Year in Sports 2017
Fourth and None: Upset of the Year
Seeking a championship four-peat, Harvard football fell short against Yale, ending a nine-game win streak in The Game and an era of Ivy dominance.
23 Years in the Making: Game of the Year
For the first time since 1993, the Harvard field hockey topped Princeton en route to an Ivy League championship.
No Days Off for Farris: Male Rookie of the Year
In his first year with the men's swimming and diving team, Dean Farris shattered numerous records and led the Crimson to an Ivy League championship.
Lavietes Letdown: Heartbreak of the Year
The men's basketball team was on the verge of a key midseason victory over Princeton. Until it wasn't.
Defending Destiny: Female Breakout Athlete of the Year
Co-captain Destiny Nunley led the Harvard women's basketball team to the Women's National Invitational Tournament and a 16-game winning streak.
Champagne for Super-Noah: Male Athlete of the Year
In his fifth year, Noah Harrison led men's water polo to the Final Four.
Kennedy's Big Shot: Female Rookie of the Year
Freshman Gina Kennedy didn't expect to play on the biggest stage for college women's squash. But she rose to the occasion.
Heart and Soul of a Captain: Male Comeback Athlete of the Year
Co-captain Siyani Chambers wraps one of the most decorated careers in men's basketball history.
The Florence Flash: Female Athlete of the Year, Runner-Up
Sophomore sprinter Gabby Thomas broke records left and right during the indoor and outdoor track seasons.
A Backbreaking Win: Female Comeback Athlete of the Year
After a promising freshman campaign, sophomore swimmer Sonia Wang battled injuries throughout most of 2017. However, when an Ivy League championship was on the line, Wang came to play.
Here's to You, Mr. Robinson: Male Breakout Athlete of the Year
After an unspectacular freshman campaign, sophomore outfielder P.J. Robinson came back to lead the Harvard baseball team in practically every offensive category.
Another One for Women's Squash: Team of the Year, Runner-Up
This blessing of talent allows Coach Mike Way to focus on pragmatic training that will help the team win as a cohesive unit, rather than practicing fundamentals. The team and its coaching staff has pushed aside conventional thinking regarding training, with an emphasis on working smarter, not harder.
Senior Written Perspective: Siyani Chambers
"Watching his journey back was inspiring to everyone. He was ready to prove he hadn't lost a step."
Senior Written Perspective: June Lee
"On the court, June liked to have fun, but she always knew when it was time to work."
Sly Fox: Male Rookie of the Year, Runner-Up
The Jericho, N.Y., native finished the season atop all defensemen in points and assists, with 40 and 34, respectively. Fox also set the scoring pace with the man-advantage, tallying 22 assists and 24 points overall on the power play.
Bryce is Nice: Male Rookie of the Year, Runner-Up
Highly touted as a prospect, Aiken brought home Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors and shone brightest when the game was on the line.
She's Locked In: Female Breakout Athlete of the Year, Runner-Up
Sophomore third baseman Erin Lockhart made the most of an opportunity and emerged as one of the Harvard softball team's biggest offensive threats.
Winners' Court: Team of the Year, Runner-Up
Although Harvard men's squash fell just short of a national championship, the team posted its strongest season since an undefeated 2014 campaign.
In the Deep End: Game of the Year, Runner-Up
With a Final Four berth on the line, the Crimson men's water polo pushed heavyweight UC Davis to overtime. Then the incredible happened.
Moy Oh My: Male Breakout Athlete of the Year, Runner-Up
Senior forward Tyler Moy took a big step forward in 2016-2017 and helped lead the Harvard men's hockey team to the Frozen Four.
Hughes from the Top: Female Rookie of the Year, Runner-Up
Competing in the indoor pentathlon and the outdoor heptathlon, Hughes must juggle sprints, hurdles, jumps, and throws. And throughout the season, she has mastered them all quite well.
Dutch Domination: Rookie of the Year, Runner-Up
Rookie Bente van Vlijmen shifted all over the field this season, but the Zeist, Netherlands, native found success wherever she went.
Still Kicking: Team of the Year, Runner-Up
Led by coach Ted Minnis and fifth-year star Noah Harrison, Harvard men's water polo made its first-ever trip to the Final Four.
For the Love of the Game: Parting Shot
"When I stepped into The Crimson as a freshman, I was set on becoming a men’s basketball writer...Plans, of course, are subject to change."
Confessions of a Female Sports Journalist: Parting Shot
"When the scouting report by the men’s soccer team came out earlier this year, it was a blow not only to the members of the women’s soccer team; I think all women at Harvard connected to the world of sports were impacted by it."
Finding the Eye of the Storm: Parting Shot
"If there’s one group on campus where I always felt that I belonged, it was Sports. That group represents a space that catalyzed my growth as a person."
Living Through Sports: Parting Shot
"Though I was never cut out to be a Division I athlete, The Crimson sports board gave me access to telling these stories of the game that evolve into the lessons of life."
In Hope of Duck Boats: Parting Shot
"My first strong sports memory came in the fourth grade when the Red Sox reversed the Curse of the Bambino to win Boston’s first World Series in 86 years."
We Ain't Come Here to Play School: Parting Shot
"I knew this wasn’t a sports school—a wild notion when you consider about 20 percent of the student body competes in intercollegiate athletics. But college is what you make of it. I wanted to be at a sports school, so I made Harvard one."