A New Era for Dartmouth Athletics
Dartmouth College is shining a spotlight on its upcoming women’s soccer season, highlighting junior forward Stephanie Lathrop and sophomore defender Anna Leschly, who have both earned prestigious preseason recognition. Lathrop led the Ivy League with nine goals last year and scored the decisive tally in the conference tournament final, a victory that marked the program’s first-ever title. Leschly, meanwhile, was named Ivy League Rookie of the Year and placed on Top Drawer Soccer’s Women’s College Preseason Top 100, underscoring her defensive impact.
The excitement extends beyond soccer. Rebecca McElvain has been appointed permanent head coach of the sailing program, bringing aboard Arrieta Angueira Salbidegoitia, a former captain at George Washington University. In volleyball, Brian Modzelesky joins the staff after directing Front Range Volleyball Club in Colorado, while Parker Fairey, a former Boston University assistant and Montana State goalkeeper, will guide the men’s lacrosse team. Hillary Smith, the softball coach, has added Xen Penny, a hitting coach with experience at Quinnipiac University and the Arizona Diamondbacks’ minor‑league system.
Dartmouth’s athletic departments have also celebrated academic excellence, with the women’s rugby squad earning National Intercollegiate Rugby Association All‑Academic honors after maintaining a collective GPA above 3.50. The Big Green finished the 2023 season with seven wins, their lowest total since 2012, but the new coaching additions and the momentum from recent preseason accolades suggest a promising trajectory as the team prepares to open its schedule on September 4 against UMass Lowell at Whitey Burnham Field.