Four Dartmouth sports programs received national academic honors in the past two weeks. Both the men's and women's golf teams placed among the top 25 in Golf Digest's "College Golf Guide" academic rankings, while both the men's and women's tennis teams had several players honored as Intercollegiate Tennis Association All-Academic Team members.
Golf Digest compiled a list of golf teams that exemplified academic prowess, along with providing preseason power rankings for the top programs in the country. Dartmouth's women's program ranked 13 and the men ranked 21 on the lists. Both, however, were ranked sixth among Ivy League schools.
Women's golf Head Coach Kevin Gibson said that the players and coaches of the Dartmouth golf program have always considered academics a top priority, mentioning instances when players were allowed to miss the golf season to study abroad.
"The discussion [with both prospective students and their parents] always starts with academics," Gibson said.
Rich Parker, head coach of the men's golf team, stressed the difficulty of being a student athlete.
"It is very hard to get an organized practice schedule because the kids are so busy with school," said.
The recognition given by a nationally visible golf journal could further support the golf teams' recruitment pitches, according to Gibson.
The tennis teams had a total of 12 players selected for the men's and women's ITA All-Academic Teams.
The seven women selectees are Jamie Caplan '09, Catja Carrell '08, Katie Jaxheimer '06, Ann Scott '06, Maggie Suydam '08, Lindsay Winningham '07 and Megan Zebroski '08. The five men selectees are Travis Maier '07, Ari Gayer '09, Robbie Lim '08, Steve McGaughey '07 and Dave Waslen '07.
"Academics come first, always, with how I coach," said Chuck Kinyon, the men's tennis head coach who has led the tennis program for 23 seasons.
Zebroski, a two-time all-academic honoree, said that the team is "very focused academically."
"On road trips, we often end up studying together, and we understand that our academic commitments are very important," Zebroski said.
"Our coach, Bob Dallis, is very supportive of our academics, and realizes that our classes are a priority for us," Zebroski. "If we have to take a class that meets during practice or if we need to reschedule individual lessons to study for a midterm, he understands."
One of the ways Kinyon has helped his players focus on their studies has been by maximizing their time on campus. "I make a concerted effort to not be off campus," said Kenyon.
"We have a lot of home matches. We're fortunate to have one of the best facilities in the country [with the Bose Tennis Center]. We were off campus only once in the fall, once in the winter, and twice in the spring."
Focusing on the future, Parker said he expects his team to excel even more in the coming years, "regardless of the rankings."
