From the frigid racing tracks of Anchorage, Alaska, to a basketball court surrounded by more than 10,000 fans, several Dartmouth teams and individual athletes made appearances on the national stage this year.
The Big Green baseball team (27-18, 16-4 Ivy) took the Ivy League Championship this year, following a season marked by the second highest number of wins in the program's history.
Despite ending their NCAA tournament run after losing their first two games members of the baseball team said they were pleased with the season's outcome.
"It feels tremendous to get this far, it's always been our goal and our first order in training was to be Ivy League Champions," captain Robert Young '10 said. "Last year, we watched Columbia celebrate on our field with a bitter taste in our mouths, and that was the driving force behind how hard we've worked to go all the way."
Nick Santomauro '10, who was honored as Ivy League Player of the Year for his performance in the outfield and at bat, was placed on the All-New England Division I Second Team, while shortstop Joe Sclafani '12 was named the conference Rookie of the Year. Santomauro was drafted by the New York Mets in the tenth round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Draft on June 10.
The College's football team, however, this year saw a win-less season for the first time since 1883.
The team suffered its worst defeat to the University of New Hampshire, falling 42-6.
The men's soccer team (11-6-2, 5-1-1 Ivy) captured the Ivy League Championship this year, earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament in the fall. Despite a decisive 7-0 loss to No. 1 Wake Forest University in the second round, seven individuals earned All-Ivy accolades, including Ivy League Player of the Year Craig Henderson 09 and Rookie of the Year Lucky Mkosana '12.
"We started out with a little bit of a rough patch this season, and it could have gone one of two ways the team pulled itself together to win the last five games needed to win the league," goalie Sean Milligan '09 said. "It was the most rewarding of my four seasons here."
Continuing its tradition of excellence, the Dartmouth ski team ended its undefeated season this year with a seventh place finish in the NCAA Championships. The women's Nordic team was led by Rosie Brennan '11, who ranked first in the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association for 2009, and Sophie Caldwell '12, who aided the team with multiple first-place finishes, while also competing in the World Junior Championships. Courtney Hammond '11 led the women's alpine team in both the slalom and giant slalom events, while Patrick O'Brien '10, Nils Koons '11 and Ben True '08 steered the men's Nordic team to multiple first-place finishes. True graduated after Winter term.
After falling to McGill University in an exhibition game opener, the Dartmouth women's hockey team (20-10-4, 13-5-4 ECAC) started its season triumphing over Princeton University. The women posted a five-game winning streak, becoming ECAC Champions after cruising to an easy 6-1 win in the finals against Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Sixteen athletes received All-Academic All Honors, including goalie Carli Clemis '09, who was named to ESPN The Magazine's Academic All-District First Team.
The women's basketball team excelled this year, ending its season as Ivy League Champions after posting a 13-1 record in the Ivy League. Led by captains Darcy Rose '09 and Koren Schram '09, who both were named to the All-Ivy team, the women's basketball team made it to the first round of the NCAA Tournament, where the team fell to top-seeded Maryland. Brittney Smith '11, who led the Big Green in scoring with 409 points, was named Ivy League Player of the Year and Dartmouth's most outstanding female athlete of the year.
"For me this was probably one of the best years," Rose said. "Playing Harvard to clinch the title was definitely a highlight of the year, especially since it was at home with a big crowd."
Men's hockey and basketball had respectable seasons as well, though neither captured their league titles. The basketball team (9-19, 7-7 Ivy), led by Alex Barnett '09, narrowly missed a chance at the Ivy League title in the final weekend of game play. Barnett's efforts, however, were not unnoticed, as he was awarded Ivy League Player of the Year. Barnett received numerous other honors this year, including being named to the Division I All-District 13 first team and earning an All-American honorable mention from the Associated Press.
The men's hockey team put forth several heart-stopping performances on the ice, including a 2-0 victory in a home game against Princeton, which was highlighted by Big Green fans pelting the court with tennis balls. Captain Rob Pritchard '09 led the team (14-14-3,11-9-2 ECAC Hockey) to the first round of the ECAC Tournament where it lost to RPI. Scott Fleming '11 led in scoring with 13 goals, while the newest addition to the starting team, goalie Jody O'Neill '12, was deemed the Ivy League Player of the Year and the ECAC Hockey's Rookie Player of the Year.
While the women's lacrosse team did not gain a bid to the NCAA Tournament finals this year, individuals on the team excelled. The women finished third in the Ivy League this year and ended the season with an overall 8-7 record.
Goalie Julie Wadland 10 was nominated for the Tewaaraton Award, distinguishing her as one of the 23 top collegiate lacrosse players in the nation, while defender Colleen Olsen '10 was named Dartmouth's top junior scholar-athlete.
The men's lacrosse team (4-11, 1-4 Ivy) opened its season with a thrilling 11-10 overtime win over the University of Hartford, only to follow with five consecutive losses.
Head coach Bill Wilson resigned at the end of the season after a disappointing season for the Big Green.
Certain athletes also achieved individual success, including golfer Peter Williamson '12 and track and field's Emily Daly '09. Williamson led his team to fourth place in the Northeast Invitational, and went on to capture the Ivy League Championship in a three-hole playoff, before pocketing both the Rookie of the Year and Ivy League Player of the Year honors. Williamson ended his season at the NCAA Men's Division I Golf Championship, placing 41st with a three-day score of 230.
Daly capped her Dartmouth career at the track and field's NCAA Regional, where she placed seventh in the hammer throw with a toss of 54.47 meters and then moved on to the second day of competition along with Chris Zablocki 10, who placed 16th in the shot-put event with a throw of 14.44 meters.
Daly, who also helped the women's track and field team place third in the ECAC Championships, earlier this week represented Dartmouth in the hammer throw at NCAA nationals in Fayettville, Ark.
Rounding off the year on a high note were the women's crew team and women's sailing team, who both participated in national tournaments this year.
Women's crew earned a bid to the NCAA Championships for the first time in 1999, while the sailing team placed seventh in the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association Women's Nationals.
