Princeton men, women hope for Ivy success at Yale's expense

With the clunk of the driver, a golf ball rises high above the earth. But no matter how high it flies, it cannot escape its silent shadow, which traces the ground all across the sublunary world, tracking its lofted counterpart and waiting for the ball to return.

The men's and women's golf teams both come into the spring season leaders of the Ivy League and with their sights set high. But breathing down their necks throughout the season will be Yale, which will take whatever opportunity it can get to overtake them. "After our tournament in Florida [over Spring Break], we looked pretty strong," senior captain Meagan Smith said. "[This spring] our focus definitely will be on Ivies."

But for both the women's and the men's teams, Yale stands in the way. The race for the title among the Ivy League will be particularly frantic among the men, with several teams making serious runs for first place. Just last year, the trio of Princeton, Yale and Penn was toppled by Columbia. This year, with Princeton and Yale expected to battle for the title, competition gets a little more serious, as the victor will get an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.

Competitors

The experience of senior captain Judd Pritchard and junior Peter McWhorter will be an important factor in determining the success of the team. The skills of sophomore James Milam, freshman Cassidy Traub and freshman Nathaniel Hoopes will also push the Tigers to greater heights of achievement.

Penn had a good fall and even topped the Tigers on several occasions, such as in the Georgetown Hoya Invitational, which the Quakers won.

Yale has an advantage in that Princeton has not yet played the Elis all year, and the Tigers will not really get a good look at them until the Ivy League Tournament.

"[We've only been able to] kind of keep track of [the Elis,]" senior captain Judd Pritchard said. "We should be able to take care of them. It's just a matter of going out there and getting the job done."

The women's team, on the other hand, has faced Yale numerous times this fall and will face the Elis twice again before Ivies.

"[Yale and we have] had our see-saw battles in the fall semester, where they got us and we got them," women's head coach Eric Stein said.

Yale finished the fall season on the upswing, too, when it topped Princeton in the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship tournament. But already this season, the Tigers overcame Yale by a single stroke in the North-South Invitational in Jacksonville, Fla., over Spring Break. This seemingly small victory was achieved, however, with the Tigers missing several of their key players and Yale shooting with a full lineup. With junior Julia Allison and junior Adrienne Gill missing, every golfer had to step up her play to fill in the gaps.

In Allison's case, however, the adjustment will need to be made for the rest of the season, as the team leader will not be playing for the rest of the semester.

The top two spots will now most likely be occupied by Smith and freshman Vanessa Redman. For a long time, Smith has been leading the team by example as well as on the scorecards. Her junior year, she came back from a severe wrist injury to help the Tigers overcome a four-stroke deficit and win the Ivy League championship. Now, during her senior year, her experience and perseverance will give the Tigers an edge in seeking the title.

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Paired with Smith's experience is the relative inexperience of the team's new top scorer, Redman. Over the winter, Redman began to use a new swing and has since been gaining confidence in her new style of play.

Also travelling this weekend to the William and Mary Invitational in Williamsburg, Va., are Gill, freshman Megan Milam and junior Natalie Christensen. There, they will take their next look at Yale.