Another National Championship

TigerBlog finished writing the text for his book on the first 50 years of women's athletics a few weeks ago.

Or at least he thought he did. As it turned out, he still needed to write two more things. 

First, there was the matter of an introduction. Here is the first paragraph of that:

This book begins with an apology to all of the amazing women who competed at Princeton in the first 50 years whose stories are not covered in these pages. There are so many compelling stories to tell about women's athletic history at Princeton that all of the stories collected here could be deleted and replaced by an entirely different book – and there'd still be more stories to tell.

That is most definitely true. The more TB wrote, the more he realized how many amazing stories would not be able to be included. 

The book itself is not an encyclopedia. It is instead a collection of stories that tell of the great successes Princeton women's athletics has had in its first 50 years.

It covers every sport and every decade. There are different topics, such as the early pioneers, Olympians, three-sport athletes, coaches and athletic directors, professional athletes, mothers whose daughters also lettered at Princeton and many others.

One of those other subjects is national champions. And that is the other section that TB that, as it turned out, wasn't yet complete.

The Princeton women's lightweight rowers won the IRA national championship Friday. The Tigers obliterated the field, defeating second-place Wisconsin by more than 26 seconds. That's an extraordinary margin.

This isn't the first IRA title for the women's lightweights. The program became varsity in 1998 and finished third that season. After that? There were five straight IRA national championships, from 1999 through 2003.

From that year forward, Princeton had four seconds, three thirds and two fourths but had not gotten to the top since that initial run. The 2020 Princeton team might have been the favorite before the pandemic came.

After that, there was no 2020 season. There might not have been a 2021 season either, but the team was finally able to compete – and made the very most of it. 

Here's a pretty good quote that sums up the entire feeling of the team, courtesy of Annie Anezakis:

"After four years of growing momentum on this team and 15 months of training through uncertainty, it feels incredible to finally see it all come together to win a national title. Today's result means so much to us because it is a reflection of the unshakeable faith and grit our whole team has shown all season in addition to our determination to race for the Class of 2020 and our coaches who we are all beyond grateful for."

The championship was the first by the Princeton women since Kasia Nixon and Maia Chamberlain both won fencing championships in 2018. In all, Princeton's women have produced 56 national championships, 34 team titles and 22 individual championships (well, 21 individual and one relay).

Congratulations to the 2021 women's lightweight rowers, who helped end the 50th year of women's athletics in style.

Here is the complete list of Princeton's women national championships:

2021 – women’s lightweight rowing

2018 – Kasia Nixon (women’s epee fencing), Maia Chamberlain (women’s saber fencing)

2017 – Anna van Brummen (women’s epee fencing)

2014 - Julia Ratcliffe (women's hammer throw)
2013 - field hockey, Eliza Stone (women's sabre fencing), combined team fencing
2011 - women's open rowing (1st varsity 8)
2009 – women’s squash
2008 – women’s squash
2007 – women’s squash
2006 – women’s open rowing (1st varsity 8)
2003 – women’s lightweight rowing, women’s lacrosse
2002 – women’s lightweight rowing, women’s lacrosse

2001 – women’s lightweight rowing, Julia Beaver (women’s squash)

2000 – women’s lightweight rowing, Eva Petchnigg (foil fencing), Julia Beaver (women’s squash)
1999 – women’s squash, women’s lightweight rowing, Julia Beaver (women’s squash)

1998 – women’s squash
1997 – Katherine Johnson (women’s squash)
1995 – women’s open rowing
1994 – women’s lacrosse, women’s open rowing
1993 – women’s open rowing
1991 – women’s squash
1990 – women’s open rowing

1989 – women’s squash, Demer Holleran (women’s squash)
1987 – Demer Holleran (women’s squash)
1986 – Demer Holleran (women’s squash)
1984 – women’s squash
1983 – women’s squash
1981 – women’s squash

1980 – women’s squash
1979 – women’s squash
1978 - women’s squash
1976 – women’s squash, Nancy Gengler (women’s squash)
1975 – women’s squash, Wendy Zaharko (women’s squash)
1974 – women’s squash, Wendy Zaharko (women’s squash), Cathy Corcione (100 IM, 200 IM)
1973 – women’s squash, Cathy Corcione (100 butterfly, 100 free), 200-yard freestyle relay (Cathy Corcione, Jane Fremon, Barb Franks, Carol Brown)
1972 – Wendy Zaharko (women’s squash)