August 5, 2012 · 1:00 pm

Former Harvard Defensive Lineman Now Running NBC’s Olympic Coverage

IviesinLondon.com is dedicated to highlighting the achievements of all the current and former Ivy Leaguers who are competing or coaching in the 2012 Summer Games. But the League’s presence in London does not stop on the court, or the field or in/on the water. In fact, what American fans watch online and on TV is being orchestrated by none other than a former Ivy student-athlete.

Jim Bell has served as executive producer of NBC’s The Today Show for the past seven years. He knows the course of the broadcast will be dictated by the action in the Games. But the former Crimson defensive tackle is up to the task.

As a member of Harvard’s defensive line from 1986-88, Bell was part of the Crimson’s Ivy League champion squad in 1987. He culminated his collegiate career with a first-team All-Ivy selection in 1988, along with fellow defensive lineman Don Peterson. Bell started at NBC soon thereafter when he was hired in 1990 to profile athletes for the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. He has worked each Summer Games since, as well as the 2002 Winter Olympics.

In 2005, Bell joined The Today Show, and has helped the program earn five Emmys, seven Edward R. Murrow Awards and nine Headliner Awards. Bell himself won Emmys for his work on the 1992, 1996, 2000 and 2002 Olympics and a Peabody for NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony. Bell also earned Emmys for the 1997 NBA Finals and Wimbledon tennis in 1998.

Bell took over as producer of NBC’s Olympic coverage from his mentor, Dick Ebersol (Yale ’71), who resigned as NBC Sports chairman in May but then returned to the sports division as a senior advisor to Mark Lazarus, chairman of the NBC Sports Group. Ebersol will continue to assist with NBC’s Olympic Coverage, which means that NBC’s Olympic coverage will be under the direction of not one, but two Ivy League graduates.

Read more about Bell:
NY Times: With Ebersol Gone, NBC Passes Broadcast Baton to ‘Today’ Producer

ShermanReport: Meet Jim Bell, NBC’s Executive Producer For Olympics

Baltimore Sun: Established Storytelling, New-media Outlets for Olympics and NBC

Journal Sentinel: NBC-TV’s London Olympics has a new Orchestra Leader

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· 12:09 am

Sunday, August 5

Here is the listing of events that involve Ivies for Sunday, August 5. If there is no mention of the event being broadcast on TV, check NBCOlympics.com for the online broadcast.

Harvard sophomore Temi Fagbenle and the Great Britain women’s basketball team will face Brazil at 5:15 p.m. on the NBC Specialty: Basketball channel.

Columbia’s Sherif Farrag will compete for Egypt in the fencing men’s foil tournament, which will start at 4:00 a.m. and end with the Gold medal bout at 2:15 p.m.

In sailing, Dartmouth’s Erik Storck will skipper his 49er class boat in races 12 (9:30 a.m.) and 13 (10:20 a.m.) and Yale’s Sarah Lihan will take to the water for the 470 class races five (8:00 a.m.) and six (10:30 a.m.). at 9:05 a.m.

The marathon will begin at 6:00 a.m., featuring Columbia’s Lisa Stublic, who is running for Croatia. Fans can watch the event on NBC. Later in the day, the men’s 3,000m steeplechase final will take place, with Princeton’s Donn Cabral competing. Cabral placed fourth in his heat on Friday to earn a berth in the finals.

NBCOlympics.com Broadcast Schedule for Aug. 5

Schedule of Olympic Events

Olympic TV Schedule

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August 4, 2012 · 2:02 pm

Scanlan and Lawrence Help USA to Women’s Epee Bronze

Princeton’s Maya Lawrence ’02 and Susannah Scanlan ’14 helped Team USA to a bronze medal in Saturday’s epee team competition. To win Bronze, the Americans edged Russia, 31-30, in a dramatic fashion as Courtney Hurley scored the winning touch in a sudden death bout. It marked the first women’s epee medal in U.S. history (women’s epee was added to the Olympics in 1996).

With the Bronze medals, Lawrence and Scanlan moved the Ivy League’s medal count to 14 (five Gold, four Silver, five Bronze) and won the League’s first medals outside of rowing.

The USA team, which also included Kelley Hurley, opened with a 45-35 win over Italy to book a place in the semifinals. In the semis, Korea bested the Americans, 45-36, to knock them into contention for Bronze where they triumphed over Russia. China beat Korea, 39-25, to take the Gold.

Sada Jacobson (Yale ’05), Emily Cross (Harvard ’09) and James Williams (Columbia ’07) were the last Ivy League fencers to medal at the Olympics. All fencing for the USA at the Beijing Games, Jacobson won a bronze in team sabre and added a silver in individual sabre, Cross took silver in team foil and Williams took silver in team sabre.

U.S. women’s epee team wins bronze in London Olympics

U.S. women’s epee fences their way to bronze, first U.S. medal (WITH VIDEO)

Team USA Wins First Womens Epee Medal in Olympic History

 

 

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Filed under Columbia, Fencing, Harvard, Princeton

· 11:15 am

Full Circle: Penn’s DeFrantz Hands Out Gold

On Thursday morning after the United States women’s 8 boat held off Canada to win Olympic Gold for the second consecutive Olympics, Penn’s Anita DeFrantz, bestowed fellow Ivy League grads Caryn Davies (Harvard ’05), Esther Lofgren (Harvard ’09), Susan Francia (Penn ’04), Caroline Lind (Princeton ’06) and Taylor Ritzel (Yale ’10) and the rest of the U.S. team their Gold Medals.

A 1976 bronze medalist at the Montreal Games with the USA women’s eights, DeFranz is currently on the IOC’s Juridical Commission, the Finance Commission and the Sport and Law Commission. She is also the chair of the IOC’s Women and Sport Commission and the IOC Athletes’ Commission Election Committee and won her Olympic Bronze a year before graduating from Penn’s law school.

Earlier this year, http://www.IvyLeagueSports.com ran a feature on DeFrantz as part of a Black History Month celebration. To read that feature, click the link below:
The Ivy Influence: Anita DeFranz

 

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Filed under General, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Rowing, Yale

· 6:55 am

USA’s Almost All-Ivy Men’s Four Boat Wins Bronze

Team USA’s almost All-Ivy men’s four boat of Henrik Rummel (Harvard ’09), Glenn Ochal (Princeton ’08) and Charlie Cole (Yale ’07), along with teammate Scott Gault, took Bronze on the final day of Olympic rowing at the Eton Dorney Rowing Centre. It marks the first Bronzes of the League’s 2012 rowing medal count (five Gold, four Silver, three Bronze).

Great Britain won the race in 6:03.97, followed by Australia (6:05.19) and USA (6:07.20). The fourth-place boat, Greece, finished more than four seconds behind the Americans.

The Americans started in lane five after the lanes were redrawn due to winds. After 500 meters, Great Britain held a slight lead on Australia with the rest of the field level at about a boat length back. But from there, the three eventual medalists separated themselves from the pack.

At the halfway point, to the delight of the home crowd, Great Britain led by a deck over Australia, with the US about a length back of the Aussies. The Americans made a move heading into the final 500m, but were unable to overtake Australia, which in turn was unable to catch up to Great Britain.

Rummel, Ochal and Cole become the first Ivies to earn an Olympic medal in the men’s fours since Doug Burden (Princeton ’88) won Silver in the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Ending the 2012 Games with 12 rowing medals (five Gold, four Silver, three Bronze), the Ivies have the highest combined rowing medal total (men’s and women’s) amongst Ivy rowers since the 1984 Los Angeles Games when they combined for 14 (1 Gold, 12 Silver, 1 Bronze).

Complete men’s four results are here.

In other rowing action on Saturday, Princeton’s Gevvie Stone won the women’s single sculls B final to place seventh overall. Stone started fast and was neck-and-neck with the Lithuanian Donata Vistartaite after 500m, then took the lead into the 1,000m mark. She led by a deck after 1,500m and increased that lead to cross the line in 7:45, more than two seconds ahead of Vistartaite.

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August 3, 2012 · 7:54 pm

Matheson and Team Canada Advance to Women’s Soccer Semifinals

Princeton’s Diana Matheson (Princeton Athletic Communications)

With a 2-0 quarterfinals win over home-standing Great Britain on Friday, Diana Matheson (Princeton ’08) and the Canadian women’s soccer team advanced to the semifinals and assured themselves that they will play for a medal at the 2012 London Games. Canada will now face the United States at 2:45 p.m. (ET) on Monday, August 6 at famed Old Trafford. The US advanced to the semifinals with a 2-0 win over New Zealand.

Matheson helped Canada to a 1-1-1 mark in group play and she has played the full 90 minutes in all four of Canada’s games at the 2012 Games. Against Great Britain, she also added a shot while teaming with Desiree Scott in the Canadian midfield to stifle Great Britain’s offensive efforts.

With a win over the Americans, who are a perfect 4-0 at the London Games, Canada would advance to the Gold Medal Game against the winner of the France-Japan semifinal. The losing semifinal teams will square off in the Bronze Medal Game.

Read more about Matheson’s efforts here:
London 2012: Team GB women crash out of Olympics with defeat to Canada

Soccer medal or bust for Diana Matheson

 

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Filed under Princeton, Women's Soccer

· 5:00 pm

Saturday, August 4

Here is the listing of events that involve Ivies for Saturday, August 4. If there is no mention of the event being broadcast on TV, check NBCOlympics.com for the online broadcast.

Penn’s Koko Archibong and the Nigerian men’s basketball team will face Argentina in their second-to-last game in group play. The game will start at 5:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on NBC’s Specialty: Basketball channel.

Princeton’s Maya Lawrence and Susannah Scanlan will compete for Team USA in the women’s fencing team epee tournament, starting at 4:00 a.m (Team USA starts at 5:30 a.m.). The Gold medal match will begin at 2:15 p.m.

The US women’s field hockey team, featuring Princeton sisters Julia and Katie Reinprecht (players) and assistant coach Nate Franks (coaching staff), will take on New Zealand at 2:00 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on NBCSN.

The almost All-Ivy boat of Henrik Rummel (Harvard), Glenn Ochal (Princeton) and Charlie Cole (Yale), along with teammate Scott Gault, will compete in the Gold medal race of the men’s four, starting at 5:30 a.m. After placing fourth in her semifinal on Thursday, Princeton’s Gevvie Stone will compete in the Final B of the women’s single sculls, starting at 4:30 a.m. NBC will broadcast highlights of the rowing action from 3:45 p.m. – 4:15 p.m.

In sailing, men’s and women’s 470 class action continues. Yale’s Sarah Lihan will race at 9:05 a.m. (race three) and 10:20 a.m. (race four), while fellow Bulldog Stu McNay will compete in races five (9:00 a.m.) and six (10:15 a.m.) on the men’s side.

The first round of the men’s 400m will take place at 5:35 a.m., with Columbia’s Erison Hurtault competing for Dominica. Cornell head track and field coach Nathan Taylor is serving in the same capacity for the US Virgin Islands. Track and field action can be seen on NBC from 11:15 a.m. – 11:45 a.m., 1:30 p.m. – 2:00 p.m., 4:15 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. and as part of its primetime show from 8:00 p.m. – midnight, as well as on MSNBC from 4:45 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

NBCOlympics.com Broadcast Schedule for Aug. 4

Schedule of Olympic Events

Olympic TV Schedule

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Filed under Basketball, Columbia, Cornell, Fencing, Field Hockey, Harvard, Penn, Princeton, Rowing, Sailing, Track & Field, Yale

· 2:30 pm

Fencing Roundup and a Look Ahead to Women’s Epee

The U.S. women’s epee squad from left to right: Susannah Scanlan, Maya Lawrence, Courtney Hurley and Kelley Hurley (USA Fencing).

On Friday morning, the U.S. men’s sabre squad, including Columbia’s James Williams ’07, opened the team competition with a quarterfinals loss to Russia, 45-33 and were then knocked-off by China, 45-28. Then, with Columbia’s Jeff Spear ’10 joining the fray as a sub for Williams, the Americans were defeated by Belarus, 45-35, to place eighth. Williams went 25-30 on the day, while Spear posted a 9-15 mark versus Belarus.

Looking ahead to Saturday, Princeton’s Maya Lawrence ’02 and Susannah Scanlan ’14 will compete for Team USA in the women’s fencing team epee tournament, which starts at 4:00 a.m. (ET). Joined by Notre Dame products Courtney and Kelley Hurley, the Americans have a tough quarterfinals draw as they will square off with Italy at 5:30 a.m. (ET). Women’s team epee is returning to the Olympic Games after taking its turn off the rotation at the Beijing Games. Currently ranked fifth in the world, the Americans will be looking to score and upset and fight their way onto the podium.

Here is a quick overview of how the Ivy fencing contingent has fared thus far in London

Columbia
Sherif Farrag ’09, Egypt (fencing, men’s foil)
- Team Foil: Aug. 5

Nzingha Prescod ’15 USA (fencing, women’s foil)
- Indiv. Foil Rd. of 32: Aida Mohamed (Hungary) def. Prescod, 15-10
- Team Foil Quarterfinals: Korea def. USA, 45-31 (Prescod T: 2-2, L: 5-4, W: 6-4)
- Team Foil Consolation 5-8: USA def. Japan, 44-22 (Prescod W: 4-0, W: 5-0, W: 6-4)
- Team Foil Consolation 5-8: Poland def. USA, 45-39 (Prescod L: 5-3, L: 4-2, L: 7-5)

Nicole Ross ’12, USA (fencing, women’s foil)
- Indiv. Foil Rd. of 32: Ines Boubakri (Tunisia) def. Ross, 15-8
- Team Foil Quarterfinals: Korea def. USA, 45-31 (Ross L: 5-3, W: 4-3, L: 9-6)
- Team Foil Consolation 5-8: USA def. Japan, 44-22 (Ross W: 6-5)
- Team Foil Consolation 5-8: Poland def. USA, 45-39 (Ross did not fence)

Jeff Spear ’10, USA (fencing, men’s sabre)
- Team Sabre Consolation 5-8: Belarus def. USA, 45-35 (Spear L: 5-3, L: 5-3, L: 5-3)

James Williams ’07, USA (fencing, men’s sabre)
- Indiv. Sabre Rd. of 32: Nikolay Kovalev (Russia) def. Williams, 15-12
- Team Sabre Quarterfinals: Russia def. USA, 45-33 (Williams L: 5-3, L: 5-3, T: 5-5)
- Team Sabre Consolation 5-8: China def. USA, 45-28 (Williams L: 5-4, W: 8-5, L: 5-2)
- Team Sabre Consolation 5-8: Belarus def. USA, 45-35 (Williams did not fence)

Princeton
Maya Lawrence ’02, USA (fencing, women’s epee)
- Indiv. Epee Rd. of 32: Lawrence def. Mara Navarria (Italy), 15-12
- Indiv. Epee Rd. of 16: Rossella Fiamingo (Italy) def. Lawrence, 15-7
- Team Epee: Aug. 4

Susannah Scanlan ’14, USA (fencing, women’s epee)
- Indiv. Epee Rd. of 64: Olena Kryvystka (Ukraine) def. Scanlan, 15-13
- Team Epee: Aug. 4

Soren Thompson ’05, USA (fencing, men’s epee)
- Indiv. Epee Rd. of 64: Joerg Fiedler (Germany) def. Thompson, 15-4

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