This weekend the women's lacrosse team was not the only team laying claim to the label "dynasty." The Big Green women's sailing team won the New England Women's Championship Reed Trophy on Sunday for the second consecutive year, qualifying for the ICYRA National Dinghy Championship in the process.
Dartmouth overcame inclement weather on the Charles River in Boston to finish first in the field of 17 schools with 123 points. Tufts followed with 144, and Harvard finished third with 151.
Erin Maxwell '01 and captain Leslie Sandberg '01 teamed up to capture the A division with 55 points. Jen Morgan '02 and Esther Freeman '01 secured the win with a second-place finish in the B division with 68 points.
"What really gave us the edge on the competition was the morale and energy of the whole team there," Sanderberg said. "We were in great spirits in spite of the rain and better able to concentrate on the task at hand."
Coach Brian Doyle was enthusiastic about the team's finish and their outlook for the nationals.
"The team is in a great spot," Doyle said. "They have experience on their side, but are also young and excited. Now we have five full weeks to prepare for the nationals."
The national championship will be held at St. Mary's College of Maryland on May 28-30, and will showcase the top 18 teams in the nation.
After last winning the national championship in 1992, the Dartmouth women have not finished out of the top four. All this was done with a different set of players each year, which shows how consistent the women's program has been through the years.
In the last poll released, the Big Green was ranked second in the nation behind USC. Doyle believes their latest win will vault them into first.
