Walking across campus on Sunday, it was not difficult to find a superhero. Flamboyantly dressed students and community members, running to raise money for the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, streamed across the Green for most of the afternoon, shouting out support to one another. But as the run came to a close, participants left their neon colors behind them and began to blend back into the crowd. For cross country star Abbey D'Agostino '14, it has become increasingly difficult to leave behind her superhero status. After all, there's not much to say about her accomplishments as an athlete that has not already been said by the national media. In an excellent profile published last month by Running Times, Sarah Lorge Butler traced D'Agostino's rapid rise to stardom after an unheralded freshman fall, summarizing some of her most notable achievements: multiple national track-and-field titles, near-qualification for the U.S. Olympic team and multiple top-three finishes at collegiate cross country nationals. Looking at D'Agostino's performances as a runner, it is hard not to view her as a real-life superpower.
To her teammates and friends, however, D'Agostino's dominating performances are only a small part of what makes her so special. Effusive in their praise, they seemed almost surprised by how humble she has remained and how down to earth she is even after all of her individual success.
"If you congratulate her on her own results, she'll be thankful but she'd rather talk about how the team did," cross country co-captain Arianna Vailas'14 said. "You'd never think it, given her success, but the team is really her number one goal. In general, Abbey's first priority is everybody else."
Talk to teammates, coaches or classmates about D'Agostino and they'll quickly mention her generosity and how much she cares about what is going on in other people's lives. It did not take long for those interviewed to come up with a story about how D'Agostino has supported them or a friend personally, whether by walking through race strategy after a disappointing result, helping injured teammates cope with the frustration of missing races even while injured herself or calming friends down in the face of looming exam deadlines.
"She's willing to sacrifice her own time, at any time, to sit down with you and walk through your problems, even when she has a million of her own," Vailas said. "Anybody who knows her well knows that."
D'Agostino's friends and coaches are also quick to mention her positive attitude, which many cited as one of the first things they noticed upon meeting her.
"There are no negative vibes from her at all," cross country head coach Mark Coogan said. "She's very positive. I don't exactly remember our first conversation, but I remember that almost immediately."
Hannah Rowe '14, a runner who first met D'Agostino on First-Year Trips, echoed that sentiment.
"She loves to laugh," Rowe said. "She will laugh at anything."
Often overlooked due to her success as a runner, D'Agostino has many hidden talents. Vailas noted that D'Agostino has an impressive knowledge of animated films, and is seemingly able to quote from any children's or Disney movie, including a favorite, "The Emperor's New Groove" (2000). Rowe, who sings on-campus with the Subtleties, added that D'Agostino has a surprisingly good voice.
"She would never tell anyone that, but she knows how to harmonize," Rowe said.
Friends note that D'Agostino's strong religious faith has helped her achieve success as an athlete and a leader, and her commitment to building the team over the last four years seems to be paying off this fall. Building on a series of strong performances, the Big Green women are currently ranked 11th in the country, meaning that D'Agostino might finally have some company at nationals, where she has competed alone in the past.
"She's really misses not having the whole team at nationals," Coogan said. "That's part of the reason this fall has been so great. We should have the whole team at the NCAAs if people stay healthy and we keep running well."
D'Agostino has helped to put the Big Green on the map. Coogan said D'Agostino's name recognition has widened the team's recruiting pool to the point where he can talk to any recruit in the country. At some events, she is even approached by opposing collegiate runners, who ask for her autograph.
But on a Tuesday night before the CHaD last week, it became clear once again that D'Agostino has not let her success change her attitude. While many classmates caught up on work or took midterms, D'Agostino spent part of her evening at Floren Varsity House, serving on a panel of elite runners that helped to fund-raise for the Children's Hospital.
"She's an amazing, amazing person," Vailas said. "She's really a role model for a lot of girls on the team. And you'd never know if you met her on the street that she's the talented, successful athlete she is."
