Patty Kazmaier-Sandt (January 8, 1962February 15, 1990) was a four-year varsity letter-winner for the Princeton University women's ice hockey team from 1981 through 1986. The Patty Kazmaier Award is named in her memory.
Kazmaier was a student-athlete at Middlesex School in Concord, Massachusetts. While she was there, she played ice hockey, was co-captain of the field hockey team and earned All-New England honors in lacrosse. Besides sports, Kazmaier was also co-editor and publisher of the school's literary magazine.
While at Princeton, she helped lead Princeton to the Ivy League Championship in three consecutive seasons (1981-82 through 1983–84). During her time at Princeton, she was a four-year varsity ice hockey letter-winner.[1]
After taking a leave of absence from Princeton in 1984–85, Kazmaier was named to the All-Ivy League First Team and the All-Eastern College Athletic Conference First Team as a senior in 1985–86. In addition, she was the Ivy League Most Valuable Player. Kazmaier graduated from Princeton in 1986 with a bachelor's degree in religion.
While at Princeton, Patty was a member of the Two Dickinson Street Co-op, and an actress. Kazmaier died on February 15, 1990, at the age of 28 after a long struggle with thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, a rare blood disease. She was survived by her husband, Mark J. Sandt, and by her daughter, Serena. Her father, Dick Kazmaier, also a graduate of Princeton University, won the Heisman Trophy in 1951.