Each week, DartmouthSports.com will spotlight two outstanding student-athletes - one male, one female - as Dartmouth's Athletes of the Week. Student-athletes may be chosen based upon their efforts both on and off the field of competition.
A record breaking performance
by track's Connor Reilly (Niskayuna, N.Y.) and a season of dominance by
skiing's Ida Sargent (Oreleans, Vt.) have set the pair apart from the crowd as
Dartmouth Athletes of the Week. Reilly broke his own record in the 60 meter
dash to help Dartmouth take third at Ivy Indoor Heps. Sargent won yet another
cross country race to help the Big Green surge into first place, remaining
undefeated on the season.
Dartmouth Female Athlete of the Week:
Ida Sargent (Oreleans, Vt.), Cross Country Skiing, Junior
Ida Sargent helped the Dartmouth ski team to its second straight undefeated Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) season. In its final Carnival of the year the Big Green was in second place after the first day of competition. But thanks to Sargent and the women's cross country team sweeping the podium and claiming six spots out of 10 the next day, Dartmouth won its 15th consecutive EISA winter carnival and the 23rd of its last 24 carnivals dating back to 2007. Sargent dominated the women's cross country circuit this winter, winning eight of the ten races she entered. She is the East's top-ranked cross country skier and recently qualified for the NCAA Championships to be held in Colorado on March 10-13.
Talk about how hard
it is to be doing an individual event but also part of a team. Is it more
pressure you think?
Every sport comes with its own pressures and skiing isn't any different.
We've got a very strong team this year, which has been so awesome and fun. We
really push each other and that makes us ski so much faster. Its always a lot
of fun and motivating to see so much Green at the front of the pack during our
races.
You've put together
two terrific weekends, helping Dartmouth to a second consecutive undefeated
season. Talk about your races and what gets you motivated.
For me, I just really love to ski and I am having so much fun racing right
now. That keeps me motivated from weekend to weekend and having a second
straight undefeated season is payoff for that.
There have been a
couple of carnivals this season where the team was in second or third place
after the first day but thanks to the events of the second day, Dartmouth came
away with the victory. Does that put pressure on you knowing that that a race
you might participate in could decide your team's fate?
I try not to think specifically about points or times while I race. I just try to race as hard as I can
each day and hopefully that will be enough.
Talk about the NCAAs
coming up and how the team expects to do.
We haven't raced any of the Western teams so they will be our main
competition at NCAAs this year but with good races I think we have a great shot
at winning. I think it will be really exciting!
Dartmouth Male
Athlete of the Week:
Connor Reilly (Niskayuna, N.Y.), Track & Field, Sprints, Freshman
Freshman Connor Reilly (Niskayuna, N.Y.) set the Dartmouth record in the 60m dash and earned first team All-Ivy honors after winning the dash with a time of 6.86 seconds. It was the second time this season that Reilly had broken the Big Green record as he hit 6.88 seconds in the dual meet against Maine back on Jan. 16. He was the lone Dartmouth athlete to earn first team honors. The Big Green finished third overall in the team title race with 55 points. Reilly qualified for the IC4A meet with his time and that event takes place next weekend, beginning on Saturday.
What was it like
competing in your first Heps Championships?
Competing at the Heps Championships this weekend was an incredible experience.
I have competed in important and highly competitive meets before, but never one
that I was so deeply invested in. The atmosphere in Leverone on Sunday in
particular was unbelievable and I feel very fortunate to have been a part of
it.
How was the energy in
Leverone Field House at the time of your race?
Immediately before the final, the tension throughout Levrone was intimidating.
A lot of people were very excited for the race and it was apparent. Deafening
cheers echoed throughout the gym until immediately before the gun, at which
point the entire crowd was dead silent. At the end of the race, after the 1-3
finish, the Dartmouth supporters erupted and the team stormed the track.
Muhammed Abdul-Shakoor and I were glad that we were able to provide the team
with excitement and energy to fuel the final push to finish top three.
This being your first
year, tell us how you can top your performance in the next three years?
I am going to keep doing what I have been doing for the remaining three years
of my career here at Dartmouth. I'm going to set new goals and put myself in
the best possible position to achieve them. For now, I have my sights set on
next weekend and the start of the outdoor season.
You have IC4As coming
up, how do you keep your momentum going?
The IC4A meet this weekend is just like any other meet. This week we are going
to work as hard as we have been in practice and hope to improve on our season
bests. Coach Ford-Centonze had us in perfect form to peek over the weekend and
will organize the workouts for a similar affect in this next meet.
