Ogden Named a Semifinalist for AAU James E. Sullivan Award

HANOVER, N.H. — The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) has selected 30 semifinalists for the 89th annual James E. Sullivan Award, one of which is Dartmouth sophomore skier Katharine Ogden. This award has been presented annually since 1930 to the most outstanding amateur athlete in the United States.

The award is for the 2018 calendar year when Ogden — as a freshman — won both women's Nordic races at the NCAA Skiing Championships last March, becoming the first Dartmouth skier to win two titles at one championship in 56 years. She blew away the field in the 5K freestyle by a stunning 47 seconds, then two days later won the 15K classical handily by a 38-second margin.

During the college carnival season prior to the NCAAs, Katharine won five of the 10 races in which she competed, finished second in three others and never placed lower than fourth. After taking a break from competitive skiing, she returned to the International circuit, finishing sixth in the 10K classic at the Nor-Am Cup in Vernon, British Columbia, then claimed third in the 5K freestyle at the FIS race in Craftsbury, Vermont. In addition to her skiing prowess, Katharine competed at the 2018 USA Cycling Collegiate Mountain Bike National Championships in the Club Women's short track race in which she finished third overall.

Outside of competitions, Katharine volunteers with the non-profit organization Fast and Female, which has a mission of promoting a positive, empowering environment for girls in sport. She also works with the Hanover chapter of Little Bellas, a mentoring program for girls on mountain bikes.

"Not only is Katharine an outstanding athlete who doesn't like to lose, she has fully embraced being a part of this team, and that has helped raise the level of the entire team," said Cami Thompson Graves, the Dartmouth Director of Skiing and head coach of women's Nordic skiing. "She shows up every day ready to do what is needed, no excuses. She is a student of the sport and has a strong awareness of what she needs to succeed, which trickles down to all of her teammates. With her energy and enthusiasm, she brings those around her along, encouraging others to do more without any judgment. She is truly a class act!"

There is an online voting segment that is part of the process for becoming a finalist. Fans can see all 30 semifinalists and vote once per day at https://aausports.wyng.com/AAUSullivanAwardSemifinalists through Friday, March 15. The finalists will be announced next Monday with another online voting segment.

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