Tensions are high as the last play of the game begins. The center snaps the ball, and Jake Angelucci ’24 springs into action. Lined up against the opposing team’s defensive tackle, Angelucci lunges up and mounts a hit that sends him sprawling onto the turf, giving the quarterback just enough time to lob the ball into the end zone. A flawless touchdown, giving the win to the Tigers!
At a young age, Angelucci was first introduced to football by his dad and his three older brothers, who were all passionate about the sport.
“[I] looked up to my father playing football,” Angelucci said. “As a kid, [football] just always felt natural.” 
His first time playing football was in middle school, when Angelucci joined the Princeton Junior Football League Then, after gaining football experience in his middle school years, Angelucci joined the PHS football team. While playing, head football coach Charles Gallagher was immediately able to take notice of Angelucci’s skills from the rest of his teammates.
“Jake has done a great job [as a captain]” said Gallagher. “He understands the game... and all the positions, even like tailbacks and quarterbacks.” 
Every year since he started playing, Angelucci has continued to improve, piling on experience from the previous seasons. For Angelucci, his massive strides can be credited in large part to his strength training.
“The way I improved over the years was starting off in the weight room, getting my strength up... coming in [to highschool] as a freshman I wasn’t nearly as strong as I am now. Football is a very physical sport that you need strength for,” Angelucci said.
It hasn’t always been an easy path for him though, as the team has dealt with a few struggles in previous years. 
“I believe that one of the biggest problems was our practice mindset... we would go into our games, almost expecting to lose,” said Angelucci. “And this year, we're going to games expecting [good outcomes] and trying so during practice. We're getting good energy and we're getting practice [to help] us set us up for a win at the end of the week.”
A key factor in the success of the team this year is that Angelucci strives to be a positive influence for his teammates. In the off season, the football team hosts practice games to organize the team and build connections. Most important for the team is reaching out to rising 9th graders who will participate in the fall.
“It all starts off with the first contact, getting them to come out to practice,” said Angelucci. “Once they’re there, its a matter of teaching them and making them feel like a part of the team to get better.”
Along with encouraging the new players, Angelucci’s forward and positive mindset has changed the way the whole team looks at games.
“You can never be down no matter what the score or whats happening,” said Angelucci. “You have to be constantly positive, encouraging everyone to play better and put 100% out on the field.”
Along with inspiring team talks, Angelucci is a mentor to his teammates. His fellow offensive lineman Leo Sarett ’25 has learned a few things from him. 
“Over the offseason, he was one of the main reasons I got into the weight room,” Sarett said. “He's always inspiring me... and he's always making me work harder... [it’s] a nice high, positive reinforcement... [that helps me] learn from [mistakes].”
Angelucci stepped into the role of captain rather seamlessly. He has been playing on the varsity level ever since his sophomore year, and he’s always been devoted to the team. The impact Angelucci left on his teammates was the reason he was voted co-captain of the team. As an outspoken player who shares advice with his teammates, Angelucci has become part of the stepping stone towards the team’s progress. 
"Jake has done a great job [and] he's probably one of our more avid guys in the offseason,” said Gallagher. “[The team] was just really focused on winning that first game... [and] took that to heart. I think Jake was a big part of that.”
With the strong bonds he’s forged with the team, Angelucci has strived to become a better team player and captain for all. The Little Tigers have taken last year's progress and added on to it, finishing the season with a record of 5 - 4.
“Football teaches you a lot about life –– [it’s] a lot more than people might think,” said Angelucci. “It’s a thing where you build connections with your friends and [become] a family.”

Jake Angelucci ’24: Football

Ball in hand, pitcher Jonathan Tao ’23 steps up to the mound. He heaves a slider, the
famous pitch of his favorite player, Los Angeles Angels’ Shohei Ohtani. The ball spins
and dips abruptly as it reaches home plate, leaving no time for the batter to get a swing
off. The umpire announces, “Strike three, you’re out!”
 Tao’s grandfather inspired him to begin playing baseball, and talking to him inspired
Tao to keep playing over the years. From Little League games to varsity baseball, Tao’s
grandfather has had a major impact on his
baseball career.
 “My grandpa was a catcher,” said Tao. “I visited him every year... [and he’d] ask, ‘How
are you doing [with baseball]?’’’
 As a pitcher, Tao is the face of the defense. Every play begins with his pitch, so it is
important that he throws a good one. He has a few types of pitches
to choose from, including the fastball and several off-speed
pitches. The speed he gets on his fastball makes it difficult
for batters to hit it, as his aim is to confuse batters as to
where the ball is headed.
 Tao tries to have pitches such as the curveball and slider
come off with more spin and variability, which adds to
Tao’s extensive toolbox while on the mound.
 One of Tao’s biggest assets is his
communication and leadership role on the
team. It’s common to see Tao shouting out instructions
and relaying information from the coach to the
rest of his teammates. Dominic Capuano, head
baseball coach, talked about his admiration for
Tao’s
leadership.
 “Jon has done a good job of being a voice for the
coaches,” said Capuano. “He [gets] the message
across that we are delivering and keeping the
team in line. Being a captain is an extension of
the coaching staff and he has done a good job
with that.”
 Through his supportive words, Tao’s leadership has
carried the team to greater heights and provided a
sense of empowerment for all of his teammates.
Jai Justice ’25, the third base player and pitcher for the
boys varsity team, expressed his admiration for Tao
as well.
 “Jonathan is a great captain for the team. He keeps the
team motivated and is an excellent communicator,”
Justice said.
 Tao’s path to his current spot on the varsity roster
wasn’t without difficulties. A series of shoulder
dislocations early on in his high school career set Tao
back, including one in eighth grade and another in
his sophomore year. But no matter how many times
he got injured, he would always come back to playing
baseball as a result of his dedication and love for the
sport.
 “[Jonathan] has done a good job of putting the
injury out of his mind and just playing free,” said
Capuano. “He’s been a mainstay at the top of our line
up and he could be most vulnerable to reinjury, and
it hasn’t affected him at all.”
 While Tao has always bounced back from his low
points, his baseball career almost came to an early
end.
 “Around ninth grade I was really hard on myself. I even considered quitting
[baseball],” said Tao. “I didn’t quit because I knew that failure was always a part of it,
and so if I wanted to keep playing I had to deal with it.”
 So far, this year’s baseball season has been going well, with Tao and Wes Price ’23
as the co-captains of the PHS boys varsity baseball team. They won their first game
against West Windsor Plainsboro North with authority; the final score was 14–4.
 “Our win against West Windsor North shows that when we put the pieces together,
we play really well,” Tao said.

Jonathan Tao ’23: baseball

As the spring season begins, the PHS girls
golf team sets off in full swing for the first time.
The team had made an impressive start to their
first year as a PHS sports team, carrying a 3–0
record so far as they aim to maintain their peak
form heading further into the season. The team
dominated the Lady Bombers Tee Off Classic
Tournament on April 19, achieving first place.
 “We’re gonna have three home matches this
season, which is a lot fewer than we’ve had in the
past. But that’s super exciting, especially because
we get to go on . . . a much nicer course to play with
in the past,” said Madeleine Zang’s ’23, PHS girls
golf team captain.
 This year, the team has seven new additions,
ranging from new players to experienced golfers,
who weren’t on the co-ed team the previous
season.
 “We have a bunch of seniors and a lot of
freshmen I think that signed up. So I think [that
is a] really interesting district team dynamic,”
Zang said.
 Despite the changes in the team roster, they have
developed a strong, dynamic, and supportive
atmosphere, contributing to a tight knit team
culture both on and off the course.
 “I think that [the team has] a really positive vibe,”
said Shreya Gaekwad ’25, one of the new members
of the girls team. “Everyone’s supportive [of] each
other and [we] play as a team.”
 The team practices allow the players to improve
their golf game in an encouraging, yet competitive
atmosphere that motivates the golfers to record
lower scores on the course.
 “I believe I have become more consistent on the
course and I can definitely see that coming from
the fact that I am basically playing on the course
everyday,” said Raima Srivastava ’25, one of the
golfers on the girls golf team. “I can see my score
improving everyday.
Prior to this year, the PHS Golf Team had been coed. Efforts from Zang, as well as the current boys
golf team Coach Patrick Noone, were the backbone
for the start of a separate team.
 “[After the 2021 county tournaments], more girls
showed interest, and the boys golf coach, Patrick
Noone, met with the superintendent over multiple
years to institute a Princeton High School girls golf
team, which was finally approved for this school
year,” said Zang. “I know that I, along with all of
the other members of the golf team, were ecstatic
about having our very own team.”
 Girls golf Coach Jess Monzo is eagerly anticipating
stepping into this new role due to his background
in coaching wrestling, as well as guiding the players
with an encouraging mood.
 “It is extremely polar opposite from the other sport
I coach at PHS. Golf is very laid back and relaxing,
but the mental aspect is very much similar,” said
Monzo. “The truth is in golf you have to continue
to stay positive.”
 While the journey to getting the program into
play has been challenging, the players are making
the most out of this opportunity. As they strive to
level up their game, at the same time, they also look
forward to making valuable memories through
their commitment to golf.
 “A memorable time with the team was playing
‘best ball’ on the course, where you play golf and
play from the best shot,” said Srivastava. “It’s always
such a fun game and we don’t have to worry about
our scores, [since] it’s mostly for practice and fun.”
 What originally started out as a dream has become
a reality for Zang’s senior year season.
 “So far this season, our team has been playing
amazing, and everyone has shown immense team
spirit,” said Zang. “For the future, I hope the
Princeton High School girls golf team continues to
thrive; I know that we are all excited to see how far
our team can go in the game of golf!”

PHS girls golf team kicks off their first season

Taking a deep breath, Katherine Monroe ’23 positions herself on the block. As the pistol fires, she pushes off with force, gaining momentum with every stride she takes. Her eyes are centered on the finish line.
Having been with the track team since sophomore year, Monroe has had time to get settled in, and become a main contributor of the team. While many people think that track and field is an individual sport, Monroe believes that team bonding and group races are just as important as individual ones. Monroe takes to heart that a positive and supportive team environment is crucial to their success. 
	“We all like to listen to music together on the bus [to the New York City Armory Stadium],” said Monroe. “In the past, we liked to get off at rest stops and get food. Everyone's super supportive of each other, taking videos of other peoples races and getting pictures together.”
This continued hard work has also rewarded Monroe on a personal level. A couple of weeks ago, she recorded a 55 meter hurdle in 8.81 seconds, a new school record. To beat the school record, Katherine practiced extensively with Thomas Harrington, an accomplished coach who has won 31 championships. Track is a game measured in milliseconds, so every aspect of her game had to be analyzed, everything from her push off the starting block to her stride length. 
“Breaking the school record was such an exciting achievement and I’m really proud to see my work pay off,” said Monroe. “My coaches deserve so much credit for their help and support too.”
Head Track Coach Benjamin Samara, has been coach since 2012 and seen many great players come through the high school track team. For him, Monroe is up there with the best.
	“Kathrine is not only an amazing leader, but an amazing athlete, and one of the hardest working people we have on our team,” Samara said. “You know that if you give Katherine something [to do], she's gonna do it to the best of her ability.”
Looking forward to the high school track nationals in the spring, Monroe has remained focused on doing well at the meet. The highest competitions require the highest levels of concentration, and with this being her second time at Nationals, Coach Samara feels she knows what she needs to do.
“You have to go confident, and not be scared at Nationals, because it's the best of the best,” said Samara. “It's really just about focusing on your lane and not worrying about the people around you.”
For this year's National qualifications for relay racing, Monroe and the team were able to beat the time by 2 whole seconds, with everyone on the team running record times. With this time, the relay team was able to qualify for the track and field national competition. 
Ishaq Inayat ‘25, who specializes in long jumping, recognizes the impact that Monroe has had on the squad.
 “Katherine is a great captain,” said Inayat. “[she] leads by example through her running.”
Monroe feels blessed to have spent 3 years working with her teammates and coaches. With Nationals on the horizon, Monroe knows there are still more records to be broken.
“I’m really glad that I get to cap off my senior year with such a great group of people,” Monroe said. “Hopefully there will be more personal records and memorable times to come!”


Katherine Monroe ’23: track and field

Twenty-five feet in the air, with all eyes on her, Geneva Kasziba ’26 gets ready to dive. She flips through the air, flawlessly executing her routine. As she makes contact with the pool water, she makes a splash barely noticeable to onlookers. The judges, impressed with her performance, raise their scorecard and give her a “10.”
   The PHS diving team was established this year when divers Kasziba and Alyce Baird ’26 wanted to compete outside of their club team practices. Both divers, with the help of the athletic director, were the driving forces behind the creation of the PHS diving team. 
   “We decided that we wanted to start diving for school and we reached out to the athletic director,” said Kasziba. “The school basically sponsors us to go ... and we represent the school ... against other schools in competitions.” 
   While Kasziba and Baird both dive for a club team outside of school, the new PHS diving team opens
new doors that they previously couldn’t have, such as competing in this year’s state diving competition.
The New Jersey state diving competition took place at Montgomery High School on February 28th. Prior to this, Baird and Kasziba qualified for states through other school competitions. At Montgomery, Baird and Kasziba placed seventh and seventeenth respectively. This was a major accomplishment for the two, as they were competing with the best divers in the state.
   Supervising the divers at competitions is PHS History Teacher and Diving Team Advisor Rick Miller, who’s son is on the same club diving team as Baird and Kasziba. Naturally, he decided to take up the offer to become the diving coach; it was easy to supervise    
the team while watching his son dive. While the divers make it look easy, the small margins and skill
required to pull off each routine highlight the difficulty of the sport. “It’s called a back and a half,” said Kasziba, when asked about one of her favorite dives. “So you do a backflip, and then you basically go in with your hands.” This complicated dive involves a lot of balance 
and precision; one miscalculation could end up creating a huge splash. 
   The season came to a close with successful results from both athletes, and the future of both divers looks extremely bright.
   “Both divers [are] very impressive,” said Miller. “As PHS freshmen, 
they have many years of diving success ahead of them.”       

Jaiden Jain-Edwards's Work

The Tower