Year in Sports 2018
Multitude of Wins: Coach of the Year, Runner-Up
Kathy Delaney-Smith arrived in Cambridge in 1982. She has since become the winningest coach in Ivy League basketball history.
Stinks to BU: Game of the Year
Three career games from three of the team’s most important players would bode well for any squad, but as it turned out, the Crimson would need every bit of individual brilliance from Anderson, Cheek, and Cuccurullo, and then some, on that chilly March night at Harvard Stadium.
On Cloud Nine: Game of the Year, Runner-Up
Baseball tabs nine consecutive runs to crush Dartmouth's playoff ambitions.
One Last Ride: Male Athlete of the Year, Runner-Up
In his final year, men's squash co-captain David Ryan could not captain his class or team to a national championship. Or so he thought.
A Formidable Crew: Team of the Year, Runner-Up
Harvard men's lightweight crew remained undefeated for most of the dual season but recently finished fourth at Eastern Sprints. Can the team rebound ahead of the national championships?
Stirring the Pot: Upset of the Year
Embodying their new persona as the 'Bad Boys of Boston,' the Harvard baseball team was the overwhelming underdog heading into Beanpot title matchup.
Sustained Excellence: Team of the Year, Runner-Up
When you’ve been winning for 88 years, it’s hard to make a season stand out. As problems go, it’s a good one to have, but it’s the problem that the Harvard men’s swimming and diving team faced at the beginning of the 2017-2018 campaign.
The Lavietes Sharpshooter: Female Athlete of the Year, Runner-Up
Katie Benzan is as good at raining threes as she is at leading Harvard women's basketball as its floor general.
Disrupting the Dynasty: Upset of the Year, Runner-Up
The men's volleyball team had only ever beaten Penn State once in the 30-year history of the matchup. The 2018 squad reversed the trend.
Born to Play Softball: Female Athlete of the Year, Runner-Up
As soon as she set foot on Harvard’s campus, Rhianna Rich established herself as the softball team’s starting shortstop. Now in the spring of her junior year, Rich has been a model of consistency for three straight seasons.
Covering All the Bases: Female Comeback Athlete of the Year, Runner-Up
Coming off an ACL injury which held her out of the 2017 season, junior second baseman Meagan Lantz is right back in the mix as one of Harvard softball's key contributors.
Boyce's Crew: Coach of the Year
When Coach Billy Boyce took the helm of the men's lightweight crew team, he said he was looking forward to "building a championship-caliber team." Two year's later he has.
For the Record: Parting Shot
"Fifty years from now, the only semblance of a narrative for an insignificant basketball game might be the words I put to paper at 14p."
Keep Calm and Write On: Parting Shot
"It is clear that work still needs to be done to make sports more inclusive. My time on the Sports Board has provided proof, albeit on a smaller scale, that it is possible for the industry to be inclusive and for women to play an active and meaningful role in it."
First In Her Class: Female Athlete of the Year
En route to an indoor national title, junior co-captain Gabby Thomas bested a 10-year collegiate record set by an olympic gold-medalist.
Senior Written Perspective: Jing Leung
"Mention Jing’s name to anyone who knows her and they will literally start beaming. She has this effect on everyone who has the pleasure of meeting her."
Senior Written Perspective: Tanner Lee
"Clearly he is a talented guy, but the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet or the report cards—his character, work ethic, leadership, ability to motivate, love, sense of humor—are the things that make him an unbelievable man, teammate, and friend."
Juz Can Do It: Male Breakout Athlete of the Year
Sophomore Christian Juzang has ascended into the limelight following a knee injury to classmate Bryce Aiken. Making the most of the increased playing time, Juzang assumed the leadership role seamlessly.
Strides in Tandem
Morgan Cheek and Robert Shaw have played with each other for longer than their four-year stint at Harvard.
Quick Off the Block: Female Breakout Athlete of the Year
Breaking the Blodgett Pool record in the 100-yard butterfly and the 200-yard freestyle, sophomore Miki Dahlke was named the High Point Swimmer of the Ivy League Championships.
King of the Mound: Male Performance of the Year
Striking out 12 in a matchup on the Ivy League regular season champ's home turf, Noah Zavolas threw a coveted no-hitter against Yale.
Par for the Course: Female Performance of the Year
Though Harvard did not capture the team Ivy League title, Michelle Xie found the top of the podium in individual rankings—shooting a 77-71-72 to win individual champion.
A Man of Many Hats: Male Athlete of the Year
Ryan Donato did not seem to care whether he was sporting the crimson, the stars and stripes, or the black and gold “B”—he excelled at all levels of hockey and did so with his typical unassuming demeanor.
TaylorMade: Female Comeback Athlete of the Year
Taylor Rooks's path to the top of the women's basketball roster began in Palo Alto, Calif., and was interrupted by blood clot in her leg.