"Crazed."

This is the word used by Harvard women's hockey Coach Katey Stone when asked to describe how Allison "A.J." Mleczko '99 felt after winning the gold medal in this year's installment of the Olympic Winter Games.

While groups of students huddle around a television in the Kirkland House junior common room reliving their schoolmate's Olympic glory, Mleczko and another pair of Harvard athletes are recovering from some of the most amazing days of their lives.

Mleczko was one of a trio of major competitors in Nagano, Japan this February, all of whom are either Harvard alumni or current students. Sandra Whyte '92 accompanied Mleczko on the United States' gold medal-winning hockey team in the 1998 games, also playing a key role for the squad.

Jim Herberich '85 rounded out the Harvard three, as he competed for the U.S. in both the two and the four-man bobsledding events.

Mleczko and Whyte put their skills to the test against the best women's hockey teams in the world this winter, and they have to be pleased with the results. The United States went on an undefeated tear through the international competition, but Mleczko and Whyte remained quiet--that is, until game four.

Against Japan, Mleczko put her talents on center stage, as did Sandra Whyte.

In the first period against the obviously outmatched Japanese team, Mleczko dropped two goals over the course of about five minutes on the Olympic hosts, and Whyte added another with 13:32 to go in the first period. As the Harvard women set the pace, the USA team went on to a 10-0 defeat of Japan, Mleczko, however, did not stop there.

In game five against the perennially-strong Canadian team, Mleczko notched two assists in the final period to seal a U.S. win, dishing to Elizabeth Brown and Patricia Dunn for scores. The U.S. squeezed out a 7-4 victory over Canada this time, but their northern neighbors would later prove that they were down, but not out.

In the gold medal game, it was Sandra Whyte's time to shine. Whyte closed out the U.S. team's flawless march by assisting on the first two goals, then sealing the golden bid on an empty-net goal with eight seconds remaining in the game.

Whyte's goal was the last scored by the United States in Nagano; the USA had competed valiantly, and once again topped Canada, this time by a score of 3-1.

"I really knew in my heart that this team was going to do this," Whyte told The Boston Globe.

While regarding the other countries with universal respect and grace off of the ice, the U.S. women simply devastated them in the rink. The United States had made it to the big dance, and dance they did.

Draped in Olympic glory on Japanese soil, one might think New England was the last thing on the minds of these young Harvard athletes, but Mleczko would soon dispel these notions.

When asked what her plans were beyond the medal stand, Mleczko responded by saying that she was headed back to Nantucket, her home, and that she was eager to get on her father's character boat.