BACK ON TOP: Members of the Princeton Day School boys’ tennis team show off the trophies and medals they earned for winning the state Prep B title last week. PDS totaled 10 points in the competition to edge runner-up Rutgers Prep by one point in the team standings. It was the fifth Prep B crown for the Panthers in the last six years.

By Bill Alden

In the first day of the state Prep B boys’ tennis tournament last week, things went smoothly for Princeton Day School as it won nine of 10 matches and advanced players to the finals in four of the five flights of the competition.

But in the final round, PDS struggled as it won only one match but that victory by freshman Aaron Phogat at third singles was enough to give the Panthers the outright title, its fifth Prep B crown in the last six years. PDS totaled 10 points in the competition to edge runner-up Rutgers Prep by one point. more

RINK MASTER: Harry Rulon-Miller holding court in McGraw Rink at Princeton Day School. The legendary Rulon-Miller, who coached the PDS boys’ hockey team from 1968-81, was inducted into the New Jersey High School Hockey Hall of Fame last month. (Photo Courtesy of PDS)

By Bill Alden

When Harry Rulon-Miller took up hockey in the 1940s as a grade schooler skating in nearby Baker Rink on the campus of Princeton University, he couldn’t develop his skills in recreation leagues or travel hockey programs.

“It was a passion,” recalled Rulon-Miller. “There was nothing really organized.” more

THIRD PARTY: Princeton High boys’ tennis player Kevin Yang fires a serve in a match this spring. Last Monday, senior star Yang won at third singles to help second-seed PHS defeat fourth-seed Summit 3-2 in the North Jersey 2, Group 3 sectional finals. The Little Tigers, now 18-2, will face South Group 3 champions Moorestown in the Group 3 state semis on the morning May 23 at Mercer County Park with the victor advancing to play the winner of the Montville-WW/P-South semi in the afternoon. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Kevin Yang was thrust into the first singles position for the Princeton High boys’ tennis in 2017 during his junior season and benefitted from the challenge.

“Being first singles, I got a lot more good matches and a lot of experience,” said Yang, who played third singles as a sophomore but moved up the pecking order in 2017 when first singles star Noah Lilienthal and second singles standout Jerry Gu decided not to play for PHS due to other commitment. more

SAFE AND SOUND: Hun School baseball Chris Pontrella slides home to score a run in recent action. Last Sunday, senior outfielder Pontrella chipped in three RBIs to help top-seeded Hun edge second-seeded Blair 5-4 in the state Prep A championship game. It was the third straight Prep A crown for the Raiders, who ended the spring with a 15-6 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Chris Pontrella didn’t have a hit as the Hun School baseball team played the Blair Academy in the state Prep A championship game last Sunday.

But senior right fielder Pontrella turned out to be Hun’s key batter in the contest, knocking in three runs with two sacrifice flies and a squeeze play as the top-seeded Raiders pulled out a 5-4 win over second-seeded Blair, earning its third straight Prep A title in the process and ending the spring at 15-6. more

CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT: Members of the Princeton High boys’ track and field team celebrate last Saturday after they dominated the competition on the way to winning the Mercer County Championships. PHS won 10 of 18 events in the meet held at Steinert High and piled up 136.50 points with runner-up Trenton far behind with 57. In so doing, the Little Tigers achieved the “triple crown” of county titles as they have won the boys’ cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track crowns this school year. PHS will go after another title when it competes in the Central Jersey Group 4 sectional meet on May 25-26.

By Bill Alden

Last May, the Princeton High boys’ track and field team was bitterly disappointed when it fell one point short of winning the Mercer County Championships.

“The moment we lost that meet by one point, the guys looked at each and said we are not letting this happen again,” said Ben Samara, the associate head coach of the PHS boys’ and girls’ teams. more

COMING THROUGH: Princeton High baseball player Tommy Reid takes a swing in recent action. Junior star Reid came through with some clutch hitting to help seventh-seeded PHS advance to the Mercer County Tournament semifinals for the first time since 2005. The Little Tigers fell 4-2 to third-seeded Nottingham last Monday in the semis to move to 13-8. PHS will look to produce another deep run as it competes in the upcoming state tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

For the Princeton High baseball team, getting to open the Mercer County Tournament with a home game proved to the catalyst for a memorable run.

Hosting 10th-seeded Hightstown in the first-round matchup on May 7, seventh-seeded PHS came through with a 4-0 win.  more

THIRD DEGREE: Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse player Brooks Johnson marks a Hightstown attacker in the Mercer County Tournament championship game last Thursday. Senior star and Gettysburg College-bound defender Johnson helped key a stifling performance as second-seeded PDS defeated top-seeded Hightstown 9-3 to earn its third straight county crown and end the spring with 10-5 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Brooks Johnson and his teammates on the Princeton Day School boys’ lacrosse team know how to handle the high-stakes atmosphere of the Mercer County Tournament championship game.

Having won county crowns in 2016 and 2017 and advancing to the final in 2015, the second-seeded Panthers brought a sense of calm to the field when they faced top-seeded Highstown in this year’s title game last Thursday at WW/P-North. more

FIGHTING TO THE END: Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse player Kate Bennett, center, draws a crowd as she goes to goal against Morristown-Beard in the state Prep B title game last Monday. PDS senior star and Dartmouth-bound Bennett tallied three goals and an assist, but it wasn’t enough as the third-seeded Panthers fell 10-9 to the fifth-seeded Crimson on a last second goal. PDS, which was seeking a fourth-straight Prep B crown, ended the spring with an 8-9 record. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Last Monday was a date that had been circled on the calendar all spring for the Princeton Day School girls’ lacrosse team.

It was the state Prep B championship game and, having won three straight crowns, the program was shooting from day one of the season to achieve a four-peat. more

GOOD RUN: Hun School baseball Adam Wijaya runs to first base in recent action. Senior third baseman Wijaya starred as Hun advanced to the Mercer County Tournament semifinals for the first time in 11 years. The fifth-seeded Raiders topped 12th-seeded Pennington 8-5 in a first-round contest on May 7 and then upended fourth-seeded Steinert 5-2 last Wednesday. Hun’s county run ended when it fell 9-0 to top-seeded Hopewell Valley in the semis last Monday evening. The Raiders, now 13-6, will be going after a third consecutive state Prep A title this week. Top-seeded Hun will host fourth-seeded Peddie School in a first round game on May 16 with the double elimination tournament to wrap up this weekend at Peddie from May 19-20. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Having experienced a number of early exits in the Mercer County Tournament in recent years, the Hun School baseball team was determined to make a deep run in the tourney this spring.

Hosting 12th-seeded Pennington in the opening round last week, fifth-seeded Hun didn’t waste any time showing that it meant business, scoring a run in the first inning and five in the second on the way to an 8-5 victory. more

COOKING UP A WINNER: Princeton High baseball player Paul Cooke takes a swing in a game earlier this season. PHS senior star Cooke had a double and an RBI as seventh-seeded PHS defeated 10th-seeded Hightstown 4-0 in the opening round of the Mercer County Tournament. The Little Tigers, now 11-7, play at second-seeded Allentown in the MCT quarters on May 9 with the victor advancing to the semis on May 12. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Paul Cooke’s uniform was caked with dirt, reflecting his role in the middle of the action as the Princeton High baseball team celebrated its Senior Day with a walk-off win over visiting Lawrence last Wednesday.

Senior outfielder Cooke slammed an RBI single to help ignite a two-run rally in the bottom of the first inning and legged out an infield single in the bottom of the fifth. He ended the day by lofting a sacrifice fly to drive in the winning run in the bottom of the seventh to give the Little Tigers a 4-3 triumph. more

ON TARGET: Hun School boys’ lacrosse player Devon Cowan celebrates after a goal last Monday as top-seeded Hun hosted third-seeded Lawrenceville in the state Prep A title game. Junior attackman Cowan scored three goals to help the Raiders prevail 9-6. Hun, now 9-2, will next be in action when it competes in the National Prep Championships from May 16-18. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

By Bill Alden

Devon Cowan’s left hand was partially covered by a cast, but that wasn’t about to slow him down as top-seeded Hun hosted third-seeded Lawrenceville in the state Prep A title game last Monday.

“I broke my hand a couple of games ago,” said junior attackman and co-captain Cowan, who had scored four goals when Hun fell 10-9 to Lawrenceville in a regular season meeting on April 7. more

GROWING THE GAME: Lefika Ragonste, right, coaches a junior player. Ragonste, a former Trinity College standout, recently started the New Jersey Squash Club in Lawrenceville, offering a number of playing options, both on a daily pay-to-play basis and for membership.

By Bill Alden

Lefika Ragonste has been into expanding the reach of squash since he was a grade schooler.

As a 10-year-old, he started playing squash in his native Botswana. By the time he was a teenager, he had won junior titles in South Africa and Zimbabwe.

After high school, he played in Canada and England. In 1998, he came to the U.S. to attend Trinity College in Hartford, Conn. and join its powerhouse squash program. more