Keat was named First Team All-Ivy three times in his career and was a Third Team NSCAA All-American in 2009. During Keat's tenure, the Big Green made three NCAA tournaments, including a narrow overtime loss to the University of California, Los Angeles in the Sweet 16 of last year's tournament.The team also qualified in 2008, although Keat missed that season due to an injury.
"It's a huge honor and pretty humbling because a lot of great athletes have been through Dartmouth and won the award," Keat said. "It was pretty special for me and the soccer program as a whole."
Keat, who won the Alfred E. Watson Trophy for best male athlete last year, said that he was unsure what to expect as he began his Darmouth athletic career. His hard work culminated in the Los Angeles Galaxy's selection of Keat in the first round of the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft.
Molly Scott '11 of the women's tennis team received the Class of 1976 award for best female athlete after leading the Big Green to a share of the first Ivy League title in program history. Scott was named First Team All-Ivy for the third year in a row and finished her Dartmouth career as the program's all-time wins leader in both singles (77) and doubles competition (88).
The Watson Trophy went to men's hockey goaltender James Mello '12, who was instrumental to the team's 19-12-3 record this season, it's best since the 2005-2006 season. Mello went 17-9-3 this past season with a 2.21 goals against average and a .926 save percentage, both of which ranked in the top two in the East Coast Athletic Conference.
Mello was named First Team All-Ivy for the first time in his career. He said he credits perseverance for his improvement from his sophomore season, in which he finished 4-5-2 in 16 appearances.
"It's a tough sport," Mello said. "I just waited my time, paid my dues and just kind of ran with it. It's an up and down sport, you can never really predict it."
While Mello said it was disappointing to be denied the program's first NCAA tournament bid since 1980, he believes that the pieces are in place for the team to achieve at least one of its three goals for next season: a League title, an ECAC title and an NCAA tournament bid.
"We played well all season and won some big games," Mello said. "I think we play the right kind of system and just need to stick to it. I felt like last year we had seven-goal games sometimes but 40 shots other nights and they just didn't go it. We just need to be consistent."
Several other athletes were honored Monday for their performance off the athletic field. Nordic skier Erika Flowers '12 and men's soccer player Adam Rice '12 were awarded the Class of 1948 Scholar-Athlete Awards for excellence in both athletics and academics. Flowers, a biology major, was a First Team All-American after finishing fourth at the NCAA championships in the 5K freestyle event and was also named to the Coaches' Association All-Academic Team. Rice, a midfielder, has excelled in the classroom as a government major and started 11 of the soccer team's 20 games, including all three in the NCAA tournament.
Kip Dooley '12, an attack player on the men's lacrosse team, won the Class of 1950 Award for community service. Dooley, who led the Big Green with 33 points this season, has worked with numerous student service groups, including the Prouty Bike Ride. He also traveled to South Africa to participate in the Multiculturalism and Human Rights Program in the fall of 2010.
Defenseman Katie Horner '11 of the women's hockey team won the Agnes B. Kurtz Award, given to the female athlete who best combines athletic achievement and the furthering of women's athletics. Horner captained Dartmouth to the NCAA tournament this season its third appearance in her four years and also serves as the Student Athletic Advisory Committee president.
Football wide receiver Tanner Scott '11 won the Timothy Wright Ellis Award given to the male athlete who best shows "extracurricular and scholastic drive, spirit, loyalty and amiability." Scott was also honored by the Athletic Department with the Class of 1948 Award last year.
