The award winners at the annual Dartmouth Celebration of Athletic Excellence on Monday, May 22, walked away with more than hardware. They left with a message from their coaches and the College--they represent the best of Dartmouth Athletics.
Colleen Kelly '07 of the women's soccer team and Nick Bonacci '07 of the men's lacrosse team both won one of the most prestigious athletic honors, the Class of 1948 Scholar-Athlete Award, which is awarded to the best male and female student-athletes of the junior class.
"I feel so honored to be recognized by the College for my work both on the field and in the classroom," said Kelly. "Especially in the presence of my teammates and coaches who have been and are so supportive of me."
Cross-country skier Alison Crocker '06 received the Kenneth Archibald Prize, which goes to Dartmouth's best all-around student-athlete. In her Dartmouth career, Crocker has maintained a 3.98 grade point average, been selected as a Rhodes scholar and chosen to the U.S. Junior World U-23 team.
Crocker's other accomplishments include an 18th-place finish in both the sprint race and 10-kilometer classic event at the U.S. Championships in the past year. She earned her fourth All-America honor of her career this year.
Ben True '08 won the Alfred E. Watson Trophy as the most outstanding male athlete at Dartmouth. Starring in cross-country, track and field and skiing, he finished fifth in the 10-kilometer classical cross-country event at the NCAA ski championships. He also won the Heptagonal title in the 1500-meter run.
Angie Soriaga '06 won the Class of 1976 Award with her outstanding performance as a basketball player this year. She is the career leader at Dartmouth for assists and this year and was a unanimous selection to first-team All Ivy. She helped her team to back-to-back Ivy titles as a junior and a senior.
Krista Perry '06 of the women's basketball team won the Class of 1950 Award, awarded to the varsity student-athlete with the most extraordinary commitment to community service.
Andrew Mayer '06 of the men's lacrosse team took home the Timothy Wright Ellis Memorial Award because of his hard work in academics and athletics.
Julia Drury '06 of the women's squash team earned the Agnes Kurtz Award for her excellence in athletics and her dedication and undying support for women's sports.
"I love squash, and over my four years at Dartmouth I've worked hard to both improve my own game, but also to introduce new players to the sport," said Drury. "This award will always remind me of that."
The physical education department gave out an award to the most improved student-athlete in the program. Hema Mohan '06 received the prestigious Charles Quincy Tirrell Prize for her hard work this year.
"Since I arrived at College I was awed by the athletes I met at this College, it never occurred to me that anyone might consider me 'physically excellent,'" said Mohan. "So, while I'm nowhere near all the other people who were awarded things that night, it was nice to see someone noticed my work."
Todd Rabkin Golden '06 won the Kenyon Jones Award for showing commitment and passion for recreational sports.
The Dartmouth Celebration of Athletic Excellence is one of the most memorable events of the recipients' Dartmouth careers. The award ceremony was especially inspirational to the seniors.
"There's still a while to go, but I feel inspired a little more to keep going now," said Mohan.
Others plan to keep and cherish their awards for as long as they have them.
"[My] award...is a beautiful painting of Baker Library and it will serve as a great memento of my Dartmouth experience," said Kelly. "It is something that will stay with me for the rest of my life."
