Several Dartmouth student-athletes shine in representing the Big Green both on and off the field. On Tuesday, 10 Big Green athletes were recognized with Academic All-Ivy League honors for their accomplishments in the spring. Varsity athletes are eligible for the honor if they are starters or key reserves on their team and maintain a 3.0 grade point average.
Six seniors, three juniors and one sophomore were recognized with the award. Eight of these athletes earned the recognition for the first time, while Peter Williamson '12 was honored for the third consecutive year and Kip Dooley '12 was chosen for a second time.
Williamson, a member of the golf team, also earned All-Ivy honors for the fourth time and won the Ivy League individual title for the third time.
While undertaking a busy schedule of practices, tournaments and classes, athletes must set goals to stay focused and motivated to succeed in all their endeavors, according to Williamson.
"It's a give and take," Williamson said in an email to The Dartmouth. "I have a certain set of goals both in the classroom and on the course."
Dooley, who was a captain of the men's lacrosse team, finished the season with 26 points, the second highest on the team.
Dooley said that Dartmouth's quarter system places an added burden of stress on athletes' lives.
"For a while, I thought that the quarter system was a really good thing because you have less on your plate," Dooley said. "But I realized the 10 week terms are actually more stressful because the accelerated pace is tough and [the terms] go by so fast."
Jeff Keller '14, Connor Reilly '13, Josh Konieczny '13, Molly Wilson '13, Alexi Pappas '12, Sarah Plumb '12, Kat Hicks '12 and Hayley Daniell '12 each earned Academic All-Ivy honors for the first time.
In his second season playing baseball for the Big Green, Keller finished with a .352 batting average, which placed him tied for fifth place in the Ivy League.
Unlike the average course load at schools on the semester system, taking two or three courses can be extremely beneficial for athletes, Keller said.
"There's a lot of work in each class, but if anything, the quarter system makes it easier to focus and narrow down your priorities when you're in season," he said.
Reilly, a sprinter on the men's track and field team, served as a captain of the team this spring and was named the team's most valuable player.
"I try to make a plan of what I am going to do each day and each week to stay on top of everything," Reilly said.
Konieczny, a lightweight rower, was a crucial contributor to the team's success this year, helping the lightweights achieve their second-place national ranking at the end of the season. Just as teammates push each other to improve on the water, students in a classroom pressure each other to perform better academically, he said.
"The quality of students at Dartmouth has forced me to adhere to higher standards," Konieczny said in an email to The Dartmouth.
Wilson, a member of the sailing team, was named second-team All-New England Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association for her contributions to the team's strong performance this spring.
Pappas, a distance runner on the track and field team, earned First Team All-American honors, took third place in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at nationals and was named to the first team All-Ivy this season.
"For me, it helps to treat every aspect of my life as I do running, which means enjoying what I'm doing, but also doing things with discipline," Pappas said in an email to the Dartmouth.
Plumb, a member of the women's lacrosse team, earned First Team All-American honors and the Ivy League Player of the Year. Plumb said coping with the magnitude of stress was essential to her success, because participating in sports often doubles the pressure athletes have.
"There are equal amounts of pressure to perform athletically and academically at Dartmouth," Plumb said in an email to The Dartmouth. "You want to be successful all across the board."
Hicks, a pitcher and utility player for the softball team, was recognized as All-Ivy Honorable Mention this season for her contributions to the team's second place finish in the North Division. Like many athletes at Dartmouth, Hicks praised Assistant Athletics Director for Student Enhancement Anne Hudak for the academic support she provides to all varsity athletes.
Daniell, a member of the women's crew team, was named a Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association All-American on top of her Academic All-Ivy achievement.
"Dartmouth has really helped me to learn my strengths and weaknesses in terms of studying efficiently and effectively so that I could balance academics with practices and races, as well as with other important aspects of athletic performance, like sleeping enough and eating well," Daniell said in an email to the Dartmouth.
In addition to the individual recognitions, Dartmouth led the nation in the Academic Progress Rate Public Recognition Awards, with 23 teams earning the distinction this year, according to a June 22 College press release. The award is given to teams whose Academic Progress Rate, a measure of eligibility, ranks in the upper 10 percent in their respective sports. This year marks the first time that Dartmouth has had the most teams honored with the awards.
