During the 2013-14 season, several freshman athletes have played major roles on their respective teams, becoming crucial players and even superstars in their first seasons in Hanover.
To commemorate the achievements of Dartmouth athletes and teams this past year, we introduced the first annual Sports Awards. So far, Nejc Zupan ’14, of the swimming team, was awarded best male athlete and Kristen Giovanniello ’14, a goalie on the lacrosse team, was awarded best female athlete.
This week, our third installment looks at the best freshman athletes. Vote on our website before noon Sunday, and we’ll announce the winner Monday on our website.
Patrick Caldwell '17: Nordic skiing, 10-kilometer, 20-kilometer
Patrick Caldwell ’17 did not have to travel far to come to Hanover, just about 20 minutes from Lyme. In his first season with the Big Green, the freshman was already an anchor on an incredibly strong Nordic ski team along with Silas Talbot ’15.
“I’m always looking long term,” men’s cross-country skiing head coach Ruff Patterson said. “He’s one of the most talented skiers to come into the program. He’s that level.”
The Nordic team and Caldwell were a force to be reckoned with on the slopes this season. The ski team placed second in six carnivals this season.
Caldwell notched a first, second and third finish in three carnivals this season. The high point of the freshman’s season came during the Williams Carnival, where Caldwell placed first in the 3x3.25-kilometer relay and the 10-kilometer race.
At the NCAA meet in Park City, Utah, Caldwell was the top finisher for the Big Green in both the 10-kilometer and 20-kilometer events, placing 22nd and fifth, respectively. His fifth-place finish in the 20-kilometer earned him All-American honors.
The trip, Caldwell said, was a great opportunity for the team to have fun and work together.
Karen Chaw '17: Softball, Outfield
Karen Chaw ’17 established herself early as a force to be reckoned with at the plate for the history-making softball team this season, smacking four home runs before the team entered Ivy League play. The freshman ended up with seven total, second on the team.
“She came in as a rookie and played like someone who was prepared for college ball,” head coach Rachel Hanson said. “We moved her to outfield, which she had never played before, and she worked hard to get better.”
Chaw’s 29 RBI was second on the team as well, trailing Katie McEachern ’16 by one. She also tied McEachern for the most starts and appearances this season with 50.
Chaw delivered when it mattered for the Big Green, knocking one home run in the Ivy League Championship Series against the University of Pennsylvania and coming close a couple more times, only to be robbed by great catches at the fence. Thanks to a walk in the second inning of the NCAA regional game against Arizona Sate University, Chaw also holds the designation as the first Big Green softball player to reach base in the NCAA Tournament.
Chaw said that winning the Ivy League Championship was her favorite moment of the season because it was a goal she set before arriving at the College in the fall.
Mike Concato '17: Baseball, Pitcher
Mike Concato ’17 came to Hanover as the baseball team was reeling from the loss of four of its starting pitchers to graduation and the draft and helped to satisfy, head coach Bob Whalen said, one of the team’s “top priorities.”
In his first start against then-No. 18 University of Kansas, Concato allowed only two runs in eight innings of work, nailing down a position in Dartmouth’s starting rotation for the rest of the season. The outing, Concato said, was the spark he needed to come into Ivy play with confidence in his pitch.
The Woodbridge, Connecticut, native went on to make 10 appearances for the team, striking out 28 batters. He became a critical player in Dartmouth’s sprint to the finish, wherein the Big Green needed a perfect 7-0 ending to conference play to make it to the Ivy League Championship Series for the eighth year in a row.
Concato threw 14 scoreless innings for the Big Green against Brown University and Harvard University, going the length of two entire games, before taking the start for Dartmouth in game one of the Championship Series. Concato’s incredible progress over the season, Whalen said, was unparalleled.
“I don’t know what bigger compliment I could give him besides starting him in the Ivy Championship,” Whalen said.
Luka Pejanovic '17: Heavyweight crew, First varsity eight
Hailing from Belgrade, Luka Pejanovic ’17 matriculated with an already impressive rowing pedigree. Pejanovic stroked for Serbia’s Junior National team in the 2011 and 2012 World Championships, holding a national record in the four man boat in his home country. His ability to contribute to the Dartmouth team, head coach Topher Bordeau said, “was apparent from the very first day of the school year.”
Pejanovic spent the entire season in with the first varsity eight, starting in the back of the boat. His most memorable moment from the season, he said, came during the Atalanta Cup when he rowed stroke seat, taking on the responsibility of setting the rhythm for the entire boat.
Pejanovic and the rest of the heavyweight crew team later beat Syracuse University in three of four boats — including the first varsity eight — in Hanover. The first varsity eight finished 12th at Eastern Sprints last weekend.
Even at a young age, the freshman has taken on major responsibilities, Bordeau said, using his natural affinity for racing to lead the rowers.
“He has a lot of critical characteristics for a rower but especially the stroke seat,” he said. “He races in a way that is easy for the guys in the boat to follow, but first and foremost, he’s just a really good racer.”
Fanni Szabo '17: Basketball, Guard/forward
Fanni Szabo ’17 led Dartmouth’s offense in several of the major categories including points with 369 in the season, averaging 13.2 per game. She was the only Dartmouth player to break into the top 10 points per game leaders in the League, finishing eighth overall. With 53 sinks from outside the arch, Szabo helped give the Big Green teeth on offense, playing 31 minutes on average.
The freshman star from Budapest burst on to the collegiate scene, scoring 21, 31 and 33 points in three of her first four games this season.
“First off from strictly the game side of things Fanni can score some points,” head coach Belle Koclanes said. “Her three point shooting is extremely lethal and very consistent, so she put up a ton of points for us, particularly early on when teams had no idea who Fanni Szabo was.”
In the team’s upset victory over eventual Ivy League champions the University of Pennsylvania, Szabo scored 12 of the team’s 53 points — tied for the most for the Big Green during the game. She was the only Dartmouth player to post two steals that game, matching her average, the second highest in the Ivy League. The game against the Quakers, Szabo said, was one of the most memorable moments of the season, because the whole team played together at a high level.
