This week marks the beginning of the celebration of 25 years of women's athletics for both the College and the Ivy League.
Yesterday, a traveling photo display featuring an illustrated timeline of Ivy women's athletics and recognizing over 200 outstanding athletes and teams was installed in Alumni Gymnasium. The timeline will be on display throughout the week and will then circulate through the other Ivies.
The celebration will officially begin with a brunch program this Saturday in the West Gym of the Alumni Gymnasium. The College will honor those students who were selected as members of the Silver Anniversary teams for field hockey, soccer, sailing and skiing.
In field hockey, Dartmouth honorees are Kate Perle '88, 1987 Ivy League Played of the Year, and goalie Lauren Demski '96, holder of nine Dartmouth records.
Soccer honorees are forwards Chris Gates '89, the all-time leading scorer as well as a three-time All-Ivy team choice, and Melissa McBean '97, the soccer program's first All-American and a four-time All-Ivy team member.
All women who have been involved in competitive athletics at Dartmouth since 1972 were invited to vote for members of the all-star team for their sport. The top two vote-winners in each sport become the Dartmouth representatives on the Ivy League Silver Anniversary team.
Associate Director of Athletics Josie Harper oversees the celebration.
"We have contacted over 2,000 alumnae and current student athletes, inviting them to select the outstanding athletes in their spot," Harper said in a College press release. "The response has been excellent. In fact, I believe it's been better than any other college."
Dartmouth's members to the Silver Anniversary teams for all other sports will be announced during the year.
This week's festivities are the first of three events scheduled at Dartmouth for the year. Dartmouth, in conjunction with National Girls and Women in Sports Day, will host members of the 11 Ivy League championship basketball teams on Feb. 4.
The third event scheduled for next spring is still in the planning stages. There will also be a conference and banquet in April in New York City that builds on the theme, "Remembering the Past, Celebrating the Present and Embracing the Future."
Although the first women's sports teams began in 1972 with field hockey, basketball, squash, tennis and lacrosse, the anniversary events are scheduled this school year because the first contested Ivy League championship occurred in 1974 in rowing.
The women's rowing championship last spring was also part of the silver anniversary festivities.
