Student-athletes from men’s and women’s cross-country, soccer, women’s rugby, volleyball and men’s and women’s soccer shared how they are preparing for the fall season.
Lanny Everett | | 33 minutes ago
Source: Courtesy of Natalie Shapiro
This article was originally published in the 2022 Freshmen Special.
Student-athletes from Dartmouth’s cross-country, football, women’s rugby, volleyball and soccer teams are gearing up for their respective fall seasons. Many have their eyes on the league title and shared that the team’s close-knit culture allows them to excel, whether it’s a three-peat or a first-time championship. We’ll take a look at some of Dartmouth’s most promising teams heading into the season and see how they’re preparing and how we can see them in action.
Men’s and Women’s Cross Country
According to cross-country team member Albert Velikonja ’25, the men’s cross-country team hopes to do well in the Ivy League Heptagonal Championship this year and qualify for the NCAA Championship.
“We are all really excited, incredibly committed and really care about how each other is doing,” said Velikonja. “It will be difficult, but I think there is a great opportunity to make it happen.”
Velikonya said most of the men’s cross-country will return from last year, with the exception of freshmen. This is an advantage that allows the team to achieve both goals.
Velikonja finished 28th in the Heps last season and 45th in the NCAA Northeast Regional.
Men’s cross-country last season finish in 8th place At the NCAA Northeast Regional Meeting, five Dartmouth student-athletes finished within 41 seconds of each other. Additionally, at the Ivy League Heptagonal Championship, Dartmouth climbed his three places from his eighth place in 2019 to finish fifth.On the other hand, women’s cross-country finished in 6th place Heps finished 11th at the NCAA Northeast Regional Championships in Boston, with Corrine Robitaille ’23 leading the way to the big green with 16th and 28th respectively.
The women’s cross-country team shared the goals of the men’s cross-country team, to do their best at Heps and compete well in the NCAA regional competition, said Julia Fenati ’23, women’s cross-country captain.
“As a team, I think we can do better at Heps than we ever have,” Fenerty said.
both Men’s When Women’s The cross country will open its doors at the Vermont Invite on September 3rd at the University of Vermont in Burlington, Vermont.
football
This season, captain Quarterback Nick Howard ’23, safety Quinten Alero ’23 and defensive end Shane Cokes ’23 lead a 2022 football team that welcomes 23 new recruits. back to back Ivy League Championship Title.
Wide receiver Paxton Scott ’24 said the team practices at least 20 hours a week during the season. Scott said the team’s main goal is to win an Ivy League championship, but he also said that, like every year, seniors want to play a role in mentoring the next player. I was.
Scott added that seeing older players take underclassmen under his belt has inspired his desire to take on a larger leadership role this year and make the first team All-Ivy.
“The next step is to help the rest of the team prepare for the season and games,” Scott said. “We have a lot of talent in every position. [we have a goal] It’s about maximizing our ability each week. ”
will of football kick off 2022 season against Valparaiso University at Memorial Field on Saturday, September 17th.
women’s rugby
Dartmouth Women’s Rugby start the season with high hopes as the latest winners of the NIRA National Championship. Defeated Army West Point 28-18 last fall. Big Green is looking to defend that national title.
Team member Anjali Pant ’24 said: “We’re just trying to keep the ball rolling, trying to figure things out and keep smashing it.”
While under pressure, Punt said he likes to memorize the team’s slogan, “with you.”
“[‘With you’] “I’m on your side” or “I’m on this tackle with you, I’m on your side,” Punt said.
Women’s rugby will play its first match against Long Island University at home to Brophy Field on 1 September.
volleyball
The volleyball team will start the 2021 season with 4th place finish In the Ivy League – an improvement from the team’s record in recent years finishing in the bottom half of the league rankings. According to co-captain Ellie Blaine ’24, the team wants more.
“Definitely our long-term goal is to win the first-ever Ivy League Championship, and then also qualify for the Division I NCAA Tournament,” she said.
Blaine said she believes one of her team’s greatest strengths is their sense of trust and closeness to one another.
“We are very close, so I think knowing that we can trust each other really helps us on the court,” Blaine said. “If each teammate works the individual pieces of the puzzle, you’ll find it works.”
Dartmouth volleyball begins Season It will be held on September 2nd at the University of California, Irvine. Big Green will face Sacred Heart College, Holy Cross College, and University of California, Irvine in the tournament.
men’s and women’s soccer
The Will of Big Green Women’s Soccer get 6 Freshman of the year recruited by head coach Ron Rainey. Center forward Daisy Granholm ’24 said the team aims to focus on playing as a cohesive front as the season approaches.
“In football, you play either direct transitions, lightning-fast games, or technical possession styles that keep the ball, the best defense is attack,” Granholm said. “I think we’re just trying to define ourselves as a team and where we fall on that spectrum.
women’s soccer will Open The Ivy League will face Brown University in Hanover on September 24th. Granholm, who is playing for the first time since last season’s ACL injury, hopes the students will show up to support his team in the season opener.
Men’s soccer team Cade Kiesling ’24 Ivy League first game They will face Princeton University at Barnum Field in Hanover on October 1. Last season, the team lost to Princeton in extra time after drawing the game in the second half. Kiesling said the team in particular wants better scoring opportunities.
”I know we finished with a goal or two in a lot of games last year, and if we hadn’t taken our chances, the season could have been the other way around,” Kiesling said. “It could have been almost undefeated.”
Only time will tell what these teams will achieve, but many student-athletes approach the fall season with great anticipation and a commitment to supporting each other on and off the field.
