Growing up in Wales, Ollie Hilliker fell in love with the game of soccer at a young age.

Hilliker rose through the ranks and played for the country’s U-16 national team. He later played for two Welsh semiprofessional teams before heading to the University of Liverpool to study sports science with an emphasis on soccer.

“I played at a decent level; I had good experience playing but also I know the culture of being immersed in the game,” said Hilliker. more

FRENCH ACCENT: Princeton Day School field hockey player Kiely French controls the ball in action last fall. Senior star French figures to anchor the back line for the Panthers again this season. PDS opens the 2016 season by hosting Stuart Country Day School on September 8. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With Heather Farlow entering her second year at the helm of the Princeton Day School field hockey program, the team has hit the ground running this season. more

The players on the Stuart Country Day field hockey team have adopted “hustle and heart” as their mantra for the upcoming season.

Two weeks into preseason, Stuart head coach Missy Bruvik believes that her charges are living up to those words.

“It is going very good in terms of the kids learning, progressing and working hard everyday,” said Bruvik, noting that the team had a productive weekend trip to Washington D.C. in late August where it had two scrimmages and then went 2-0 in play day scrimmages last Wednesday. more

WATTS UP: Sydney Watts sends the ball up the field in action for the Amherst College field hockey last fall during her junior campaign. Watts, a former Princeton High standout, has been a starter on defense for Amherst the last two seasons and will serve as a co-captain of the team this fall. (Photo Courtesy of Amherst Athletic Communications)

A rash of injuries paved the way for Sydney Watts to get some playing time during the latter stages of her freshman season with the Amherst College field hockey team in the fall of 2013. more

BEARING DOWN: Marco Pinheiro, left, chases down the ball in action last fall during his freshman season for the Washington University in St. Louis men’s soccer team. Pinheiro, a former Princeton Day School boys’ soccer star, made the WashU varsity squad as a walk-on as a freshman. He ended up getting into 15 games and making four starts. He is currently in preseason training at WashU as the squad prepares for its season opener at Webster on September 1.

When Marco Pinheiro started looking at colleges, he was initially focusing on schools that would further his soccer career. more

A NEW SPIN: Former Hun School and Princeton University basketball star Douglas Davis, right, works with a camper on his shooting form last week at the inaugural TopSpin Hoops Academy. The program was an overnight basketball camp that took place from August 12-16 on the Hun campus. (Photo Courtesy of Pete Farnsworth)

In common parlance, “top spin” usually refers to a stroke in racquet sports where the ball is hit with a rising action and then dips over the net, making it hard to return. more

NET GAIN: Mira Shane guards the net this spring during her freshman season with University of Michigan women’s lacrosse team. The former Princeton High standout produced a solid debut campaign, playing in 17 games with four starts and posting a goals against average of 8.99 with 67 saves. (Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Athletics Communications)

Initially, Mira Shane focused on Ivy League schools as she looked at college women’s lacrosse programs. more

SOLID FOUNDATION: Eric Murdock, Jr. of Majeski Foundation, left, passes the ball last Friday at Community Park in game two of the best-of-three championship series in the Princeton Recreation Department Summer Men’s Basketball League. Murdock scored a game-high 19 points to help Majeski to a 62-55 win over King’s Pizzarama as it swept the series 2-0 to earn the title. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

After missing the opening game of the Princeton Recreation Department Summer Men’s Basketball League championship series, Eric Murdock was determined to make an impact when he hit the court for Majeski Foundation in game two last Friday. more

BACK ON TOP: Eric Liu powers through the water in a recent backstroke race for the Community Park Bluefish swimming team. Liu helped the Bluefish go 5-0 in dual meet action this summer as the program enjoyed its second straight undefeated campaign in Princeton Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) Division 1 action. Liu culminated the summer by taking first in the Division 1 boys’ 18-and-under breaststroke at the PASDA championship meet as the host Bluefish rolled to the Division 1 team title at the meet. CP swimmers piled up 3,805 points in winning the meet with Flemington-Raritan second with 2,158. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

With the Community Park Bluefish coming off an undefeated season in 2015, Mike Uchrin was looking forward to seeing what his swimmers could do this summer. more

GAIL FORCE: Becca Adlai-Gail displays her breaststroke form in a race this summer for the Nassau Swim Club Lemmings. Last week, Adlai-Gail won the Division 2 girls’ 18-and-under 100-yard individual medley, took second in the 50 freestyle, and third in the 50 butterfly at the Princeton Area Swimming and Diving Association (PASDA) championship meet. Her performance helped the Lemmings place second in the Division 2 team standings at the meet. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Liz Noles has fond memories of wiling away summer days with the Lenape Swim Club program. more

TOUGH DRAW: Emilia Lopez-Ona handles the ball this spring in her sophomore season with the Penn women’s lacrosse team. Former Princeton High star Lopez-Ona battled through injury to become a top draw specialist for the Quakers, coming up with 39 draws and adding a goal and three assists. Penn ended up going 15-5 in 2016 and advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals. (Photo by Don Felice/Penn Athletics)

Emerging as a standout from the start of her career with the Princeton High girls’ lacrosse team as a freshman in 2011, it didn’t take long for Emilia Lopez-Ona to draw the attention of some of the top college programs in the sport. more

BALL HAWK: Cody Triolo heads to goal in action this spring during his junior season for the Lehigh University men’s lacrosse team. Former Princeton Day School standout Triolo had two goals and two assists this spring for the Mountain Hawks in a two-way midfield role. (Photo courtesy of Lehigh’s Office of Athletic Communications)

For Cody Triolo, playing tough defense for the Lehigh University men’s lacrosse team helped give him the chance to display his scoring skills. more

INSIDE STUFF: Jordan Glover goes up for a stuff in recent action in the Princeton Recreation Department Summer Men’s Basketball League. Last Monday, Glover scored 10 points to help first-seeded Majeski defeat eighth-seeded Pediatric Therapy Solutions 74-60 in the league quarterfinals. Majeski will face fourth-seeded Rogue’s Gallery, a winner over fifth-seeded Clarke Insurance in the other quarterfinal Monday, in the semis on July 22. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

In 1989, Jimmy Glover starred as Trenton State College men’s basketball team enjoyed the best season in program history, going 30-2 on the way to the NCAA Division III championship game. more

HAVING A BALL: Julia Blake waits for a pitch in action this spring during her freshman season for the Haverford College softball team. Former Hun School standout Blake enjoyed a superb debut campaign for the Fords, batting .331 as Haverford won the Centennial Conference tournament and advanced to the NCAA Division III Super Regional, finishing with a 28-22 record. Second baseman Blake was named as an honorable mention All-Centennial Conference selection and made the Norfolk, Virginia NCAA Regional All-Tournament Team. (Photo by David Sinclair, Haverford Sports Information)

When Julia Blake was in middle school, she became fascinated with college softball. more

BRINGING HIS A-GAME: A.J. Surace takes a big cut in District 12 playoff action last summer. Last week, Surace, the son of Princeton University football head coach Bob Surace, starred on the mound and at the plate for the Princeton Little League’s (PLL) 10-year-old all-star squad as it went 1-2 in District 12 competition. PLL started the tourney by defeating Millstone-Roosevelt 11-7 and then fell 13-10 to Lawrence last Thursday and 19-6 to Robbinsville two days later to get eliminated from the tournament. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

After rolling to an 11-7 win over Millstone-Roosevelt in its opening game of the District 12 tournament play, the Princeton Little League (PLL) 10-year-old all-star squad ran into some adversity when it faced Lawrence last Thursday evening. more

ON THE BALL: Davon Black passes the ball in action last year in the Princeton Recreation Department Summer Men’s Basketball League. Former Princeton High star Black has helped Clarke Insurance catch fire in recent summer hoops action. Last Wednesday, Black scored 23 points as Clarke topped King’s Pizzarama 51-46. Two nights later, Black tallied 17 points as Clarke defeated Dr. Palmer 69-38 to improve to 4-4.  In action last Monday evening, Majeski Foundation defeated King’s Pizzarama 78-57 while Dr. Palmer edged Ivy Inn 46-44 and Jesse Krasna Hoops Training posted a 72-49 win over Rogue’s Gallery. Krasna is currently in first place with an 8-1 record with Majeski next at 7-1. The regular season concludes on July 13 with the playoffs beginning on July 18, featuring two quarterfinal contests at the Community Park courts. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

It was sweltering last Wednesday evening at the Community Park basketball courts, with the temperature hovering around 90 and the air thick with humidity. more

IN GOOD HANDS: Hun School star Luke Apuzzi gathers in a pass for the West team in the Sunshine Football Classic all star game last Thursday. Williams College-bound receiver Apuzzi caught two touchdown passes from PHS quarterback David Beamer to help the West to a 31-6 victory. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Luke Apuzzi sensed that the West squad possessed the firepower to light up the scoreboard at the Sunshine Football Classic all-star game last Thursday evening. more

MAKING A SPLASH: Rena White powers through the water this spring in the stroke seat for the Stanford University women’s lightweight varsity 8 during her freshman campaign with the program. Princeton High alumna White led Stanford to an undefeated season and the Intercollegiate Rowing Association (IRA) national championship. She was named as a first-team All-American and was one of three recipients of Stanford’s Block “S” Outstanding Freshman Female Athlete Award. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Joining the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA)/Mercer Rowing program as an 8th grader in 2010, Rena White emerged as a star for the club and set her sights on competing in college crew. more

GOING FOURTH: Members of the Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA)/ Mercer Rowing varsity women’s 8 plus coxswain crew enjoy the moment after placing fourth in the nation at the 2016 US Rowing Youth National Championships last month. Pictured, from left to right, are: senior captain Kate Hickey (Notre Dame High), sophomore Sara Hansen (WW/P-S High), junior Laila Shehab (Hopewell Valley High), senior Caitlin Cleary (Princeton High), senior coxswain Colleen Gillis (Freehold Township High), junior Katie Lustig (Council Rock North), sophomore Bridget Parker (PHS), senior Rachel Mumau (Millstone Township), and sophomore Mia Barkenbush (WW/P-S High).

Although this spring marked Caitlin Cleary’s third year on the top women’s 8 for Princeton National Rowing Association (PNRA)/Mercer Rowing, she had to deal with plenty of change. more

TRAINING SESSION: Jesse Krasna dribbles up court during 2014 action in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. This summer, Krasna has formed his own team, Jesse Krasna Hoops Training, and has guided the squad to a strong start as it improved to 5-1 with a 61-53 win over Ivy Inn last Friday. In other summer hoops action last Friday, Dr. Palmer edged Pediatric Therapy Solutions 54-53 and Rogue’s Gallery defeated Majeski Foundation 69-64. Krasna and Majeski are currently tied for first place in the league standings with Rogue’s Gallery and King’s Pizzarama just behind with 4-2 records. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Jesse Krasna has devoted himself to teaching and coaching. more

TRIAL PERIOD: Will Stange heads to victory in a backstroke race during his career with the Princeton High boys’ swimming team. This week, Stange, a rising junior at Cornell who took third in the 200 backstroke in the 2016 Ivy League Championships for the Big Red, is competing at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Omaha, Neb. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Will Stange was taking it easy last week, chilling at home after wrapping up his sophomore year at Cornell. more

LAST FLING: Princeton High quarterback David Beamer flings a pass in a game last fall. This week, Beamer will wrap up his high school football career as he plays for the West squad in the 20th annual Sunshine Football Classic at The College of New Jersey on June 30. He will be joined on the team by PHS teammates Matt Toplin and Rory Helstrom along with Hun’s Luke Apuzzi. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

David Beamer started his football career by battling in the trenches as a center for his Pop Warner team. more

POSITIVE IMPACT: Bill McQuade smiles as he surveys the action this spring in his 46th and final season coaching the Hun School baseball program. McQuade announced his retirement from the school early this year after having served as the math department chairman, the Head of the Upper School, and an assistant headmaster for administrative projects in addition to guiding the baseball program. The ebullient and upbeat McQuade is leaving a special legacy on and off the field. He ended his baseball career on a high note, guiding the Raiders to the state Prep A title this May in his final weekend on the job.

At first glance, there doesn’t seem to be anything special about the small office tucked away in a hallway on the first floor of Russell Hall at the Hun School. more

BACK AT IT: Bobby Brackett, right, looks to get around a defender in recent action in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League. Last Monday, -Brackett scored a game-high 16 points as Majeski Foundation, The College of New Jersey entry in the league, topped Dr. Palmer 65-47 and improved to 4-0.  Brackett, a star forward at TCNJ, is back in action after having been sidelined since last summer due to a torn achilles tendon. (Photo by Frank Wojciechowski)

Last year, Bobby Brackett was on the sidelines when The College of New Jersey entry in the Princeton Recreation Department Men’s Summer Basketball League advanced to the semis. more