After three years of being the bridesmaid, the Harvard softball team finally took its own walk down the aisle in 1998.

Harvard (34-22, 12-0 Ivy) captured its first-ever Ivy League championship this season--following three consecutive second-place league finishes in the past three years--and made its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Regionals, advancing to the Regional semifinals as one of the nation's top 24 teams.

"This has been my greatest year ever with softball," said co-captain Jenny Franzese. "Making history has been an amazing experience."

The 1998 season was one in which Harvard's players helped the program perform better than it had at any point in its 18-year history. Records were broken, milestones were reached and, for one magical afternoon on April 28, Harvard was even perfect.

Record: 34-22, 12-0 Ivy

Coach: Jenny Allard

Highlights: Wins first-ever Ivy title; Has perfect league record; Tasha Cupp pitches perfect game, named Ivy Pitcher of the Year; Tara LaSovage named Ivy League Player of the Year.

Seniors: Heather Brown, Tasha Cupp, Jenny Franzese, Tara Hartl, Hillary Read, Mandy Wills

On that overcast Tuesday, senior ace Tasha Cupp brightened the day for the Crimson and its fans by hurling the first perfect game in Harvard history, a 3-0 victory over Rhode Island. Cupp fanned six Rams that day, and she graduates today as Harvard's all-time leader in strikeouts with 486 career Ks.

"We had just clinched the Ivy League one week before, and the perfect game added something I never expected," Cupp said.

"Tasha's perfect game came right when we started to peak," Franzese said. "It totally fit into our season. It showed how focused we were; it was an example of how dedicated we were."

Cupp also led the parade of Harvard players who received postseason honors. The southpaw was voted Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, the first Harvard player to earn that distinction, and was one of six members of the Crimson to be named to the All-Ivy First Team.

Cupp was also named to the New England Intercollegiate Softball Coaches Association (NEISCA) Division I All-Star Team and the Northeast All-Region Second Team. She finished the year with an outstanding 1.37 ERA, the third-best single-season ERA in Harvard history.

"It is a great way to leave," Cupp said. "We are the first class graduating without any regret. We knew what we could accomplish, and we did it."

Sophomore shortstop Deborah Abeles was the Crimson's offensive juggernaut, leading her team and the Ivies in nearly every major statistical category during the regular season, including batting average (.437), home runs (10) and RBI (53). In only her second season, Abeles broke the Harvard career records for home runs (13) and RBI (90).