The club is a blend of the competitive and the collegial. It faces off against some of the top college teams in the country and welcomes all skill levels. Beginners start by swinging a mallet while standing on the ground, then graduate to a wooden polo pony, and eventually to the real thing.

“What’s most gratifying for me is working with so many interesting, sharp, and committed undergraduates,” said Crocker Snow ’61, who, like his wife, is an accomplished player. “Unlike many college teams, most of our players have no polo experience at all, and some have no riding at the outset. Those who get hooked put in a lot of hard work riding and practicing to the point that the varsity teams now have winning records.”

At a practice in Hamilton, Mass., last fall, the more experienced riders and players helped the newcomers to ready the horses, and rode in tandem with them in an enclosed outdoor arena.

“I have a longer way to go than most people on the team,” said freshman Ethan Samet, who had only ridden a handful of times before signing up. “But I feel like I have been getting better and better each time.”

Recently the ponies hobnobbed on campus with polo enthusiast Tommy Lee Jones ’69, the recipient of this year’s Harvard Arts Medal. An avid polo player, Jones regularly hosts members of the polo club at his Texas ranch and at his home in Florida, and has donated numerous ponies to the Harvard program. The actor took part in the “Adopt a Horse Auction” held at the Murr Center to support the club’s efforts to purchase a permanent base, a small farm with a barn and riding ring adjacent to the Myopia Hunt Club in Hamilton, where the club has its home competitions.

This summer, members of the club will head to Europe for a series of matches in Italy, Switzerland, France, and in England, where they will compete at the famed Guards Polo Club against a team from Yale University.

Horsing around

The Harvard University Polo Club dates back to the early 20th century. Three of today’s players Jane Amero (from left), Mike Kapps, and Katie Gamble roll their ponies’ bandages before riding.

Mallets

Polo mallets stand at attention.

Heavy duty

New rider Ethan Samet struggles with his saddle and saddle pad.

Out in the country

Cissie Snow (on right, wearing vest) coaches her junior varsity women before their match against the University of Pennsylvania at their home arena in Hamilton, Mass. Snow and her husband, Crocker Snow Jr. ’61, lead the polo club.

Minor adjustments

Snow leans over to adjust a player's saddle strap before heading to the arena.

The art of the mallet

Isabella Roden '13 (left), a varsity player, teaches newcomer Ethan Samet '15 how to hold his mallet in the arena.

Jockeying

Roden (left) and Samet cast late-day shadows on the boards of the arena.

Hoisted

Helping Harvard’s Sarah Amanullah (right) get a leg up is opposing player Spencer Marston of the University of Pennsylvania. They competed at Harvard's home arena in Hamilton, Mass.

Goal setting

In the match, Amanullah reaches for the ball, eventually working her way toward her first goal.

Fanfare

Players and parents watch on the offensive end of the arena as the women’s junior varsity team goes on to beat UPenn.

Watchdog

Poppy, one of the Snows’ two Labrador retrievers, keeps watch while ponies and riders circle inside the arena.

Idyllic

The sun sets behind ponies and riders at the Harvard University Polo Club.

Photo slideshow: Horse whisperers

Rose Lincoln/Staff Photographer

Brent Suter flat-out loves helping others. No life-changing experience spurred him to enter the public service arena. He’s just built that way.

In fact, Suter’s coming-of-age story is fairly standard: a natural athlete, the Midwestern-born Suter played baseball and basketball from a young age. Always academically strong, he was also involved in student government at his Catholic high school in Cincinnati, and worked with organizations like Big Brother and Little Buddies. During his senior year, Suter’s pitching really took off, earning the attention of Harvard coaches.

His left-handedness makes him a valuable commodity, but Suter is not just the exceptional sportsman. He’s the exceptional all-arounder. During his years at Harvard, Suter maintained his affinity for helping others, simply because he has “always loved serving the community.”

“It does give me this sense of joy to see the happiness you can bring to other people’s lives,” he said. “But overall, it’s a necessary thing to give back to the community to remind yourself of how blessed you are, and to use the position you’re in to help others who sometimes aren’t so fortunate.”

This year, Suter was one of 30 national athletes nominated for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. To be eligible, a student-athlete must be an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character, and competition.

Suter, a double concentrator in environmental science and public policy and a pre-med student, is a third-year volunteer tutoring first-generation immigrant third- and fourth-graders in literacy and math at the Cambridge After School Program of Phillips Brooks House Association. He’s the baseball team’s central figure in its Friends of Jaclyn program, which benefits Alex Wawrzyniak, who suffers from pilocytic astrocytoma low grade glioma, a form of cerebral tumor. Suter is also active with the Harvard Square Homeless Shelter and the student group Athletes in Action, and he is co-chair of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee. There, he was instrumental in leading events such as the Bench Press for Breast Cancer in 2010 and 2011, shoe drives for Africa, toiletry drives for the homeless, and charity balls.

But wait — there’s more.

Last year, Suter founded the Harvard Baseball-Watertown Cuniff Elementary Program. Harvard baseball players travel each Friday to the elementary school to tutor and mentor students in an effort to provide a positive male role model in their lives. “A couple of weeks ago, the school invited us over for a schoolwide pep rally,” recalled Suter. “And then they all came out to our game against Boston College at home, and they gave us a lot of cheers, and it was a lot of fun. We ended up winning the game. It was a really special moment.”

Now, Suter’s off to Indianapolis to teach remedial math for Teach For America — unless the majors come calling. “I really want to play professional ball,” said Suter, who is awaiting the June draft. “I’ve had interest from a lot of teams, so we’ll see.”

The pitcher, who throws in the high 80s to lower 90s, said that while at Harvard he has “grown from a boy to a man.”

“My four years here have been wonderful. Even the baseball losses taught me good lessons about perseverance, and just taking a step back to realize how lucky we are,” he said.

Perhaps Suter’s one regret was not making the cut during a singing tryout for one of Harvard’s campus music groups. His talents and activities are enough to ruin one’s self-esteem forever: music on top of Harvard, on top of baseball, on top of volunteering?

“But,” said Suter, laughing, “I’ve actually wanted to do more in my college career.”

Keith Wright calls his decision to come to Harvard “the best in my life.” Crimson basketball fans would agree. The 6-foot-8-inch forward and his teammates have made history since he arrived in 2008, transforming a losing program into one of the Ivy League’s most successful. In March, the team won the league championship outright — a first for Harvard — and made its first trip to the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Championship Tournament since 1946.

With Wright leading the team in rebounding and blocked shots, the Crimson also broke the program record for wins in each of the past three seasons.

Wright says he cherishes the memory of every game he played in a Crimson uniform.

“My experience playing for Harvard will stay with me for the rest of my life,” he said. “I was part of the team that took Harvard to the NCAA tournament for the first time in 60 years. I was the captain of the best team in Harvard history, the one that won its first Ivy League title. It was a great honor that I won’t forget.”

Along the way, Wright racked up an impressive string of awards and accolades. During the 2010-11 season, he was named Ivy League Player of the Year, was selected to the Lou Henson All-America Team and the All-Ivy first team, and received an honorable mention as an Associated Press All-American.  Last year, Wright landed on the Preseason Top 50 Watch List for the Wooden Award, which is given to the top player in college basketball. He was also named one of college basketball’s top 100 players by CBS Sports.

Despite his success on the court, Wright says that he came to Harvard because he’s more than “just a basketball player.”

“I’m a student first,” Wright said. “A lot of kids put all their chips into this sport to help them be successful. At Harvard, all our chips are put into academics. People know that. They don’t say ‘Oh, wow, he plays basketball.’ They say “Wow, he’s at Harvard, and he’s playing basketball. He’s a smart kid.”

Wright’s interest in human relationships inspired him to concentrate in psychology as an undergraduate. He said that Holly Parker’s course “The Psychology of Close Relationships” had a profound impact on him and may even have determined his future career path.

“Seeing Dr. Parker talk about the field — and her passion for it — definitely influenced me,” he said. “Being a couples counselor is something I’d like to pursue after I’m done playing basketball.”

For now, graduate school will have to wait as Wright pursues his immediate goal of playing professional basketball. In April, the Harvard star was one of only 64 college seniors invited to play in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament in front of dozens of pro agents and scouts. Wright said that advice from former teammate and Harvard-to-NBA trailblazer Jeremy Lin helped him to hold his own against some of the best young players in the country.

“Jeremy told me to have fun and play my game,” he said. “He told me not to think too much about it, just know that I’m a good player. At the end of the day, the chance to show my skills and play for money is a blessing.”

Wright said that his next move is to sign with an agent and participate in workouts for pro teams in advance of June’s NBA draft. If he’s not picked by one of the league’s franchises, Wright said he’ll participate in the Las Vegas and Orlando free agent summer leagues in hopes of catching on with a team. He’d even consider a stint for a team overseas, although he calls that option a “worst-case scenario.”

Whatever happens, Wright said that his Harvard experience will enable him to keep athletics in perspective, and will give him options after he walks off the court for the last time.

“I don’t let basketball use me,” he said. “I use basketball to help me. The success of Harvard’s team has really been icing on the cake because I know that, after the ball stops bouncing, I’m going to have this great education, the connections that I made here, and the limitless resources that I have at my fingertips. After college, I’ll pursue my dream knowing that I have nothing to lose.”

This pattern of a loss followed by unparalleled dominance was prevalent throughout the women’s softball season. “An unforgettable moment was our game against Oregon State on March 11. They are a tough Pac-10 team and we went head-to-head with them. We had a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning and they came back to tie the game. Instead of feeling overmatched, our team came roaring back and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh inning to take the lead,” said head coach Jenny Allard. “We held them in the bottom of the seventh inning, and we won the game, 3-2.  I think that game showed the fight and relentlessness that characterize this team.”

The lady Crimson faltered against Lehigh, winning two and losing two on March 24 and 25, but bounced back days later with double wins against Princeton, Columbia, and Penn, and a quadruple defeat of Yale in doubleheaders on April 14 and 15. They repeated the sweep in four games against Brown on April 20 and 21, and won two of their four games against Dartmouth on April 28 and 29.

The month of April saw senior pitcher and co-captain Rachel Brown earning her fifth Ivy League Pitcher of the Week honor. During the season, Brown allowed one earned run and struck out 25 batters in 21 innings, aiding the Crimson in clinching its third straight Ivy League North Division title. Now the Crimson will participate in the Ivy League Championship series this weekend.

“I am most proud of their poise and perseverance. We’ve had a target on our back this year, and the team has responded by focusing on their own level of play and support for each other. They are 21 strong,” said Allard.

With a season that began March 2, the men’s Crimson saw a solitary win — against Stetson — until a March 28 victory against Holy Cross. “The team has lost a lot of close ballgames, many to nationally ranked teams such as Arizona and the University of Central Florida,” said Joe Walsh, the Joseph J. O’Donnell ’67 Head Coach for Harvard Baseball.

The Crimson picked up a little steam in early April, with wins against Boston College and Columbia, but faltered in an April 7 doubleheader against Penn. The team split a twinbill against Yale, winning two and losing two. Sophomore pitcher Andrew Ferreira earned the win on April 15 against Yale, striking out three batters and allowing one hit in 2.2 innings of relief.

After nearly sweeping Brown in late April (losing one of four games), the Crimson stumbled against Dartmouth, winning just one of four games. Yet the men’s baseball team will still compete for glory in the Ivy League series May 5.

“We feel really good heading into this weekend,” said Ferreira. “I wouldn’t want to go for it with any other group of guys. We’ve worked our tails off this year … and we’re ready to go leave it all on the field and try and win ourselves a championship.”

“Soccer is a global sport and is in a sense a global language,” said Harvard coach Carl Junot. “Not myself or many from our team speak French Creole, but on Saturday evening we shared a wonderful meal in Winthrop House with the Haitians. It’s fantastic that so many Haitian-Americans feel comfortable coming to our campus, supporting their national team, providing our student athletes such a great experience and also providing financial relief back to Haiti.”

The second annual match was part of Haiti Leve (Haiti Rising), a fundraiser benefiting the Haitian Football Federation and Partners In Health, a global health care organization founded in part by Professor Paul Farmer of Harvard Medical School (HMS). Partners In Health continues to assist in the rebuilding of Haiti’s health care system following the devastating earthquake that struck the country in January 2010.

Last year’s match (under much better conditions) drew more than 11,500 and raised about $16,000 as Harvard and Haiti played to a 0-0 draw, with Haiti winning on penalty kicks in overtime.

“These games represent a fantastic opportunity for our student athletes on the field as well as for the University as a whole,” said Timothy W. Wheaton, associate director of Harvard Athletics. “Harvard is a large presence in the Cambridge and Boston community and these games represent an opportunity for an important part of that community to come to campus, share a fantastic sporting experience, and support good causes in Partners In Health, Coaches Across Continents, and the two football federations. It is exciting to see the varied groups that came together to make this happen — the team, the Athletics Department, the University, Mayor Menino’s office, and, most importantly, the local Cape Verdean and Haitian communities. We hope it is something we can continue going forward.”

The Haiti match was the second in a two-match charity series. On Friday, Harvard took on a team of Cape Verde all-stars to benefit the Cape Verdean Football Federation and Coaches Across Continents, an organization founded by former Harvard player Nick Gates ’91 that focuses on encouraging social development through soccer in impoverished countries. The Crimson battled to a 1-1 draw in regulation before losing, 7-6, on penalty kicks.

Harvard worked with leaders in the local Cape Verdean and Haitian communities to promote the matches, donating a good number of tickets to youth soccer players and also inviting them to take place in pre-game and on-field activities.

“Harvard baseball is thrilled to be included in the birthday celebration at Fenway Park,” said Harvard baseball coach Joe Walsh, a Dorchester native with decades of fond memories of games there. “Our guys look forward to any chance to set foot on a major league baseball diamond — in this case, a batting practice session where many will take aim at the Green Monster.”

Harvard and Red Sox alumnus Mike Stenhouse ’80 took part in the festivities, donning a throwback Red Stockings uniform to toss an extra round of batting practice to senior Marcus Way, who wore a throwback jersey with the Harvard “H” emblazoned on the pocket.

“I’d be lying if I said I was trying to hit ground balls right now,” said junior infielder Kyle Larrow of Carver, Mass., as he took batting practice, with an eye toward hitting a home run over the Green Monster.

To read the full story visit, GoCrimson.com. To view the photo gallery, visit Fenway Park 100th Anniversary Celebration. A video will be available April 12.

Since 1903, the fields at Harvard’s iconic stadium have seen contests of all kinds: football, lacrosse, rugby, soccer, even ice hockey. But there’s a dedicated contingent that routinely runs and walks the ziggurat-style rows at Harvard Stadium whose efforts show that there are athletes in the stands as well.

Some are members of sports teams, seeking the unique combination of cardiovascular and muscular intensity that bounding up the stadium seats can provide. Some are fighting the effects of a modern, inactive lifestyle or the inevitable slowdown of age. And most, at one time or another, with legs like lead and lungs burning, have had to dig deep and find that something that keeps them going.

When a foot injury ended his long-distance running career over 30 years ago, William Graham, dean of Harvard Divinity School, started running the stairs. Photo by Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer

Stadium runners swear that the workout is one of the best around, the intensity of which almost guarantees achieving “spaghetti legs” in no time. It has been hailed in blog posts as “a challenging workout,” “heartbreaking,” and “a mutha.” In August, the Boston Daily blog spoke for a community of stadium runners when it named Harvard’s “the best stadium steps you love to hate.” It cited the allure of an incomparable post-workout high as motivation for “risking life and limb while you force your trembling legs to heave your pretty-sure-I’m-dying body up the knee-high concrete Steps of Death one more time.”

Though the most common way to tackle the Steps of Death is to run or walk up the seats and then walk or jog down the smaller steps, athletes use Harvard Stadium in a variety of ways. A few hours watching on a busy afternoon can yield almost as many variations as there are people working out. Some new to exercise or returning after a long layoff can build endurance by running up and down the steps themselves, avoiding the more challenging seats entirely. Others running the seats can do a few sections instead of the whole circuit, go up and down sideways, or mix in activities like push-ups and stretches. There’s even video evidence of Harvard wrestlers crab-walking and carrying each other up, piggyback.

The practice took on the trappings of ritual in 1960, with Harvard’s legendary crew coach, Harry Parker. Parker, fresh from the 1960 Olympic Team, coached freshman crew that year. For training, he took a page from the books of West Coast Olympians who used stadium running as part of their training.

In the years since, Parker has taken his teams to the stadium whatever the weather, shoveling snow for winter workouts. The height of the seats, Parker said, provides not just a strenuous workout, but is the perfect conditioning for the leg portion of the rowing motion. The stadium workout, Parker said, has been one piece in the training puzzle that has led to Harvard’s dominant crew teams. Today, crews from area colleges and high schools seeking to emulate that success work out at Harvard Stadium, and so do members of other Harvard teams.

Harvard lacrosse player Henry Mumford Jr., does planks after running the stadium steps. Photo by Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer

One recent afternoon saw members of the men’s lacrosse team and the Boxing Club working out on the steps, along with a smattering of other students and people from the nearby community.

“It’s good for the legs, which gives us power, and it’s rewarding,” said George Hageman, president of the Harvard Boxing Club, who led a dozen club members up and down the stadium on a recent afternoon. “Boxing is high intensity, like this.”

William Graham, Albertson Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Sciences and dean of Harvard Divinity School, counts himself among the stadium runners. Graham, 68, who is leaving the deanship in July, said he turned to doing the 37 stadium seat sections when a foot injury ended his long-distance running career over 30 years ago. These days, Graham comes to the stadium every other day and says that using stair-climbing to keep in shape for mountain climbing has additional benefits — he can work out at just about any hotel around the world when he travels. He has climbed hotel back stairs in Istanbul, Cairo, Bangkok, and Delhi — and has taken a side trip to traverse Athens’ Olympic Stadium.

“I feel so much better when I do it,” Graham said. “It’s a form of stress management. I’m probably more pleasant to be around when I’ve done the stadium circuit that morning.”

Running stadium steps is done around the country, of course. But aficionados of Harvard Stadium insist the concrete edifice isn’t just the nation’s oldest. For this activity, they say, it’s the best.

Students in Harvard's Boxing Club use the stadium stairs as part of their training. The team members must run 10 round trips. Photo by Rose Lincoln/Harvard Staff Photographer

Other stadiums rise at a gentler angle, robbing stadium runners of intensity, some say. Or they have noisy seats made of aluminum, not concrete. Or they have backs on the seats, making traversing them impossible.

“You can flow around the stadium; there’s no obstructions,” said Larry O’Toole, founder of the Somerville-based Gentle Giant moving company, who has run Harvard Stadium since he was a rower at Northeastern University in the 1970s.

Today, O’Toole is something of an expert on running stadiums. His athletic past and chosen field makes him prize conditioning both for himself and his workers. O’Toole has made running the stadium a rite of passage for new employees, a test that, from O’Toole’s point of view, reveals a person’s mettle, both physical and mental.

“You can tell everything about a person if you bring them over there,” O’Toole said.

As the company has grown around the country, it has subjected new hires to whatever stadium or imposing hill is nearby, such as San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill. But O’Toole says it’s not the same as the original, so he still leads employees to the stadium when they come visit the home office.

Paul Berkeley, a lifelong resident of the Allston neighborhood, has been running the stadium for 20 years and is among a group of community members who take advantage of their proximity to it. Berkeley rises three times a week for the short jog to the stadium and his typical 5:45 a.m. start.

Berkeley, 62, a runner all his life, began to have knee and hip problems when he was in his 40s. He shifted from running on the road to doing tours of the stadium. At first, Berkeley did just six or seven sections, gradually adding more until he was completing a circuit of the stadium’s 37 sections.

“You get drawn into it once you start doing it,” Berkeley said. “It took a while to get the whole stadium. It felt like such an incredible accomplishment.”

The stadium has seen more than its share of highly trained athletes over the years whose competitive natures have pushed them to complete the 37-section circuit faster than others, or to do it more than once.

Parker said the speed record for completing a circuit is in the 16- to 17-minute range, though O’Toole said he knew someone who did it in 13 minutes, in 1984.

“This guy was absolutely phenomenal. We’d start on opposite sides, and he’d try to go around twice while I did it once. I was 33; he was 21,” O’Toole said.

In the early 1980s, Parker and Charlie Altekruse, a three-year varsity oarsman and member of the U.S. crew team for the boycotted 1980 Olympics, decided to do a “century” — 100 sections, or just under three full tours of the stadium. Both finished in less than an hour.

“I accept the blame or credit for that, however you want to put it,” Parker said. “It’s a bit crazy, but it’s good exercise.”

“The Swim School has been operating since the mid-’70s when former swimming and diving coaches decided it would be a good way to make money and help pay for training trips” by offering lessons to the community, said assistant diving coach Keith Miller, who has helped to oversee the program since arriving at Harvard in 1991.

“Our athletes work really hard during the school year. They have morning practices, afternoon practices here … six days a week, which they work around their school schedules. But then during January break, we get to go on a trip someplace where we can really focus on training, get a lot of team bonding, and get a lot of work done in preparation for the big meets at the end of the season.”

The school runs twice a year for six weeks, once in the spring, with lessons taught by freshmen and juniors, and once in the fall, taught by sophomores and seniors. “The vast majority of our students are 5 years old through 15 years old, but we also have adults. We probably have 15 or 20 adults each session,” said Miller. Offerings range from beginning nonswimmer instruction to advanced technique, and the school is open to the community.

“One of the things I love most about participating in Harvard Swim School is that it bridges a gap between the Harvard undergraduate population and the Cambridge community at large,” said swimmer and co-captain Kristi Korsberg ’12.

“Each year, when Harvard students have about five weeks off between fall and spring semesters, the swim and dive team remains on campus to practice,” she said. “Luckily for us, it also means that we have the opportunity to relocate ourselves to a warm climate for a week in the middle of winter. Our goal is simple: to do nothing but focus on quality training without any distractions. These training trips are crucial to our team’s success.”

“Puerto Rico was beautiful,” said swimmer and co-captain Matthew McLean ’12. “It’s great to be able to train outdoors, especially during the winter, as it’s a much-needed change to the dreary weather Cambridge provides during that time. We have a bunch of traditions that we carry out, and we always have a meet against another team in Puerto Rico. On an afternoon off, we went to the beach and relaxed. It was great.”

Swim students receive top-notch instruction, like that from Olympic qualifier Mike Mosca ’15, a diver. “Mosca is an Ivy League champ this year; he’s excellent,” said Miller. “And I like to have the divers demonstrate on the final day. The kids love that.”

But instructing the community has benefits for the swimmers and divers, too.

“In a way, it makes us think about our stroke and focus on technique, more so than we would while doing a set in practice. It’s great to have a few hours a week to look at technique and the fundamentals that we learned so long ago, and do it through teaching others,” said McLean.

“Verbalizing and explaining particular aspects of stroke technique or justifying why that technique is valuable has enhanced my understanding of swimming,” said Korsberg. “It’s really proved to me that there’s always something to be learned, no matter how much personal experience I think I have.”

“I love teaching something that we’re good at, and it feels awesome to have these kids look up to us,” added McLean.

For these outgoing seniors, their character has been strengthened through years of instructing, and lifelong memories have been made on the resulting jaunts to St. Croix and Barbados, where the teams have previously gone. There’s dinner with the team every night, followed by activities as a group, and, of course, snorkeling ventures.

“In the hotels, we live with multiple other members of the team for an extended amount of time. This always forges friendships that didn’t exist prior to January. So many team memories are made during this time, which is why I already look back on the experiences so fondly,” said Korsberg. “Training trip is without a doubt one of the most important aspects of our season, and it would not be possible without Swim School.”

Looking up

Helen Colbert, 8, listens to the advice of her instructor, Clare Foster '13.

Drying off

Matt Karle '15 (left) and Courtney Otto '15 conclude a class as Jacy Hoffman of Belmont gets toweled off by her mother, Jing (right).

Adult swim

Slava Chereukhin (from left), Dan Paulsen, and David Evans '61 prepare to begin their class.

Immersed

David Evans '61 (left) and Dan Paulsen get some pointers.

Kickin' it

Daniel Sickenberger, 8, of West Brookfield, practices with a kickboard.

School's in session

The Swim School is an instructional program for ages five and up, including adults, and is run by Harvard coaching staff and taught by the men's and women's varsity swimming and diving teams.

One-on-one

Courtney Otto '15 gives one-on-one lessons to Jacy Hoffman.

Little swimmers

Amanda Garparino tries some strokes for instructor Courtney Otto '15.

Diving in

Blake Sundel '15 illustrates proper diving form to his young charges.

Photo slideshow: Swimmingly

Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

The event begins at 3 p.m. in the Fan Zone where members of the Haitian National team will be signing autographs. Enjoy live Haitian music by singer-songwriter Wanito, and talk to PIH staff about its ongoing work. Kickoff is at 5 p,m.

Admission is $10 and can be purchased at the game or in advance at the Harvard Box Office.

“I think we battled very hard,” said forward Kyle Casey ’13 after the game. “We didn’t just give in when we could have given in. We feel like we belong here.”

Although the loss was disappointing, the Crimson and their fans can look back on a remarkable season. The team won the Ivy League championship outright for the first time in program history, beating out longtime rivals Penn and Princeton. Harvard’s 26 wins broke the record the men’s team set last year. Along the way the Crimson won the Battle 4 Atlantis (B4A) tournament, beat nationally ranked Florida State University, ran their home winning streak to 28 games, and rose as high as No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press ranking.

“We won our conference,” said coach Tommy Amaker at the tournament’s Media Day. “We’re very excited about how we were able to do that and certainly be in this position to be 12-2 in the Ivy League and 26-4. We had a sensational year.”

Amaker said that the Crimson’s season can only help him and his staff to build a stronger program. While co-captains Oliver McNally and Keith Wright graduate this year, starters Casey and Brandyn Curry will return next season. The loss of the team’s seniors also will open up playing time, including for highly touted freshmen Wesley Saunders and Kenyatta Smith. The Crimson’s recent success brings the team closer to its aim of joining Stanford and Vanderbilt as one of the top basketball programs in the country.

“That’s kind of a goal of ours, to see if we can get involved in those circles,” Amaker said. “We’ve been able to do it. Our staff has worked incredibly hard to identify those prospects and try to build relationships with those kids and the various individuals around them. Certainly, having some success here with our program, I think, has allowed us to gain some traction and a foothold to make our way and to identify the kids who fit the profile for Harvard. That’s a neat thing for us, to be in those circles with Vandy and Northwestern and Stanford and those schools with the kids that we’re trying to compete for.”

“The ties and overtimes were cause for a lot of stress from the coaching staff all the way down through the players,” said Ted Donato, the Robert D. Ziff  ’88 Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Ice Hockey. “But it also bonded us in a way that very few teams have the opportunity to do. The team was galvanized by the stressful situations through the year, and came to welcome them.”

The past several years have tried the Crimson’s patience. After three losing seasons, the Crimson were the media’s pick to finish last in the conference in 2012. The team responded by going 13-10-11, one win shy of the national tournament.

Patience served the Crimson well in this season of redemption, but if there was ever a time to panic, it was in the second game of the ECAC quarterfinals against Yale. One day after an overtime loss, the Crimson entered the first intermission down 2-0 and facing elimination.

“With the amount of comebacks we had, I don’t think anyone was pushing the panic button,” said Donato.

True to form, they saved their best for when it mattered. Harvard scored three power-play goals and won in double overtime. Then, an 8-2 Crimson win ended the series, before Harvard beat No. 13 Cornell, 6-1, in the semifinal. The season-ending surge of 9-4-5 prompted a No. 19 national ranking.

Conference voters also rewarded individual efforts. Senior forward Alex Killorn and junior defenseman Danny Biega garnered first-team ECAC honors. Biega was one of the best two-way players in the country, second nationally among defensemen in points per game and honored as the Best Defensive Defenseman in the conference. Freshman defenseman Patrick McNally brought more hardware to the blue line, placing on the ECAC all-rookie team.

Freshman Steve Michalek joined McNally on the all-rookie team, and sophomore Raphael Girard, who had the fourth-best save percentage in the country, was named ECAC Goaltender of the Month for February. Their play made the Crimson’s least-experienced position perhaps its strongest.

Donato is grateful for the outgoing senior leadership, but he can’t help looking forward.

“There are seasons where, as a coach, you feel spent at the end. You need to take a breath and regroup,” said Donato. “Then there are seasons like this. And you can’t wait to get playing again.”

The Ivy League entered this year’s tournament a combined 0-5 in the WNIT since 2007 when it first earned an automatic bid. For Harvard, it marks the team’s first victory in three tries at the tournament and improves the program to 2-8 all-time in the postseason. The Crimson is also the only program in Ivy League history to record a win in the NCAA Tournament, and did so in 1998 when it became the only No. 16 seed to upset a No. 1 seed on either the men’s or women’s side with a 71-67 victory over Stanford.

To read the full story, visit GoCrimson.com.

A pivotal run at the end of the first half by Vanderbilt (25-10) saw the Commodores erase a 20-17 deficit to take a 33-23 lead into the locker rooms after a 13-3 run capped by a last second 3-pointer by Brad Tinsley. Deep shooting was the theme for Vanderbilt as it built an 18-point lead in the second half thanks to an incredible 8-of-12 shooting mark from beyond the arc before Harvard (26-5) clamped down defensively and furiously worked back into the game.

The comeback started in earnest with seven minutes remaining as Kyle Casey put home a dunk, then stepped up and knocked on a 3-pointer, making it 62-49 in favor of Vanderbilt. On Harvard’s next trip down the floor, Brandyn Curry made a floater in the lane, getting the Crimson to within 11, 62-51, as Harvard enjoyed a 7-0 run.

With 4:25 left, Rivard made his fifth 3-pointer, making it 67-54, and then hit another, as the Crimson got within 11, 68-57, with 3:48 remaining. Curry then pulled Harvard within nine points, 68-59, with another bucket in the lane, and added a layup on the break with 2:27 left, 70-61. With 2:14 left, Casey went to the foul line and hit both, pulling the Crimson to within seven, 70-63.

Keith Wright made his way to the charity stripe after getting an offensive board with 1:51 left, and he also made both, making it a five-point game, 70-65. It was as close as the Crimson would get as an unfortunate turnover on the sideline forced the team into fouling mode.

Rivard had an impressive showcase with the sophomore connecting on 6-of-7 from long range in 25 minutes. Casey had 13 points, Curry had 12 points and Wright had eight points and nine rebounds. Oliver McNally also played well, gaining the notoriety of the TV analysts with a game-high seven assists and two drawn charges.

Vandy’s John Taylor led the victors with 27 points on 7-of-12 shooting and a 10-of-13 mark from the FT line. Tinsley had 16 points (5-6 FG, 4-4 FT) and Jeffrey Taylor had 15 points.

Staff from Harvard Athletic and Crimson fans watch the Harvard-Vanderbilt NCAA Tournament basketball game at Tommy Doyle's pub in Harvard Square. Photo by Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

Local support

Students and staff gathered at popular watering holes on and around campus to root for the Crimson. At a crowded Tommy Doyle’s pub, Sam Adams ’14 and Jason Hirschhorn ’14 met with other friends who remained at Harvard during spring break week. Hirschhorn said that the tournament — along with the cost of a round trip ticket to his native Los Angeles — was actually a reason he stayed behind.

“I stayed in the hopes that we’d play our tournament game in Pittsburgh,” Hirschhorn said. “We were going to drive down. Now that it’s in Albuquerque, I probably should have gone home to Los Angeles. It would have been closer.”

Hirschhorn said that he started following the team during the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, which Harvard won in part by beating nationally ranked Florida State.

On the other side of campus, Harvard staff filed into the basement of Memorial Hall to take in the game at the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub. Bob Cashion, senior associate vice president of Alumni Affairs & Development (AA&D) and a men’s basketball season ticket holder, invited staff to break off work early and catch the game.

“It’s been 66 years since Harvard was in this game,” Cashion said. “I’m hopeful that this will become an annual occurrence, but it’s sort of a historic moment for Harvard basketball. Few things get people to rally around a common cause like sports, so I thought it was a great opportunity to get people excited about the same thing.”

On the other side of campus, Harvard staff filed into the basement of Memorial Hall to take in the game at the Cambridge Queen’s Head Pub. Photo by Kris Snibbe/Harvard Staff Photographer

AA&D’s Karen Fahey took Cashion up on his offer. She hooked her husband, David Fahey, also of AA&D, and set up in front of the big screen at Queen’s Head to watch the game.

“It’s a milestone,” she said.

Back at Tommy Doyle’s, Hirschhorn was thrilled when the Crimson shaved Vanderbilt’s lead from 18 to just 5 late in the second half, but watched in disappointment as the comeback fell short. He said that he was proud, however, of Harvard’s gutsy performance in its first NCAA playoff game in more than 60 years, and grateful for a record season.

“We played them tough for 40 minutes,” he said. “We all thought they were going to make it at the end. It’s too bad that it has to end like this, but it was a truly special season.”

To read the full recap, go to GoCrimson.com.

— Paul Massari contributed to this story.

Second- and third-round ticket information will be available on GoCrimson.com later this week.

To read more, visit GoCrimson.com.

The Crimson will go up against Cornell in the semifinals on March 16 in Atlantic City, N.J. The last time Harvard made it to the ECAC semifinals was in 2008 when the Crimson lost to Princeton in the championship game.

To view video highlights from the Sunday’s game, visit GoCrimson.com.

“Harvard Track and Field has had a rich tradition of success, and to see the current team members rewriting the record books has been remarkable,” said Jason Saretsky, director of track and field and cross-country. “The fact that so many different event areas are at all-time-best levels is especially impressive.”

German-born pole-vaulter Nico Weiler ’13 set a school record on Feb. 11 at a meet against Yale and Princeton by clearing 17′ 4.5″ (5.30m). “My brother started pole vaulting at 14. I’m three years younger than him, so I was about 11 when I started,” said Weiler. “As a little kid, jumping over things is always fun.”

Pole-vaulter Allie Pace ’14 took home second place at the meet, but set a school record, clearing 12′ 9.5″ (3.90m). The Chicago native said she sometimes gets a bit nervous before performing. “It’s a very mental event. The more scared you are, the likelier you are to get hurt,” said Pace. “But I overcome any mental instabilities by repeating a mantra before jumping: ‘I am fast. I am furious. I can do this.’ ”

Success was just what Pace needed after facing a difficult freshman year. “I hit a plateau, so over the summer I worked really hard to get into great shape,” she said. Determined to surpass her own personal record, Pace did just that — and the University’s as well. “By 4 inches,” she said, grinning.

“I definitely had that sense of ‘finally!’ ” she sighed. “Now the only person I have to beat is myself.”

Hurdler Jarvis Harris ’15 broke a University record at the Feb. 3 Battle of Beantown, where he clocked in at 8.11 seconds in the 60-meter hurdle.

“It feels really good being able to contribute to the history at Harvard,” said the freshman from Ama, La. “I broke the record pretty early on in the season, so I’ve got to keep progressing.”

Harris, who began running track when he was 9, was indifferent about hurdling when his coach pressed him to try it at 13, the age where more-advanced track and field activities can be introduced. “Once I was able to do it, I was like, ‘Let’s go!’ ”

He still falls sometimes, he admitted. “My mom hated that — she winced,” he recalled of his high school meets. Because of the team’s whirlwind travel schedule, including an upcoming meet in Houston, a six-hour drive from Ama, his parents may still get to see him in action.

Olivia Weeks ’13 found herself taking second place in Harvard’s records for the triple jump at the Battle of Beantown in early February, and Ben Glauser ’15, took second place in the record books for the shot put at Jan. 28’s Night at the Armory. For them, first-place glory is close, very close.

For sophomore Adabelle Ekechukwu, who holds the second-place record for weight throwing with a distance of 18.54, beating herself is the real objective. “That’s my goal for each upcoming meet,” said the neurobiology concentrator. “It’s reachable; I just hope I can perform,” she said.

The team is on the cusp, they know. “We’ve definitely grown a lot from my freshman year. We’re starting to realize that we’re really good, and realizing our own potential,” said Weiler.

“We’re eager this season,” added Harris. “And hopeful. We’re looking for a better season than we’ve ever had before. We’re hungrier.”

Flying high

At the Feb. 11 meet against Yale and Princeton, Harvard's Ashtynn Baltimore helped secure a sweep in the long jump event with her leap of 19 feet, 2 inches (5.82 meters).

Fearless

Alexandra Pace '14 clears the bar in the pole vault. She took second place, but posted a new school record in the event, clearing 12 feet, 9.5 inches (3.90 meters).

'I can do this'

Allie Pace: “I overcome any mental instabilities by repeating a mantra before jumping: ‘I am fast. I am furious. I can do this.’”

Brothers in arms

Michael Slovenski '15 (left) waits to jump against his brother, David, who took second place for Princeton.

Bend it

Jonathan Sparks '14 leaps over the bar in the high jump event. Sparks cleared 1.99 meters, tying him with the eventual winner, but was awarded second on the basis of more misses.

Home free

John Dingus '12 leads the pack down the home stretch in the 500-meter run. Dingus was the only athlete on the day to break the 1:05:00 barrier, winning convincingly in 1:04:54.

Hurdling

Jarvis Harris '15 (left) leads teammate Timothy Moan '14 on his way to win a preliminary heat of the 60-meter hurdles.

Record breaker

Nico Weiler '13 turned in one of the top performances of the day, capturing the pole vault with a clearance of 17 feet, 4.5 inches (5.30 meters), setting a new University and meet record in the event.

Blazing

Damani Wilson '13 wins his heat in the 60-meter dash. Wilson placed second in the final.

Going for it

Connor Hinebaugh '15 leads the pack in this 400-meter heat. He finished 6th overall.

Running down a dream

Gabrielle Scott '15 runs a close second to Princeton's Cecilia Barowski, the eventual winner, in the 400-meter run.

Photo slideshow: Off to the races

Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

“We are thrilled and honored to have an opportunity to compete in the 2012 NCAA tournament,” said Harvard head coach Tommy Amaker, who is in his fifth season with the Crimson. “This is a tremendous moment for Harvard University, our basketball program, and our community. Go, Crimson!”

On March 3, Harvard secured at least a tie for the Ivy championship for the second year in a row with a win at Cornell. On March 6, with the University of Pennsylvania’s loss to Princeton — the team that dealt Harvard a heartbreaking loss in a one-game playoff last year — the Crimson had their first outright title. The championship was the perfect cap to another record-setting season, one in which the team compiled an overall mark of 26-4, 12-2 in the conference.

“We were very pleased to win the Ivy League title for the second straight season,” said Amaker. “Winning our league is one of our goals every year.”

Harvard’s 26 wins broke the record set during the 2010-11 season, which in turn bested the mark set in 2009-10. The success is a huge turnaround for a program that saw many losing campaigns before Amaker’s arrival, and had never won an Ivy title. Amaker credited the team’s good fortune in recent years to the effort of his players and assistants.

“Our conference is very competitive,” he explained. “Being able to win the Ivy League is a testament to the hard work of our student-athletes and coaches.”

The Crimson began the season with a surprise victory in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, whose participants included the University of Connecticut, the defending national champion. While Harvard did not play UConn during the tourney, the Crimson did vanquish Florida State, which was ranked among the top teams in the nation at the time.

The tournament victory propelled Harvard into the national rankings, a place the team occupied for much of the season. The Crimson rose as high as No. 21 in the ESPN/USA Today coaches’ poll and No. 22 in the Associated Press ranking as they ran their home winning streak to 28 games and saw 10 sellouts at Lavietes Pavilion. As for the accomplishments of individual players, senior forward Keith Wright became Harvard’s all-time leader in shots blocked, moved up to fifth in rebounds, and passed 1,000 points scored.

As in years past, the Crimson overcame adversity along the path to success. On the road, there were tough losses to Fordham and Princeton; at home, there was a heartbreaking defeat at the hands of the University of Pennsylvania, an outcome that ended the team’s winning streak at Lavietes Pavilion and hinged on a controversial call in the game’s closing seconds. But then Harvard pulled out tough wins on the road in close games against Columbia and Cornell, and demonstrated the resilience that has been its hallmark in recent years.

Harvard now looks to the post-season, with hopes of making some noise in the “Big Dance.” The team will find out when, where, and whom it will play on “Selection Sunday” March 11, when the tournament’s first round brackets are set. No matter where they land or what the score is when the final buzzer sounds, Amaker says that his focus — and that of his team — will remain the same: to continue to get better every year.

“It has been a privilege to witness our program grow over the past few seasons,” he said. “We are excited to watch ourselves continue to improve day in and day out.”

Harvard, which concludes its regular season at 26-4 and 12-2 in the Ancient Eight, will await Tuesday evening’s matchup between Penn (11-2 Ivy) and Princeton in Princeton, N.J. A Princeton win could clinch the outright Ivy League title for Harvard, as well as the NCAA tournament’s automatic berth, while a Penn victory would force a one-game playoff between the Quakers and Crimson at a date and location to be determined.

Kyle Casey scored 11 (4-7 FG), while Keith Wright had eight points (3-6 FG) and 11 rebounds. The Crimson shot .49 (21-43 FG) for the game, hitting 12-of-26 3-point attempts (.46) including 7-of-13 in the second half. Harvard’s 26 victories establish a program record for a single season, and the Crimson ties last season’s squad with 12 conference victories. Harvard has won two Ivy League crowns in program history (2010-11 and 2011-12).

Chris Wroblewski shook off a 6-for-16 shooting night to lead Cornell (12-16, 7-7 Ivy) with 19 points, to go with seven assists. Harvard’s hot-shooting second half was matched in every way by the home-standing Big Red, which connected on 6-of-11 from deep to keep the game close. But it wasn’t enough to stop the Crimson.

To read the full story, visit GoCrimson.com.

Harvard will conclude the regular season by visiting Cornell Saturday evening in a game that will be shown live on ESPN3 at 7 p.m. A Crimson victory would clinch at least a share of the program’s second straight Ivy League title, while a Harvard victory combined with a Penn loss to Yale Saturday or a Quaker loss at Princeton Tuesday would clinch the outright Ancient Eight crown and the NCAA tournament automatic berth for the Crimson.

Brandyn Curry dished out eight assists for Harvard, while Oliver McNally went 7-of-8 from the line, finishing with 12 points. Brian Barbour led Columbia (14-15, 3-10) with 23 points. The Crimson shot 56 percent for the game (27 of 48) from the field, while controlling the boards, 28-23.

To read the full story, visit GoCrimson.com.

Kyle Casey scored 12 points for Harvard and Wesley Saunders added 10. Penn (17-11, 9-2 Ivy) was led offensively by Rosen, who had 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting. Harvard shot 16-of-36 (.444) for the game and concludes the regular season 11-1 at home, as the Crimson’s 28-game home win streak was snapped.

The Crimson remain in first place of the Ivy League, a half game ahead of Penn. The Quakers have three games remaining on its schedule, while Harvard has two. The Crimson will visit Columbia March 2 at 7 p.m., before facing Cornell March 3 in Ithaca, N.Y. Penn hosts Brown and Yale next weekend and finishes its Ivy slate March 6 at Princeton.

To read the full story, visit GoCrimson.com.

As the head tennis professional at Harvard, Mercier teaches a large and varied population of tennis players: undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, and local residents.  Mercier’s aim at Harvard is to foster a welcoming environment that encourages people of all abilities, and from an almost limitless variety of backgrounds, to enjoy the sport of competitive tennis. He achieves this by providing tennis lessons and high-performance clinics; organizing Harvard alumni events; offering professional racquet stringing to the Harvard community and to both men’s and women’s varsity teams; running recreational clinics and events for adults and juniors; advising the Harvard men’s and women’s club teams (USTA New England Champions); and serving as tennis director for the annual Special Olympics hosted at Harvard.

Cornhole, also known as beanbag toss, at its simplest involves two to four players throwing beanbags through holes fashioned into opposite-facing slanted boards. Using guidelines provided by the American Cornhole Association (ACA), McCormick said, “We spent a night building this board to ACA specs, and my sister sewed together bags with sand and some sort of pink beans we found at the grocery store.”

The two played all summer in their hometown of Melrose, Mass., painted the boards with the Harvard seal, and brought them to campus to start their freshman year.

They began researching how to start a Harvard club sport. But paperwork issues befell them freshman year, so the unused boards were put to utilitarian use: The slanted end was propped on a stool to form a makeshift coffee table, and the hole was sized perfectly to hold a bowl of snacks.

Cornhole debuted as an official club sport last spring, with McCormick as president.

“We spent a night building this board to ACA specs, and my sister sewed together bags with sand and some sort of pink beans we found at the grocery store,” said club president Joe McCormick '14.

“What’s great about the sport is that it’s really easy to pick up, and it’s really relaxing,” said club member and applied math concentrator Harry Chiel ’14.  “I think the relaxing point is one of the reasons we play. You can be enjoying the nice day outside and doing a fun activity that is somewhat competitive and fun but also doesn’t require a lot out of you.”

The club practices Monday nights in the Malkin Athletic Center. “We’ve had a varied turnout, but we’re hoping to expand and get the word of cornhole out in the Harvard community,” said Dickerson, a government concentrator.

“We’re hoping to expand and get the word of cornhole out in the Harvard community,” said Jamie Dickerson '14 (right). On the left is Harry Chiel '14.

One of the ways the club is improving visibility is by doing charity events. “We partnered with Relay for Life and did an event in front of the Science Center called ‘Cornhole for Cancer,’ ” said McCormick.

“We’re planning to do a big tournament, have a lot of people enter, and use the money for Joe’s charity,” said club member and economics concentrator David Mazza ’14.

McCormick is legally blind because of an ocular disease called Leber’s hereditary optic neuropathy. “My disease is very rare, only 100 cases a year, so we’re hoping to raise money for research efforts,” he said.

“We don’t play anyone else because there’s no other collegiate cornhole groups around here,” said club president Joe McCormick '14 (left). “We’ve been trying to work out what we want to do besides play for fun. Right now we’ll just play a game, play a game, play a game, and switch teams.”

Armed with funding from Harvard, the club purchased new boards and bags from — where else — www.cornhole.com. The stark white boards are ready to be decorated and utilized.

“We don’t play anyone else because there’s no other collegiate cornhole groups around here,” said McCormick. “We’ve been trying to work out what we want to do besides play for fun. Right now we’ll just play a game, play a game, play a game, and switch teams.”

But with these guys advocating the sport, the future of the cornhole club looks promising.

“A couple freshmen came earlier this year, and they seem to like it a lot, so if we get more kids who really enjoy it, they can stick with it after we graduate,” said Mazza.

“Cornhole combines elements from traditional sports, and even board games,” said Dickerson. The winner of cornhole is the first to reach 21 points. But scoring is quite complex. A bag on the board is one point, and a bag in the hole is three points. However, if both teams have a bag on the board, or a bag in the hole, they cancel each other’s points.

“There’s a lot of strategy because you can’t go over 21 points, so it’s a thinking game as well as an active game,” said Dickerson.

“It’s kind of like a carnival game. You’re throwing a beanbag through a small hole, and that’s attractive to people,” said Chiel.

“And because of the scoring, some games can go back and forth, back and forth,” added McCormick.

Echoed Chiel: “It can get pretty dramatic.”

But the junior history and science concentrator isn’t the least bit worried. There’s her soon-to-be historic basketball career with the Crimson in which she’s poised to surpass the 1,000-point mark in one of her upcoming games — a feat that Lippert was blithely unaware of. But in reaching that goal, she’ll be only the sixth underclassmen and 16th player overall to reach 1,000 points. “It’s kind of cool,” Lippert says.

Lippert, who left sunny San Diego three years ago to take up residence in chilly Cambridge, “hasn’t looked back since.”

“I love Harvard,” she says. “And the snow was marvelous the first time I saw it.”

When not racking up baskets as a forward for the Crimson, the down-to-earth Lippert is involved with the campus Christian group Athletes in Action. In the summer of 2010 she traveled with the organization to Pretoria, South Africa, where for a month the athletes worked to create a tutoring program at a local school.

“It was a humbling experience, seeing the conditions there, listening to the kids’ stories, and knowing they have to deal with so much — disease, AIDS, poverty,” she recalls. “I grew a lot from that trip; it was a really powerful experience.”

As the Crimson head into the final games of their season, Lippert’s versatility and scoring touch will be critical to their success. “We really want an Ivy League championship this year,” she says. “This group of girls is very special. We have amazing chemistry off the court, which really helps us on the court. Right now, we’re trying to bring consistency to the competition. Anything can happen on any given night. We have to have our game faces on.”

“Vic is exceptional in many regards, both on and off the floor. First, she is an extremely talented, versatile player, who has a passion for the game that is contagious,” says Crimson coach Kathy Delaney-Smith. “And one of her most remarkable qualities is her unselfishness and will to win. Even though she’s a tremendous scorer in many ways, she puts the team first. She’ll do whatever it takes for the team to win.”

And this determination will certainly aid her in whatever career path she chooses, too. There is, of course, the possibility of playing basketball overseas, but Lippert is considering an option closer to home, too.

“I wrote a paper on the history of fingerprinting, and it got me thinking about crime and crime-fighting technology,” she says. “I’m considering something in law enforcement or the intelligence community. But I’m just poking around right now.”

There’s plenty of time to figure all that out, of course. “I’m not afraid of change or adventure,” Lippert says. “I’m generally pretty adaptable. I like exciting, new possibilities.”

Oliver McNally ’12 tallied a season-high 17 points against Dartmouth, draining three of four shots from beyond the arc, leading the No. 21/22 Harvard men’s basketball team to a 63-47 win.

The victory pushes Harvard’s overall record to 13-2 (1-0 Ivy), while Dartmouth slips to 3-13 (0-1). Harvard also extends its home win streak to 22. The Crimson hit eight of 20 treys on the day (.400) and held a 28-27 advantage on the boards. Kyle Casey ’13 added 10 points on three of four shooting and six boards, while Keith Wright ’12 contributed 10 points and five rebounds. Laurent Rivard ’14 buried three triples, finishing with nine points. Dartmouth had only one steal and no blocked shots, while the Crimson had three rejections and nine steals.

Live video of tonight’s game will be available with a subscription at GoMUHawks.com. WHRB’s Charlie Hobbs will have the audio call on GoCrimson.com. Live statistics will also be available for the game at GoCrimson.com.

Read the full story on GoCrimson.com.

On the Murr Center squash courts, puddles of sweat line the floors. Assistant coach Reg Schonborn orders his crew to run drills. “We can stand to get a little stronger, a little fitter,” said Schonborn, a native of South Africa by way of Trinity College in Hartford, Conn., where he played as a student and then coached before joining Harvard in the spring of 2010.

The men’s and women’s teams are as yet undefeated, winning their last nine and seven matches, respectively. “We’re competing pretty well, but we haven’t been pushed too far yet,” said Schonborn.

He’s eyeing a game against his alma mater. Trinity, which holds the record for the longest winning streak in any intercollegiate sport in the nation, will be a tough matchup come January.

“As far as team weaknesses go, I can’t think of any,” said Mike Way, the inaugural Gregory Lee ’87 and Russell Ball ’88 Endowed Coach for Squash. “I really feel like we’re going from strength to strength. We have a well-deserved confidence, a quiet confidence.”

In Way’s first year at Harvard, the women’s team finished second in the league and the men finished fifth. The British-born coach is widely recognized as one of the best squash coaches around, and once coached Jonathan Power, the 1998 world champion in the sport.

“A lot of last year was finding my feet,” said Way. “Now I know the lay of the land. I have two assistant coaches now, and we’re a very good fit, with our coaching abilities.”

“He’s doing a great job with us, and we’re really lucky to have him, and all our coaches,” said Nirasha Guruge, a senior economics concentrator from Sri Lanka, and the women’s co-captain.

“Coach Way is an extremely focused, tactical coach,” reiterated men’s co-captain Will Ahmed, a senior government concentrator from Mill Neck, N.Y. “He pays a lot of attention to form and movement, and he’s recruited good coaches alongside him.”

“Having Mike at Harvard for the program is incredible. He can make every single one of us a better player,” said co-captain Jason Michas, a junior from New York City. “But the games after break will really test us as a team.”

Guruge cites strong team chemistry for both the men’s and women’s successes. “All the coaches say our chemistry is awesome,” she said. “We all really like each other, and we have really good players in Haley Mendez and Amanda Sobhy.”

Sobhy is a key for the women. “She’s a phenomenal player. She plays with the boys, and is the No. 1-ranked junior player in the world,” said co-captain Cece Cortes, who was undefeated as a player last season.

Cortes has been out injured this year with a torn hip labrum and strained hamstring. “I’ve been giving it a lot of TLC and rest,” said Cortes, who expects to return to the court come January. “I really thought we had a chance last year, but our chances are greater now to have an even better team.”

A Cambridge native and senior English concentrator, Cortes said that usually it’s the luck of the draw when it comes to compatible personalities on the team. “But the men’s and women’s teams get along really well,” she said. “That on- and off-court dynamic will really help us in the end.”

As for the men, their ace is Ali Farag, a sophomore from Cairo, who is also the top-ranked junior player in the world. Farag and Sobhy are currently clearing eligibility, a league requirement after participating in high-profile tournaments.

After winter break, the men’s and women’s teams take on the University of Pennsylvania on Jan. 14, and a succession of other powerful teams, including Princeton, Yale, and powerhouse Trinity.

“We don’t feel intimidated. We have the utmost respect for our competition,” said Way, who will put the teams through a weeklong training clinic before resuming play. “We’ve got to take care of all the little things — nutrition, rest and recovery, hydration. Those little things tip the balance. They’ve got to come back fit.”

“Our goals this year are realistic. We just want to win an Ivy title, and then the national title,” said Ahmed.

“I’m excited to play the more difficult teams. We’ve been training really hard,” said Guruge. “I’m excited to be pushed, to feel that excitement, that nervousness.”

Squashing the competition

A view of the squash courts inside the Murr Center where the men's and women's squash teams practice.

Reg

Assistant coach Reg Schonborn goes over the day's grueling practice schedule.

The long run

"Our chances are greater now to have an even better team,” said co-captain Cece Cortes (not pictured).

Jason Michas

"The games after break will really test us as a team,” said co-captain Jason Michas, a junior from New York City.

Slammin'

Co-captain Jason Michas (left) checks Tommy Mullaney's '14 swing during practice.

Nirasha Guruge

Sri Lanka native Nirasha Guruge gets in her court time.

No pain, no gain

Co-captain Will Ahmed squints through the pain.

Will Ahmed

"We just want to win an Ivy title, and then the national title,” said co-captain Will Ahmed.

No surrender

“As far as team weaknesses go, I can’t think of any,” said Mike Way, the inaugural Gregory Lee ’87 and Russell Ball ’88 Endowed Coach for Squash. Last year the women's team finished second in the league.

Photo slideshow: Squashing the competition

Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

The Crimson becomes the first Ivy League team to be ranked nationally in a major poll since Cornell was rated No. 22 in the ESPN/USA Today poll during the 2010 season. The last Ivy team to appear in the AP was the 1997-98 Princeton team that finished No. 8 in the rankings.

Harvard, which if off to an 8-0 start for the first time since the 1984-85 campaign, won the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament Nov. 26, defeating Utah, then-No. 20 Florida State and Central Florida along the way. The Crimson sits at 2-0 at home, 3-0 in road contests and 3-0 in neutral-site games. Harvard is one of 15 remaining undefeated teams in the country and owns a 19-game win streak, tied for the seventh longest in the nation.

To read the full story, visit gocrimson.com.

He presents his arm — not a typical next step in magic. “Squeeze my wrist hard,” he commands. “Think about the number or face of your card.”

After you’ve squeezed for a good 10 seconds, Katis reveals the underside of his wrist, which is bare. He massages the area, and suddenly you see, unmistakably, a seven forming in his skin. How’d he do that?

Katis, a Harvard College freshman by way of Falls Church, Va., has been practicing magic for more than 10 years — about the same amount of time he spent working to become a standout swimmer, earning a spot on Harvard’s swimming and diving team.

As a high school student, Katis founded The Magic of Miracles, a nonprofit that brings magic to young cancer patients, allowing them a much-needed release from their difficult daily lives.

“I was watching ‘House,’ or one of those medical dramas, and the story involved a young child, and I was just playing around with a deck of cards, practicing some stuff, and I realized that I’d been doing magic since I was 8 years old and had been performing for friends and family, but I wasn’t really using it for anything other than entertainment,” said Katis. “So I put the two together and realized that, with everything these kids are going through, they could really use a distraction.”

Katis and his small staff travel to area hospitals to perform, and then teach tricks to the kids “so they can develop and learn their own magic and perform for other patients, nurses, and also themselves, to take their mind off of stuff.” Katis is talking with local hospitals about expanding the Virginia-based organization to Boston.

“Whatever little bit of courage I needed to start something to potentially help a lot of people is nothing compared to the courage these kids have to maintain,” he said.

At Harvard, Katis is also predicted to do great things. He’s currently the Crimson’s top breaststroker and individual medley swimmer, and his coaches believe he has an excellent shot to win the Ivy League Championship in both events and qualify for the NCAA Championships.

But Katis might’ve never made it to Harvard, if not for a little … magic.

While returning from a recruiting trip to Palo Alto, Calif., Katis was deciding between Stanford and Harvard. “I was on one of those jumbo jets, about 500 people, and had no idea where to go. Both schools were great, swimming is great at both schools … so I threw it in the air and said, ‘God, give me a sign,’ and I just let it go,” he recalled.

“I was coming back from the plane’s restroom, and I was wearing a Stanford sweatshirt, and the guy sitting next to me asked if I was a Stanford student. I explained how I was on a recruiting trip, and of all the people on the plane, he said, ‘I was a Harvard undergraduate.’ The ‘Twilight Zone’ theme song started going off in my head.”

Katis’ seatmate was in his late 20s and already a vice president for a renowned media corporation, as well as a former Rhodes Scholar. The decision crystallized for Katis, who is considering an economics concentration.

Katis said he thrives on the “pure competition” of swimming. “Our entire team is going to do great things this year. We’re all very excited,” he said.

And from his Harvard dorm room, he’ll continue helping his foundation raise funds and grow. “To see the reaction of people, to see how people forget about the rules of the world for just a second … every second of that I can give is worth it.”

For more on the Crimson’s success.

Harvard (9-1, 7-0 Ivy), which won its 14th Ivy title last weekend, continued its recent domination of Yale (5-5, 4-3 Ivy) by winning its sixth straight at Yale Bowl, fifth-straight in the series and 10th in the last 11 meetings. It marked the highest output against Yale since an identical score of 45-7 at Cambridge in 1982.

To read the full story, including game highlights, visit gocrimson.com.

Harvard responds to Saturday’s pre-game tragedy.

The Crimson (8-1, 6-0 Ivy League) wrapped up the outright league title with a week remaining in the season behind a defense that limited the Quakers (5-4, 4-2) to 219 yards, including just 24 on the ground, and caused three turnovers. The win combined with Dartmouth’s victory over Brown gave Harvard a two-game cushion in the standings with only The Game next week at Yale left on the schedule.

To read the full story, visit gocrimson.com.

Crimson coach Tommy Amaker acknowledges that his team and its rejuvenated fan base were heartbroken by last March’s loss, as they were in 2010, when Harvard’s bid for an Ivy League title came down to the last games of the season. Yet Amaker is excited both by his team’s recent successes and by its prospects for the 2011-12 season, which begins Nov. 11 against Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“We look at last season as a whole, which is what we always would do,” said Amaker, now in his fifth year at Harvard. “The loss to Princeton was a gut-wrenching, painful moment. After we got through that, though, we were very fired up about the year we had. Now we’re on to a brand-new season. We hope that we can have another successful year.”

In fact, Amaker’s team has delivered many more triumphs than disappointments. In 2009-10, the Crimson men won 21 games, the most in the program’s history. In 2010-11, the team set the record again with 23 wins. While the loss to Princeton kept Harvard out of the NCAA playoffs, the Crimson did beat the Tigers in the last game of the regular season to earn a share of the Ivy championship — another first for the men’s program. Harvard also earned a trip to the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) last March, the first post-season play for the men’s basketball team since 1946.

“We didn’t get over the hump to make the NCAA tournament,” Amaker said, “but it’s amazing to think that, four years in [to his coaching tenure], we won a share of the Ivy League title. We went to the NIT. We’re very proud of our program.”

This year’s team has been named the Ivy League’s best in a preseason media poll, thanks to a remarkable balance of stability and new blood. The Crimson return all of last year’s starters — including co-captain Keith Wright ’12, the 2011 Ivy League Player of the Year, and All-Ivy juniors Kyle Casey, Brandyn Curry, and Christian Webster. Wright, a 6-foot-8-inch forward who led the team with an average of 14.8 points and 8.3 rebounds per game last season, was recently named a preseason candidate for the John Wooden Award, given each year to the best player in college basketball. Wright says that he appreciates the recognition, but his focus is on getting better and on helping his team win.

“Ivy League Player of the Year is definitely something that I looked at last year and thought, ‘It would be awesome if I could win this,’ ” he said. “This year, I want to be a better leader and a better captain. I want to work harder than I did last year. Defense in the post is definitely key: ball screens, stepping out, hedging. I think I can also be a better rebounder.”

The Crimson will welcome seven freshmen to the team, including big men Kenyatta Smith and Wesley Saunders, two of the top high school prospects in the country. Amaker says this year’s recruits will make an impact.

“This group is going to be tremendous throughout their time at Harvard,” he said. “I think they bring different dynamics to the table: size, athleticism, shooting ability. I really am high on the future of this recruiting class.”

The infusion of young talent has inspired Amaker to stress the concept of sacrifice in the team mindset. The coach said that, while the Crimson have some talented players, the team will only reach its potential if everyone adopts an unselfish approach on the floor.

“Sacrifice is going to be a key word for us this season,” Amaker said. “Will our players be willing to sacrifice a little bit of their individual performance — minutes, shots, points — for the sake of the team? I think that if we adopt an attitude of sacrifice, the chances of us having a strong season increase tremendously.”

Amaker believes the Crimson have to beat the best to be the best, so he has sought throughout his tenure to schedule games with some of the toughest teams in college basketball. This year will be no different. In late November, Harvard will travel to the Bahamas for the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament, which includes the University of Connecticut, the defending NCAA champion, as well as perennial top 25 team Florida State University. Moreover, if the Crimson don’t meet UConn in the Bahamas, they will see them in Storrs, Conn., when they play a game in the Huskies’ home arena.

“We have a very challenging schedule,” Amaker said. “We have road games at UConn, Boston College, Boston University, and Holy Cross. Then we have Fordham, George Washington, and St. Joseph’s at home. We’re playing a lot of teams that are incredibly challenging for us to compete against, but that’s what we want — to go into some difficult places and play some tough teams.”

As for league play, Amaker won’t say there are any games circled on his team’s calendar, but he does mention several schools that will be hard to beat.

“Penn is going to be a bear,” he said. “I think Yale is a team that many people are overlooking in the Ivy League and beyond. Princeton shared the title with us last year, and they will still be tough, even with a new coach. To win our league would be a monumental achievement for our program and our school.”

While the team’s self-confidence appears on the upswing, Amaker says there are some important ways in which success has not changed his players’ mindset or approach.

“It’s important that, no matter where we are, we remain true to our identity,” he said. “I think that’s been a staple of our program. Our kids are clear about who we are and who we want to be. They’re very clear about our goals: We want to get better today. We’ve benefitted from staying very focused on what’s right in front of us.”

Wright agrees, but still gives himself some room to dream. He wants his last season at Harvard to be special, and said he’s looking forward to every game. He has his sights set on the Ivy League championship, but added that his ultimate goal is not just to reach the NCAA tournament. He wants to advance … deep.

“I want to make the ‘Sweet 16,’ the ‘Elite Eight,’ the ‘Final Four,’ ” he said with a smile. “Advancing in the ‘big dance,’ that’s the final goal.”

Harvard won its seventh-straight in moving to 7-1 overall and 5-0 in the Ivy League. Columbia remains winless at 0-8, 0-5 Ivy.

The win also marks Harvard’s 11th-straight season compiling at least seven wins. The Crimson is the only team in the history of the Ivy League to have put together 11 straight seven-win seasons.

To read the full story, visit gocrimson.com.

The Crimson hoopsters got a thrill on Sunday when Hall of Fame coach Larry Brown led them through their paces in front of more than 150 youth, high school, and college coaches from in and around New England. The drills and accompanying lecture at Lavietes Pavilion were part of the annual Harvard Men’s Basketball Coaches Clinic, now in its fifth year.

Brown, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2002, is the only coach in history to win a championship in the NBA (Detroit in 2004) and the NCAA (University of Kansas in 1988). He was named Coach of the Year in the NCAA as head coach of Kansas (1988) and in the NBA as leader of the Philadelphia 76ers (2001). In all, Brown won nearly 1,100 games in the NBA and more than 175 in college.

Harvard men’s basketball coach Tommy Amaker introduced Brown, saying that he was “thrilled and fortunate” to host “a legend in the world of basketball who has done and seen everything in this game.” Amaker said that Brown spent two days with the Crimson to observe the team and participate in the clinic.

Brown told coaches that he had rarely known a player who didn’t want to get better. He said that it was often a challenge, though, to teach young players the difference between coaching and criticism, a lesson Brown said that he had learned himself as a young player.

“My mom used to say, ‘If your coach isn’t on you, he doesn’t care about you.’”

Brown said that he always tried to be clear with his players about his approach and values, and about what he demanded from his team.

“[I told them] ‘I can’t stand guys taking bad shots,’” he said. “‘I can’t stand guys passing the ball and standing around.’ We always had to take great shots, to play harder than our opponents, and to run back to make sure we weren’t giving up any easy baskets.”

Brown told coaches to get their players to run the floor. He said they should sometimes back off on play calling, and that a fast-paced style of play works particularly well with young players, who grow up playing a wide-open schoolyard game.

“If you steal the ball and everybody’s running, you’ll get a lot of easy baskets,” he said. “Get the ball up the court as fast as you can, even if you’re way ahead. When I was at Philadelphia, if you didn’t run with Allen Iverson, you had no chance of getting the ball, so our big guys got out in front.”

The coach brought the Harvard men onto the court for a series of drills to show the audience what he meant. He had players run the floor three at a time moving the ball with passes only, no dribbling. He yelled at big men like Crimson star Keith Wright to get out in front of the speedier guards, meet the ball in the air, and lay it up for an easy score.

“That’s part of the fast game,” he said. “Pitch ahead. Hard cut. Easy score.”

Brown delighted the audience with stories about his time coaching the 76ers and star point guard Iverson. Brown said that Iverson, who was notoriously difficult to coach, had tremendous talent and the will to win. He surrounded the guard with players who complemented his style and allowed Iverson to play his type of game. He suggested that the coaches in the audience do the same with their players.

“[Iverson’s teammates] respected that he was trying to win and never let what he did affect what they were trying to do,” Brown said. “When you give a kid on your team a role and he does it, reward him for that.”

In closing, Brown thanked Amaker, calling him unselfish and an “unbelievable resource” for the local basketball community. He shared a final piece of coaching wisdom.

“We all have a responsibility to make the game better,” he said. “Help your kids to enjoy it, and give them a chance to be special. If you get them to play hard, play together, and play smart, you’ll accomplish a lot and get them in great shape.”

He’s pushing them hard, but he has to. There have been quite a few ups and downs this season, according to Leone. “Emotional games, crazy games,” he mused. “We’ve had a lot of crazy games.”

During a Sept. 16 game against Hofstra University, the Crimson were down 5-2, but rallied to score two goals to tie the contest with a minute to go, only to end up losing, 5-4. “You don’t see that very much in soccer,” said Leone.

Now on an upswing with a streak of seven wins and a tie, including victories over Brown University, Siena College, and most recently, Princeton University on Oct. 22, the Crimson are closing in on the season’s end, and have a chance to clinch the Ivy League championship if they beat Dartmouth College and Columbia University in the last two games on Oct. 29 and Nov. 5.

“There have been games we played really well but lost, and there’ve been games we didn’t play as well but won,” said midfielder/forward and co-captain Melanie Baskind ’12. “There have been a lot of comeback games, a lot of overtime games. If I could pick one word to describe our season, it would be ‘exciting.’”

In a Sept. 9 game against the University of Massachusetts, with less than two minutes to play, Baskind broke a 1-1 tie and ensured a last-minute victory for the Crimson. The team battled into double overtime against Cornell on Oct. 8, but couldn’t muster a goal and ended tied 2-2. In another double-overtime game against the University of Rhode Island, with seven minutes left, the ball sailed above Crimson goalie Bethany Kanten ’15 to give URI the win, 3-2.

“It’s been an inconsistent season,” said Baskind.

Still, the Crimson have relished quite a few victories. In recent games, the team scored in overtime on Oct. 1 for a 2-1 win over Yale and toppled Fairfield 2-1 on Oct. 4. The Crimson staved off Siena 2-0 on Oct. 11 with goals by Hana Taiji ’12 and Elizabeth Weisman ’14, and bested Brown, 2-1, on Oct. 15 with goals by Baskind and Mai Le ’15.

Co-captain Lindsey Kowal ’12 credits the team’s comebacks to its fighting spirit. “We always find the drive to win,” she said. “We haven’t yet hit our stride as a team, but we’re all on the same page in terms of what we want to achieve.”

Now with a 10-4-1 record, and those two games ahead, Harvard “has a small room for error,” said Kowal.

“This is definitely a resilient team, but we have to keep improving. Everybody’s still got a shot in the hunt for the Ivy title. Nothing’s decided yet,” said Leone. “These are defining moments of our team. The success, and the heartache.”

“It’s actually a good place to meet boys,” she said.

Seav joined the Harvard Boxing Club, which is open to men and women, during her sophomore year. “I was always leaving volleyball practice at the same time that my friend was showing up for boxing practice,” she recalled. “And he told me I should join.”

Popular on campus since the late 19th century, boxing at Harvard has reinvented itself many times over.

In those halcyon days, the sport was required of every undergraduate, including eventual Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and John F. Kennedy, as well as writer Norman Mailer. In 1941, former lightweight champ Tommy Rawson — and one-time trainer of Rocky Marciano (yes, that Rocky!) — took the helm as coach and oversaw Harvard boxing for six decades until his death in 2003 at age 94.

Rawson witnessed the sport take a lot of punches. In 1961, for instance, the NCAA discontinued boxing as an intercollegiate sport, and so Rawson jump-started the Harvard club. Unruly spectators turned out in droves to see its matches, and a campus-wide ban of tournaments was issued in 1976. When Radcliffe College merged with Harvard College in 1980, Rawson was suddenly faced with coaching both genders.

“Oh, the girls are fantastic!” he told the Gazette in 2001. “They have better footwork and coordination than the men.”

Today, the club is composed of approximately 20 regular male members, and five female regulars.

“The reaction I always get is, ‘You box?!’” recalled Allie Stote ’14. “But the guys in the club are really supportive. They always tell me, ‘Oh, I never want to get in the ring with you.’ ”

At practice, women do the same exercises as their male counterparts — 100 reps of sit-ups and push-ups, punching bag drills, and more. “Forget about the boxing aspect for a moment,” said Seav. “A lot of girls join the club just to get a good workout, and to find a buddy who understands the pain.”

Club president George Hageman ’12 has never questioned the presence of women. “They’re full members of the team, and some of them are pretty good — better than the boys, actually.”

Hageman began boxing his sophomore year, too, originally to learn how to defend himself. “But I stayed because boxing pushes you in a way that classes can’t,” said the government concentrator. “Mentally, there’s nothing scarier than going into a ring, and a guy is trying to knock you unconscious. And there’s a special bond that comes from fighting your friends — and knowing you’ll still be friends.”

He’s currently compiling a roster of the club’s impressive alumni, among them Rosalie Parker, U.S. amateur women’s flyweight champion; Peter Blake, an executive producer of  “House, M.D.”; Middlesex County District Attorney Gerard T. Leone; Jean-Paul Colaco, senior vice president of advertising at Hulu; Michelle Rhee, former chancellor of the Washington, D.C., public schools and founder and CEO of StudentsFirst; and Alan Jay Lerner, lyricist and winner of three Tony Awards and three Academy Awards.

Boxing is more than uppercuts and jabs, the students agreed.

“It’s an intelligent sport,” said Stote. “You don’t have time to think about what your opponent will do next. You train your mind to pick up on those subtle movements.”

“It’s a good life lesson,” said Hageman. “You take the punch and deal with it.”

But, seriously, what’s it like to get punched in the face?

“You never get used to it,” said Hageman.

“It’s awful,” Seav admitted. “I’ve never gotten hurt, but the punch comes out of nowhere. It kind of feels like falling asleep in class. When you awake, you’re like ‘Oh, wow, that was embarrassing.’ ”

Inside, Blodgett is dark. The stands, the water, the diving tank, all dark. Twelve-hundred empty seats. One light is burning — in the office of coach Tim Murphy. He has a dictionary open on his desk as he prepares to speak to his 2011-12 team. He and assistant coach Kevin Tyrrell have planned the moment, scripted it. They’ve done it before, and they will do it again. It is a tradition for the team to begin its season just after the stroke of midnight on Oct. 1, as soon as the Ivy League allows official swimming workouts to begin.

Welcome to Midnight Practice, gentlemen. Get ready.

To read the full story.

— Paul Horvitz ’72

On this night, at least, that Harvard juice was a concentrated form of defensive might. Harvard, with just four seniors on the starting defense, forced five turnovers against Ivy foe Brown, including two interceptions, a touchback, and a recovered fumble on the Crimson’s own 1-yard line. All told, the home team’s deluge of big stops was an apropos performance for a crowd of nearly 19,000 sheltered by umbrellas.

Harvard rolled to a 24-7 victory, knotting its season mark at 1-1. The win, after a 30-22 loss to Holy Cross on Sept. 17, was the program’s ninth straight on the heels of a defeat — Harvard hasn’t dropped back-to-back games since 2006. Brown, meanwhile, fell to 1-1.

“We always talk about, at the beginning of the year, [how] we have to develop an identity as a team and tonight I think we developed an identity,” said coach Tim Murphy. “And that is, we’re a tough, physical team. We have a lot of things we have to work on, we made a lot of mistakes … but the bottom line is the kids just played so hard. If you play that hard, and you can force some turnovers, you get a chance to be in every single game.”

It’s a tough point to argue — and one that reveals how the great sports intangible of “hustle” can translate into real results. After all, a glance at key stats — first downs (Brown’s 19 to Harvard’s 20); total offensive plays (75 and 73 for Brown and Harvard, respectively); total offensive yards (Harvard outpaced the hosts by a mere 14 yards with 366 on the night); and penalties (both squads committed half a dozen) — suggests a close game. But the difference, again, was the toughness, physicality, stubbornness — call it what you will — of the Crimson defense.

Take, for instance, Brown’s six-play march deep into Harvard territory early in the second quarter. Trailing 14-0, the Bears appeared poised to get on the board, until senior free safety Dan Minamide picked off a pass in the end zone to return possession to the Crimson, thwarting the Bears’ bid for a first-half score. More than that, the touchback set the tone for the remainder of the game. Indeed, the second half saw the Crimson collect a pair of interceptions and recover a second fumble.

If Murphy is thrilled with the team’s 2011 identity, one imagines the longtime coach (now in his 18th season), is equally happy with his backup QB. With starter Collier Winters sidelined by hamstring discomfort, junior Colton Chapple capably managed the offense, throwing for 207 yards and two touchdowns, including a 20-yard laser to sophomore Cameron Brate and a long bomb to senior Adam Chrissis. That latter score — at the 6:39 mark of the final period — preceded a 31-yard field goal by sophomore David Mothander to set up the 24-7 final.

For Chapple, his first start felt pretty good: “This is a kid’s dream. Playing in front of 20,000 people under the lights with his teammates that he’s been working with all summer. I felt like I didn’t have to win the game. I had to manage the game and had to put us in a place to win.”

Harvard will return to action on Oct. 1 with a visit to Easton, Pa., to take on Lafayette. The Leopards (1-3) will play host for the first time this season. Visit gocrimson.com on game day for stats, news, and updates.

Here comes the rain again

Harvard running back Treavor Scales '13 (center) takes a handoff from QB Colton Chapple '13. Scales rushed for 129 yards and a touchdown, while Chapple threw for 207 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Piggyback

Harvard wide receiver Chris Lorditch '12 is upended after pulling down a long pass.

Blame it on the rain

Drenched fans watch the game as a downpour ensues.

Not so fast

Harvard tight end Cameron Brate '14 hauls in a long pass ahead of a Brown defender. Brate caught five passes for 93 yards and a touchdown.

Waterproof

Harvard student Katherine Skipper seems resigned to the inclement weather as she watches the game.

A rainy night in Providence

Harvard linebacker Alex Gedeon '12 puts the wraps on a Brown receiver after a pass reception.

Rain dogs

Harvard wide receiver Adam Chrissis '12 loses his helmet but stretches to place the ball over the goal line after hauling in a 56-yard pass reception. Harvard won, 24-7.

Unflappable

Soggy but exuberant Harvard students cheer their team en route to a satisfying win in their home opener, as the Crimson defeat Brown, 24-7.

Photo slideshow: Football in the rain

Jon Chase/Harvard Staff Photographer

The shocked and delighted crowd of 68,000 celebrated in Ralph Wilson Stadium. But perhaps Bills’ fans shouldn’t have been so surprised. Fitzpatrick has defied expectations throughout his career in the National Football League (NFL). Drafted 250th in 2005, he has gone from third string to second string to spot starter to starting quarterback for the resurgent Bills.

But rather than rhetorically spiking the ball in the end zone of his doubters, the seven-year veteran speaks quietly and says that his Harvard experience helped prepare him for life in the NFL. He credits Crimson coach Tim Murphy and his teammates with helping him to develop as an athlete, but adds that it was his time in the classroom and the library that helped him to develop the habits of mind that have been so useful to him as a pro.

“I’ve just been patient,” he says humbly. “I’ve been able to learn from the different quarterbacks I’ve played behind, then apply what I learned when I got on the field. I’ve also been able to get better every year. A lot of that came from the experience of classroom work and studying that I had while I was at Harvard.”

That patience is paying off. Including the end of last season, Fitzpatrick has led the Bills to seven wins in their past 10 games. His nine touchdown passes tie him with New Orleans’ Drew Brees and Detroit’s Matthew Stafford for second most in the NFL this year. His quarterback rating — 103.5 — ranks seventh and is nearly 30 points higher than his career average. Fitzpatrick says this success is due in part to lessons learned at the College, including how to work with people from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

“The biggest thing I learned at Harvard was how to deal with different people,” he says. “In Arizona [his home state], it was all the same type of person. When I got to Harvard, there were a lot of different personalities and different people that I had to learn how to manage. And that’s actually a big part of playing the position of quarterback. You’ve got a lot of different people who you need to keep happy and keep going during a game when they’re not touching the ball.”

Murphy, the Thomas Stephenson Family Head Coach for Harvard Football, was always happy to see Fitzpatrick touch the ball, particularly in 2004 when the quarterback led the Crimson to an undefeated season and a league championship. Murphy watched Fitzpatrick amass 6,271 yards during four years in Cambridge — a school record — and compares the player to Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow. But the coach says it was “intangibles” like leadership and grace under pressure that inspired him to encourage “Fitzy” to pursue a career in football.

“He had the physical tools to be an NFL prospect,” Murphy says, “but his intangibles were off the chart. He is the toughest, most competitive kid I’ve ever coached, and a natural leader. And his poise and ability to perform under pressure was eerie. I have never seen him flustered.”

Fitzpatrick confesses that his success comes as something as a surprise to him. Like most Harvard athletes, the economics concentrator had plans for a career outside of sports after college. He says that Murphy’s encouragement and his own love of the game inspired him to give pro football a shot.

“I wanted to play football for as long as they would let me,” he says. “I think everyone in the locker room at Harvard would have continued to play if they had the opportunity to. At times I feel like I’m playing for them. I’m the guy that was lucky enough to continue my career.”

Murphy says that Fitzpatrick’s impulse to put his teammates first — even seven years after his last game at Harvard — shows that he hasn’t changed much from the player the coach first met in Arizona more than a decade ago.

“The refreshing thing is that he is still the same kid we recruited out of high school,” Murphy says. “Humble. Respectful. No pretentiousness. No sense of entitlement.”

Right now, Fitzpatrick is focused on making Buffalo a force in the ultra-competitive AFC East division, home to the Patriots and to the New York Jets. He knows, however, that some day there will be no more cheering crowds, no more big games. When that time comes, he says, he will still have the education and friendships that he formed at Harvard.

One friend in particular stands out.

“I’ve got a beautiful wife who I met at Harvard, and three kids,” he says. “I’ve got so many tremendous relationships and great friends that I had at Harvard. And I think that the Harvard experience helped me out so much in terms of maturing and growing up. I don’t even want to imagine what my life would be like if I hadn’t gone there.”

And what exactly is a dig? “I only play in the back row, and focus on getting the ball up so that we can run our offensive system,” Wu said. But the art of digging — preventing an attack from hitting the ground — is volleyball’s equivalent to sliding into home base. There’s diving, landing, and bruising. And Wu averages more than 400 digs a year.

But on the flipside of the pain lies a bit of glamour. Come January break, Wu will jet off to Europe, not for sightseeing, but for a chance to play in the pros.

“I’m going on an ‘exposure tour’ with some other girls who also want to play professionally,” said Wu, who is also co-captain of the Crimson. “For 10 days we’re going to travel around Italy, Austria, and Slovenia, and coaches will come, recruit, watch, and hopefully it will all work out.”

Heading to Europe means postponing medical school. A concentrator in human evolutionary biology from Naperville, Ill., Wu spent her summer working in a neurobiology lab at Harvard Medical School and studying for the MCATs. “The human body is really interesting to me. I always wanted to be pre-med, be a doctor, and I always thought I’d go straight to med school,” she said. “But, through the years, it’s come down to the fact that I love volleyball so much, and I want to take a few years off to play.”

Wu still plans to return to the United States within three years and enroll in medical school to study orthopedics and sports medicine. “Being around athletes, I’ve seen so many injuries,” she said. “I’ve been injured myself. I’ve been through physical therapy. I know what it takes.”

With a record-breaking season on the way, Wu’s accolades have already begun rolling in. When the Crimson traveled to the Georgia State Invitational earlier this month, Wu was voted to the all-tournament team by the represented teams’ coaches. Last year, she was named to ESPN Magazine’s Academic All-District Second Team and was one of three teammates to play in all 26 games.

Wu said the recognition she’s received is “great because it shows that Harvard student athletes aren’t here on paid scholarships.” (There are no athletic scholarships in the Ivy League.)

“We’re playing because we love the game and want to stick with it and pursue this passion while committing ourselves in the classroom as well.”

“Christine has emerged as a top libero in the Ivy League conference,” said Crimson coach Jennifer Weiss. “This is not based on sure talent but consistent hard work. As our senior captain, Christine demonstrates a daily discipline that is essential to success on the court and in the classroom. We have a solid offensive and defensive system right now, and that all starts with a play from the libero. Christine has always been a playmaker on court, and those around her feed off of her positive and passionate play.”

“It’s definitely going to be a great season,” said Wu. “I’m looking forward to playing with these girls. Sandra Lynne Fryhofer, the only other senior on the team and also co-captain, and I are really trying to pump up the team, and we’ve had three other years under our belts, so we know what it takes. This is the last chance for us to give all we’ve got.”

Winters is one of the “summer dogs.” Though the Crimson’s first game isn’t until Sept. 17, Winters and a group of other players stuck around Cambridge all summer, practicing and preparing for the opening game against Holy Cross.

"I’d like to end this season as the best quarterback in the Ivy League,” said Collier Winters '12.

They got jobs, moved into alternate housing, and lived with a discipline typically unheard of once June rolls around. They awoke at 5 each morning, save for Thursdays. They got on the field. They worked out for hours, went off afterward to each do their own thing, but returned come evening to do it all again.

“I’d rather wake up at 5 a.m. and be with these fellows than anybody,” said Treavor Scales ’13, a running back from Stone Mountain, Ga., who was recently named preseason All-Ivy League by Phil Steele’s College Football Preview.

Linebacker and team captain Alex Gedeon ’12 and towering defensive tackle Josue Ortiz ’12 stuck around with Winters and Scales. With the exception of Scales, this is their final season playing college ball, so it’s all on the line.

“I’d rather wake up at 5 a.m. and be with these fellows than anybody,” said Treavor Scales ’13, a running back from Stone Mountain, Ga., who was recently named preseason All-Ivy League by Phil Steele's College Football Preview.

Winters, who tore his adductor muscle early last season and was replaced by a third-string quarterback, is more than ready to make up for lost time. “Our goal this year is to win every game,” he said. “And I’d like to end this season as the best quarterback in the Ivy League.”

Despite Winters’ injury, the Crimson finished 7-3, which included a victory against rival Yale.

“I was proud of our team last year,” said coach Tim Murphy. “We weren’t a great team, but we were cohesive and resilient. We still managed a second-place Ivy finish and an Ivy League record 10th-consecutive year of minimum seven wins.”

Having Winters back is a bonus, said Murphy. “But it’s a very unusual year with every team in the league returning an All-Ivy-caliber quarterback. For that reason and others, the 2011 season shapes up as one of the most competitive and interesting races in many years.

“Defensively, we have good players at every level, and Josue Ortiz, Alex Gedeon, Matt Hanson, and Dan Minamide will be among the best players in the league at their positions. But we also must become a stronger, more physical team on both sides of the ball to reach our goals.”

The Crimson has but three short months to make history.

“Our goal is the Ivy Championship and to beat Yale for the 10th time in the last 11 years,” said Murphy. “But only time will tell with this team.”

“We all have higher aspirations of being in the NFL,” said Ortiz. “But if that doesn’t work out, we have that Harvard degree.”

Ortiz, an economics concentrator from Avon Park, Fla., said he tries to keep his teammates grounded, but uplifted. “I want to be remembered as a spiritual leader, on and off the field,” he said. “What you do off the field is important, too.”

He doesn’t much go out on weekends and is involved in a Christian fellowship on campus. After slow-performing freshman and sophomore years, Ortiz climbed the ranks to make this year’s first-team All-Ivy League, as well as the College Football Performance Awards Watch List and preseason All-America third team by College Sporting News. Now he just wants to win, plain and simple.

“When I started out, I wasn’t very good. But I worked, and I got there, and now here we are.”

And everyone is watching.

View the season’s full schedule.

“It’s a famous university so it’s fantastic to be here,” said Denis Irwin, a 1990s standout with the famed English soccer team Manchester United, nicknamed the Red Devils.

During their visit, members of the team’s Manchester United Soccer Schools, including Irwin, taught a soccer clinic at the Harvard Stadium for students at the Gardner Pilot Academy summer camp located in the Allston neighborhood of Boston.

Sir Alex Ferguson (left), manager of the famed English soccer team Manchester United, meets with Harvard President Drew Faust. During the visit, members of the team’s Manchester United Soccer Schools taught a soccer clinic at the Harvard Stadium for students from Allston's Gardner Pilot Academy summer camp. Justin Ide/Harvard Staff Photographer

Irwin, a former player for the Republic of Ireland’s national team, said encouraging young people to get involved in sports is an important part of the soccer school’s mission.

“There’s a global push for people to get out and be fitter and to eat healthier, and that is part of what Manchester United is about …  we have always produced young players, so it’s very important” to get youth involved.

The young campers didn’t let the sweltering heat interfere with their fun as they practiced their technique and played in small-sided games run by the school’s staff. Though he was sporting a New England Patriots T-shirt with the name Welker on the back, one young camper was excited to be playing that other type of football.

“It’s really fun. They are teaching us new skills, you run around, and you play matches.

In Massachusetts for a game against the New England Revolution, the team stopped in the Old Yard to meet Harvard President Drew Faust and pose for photos with the renowned John Harvard Statue.

On a brief walk through the Yard, Faust noted points of interest to the team’s manager Sir Alex Ferguson, including the site of the archaeological dig involving the Indian College, Harvard Yard’s first brick building, and Harvard’s oldest building: Massachusetts Hall.

“We are 375 years old this year,” Faust said. “Compared to your part of the world, that’s fairly young.”

Neil Scott, a Manchester United Soccer School coach, talks to fourth- and fifth-graders from the Gardner Pilot Academy summer camp in Allston. Justin Ide/Harvard Staff Photographer

Manchester United defender Patrice Evra was one of the lucky players who grabbed the statue’s left foot, which, according to legend, brings good fortune to those who touch it.

The players mingled with surprised fans who were thrilled to see the soccer superstars casually strolling through the Yard like regular tourists.

“I’d never have had a chance to see them this close up, and to take a picture with them — to actually see them live is the best thing,” said Serbian Aleks Markovic, a lab administrator in Harvard’s Chemistry Department who chatted with the team’s captain Nemanja Vidic, a fellow Serb.

Wearing Crimson baseball caps, the team gathered around the John Harvard Statue, which sported a Manchester United scarf around its neck for the occasion. Ferguson held up a Harvard sweatshirt for the pictures with Faust, who, like John Harvard, wore a Manchester United scarf.

Star player Wayne Rooney (right) joins his teammates at the John Harvard Statue. Justin Ide/Harvard Staff Photographer

For the second straight day, the Crimson four trailed through the Barrier and Fawley splits but came from behind to win. This time, Harvard came back and won by a wider margin of 1.75 lengths. Its time of 6:58 was just one second off its event-record mark from Saturday. Each of its splits was one second behind its Saturday pace as well.

The win concluded another successful Henley trip for Harvard. The Crimson set event records in both the Temple Challenge Cup and Prince Albert Challenge Cup and reached the semifinals in both the Temple and Ladies’ Challenge Plate events.

“I’m really proud of the way all of our crews raced over there,” said Harry Parker, the Thomas Bolles Head Coach for Harvard Men’s Crew. “I thought they did a terrific job. They’ve added another page to Harvard crew’s very strong legacy of success at Henley.”

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The Michigan native was on skis at age 2. When she was a child, her parents moved the family west, and she spent her youth in the snow-packed mountains of Colorado and Utah, careening down trails, hungry for speed and any jumps she could find.

“I was in love with being in the air,” Thorp recalled.

Her passion became the unpredictable sport of ski cross. (Think roller derby on skis, with tight turns, airborne racers, and high-speed collisions.)

But a horrific crash on the slopes during a routine race with the Harvard Ski Team during her junior year left her with a metal plate and six screws in her left leg, and a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her right leg. The sanguine senior, who spent almost two months on campus in a wheelchair, knows it could have been worse.

“I was lucky,” Thorp said. “At least I was still able to do a number of things myself.”

But Thorp’s determination and her skiing experiences would shape her life at Harvard and beyond in ways she never imagined.

On her left hand is an engagement ring from another skier with a passion for the sport, global health, and social justice. Her fiancé is Matthew Basilico, a Harvard graduate and Harvard Medical School student.

Thorp jokingly called their romance “scandalous,” describing how they met when she was a freshman and he was senior captain of the men’s ski team. When the pair realized they shared a mutual interest in Africa, and in issues of public health and social justice, their connection blossomed.

“Matt,” she said with a smile, “was very special.”

Several factors deepened Thorp’s interest in public health and social justice her first year at Harvard. There was the “life-altering” class about Africa and the legacy of colonialism taught by Harvard Professor Caroline Elkins. She became involved with the Harvard College Global Health and AIDS Coalition. And she read “Mountains Beyond Mountains,” the book about Paul Farmer, the Harvard doctor and founder of Partners In Health, a mainstay health care provider in Haiti.

But for the competitive athlete, skiing was still paramount. Thorp arrived as the school’s fastest female racer and established herself as a vital part of the Crimson’s alpine team. She took a break from school during her sophomore spring semester, preparing to try out for the 2010 Winter Olympics U.S. ski cross team. But stress fractures in both legs forced her to drop out.

So she headed to Africa. Thorp used her time off in the landlocked African nation of Malawi to work with Partners In Health and the William J. Clinton Foundation on public health initiatives. The four-month trip was a turning point.

“It was the best Plan B ever,” she said of her decision not to return immediately to Harvard. “I have no idea how I would have stayed with pre-med if I hadn’t seen the outlet of working internationally and working in settings of poverty.”

The following year, Thorp’s skiing crash forced her to trade her third-floor room in Eliot House for a ground-floor unit in Leverett House. She relied on friends and Harvard staff to navigate campus life with her two injured legs, but her spirit never dimmed.

“There is an incredible support system built in for things like this. All in all, it was as positive an experience as it could be,” she said.

Determined to return to Malawi, Thorp held off on surgery to her right leg so she could continue her public health work there last summer.

She had her torn ligament repaired just weeks before classes began last fall. Knowing that the decision meant she would be unable to compete, Thorp helped out as the team’s assistant coach, mentor, driver, and sometime cook. The previous season her teammates, inspired by her ongoing support despite her injuries, had elected her captain.

“Being asked to lead the team while transitioning from a wheelchair to crutches was a huge honor,” she said.

With plans to attend medical school in 2012, Thorp credits her Harvard experience with helping her to develop and maintain her passions.

“I don’t think there are many other places I could have held together those two interests in any way. I am so very, very grateful to Harvard.”

As for her other passion, Thorp and Basilico will marry next June.

“We ran together shouting, crying, hugging,” says Evan Hoese ’11, most valuable player of the championship tournament. “There was so much emotion on the field. We just wanted to be together.”

Most observers probably wouldn’t have predicted such amazing success for a team whose future seemed uncertain only a few years ago. As a Harvard club sport, RRFC faced the perennial challenge of fundraising, made more difficult because of the recession. The team was also responsible for its own logistics and transportation to places as far flung as Kissimmee, Fla., and Randall’s Island, N.Y. Coach Bryan Hamlin says that recruitment was a concern when he came on board, but the players’ toughness and perseverance allowed them overcome the obstacles and build a thriving program.

“When I first began coaching this team, the numbers were very bad and there was a chance the club would fold,” says Hamlin. “We worked hard and soon participation picked up. Now we have a strong program and we are heading into the Division I Ivy League conference, ready to face the challenges that will be presented to us.”

As things stabilized, the team started winning. RRFC qualified for the 2011 national championship tournament on April 3 after beating a tough Boston University squad to which it had lost earlier in the season. Even then, the program got little respect from tournament organizers. Radcliffe drew a low seed and, thus, an early round match with one of the best teams in the country: the Norwich University Cadets, who had beaten the Harvard women earlier in the year. Oddly enough, it was this loss that convinced Hamlin his team could contend for a national title, he said.

“At that time, Norwich was the No. 1 team in the country,” he says. “Although we lost the game, we had the more skilled team; we just didn’t have the fitness. It was a close game but Norwich ran away with it in the final 15 minutes. From that moment I knew we had the potential to win a national championship.”

The team was in top condition for its tournament match with Norwich in mid-April. Trailing at halftime, Radcliffe rallied and pulled away for a 22-7 win. Next up was a semifinal game in Pittsburgh with Western Washington, another top-ranked school. Again, the fitness and stifling defense of the Harvard women were the difference as they trounced their opponent, 32-14.

“Western Washington proved to be a very worthy adversary,” says Megan Verlage ’13. “They stayed neck and neck with us the majority of the game, but broke because we kept them under constant pressure until the very end.”

The final test came against Notre Dame, a physically imposing team ranked No. 3 in the country. The Radcliffe ruggers were relaxed and confident. Hoese says that she visualized the team’s success for days before the match with Notre Dame and couldn’t wait to get on the field.

“All I could think about was the championship,” she says. “I imagined breaking through the line, knocking the other team back, big hits, and a wall of defense. I was so excited and also proud of the upcoming game and how far we’d come. I felt calm. I knew we could win.”

At first, Radcliffe had trouble shutting the Irish down and the game stayed close. The Cliffies kept the pressure on, moving Notre Dame around the field. In the final 20 minutes, the Radcliffe women upped the intensity on their exhausted opponents, whose defense could not hold. After a final scrum, RRFC claimed a 22-10 win and its first national championship since it won the Division I title in 1998.

“We play our best rugby in the last 20 minutes of a match,” says Hamlin. “At no point did I think we were going to lose that game. The team executed our plan perfectly.”

Nicole Poteat ’11 says that the championship showed her that she could accomplish anything with the help of teammates who share a common goal and a commitment to one another.

“The momentum we had this year made us an unstoppable force,” she says. “Every time I thought that force might be meeting an immovable object — like in the Norwich game, or when we played Notre Dame in the finals — I quickly remembered that for us, there was no such thing. This came from how cohesive we were as a unit on and off the field. We know the lengths we would go to for each other and that has made us fearless.”