"Every time I put on my jersey, whether it's for a game, practice, or my shirt for a lift, having Dartmouth across my chest is one of the most special feelings I've had as a player and honestly, as a person," said Johnston.
What drew Johnston and his fellow Big Green class of 2023 to Hanover in the first place helped draw them back to Dartmouth for a fifth year.
"First and foremost, what drew me was the tradition here on campus," said Myers. "You ask any student who has gone here about their experience, and they have nothing but great things to say. That and just the incredible network of people I've met when I was getting recruited, has just been amazing.
"It's something I wanted to be a part of."
What makes Dartmouth, and specifically Dartmouth men's lacrosse so special?
Tommy Rogan
"Meeting the people standing on the green in the summer is one of the most perfect experiences you can really feel," said Johnston. "And the tight-knit aspect, which is one a buzzword around here, but everyone's so welcoming and everyone wants each other to succeed."
That couldn't be more true for these fifth-years, and the Dartmouth men's lacrosse program as a whole.
The COVID pandemic opened the door for student-athletes to return.
"Obviously, we had two seasons taken away from us (most of 2020 and all of 2021)," said Myers. "Just getting through four games in 2020, my freshman year was such an incredible experience. I knew deep in my heart that I wanted to elongate that as much as I could. So one of the first things I did when that second season got canceled was explore options of taking a fifth year. Fortunately, here at Dartmouth, we have a very flexible D plan — the on term, off term setup — and was able to make it work."
These fifth-year student-athletes are leaving the program better than they found it. The Big Green went 3-1 in the shortened 2020 then had some strong nonconference wins in 2022 (Bryant and Vermont, among others) while dropping several close contests against Ivy League opponents, in a season which saw six league teams make the NCAA Tournament.
Last year, Dartmouth went 5-1 in nonleague play then picked up an Ivy League win over Harvard. This season, the Big Green are continuing to take steps forward under new head coach Sean Kirwan, who is known as one of the brightest minds in the sport. Dartmouth was within striking distance deep into the fourth quarter against No. 13 Penn, led No. 9 Yale at the half, then was leading at Brown late in the third quarter a week later.
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) April 13, 2024
Congratulations to Mitchell Myers, who become the program's all-time leader in career groundballs on Saturday, breaking Phil Hession's (2012-15) previous mark of 263 👏👏👏
— Dartmouth Men's Lacrosse (@DartmouthMLax) April 24, 2024
The fifth-years have played an important role as a bridge between the student-athletes and new coaching staff.
"Collectively, I think everybody was excited to continue in the growth of the program and continue to see where this program can go," said Rogan.
One early message from Kirwan resonated with Myers: it's your team.
"He said it's on us as the players and the seniors and the captains of this team to figure out how to hold each other accountable," said Myers. "It's that top-down accountability structure where the players really have to hold each other accountable as opposed to the coaches stepping in."
Kirwan came to Dartmouth with a strong resume, as a two-time national championship offensive coordinator for Virginia (among many accolades). And with that strong resume came strong respect by the fifth-years and all the Big Green student-athletes.
"To have that experience he brings with respect to the championship culture he's built both at Virginia and Brown is great," said Myers, referring to Kirwan's two Ivy League Championships at Brown and 2016 Final Four appearance as the Bears' offensive coordinator.
"Facilitating that development between the coaching staff and all the players has been an incredible experience," Myers continued.
Johnston said the new staff has led the charge in creating a productive change.
"We've worked through it with them," he said. "As leaders, we've tried to get rid of some old habits, while also keeping some of those core features of our culture that have been set in place for decades from alums who have poured their hearts into this program."
For a while now, Johnston, Myers and Rogan were definitely planning on returning for 2024. St. Geme was a little more uncertain, but Kirwan's arrival on campus helped convince him.
Payton St. Geme
"It was the end of last spring and a lot of people were talking to me like you should come back," said St. Geme. "Then I believe it was June, I called Coach Kirwan. Just knowing Coach Kirwan's history and having him come here, that was the biggest catalyst for the summer when I decided to come back. I wanted to be part of what's being built here."
Dartmouth men's lacrosse has experienced so much since 2020, beginning with the COVID pandemic, followed by many ups and downs which followed.
One consistent part of Dartmouth men's lacrosse?
These four fifth-years, who have so much pride for the program.
"It is probably the most special thing I've ever been a part of, with the relationships and friendships I've had," said Rogan.
The history at Dartmouth also draws out the love and pride for this place.
"All the alumni are incredibly passionate about Dartmouth and are incredibly passionate about making this a competitive and winning program," said St. Geme.
These fifth-years may not have seen the winning that they would have wanted over the course of their careers. But they have been part of building a strong foundation, breeding future success through their actions.
"I hope if I step in the locker room in five or ten years, you see those cultural aspects that we've worked hard to put in place," said Johnston. "Whether that's getting together with first-years to teach them how to watch film, teaching guys what it means to work hard and what it really means to care, I hope my legacy is that those positive aspects continue for years to come."
As Kirwan and the Big Green say, it's all about pounding the stone. Create that strong culture, with strong habits and the wins will come.
"If you keep pounding the stone, you never know when it's going to break," said Johnston. "One day, it will. There's not one action item that's going to set a team apart; it's not going to be one fix, one solution that does it. It's building these little habits and day-by-day being intentional with what you're doing."
The fifth-years have played a major role in getting that stone to the verge of breaking. It has been a mutually beneficial relationship; they have done so much for Dartmouth, and Dartmouth has done so much for them.
As Johnston said, "There's something pretty indescribable about Dartmouth."
