This year saw three Ivy League team titles for the Big Green in women’s cross country, equestrian and softball. During the 2013-14 season, several female athletes and women’s sports have catapulted themselves to the national stage, breaking League and school records and collecting accolades, some of which Dartmouth has never seen before.
Here at The Dartmouth, we wanted to commemorate the achievements of Dartmouth athletes and teams this past year, which is why we’re introducing the first annual Sports Awards. Each week in May, we will present a different category. This week, the second installment is best female athlete. Vote on our website before noon Sunday, and we’ll announce the winner in Monday’s Sports Weekly.
Abbey D'Agostino '14: Cross country, track and field, Mile, 3,000 meters, 10,000 meters, 5,000 meters
Abbey D’Agostino ’14, the most decorated Ivy League athlete of all time, has won seven national titles and 16 Ivy League titles. She is the only woman to ever win the Ivy League outdoor title in the 10,000-meter, 5,000-meter and 3,000-meter in a career, as well as both the 3,000-meter and 5,000-meter in back-to-back years at indoor nationals.The senior said her favorite moment was when the team won the cross country Heptagonal Championships.“Because we had actually come so far in a matter of one year and because of the injuries and physical and emotional stuff we went through the year before, we were super motivated to reach our potential this year,” she said. “After coming in second-to-last, to be able to win and feel confident about it even before racing was huge for us.”Dartmouth has catapulted to national prominence over her four years. Former head coach Mark Coogan credits her friendly demeanor as critical to the program’s success.“Abbey is just the most genuine, passionate, friendly world class athlete I’ve ever been around,” he said. “It’s amazing to me that she doesn’t have a mean bone in her body and she can be the toughest kid I’ve ever seen on the track. She just leads by example, and the rest of the team follows.”
Dana Giordano '16: Cross country, track and field, 3,000 meters, distance medley relay, 1,500 meters
Dana Giordano ’16 has had a stellar sophomore campaign for the cross country and track and field teams, now boasting two Ivy League titles and two All-American honors to her credit.Giordano placed fifth at the cross country Heptagonal Championships to help secure the Big Green’s victory. She then placed 31st at the NCAA Championship meet, earning her first All-American honors.“It was so amazing because we were having this huge turnaround season and things were coming into place,” she said.Giordano continued her strong season on the indoor track, capturing the Ivy League title in the 3,000-meter race. At NCAA Championships, she ran the 1,600-meter leg of the distance medley relay. The team placed eighth, and Giordano earned her second All-American honor. In the spring, she took home the 1,500-meter crown at the outdoor Heptagonal Championships.“Dana is very regimented and more businesslike than Abbey,” former head coach Mark Coogan said. “If practice is at three o’clock, it’s at three o’clock. It’s not at 3:05. I think that’s one of her really good attributes. She wants everything to be really well organized and set up and ready to go. She’s very tough and talented.”
Kristen Giovanniello ’14: Lacrosse, Goalie
Despite her team’s tough year, senior goalie Kristen Giovanniello ’14 went out in style, playing every minute between the pipes for the women’s lacrosse team (6-8, 3-4 Ivy). Giovanniello turned 124 shots aside throughout the season, good enough for second in the Ancient Eight. The senior’s 46.3 save percentage was tied for best in the Ivy League.Giovanniello has anchored the team since her freshman year, starting all but one game over her four years. Throughout her career, the senior has amassed 529 saves and played in four NCAA Tournament games, posting a 1-3 record. Her lone win came against Boston College last season. Giovanniello posted 12 saves in the team’s 11-8 victory in which they were outshot 29-19.This year, without a NCAA berth in play, Giovanniello did not get dismayed and turned in one of her best performances of the season in a 9-8 win against Harvard University.“It was a great way for me and the entire senior class to go out with the win,” she said. “I think we knew it was our last game suiting up for Dartmouth, and we really wanted to make it a memorable one.”The senior kept the Dartmouth women close in the first half, saving 13 of Harvard’s 22 shots, en route to 16 total for the game.
Morgan McCalmon'16: Softball, Pitcher, designated player
Morgan McCalmon ’16 was just named the Ivy League Player of the Year, the first time in history that a Dartmouth student has won the award.The sophomore led the League with a .389 batting average and was tied for fifth in home runs and RBI. The sophomore slugged .593 this season, second on the Big Green. The offensive powerhouse also led the Ivy League with a stunning .441 on base percentage.Yet McCalmon is a force to be reckoned with on the mound, serving as the second half of Dartmouth’s dynamic pitching duo alongside Kristen Rumley ’15. With a 10-5 record, McCalmon boasts the second lowest earned run average for the Big Green (2.49) and struck out 93 batters this season. Her stats on the mound place the sophomore sixth in the League in wins and ERA, as well as fifth overall in strikeouts.McCalmon played an integral role in Dartmouth’s first ever Ivy League Championship in softball, earning a save in the Ivy League Championship Series against the University of Pennsylvania.McCalmon’s growth since freshman year, head coach Rachel Hanson said, has helped her perform and take pressure off of Rumley on the mound.“Morgan in her own right has been a dominant pitcher,” Hanson said, “and I think her bat speaks for itself.”
Kristen Rumley '15: Softball, Pitcher, designated player
Dartmouth’s fast-pitch canon Kristen Rumley ’15 has racked up an astounding 1.86 earned run average, good enough for an 18-7 overall record. Rumley led the League in strikeouts with193. The next highest total in the Ancient Eight is 131. She also led the League in wins with 18 and saves with four. The junior was awarded the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year Award as well as a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy First Team.In the Ivy League Championship Series against the University of Pennsylvania, Rumley accounted for both wins on the mound. She also scored the go-ahead run in game three. The team rallied from a 2-0 deficit in the sixth before Rumley finished the game in the top of the seventh, securing a berth in the NCAA Tournament.The junior posts the fourth-best batting average on the team, and makes up for her lack of power with timely hitting. Rumley pounded 43 hits, including 11 doubles, and 15 RBI on the season out of the seven hole for the Big Green.Rumley, head coach Rachel Hanson said, is composed and calm, critical attributes for a softball pitcher, and has been a leader on the team in many ways.“She’s the best pitcher in the League,” Hanson said. “We’ve been on her back for the last two years now, and she’s done a great job with it.”
