In her last season at Dartmouth, Betsy Gilmore '94 is pulling out all the stops.
She returned this year to complete her final year of eligibility on the women's basketball team. With her tenacious and catch-me-if-you-can style of play, Betsy Gilmore has not only made her mark in the record books, but also in the minds of all who watch her.
"Betsy is a remarkable player," said Coach Chris Wielgus. "She has such speed and quickness with her hands and feet, and is one of those players that is just innately talented."
With a combination of both talent and hard work, Gilmore set a new school record this year for steals, with 321. This season alone she already has 62, the 10th highest single-season total ever.
"Its hard to look at the statistics and determine what kind of player I really am," Gilmore said. "The steals are meaningful to me because it means I'm working hard on defense. I contribute to the game defensively, whereas a lot of my teammates are amazing offensive players."
Teammate Kira Lawrence '96 said "It is so reassuring to play with Betsy, because you know even at crunch time she'll pull through for you. She's one of the most intelligent players I know."
"Intelligence" is a great word to describe Gilmore's success. Only a smart player could hold the school steal record, while also standing second in the record books for assists. She leads the team with 63.
Gilmore did not play basketball her junior year for personal reasons, and the time away proved to be beneficial for her basketball career.
"I had such a greater appreciation for the game when I returned," Gilmore said. "When I came back, everything fell into place, and I was so happy to be out there on the court again. I realized how much I had taken for granted."
The team did not take Betsy for granted, however, and went on to win the Ivy title. Despite losing to Brown in NCAA playoff game, the team finished out the season with a 16-6 record overall, 11-3 in the Ivies.
And Gilmore was named Ivy Player of the Year.
"We want to win the Ivies again this year" she said.
"We've had a tough start, though, and it has taken us a while to gel as a team again. After the Penn game [Dartmouth won, 79-55] we started to feel like things were clicking again. We're excited about the upcoming Ivy games."
Gilmore is a psychology and education major and is looking into teaching after she graduates.
But she also admits she would love to coach at some point. "I love basketball and always have," she said.
The feeling is mutual; Dartmouth basketball loves Betsy Gilmore, and always will.