
The rowing program at Princeton is unlike any of the others. Between the four varsity teams there are more than 200 athletes, a history of intercollegiate and international success and a close-knit culture that feeds all of the success.
Smith is already an established part of that success. Whenever you're around him, you can't help but be impressed with his passion for the Tiger rowing program and its athletes. He's a perfect fit for his new position, something that Ford Family Director of Athletics John Mack mentioned in the story.
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Speaking of Princeton rowing and international success, it's been a great start to the World U23 championships in Poznan, Poland.
There are no fewer than 10 Princeton men's heavyweight rowers who have advanced to the semifinals after Day 1. Those 10 rowers represent five different countries: the USA, Great Britain, Canada, France and Australia.
You can read more about them HERE.
There are also three Princeton women who are rowing there who have advanced to the grand finals. HERE is their update.
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The Pan American Cup field hockey tournament is currently underway in Uruguay and runs through August 3.
Princeton is represented by three athletes — two Americans and one Canadian.
Team Canada began the competition yesterday with a 7-0 win over Paraguay. The Canadian captain is Elise Wong, Princeton Class of 2019 and a key member of the 2018 NCAA runner-up.
As for the Americans, Beth Yeager is now a veteran of the national team, including starting every game in the Olympics a year ago. Team USA opens tonight at 5:30 Eastern against Mexico.
The other American is Tiger assistant coach Pat Harris, who has been a member of the men's national two for two decades. While men's field hockey is much bigger in Europe and the Far East than it is in America, the team is still looking to make its name on the international stage.
Game 1 for Harris and the United States is at 7:30 tonight against the host Uruguayans.
For more information on the tournament, click HERE.
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Updates from the last two Fridays: the shoe is gone, but the road is still open.
Opening day for 2025-26? It's four weeks from today, with the women's soccer team home against Rutgers at 5.
Four weeks? That's only 28 days. Yikes. Where does the summer go?
In the meantime, have a great weekend. Get outside. Go to the beach. Jump in a pool. Go for a long walk.
It'll soon be too cold for all of those.
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