This article is featured in the 2026 Commencement special issue.
Most legacies are left in people’s minds and hearts. The Class of 2026 added another location: the trophy case. For the graduating class, the past four years have featured league championships, MVPs and an enduring commitment to Big Green pride.
The Dartmouth sat down with eight star athletes of the Class of 2026 to learn more about their time competing for the Big Green and their plans after graduation.
In March, men’s hockey won the Eastern College Athletic Conference championship, bringing home the cup for the first time in program history.
“Coming in as a freshman, we won five games,” forward Cam MacDonald ’26 said. “To go out last year and win an ECAC championship and a program-record 23 games, it’s really special.”
MacDonald finished the season with a career-high 22 points, playing defense in at least 30 games each year with Dartmouth. His teammate and senior captain Tucker McRae ’26 echoed MacDonald’s feeling of accomplishment as they plan to hang up the skates.
“It’s really special to see how when a group commits and really believes in a message and a goal, you can accomplish some pretty amazing things,” McRae said.
McRae will be moving to New York City to work in finance after graduating, while MacDonald has found a role as a software engineer. While their hockey careers may be coming to an end, as MacDonald put it, the friendships and time with Dartmouth Hockey “[go] so much beyond sports.”
Carrying on that championship standard, Andie Murray ’26 outran everyone to win the Ivy League outdoor track title in the 800 meter race this past spring. She credits her success to the spirit and connectivity of the team.
“The type of closeness we have on our team is not something that I feel is common across the NCAA,” Murray said. “Fostering that type of team atmosphere allows for special things to happen.”
After a third-place finish last year, Murray is finishing off her Dartmouth career on a major high note.
“No matter how fast I was running, my coaches and teammates always believed in me,” Murray said. “… The Ivy title is just as much theirs as it is mine.”
She hopes to hit the ground running after graduation, planning to enroll in a master’s program for clinical health as well as competing in the International University Sports Federation Games in Lima, Peru this coming summer.
On the snow, John Steel Hagenbuch ’26 had a similar winning experience in his years racing for Dartmouth nordic skiing. He has earned national championships in 2024, 2025 and 2026 in the 7.5K freestyle and classic events and is a seven-time All-American nordic skier. In March, he also represented the United States in the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics in the men’s 10K interval start freestyle and 4 x 7.5K relay.
To compete at such a high level, Hagenbuch has had to leave campus for months on end. However, he feels this opportunity only adds to his appreciation for the College.
“Because I’ve kind of been on the outside looking in, it makes me all the more grateful and cognizant of how special this place is,” Hagenbuch said.
Hagenbuch shared his thoughts on competing again for Team USA in future Olympics, emphasizing that he will never be as “grateful” for the sport as he was during his time with Dartmouth.
“I was the top American in my event at the Olympics, so I could continue to ski for Team USA ostensibly for the next two Olympic cycles,” he said. “… It truly doesn’t get any more special or fulfilling than it is to be a Dartmouth skier.”
Shifting to the bullpen, Mac Burke ’26 is leaving campus with a similar appreciation for his community in the baseball team. The right-handed pitcher was an ace for the Big Green this past season, earning first team All-Ivy honors with a team-low 2.19 earned run average .
“I really loved my four years here,” Burke said. “I loved the school, the team, the coaches, everybody, but I’m looking forward to the future.”
Next season, Burke will be using his final year of eligibility to pitch for the Pennsylvania State University Nittany Lions, going up against some of the nation’s best hitters in the Big Ten conference.
Speaking of countrywide dominance, Katelyn Walker ‘26 has been a huge contributor and leader for women’s rugby throughout her time at Dartmouth. Last season, she earned MVP during the Big Green championship run in the sevens national tournament. Still, in addition to the “moments of success,” the little things have stood out to her.
“Whether I’m doing a workout or just walking to class, I feel like I’m always surrounded by people I love,” she said.
Walker will be participating in Team USA rugby camps this upcoming summer.
It wouldn’t be right to omit the recent success of the football team. The Big Green took home consecutive shared Ivy League titles in 2023 and 2024, combining incredibly talented rosters with hard work and consistency.
“It felt great to just go out there every day and compete with my best friends, but also to be very successful in what we’re doing,” defensive back Sean Williams ’26 said.
Williams led the team with four interceptions in 2023, kicking off a great run of production and leadership in the Dartmouth secondary. He received an invite to the Tennessee Titans rookie camp this past month and will be on their emergency list this summer.
Williams’ teammate, wide receiver and senior captain Daniel Haughton ’26, said he will also look to continue his football career by using a fifth year of eligibility to play for another program before eventually attending law school. Haughton sees this period as a time of reflection.
“It definitely makes you wish you could go back in time and relive the moments again,” Haughton said.
It goes without saying that these athletes, among countless others in the Class of 2026, have held up remarkable standards and brought so much to our community at Dartmouth. We in the sports section at The Dartmouth would like to thank them for their commitment to excellence and for always taking the time to connect with those around them.
