Completed Event: Women's Track & Field at Jay Carisella Invite on May 2, 2026 ,
Final
Women's Track & Field
at Jay Carisella Invite
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Lauren Archer
Senior Spotlight: Lauren Archer
5/13/2020 1:00:00 PM | Women's Cross Country, Women's Track & Field
Dartmouthsports.com will be recognizing the senior student-athletes who had their spring seasons canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today's Senior… Lauren Archer of women's outdoor track & field.
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DartmouthSports.com: What is your favorite competition/athletic memory?
Lauren Archer: I have two: The first is Outdoor New England's last year (2019) at the University of Southern Connecticut. I worked through the race with my teammates and ran a six-second PR in the 1500m to run a 4:27 and helped score points toward Dartmouth's first-place finish. My dad traveled all the way up from Florida, too, to watch me that weekend. The second is Indoor Heps (Ivy League Heptagonal Championships) this year (2020). I had a pretty rough start to the season because I was struggling with some hip pain that impeded my training. But things came together right at the end of the season, and I was able to represent Dartmouth in what I can now say was my last race in a Dartmouth uniform. I achieved one of my big goals of making a Heps final race (in the 800m), and I had a strong leg on the 4x800m at the end of the meet. Although it has been really tough to digest such an abrupt ending to my collegiate running career, I feel some closure after that last race. Overall, I am just incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have forged lifelong relationships with my teammates and coaches and to have worn the green and white for four years.
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DS: Why did you choose Dartmouth?
LA: I fell in love with Dartmouth the first time I crossed Ledyard Bridge on an unofficial visit with my dad the summer before my senior year of high school. I knew I wanted to spend the next four years here when I met my future teammates on my official visit. I felt welcomed into the DTF and DXC family and the Dartmouth community. The energy around campus felt collaborative, happy, and inspiring. The numerous running trails/routes were a great bonus too. I also knew I wanted a campus very different from where I grew up, Miami, Florida – Dartmouth is most certainly that.
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DS: What is your favorite non-sports memory from your time at Dartmouth?
LA: When I studied abroad in Madrid last fall, my friend Peninah Benjamin and I took a trip to the south of Spain (Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada) during our week off. We spent every day just exploring the cities, practicing our Spanish with locals, and eating delicious food (I still miss the jamón ibérico and pimientos de padrón). One evening, we hiked up to a lookout point in Sacramonte, Granada and watched the sunset over the Sierra Nevada, the Alhambra, and the city. It was so peaceful and humbling. Another moment that I really cherish was one of the last nights of last spring that I spent in my North Park apartment with my three housemates eating a random combination of snacks and chatting about our favorite memories (two of them were '19's, and that was one of our last Dartmouth memories together).
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DS: What food could you eat every single day?
LA: It has to be a three-way tie between graham crackers, my dad's homemade granola recipe (with oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and dried cherries), and super chunky Teddie peanut butter. I eat graham crackers (with almond milk!) almost every day and love topping my morning oatmeal with the granola and peanut butter!
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DS: If you could have played another sport, what would it be and why?
LA: I played soccer for six years before high school when I decided it made more sense to put my energies into cross country and track (soccer season overlapped with both). I like to jokingly brag that I was eighth grade tournament MVP for our school league, but I really did enjoy playing. I would have loved to continue playing through high school and college, but I knew deep down my heart was pulling me more toward running. I guess I realized that a big part of why I enjoyed soccer was the running part (I played midfield).
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DS: What is the best gift you ever received? (small or big, or even a piece of advice, but something that has had a positive effect on your life).
LA: Sophomore winter I was dealing with a lot all at once with my grandpa passing away and a few other things. One day I started crying, and my roommate/teammate/one of my best friends Lauren Sapone was right there to comfort me. She then wrote me one of the sweetest notes that instantly made me feel comforted and supported. That was just one of quite a few little notes/gifts she's given me since then. I am so lucky to have her in my life.
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DS: Other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life?
LA: Honestly, it's my teammates here at Dartmouth. They have each had a unique impact on my life, and collectively they have challenged me to be a better teammate, athlete, student, and friend. I feel completely comfortable being my true, goofy self around them. Whether it's during the last rep of a workout or when I'm having a tough day, they're always there to listen, comfort, and encourage me. It is so awesome to learn from and support their passions outside of running too.
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DS: If you could swap places with one teammate, who would it be and why?
LA: I'd swap places with Cha'Mia Rothwell. I would love to know what it feels like to sprint 60m incredibly fast over hurdles in 8.2 seconds. It usually takes me 60m to even reach my full speed… It would also be cool to have a voice that carries through Lev like hers does.
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DS: What was your favorite place on campus?
LA: The locker room is definitely one of them. I probably spent more hours there collectively than any other place on campus (not including my dorm/living situation). There are so many memories from that space that I will cherish for the rest of my life: pre-workout tunes, long conversations, foam rolling sessions, getting dressed for workout themes, and just being around people that make me so happy. Another place that means a lot to me is Rocky. I have spent a lot of my time there as a participant in the Management and Leadership and Development Program (MLDP), a student assistant for MLDP, and a Rockefeller Leadership Fellow (RLF). I have also spent time there studying and taking Economics courses for my major.
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Superlatives
Fastest: Henry Raymond Â
Most Athletic: Cha'Mia Rothwell
Strongest: Sade (Folasade Akinfe)
Funniest laugh: Will Eaton
Best sense of humor: Samantha Ford
Best singer: Claire Dougherty
Most talkative: Lauren Sapone
Biggest appetite: Ben Matejka
Most unique hobby: Maddie Nobili
Most soft spoken: Anna DiMarcello
Best dresser: Breanna Glover
Most likely to become a coach: Quinn Cooney
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Today's Senior… Lauren Archer of women's outdoor track & field.
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DartmouthSports.com: What is your favorite competition/athletic memory?
Lauren Archer: I have two: The first is Outdoor New England's last year (2019) at the University of Southern Connecticut. I worked through the race with my teammates and ran a six-second PR in the 1500m to run a 4:27 and helped score points toward Dartmouth's first-place finish. My dad traveled all the way up from Florida, too, to watch me that weekend. The second is Indoor Heps (Ivy League Heptagonal Championships) this year (2020). I had a pretty rough start to the season because I was struggling with some hip pain that impeded my training. But things came together right at the end of the season, and I was able to represent Dartmouth in what I can now say was my last race in a Dartmouth uniform. I achieved one of my big goals of making a Heps final race (in the 800m), and I had a strong leg on the 4x800m at the end of the meet. Although it has been really tough to digest such an abrupt ending to my collegiate running career, I feel some closure after that last race. Overall, I am just incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have forged lifelong relationships with my teammates and coaches and to have worn the green and white for four years.
Â
DS: Why did you choose Dartmouth?
LA: I fell in love with Dartmouth the first time I crossed Ledyard Bridge on an unofficial visit with my dad the summer before my senior year of high school. I knew I wanted to spend the next four years here when I met my future teammates on my official visit. I felt welcomed into the DTF and DXC family and the Dartmouth community. The energy around campus felt collaborative, happy, and inspiring. The numerous running trails/routes were a great bonus too. I also knew I wanted a campus very different from where I grew up, Miami, Florida – Dartmouth is most certainly that.
Â
DS: What is your favorite non-sports memory from your time at Dartmouth?
LA: When I studied abroad in Madrid last fall, my friend Peninah Benjamin and I took a trip to the south of Spain (Cordoba, Sevilla, Granada) during our week off. We spent every day just exploring the cities, practicing our Spanish with locals, and eating delicious food (I still miss the jamón ibérico and pimientos de padrón). One evening, we hiked up to a lookout point in Sacramonte, Granada and watched the sunset over the Sierra Nevada, the Alhambra, and the city. It was so peaceful and humbling. Another moment that I really cherish was one of the last nights of last spring that I spent in my North Park apartment with my three housemates eating a random combination of snacks and chatting about our favorite memories (two of them were '19's, and that was one of our last Dartmouth memories together).
Â
DS: What food could you eat every single day?
LA: It has to be a three-way tie between graham crackers, my dad's homemade granola recipe (with oats, pecans, pumpkin seeds, raisins, and dried cherries), and super chunky Teddie peanut butter. I eat graham crackers (with almond milk!) almost every day and love topping my morning oatmeal with the granola and peanut butter!
Â
DS: If you could have played another sport, what would it be and why?
LA: I played soccer for six years before high school when I decided it made more sense to put my energies into cross country and track (soccer season overlapped with both). I like to jokingly brag that I was eighth grade tournament MVP for our school league, but I really did enjoy playing. I would have loved to continue playing through high school and college, but I knew deep down my heart was pulling me more toward running. I guess I realized that a big part of why I enjoyed soccer was the running part (I played midfield).
Â
DS: What is the best gift you ever received? (small or big, or even a piece of advice, but something that has had a positive effect on your life).
LA: Sophomore winter I was dealing with a lot all at once with my grandpa passing away and a few other things. One day I started crying, and my roommate/teammate/one of my best friends Lauren Sapone was right there to comfort me. She then wrote me one of the sweetest notes that instantly made me feel comforted and supported. That was just one of quite a few little notes/gifts she's given me since then. I am so lucky to have her in my life.
Â
DS: Other than your parents, who has had the most influence on your life?
LA: Honestly, it's my teammates here at Dartmouth. They have each had a unique impact on my life, and collectively they have challenged me to be a better teammate, athlete, student, and friend. I feel completely comfortable being my true, goofy self around them. Whether it's during the last rep of a workout or when I'm having a tough day, they're always there to listen, comfort, and encourage me. It is so awesome to learn from and support their passions outside of running too.
Â
DS: If you could swap places with one teammate, who would it be and why?
LA: I'd swap places with Cha'Mia Rothwell. I would love to know what it feels like to sprint 60m incredibly fast over hurdles in 8.2 seconds. It usually takes me 60m to even reach my full speed… It would also be cool to have a voice that carries through Lev like hers does.
Â
DS: What was your favorite place on campus?
LA: The locker room is definitely one of them. I probably spent more hours there collectively than any other place on campus (not including my dorm/living situation). There are so many memories from that space that I will cherish for the rest of my life: pre-workout tunes, long conversations, foam rolling sessions, getting dressed for workout themes, and just being around people that make me so happy. Another place that means a lot to me is Rocky. I have spent a lot of my time there as a participant in the Management and Leadership and Development Program (MLDP), a student assistant for MLDP, and a Rockefeller Leadership Fellow (RLF). I have also spent time there studying and taking Economics courses for my major.
Â
Superlatives
Fastest: Henry Raymond Â
Most Athletic: Cha'Mia Rothwell
Strongest: Sade (Folasade Akinfe)
Funniest laugh: Will Eaton
Best sense of humor: Samantha Ford
Best singer: Claire Dougherty
Most talkative: Lauren Sapone
Biggest appetite: Ben Matejka
Most unique hobby: Maddie Nobili
Most soft spoken: Anna DiMarcello
Best dresser: Breanna Glover
Most likely to become a coach: Quinn Cooney
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Players Mentioned
Jumps
/ Women's Track & Field
MD-XC
/ Women's Track & Field
Dist.-XC
/ Women's Track & Field
MD-XC
/ Women's Track & Field
Dist.-XC
/ Women's Track & Field
Dist.-XC
/ Women's Track & Field
Jump/Hurdles
/ Women's Track & Field
Dist.-XC
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