Ethan (‘23) is a sports writer for The Dartmouth. He is from Little Rock, Arkansas and plans to major in economics with a minor in government.
The Ivy League’s November cancellation of winter sports, and its decision not to move fall sports to the spring, have dashed senior athletes’ hopes for a proper sendoff. Due to the league’s staunch policy against graduate athletic participation, many student-athletes have transferred out of the conference to take advantage of their final years of eligibility.
On Thursday, the Ivy League announced the cancellation of all winter athletic competition. For the sports affected — basketball, ice hockey, indoor track and field, skiing and squash — there is currently no timeline for resuming competition prior to the 2022 season. Athletes and coaches said that while the decision was not a surprise, it was still difficult to receive the news.
As an unusual fall term draws to a close, Dartmouth’s sports teams have continued to find ways to practice while adhering to COVID-19 guidelines. Currently, all teams remain in stage two of the College’s three-stage return-to-sports protocol.
On-campus student-athletes have begun ramping up their practices to prepare for potential seasons this winter or spring. Most teams are entering phase two of the athletic department’s three-phase return-to-sport protocol, which was designed in conjunction with Ivy League policies.
After playing over 150 seasons combined, the men’s and women’s golf teams’ trajectories came to an abrupt end as part of the athletic cuts this summer. Reflecting on the legacy of the programs, both current golfers and alumni fondly recalled the sense of community they found through the sport.
As the academic year begins, every Dartmouth student faces a vastly different college experience, with performance groups, clubs and other extracurricular activities holding few in-person gatherings. For club sports, which rely on the physical presence and close contact of team members, transitioning to a remote format has proven especially difficult.
In a letter to the Board of Trustees on Aug. 25, 13 members of the swimming and diving team alleged that the College’s decision in July to cut five sports teams discriminated against Asian athletes. Signers of the letter, after conducting an informal survey of athletes at the College, claim that the program eliminations have reduced the number of Asian athletes at Dartmouth by nearly half.
After 28 years coaching the Big Green, Barry Harwick ’77, director of the track and field and cross country programs, announced his retirement from the program effective September 30. During his tenure, Harwick led the men’s cross country team to six Ivy League Heptagonal Championships titles and 10 NCAA Championship appearances.
While Dartmouth students may only have four years on campus, they make connections that last well beyond their time at the College.
In the final voting round of The D Sports Awards, The Dartmouth sports section has selected five nominees for Female Athlete of the Year and five nominees for Male Athlete of the Year. In order to vote, students and community members can click on the link in the article to cast a single ballot. The results for all awards will be revealed next Tuesday, June 2.
The Dartmouth: Through the Ages presents a curated collection of the newspaper's archives from 1900 to the present.
