Dartmouth Hosts Annual Celebration of Excellence
5/19/2026 9:12:00 PM | Athletics
HANOVER, N.H. – Tuesday, May 19 marked a time for celebration as Dartmouth College Department of Athletics and Recreation hosted its annual Celebration of Excellence Ceremony.
Brandon Mitchell-Day (men's basketball) and Samantha Bennett (women's lacrosse) served as masters of ceremony for the event.
KENNETH ARCHIBALD PRIZE
The Kenneth Archibald Prize is awarded to a member of the graduating class, who has been four years in attendance, and who in the judgment of the Athletic Council has been the best all-around athlete with regard being had to moral worth and high standing in scholarship.
Winner: John Steel Hagenbuch '25 – Men's Nordic Skiing
Steel Hagenbuch has been a valuable member of the Men's Nordic Skiing team since coming to Dartmouth. Steel Hagenbuch has competed in two carnivals this season for the Big Green, earning the win in the St. Lawrence classic race and both the freestyle and classic race at the EISA Championship and NCAA Regional.
Steel Hagenbuch also won an Individual National Championship at his third straight NCAA Championship, taking the 7.5K Classic title with a time of 18:25.3. He finished the championship with two First-Team All-American honors, wrapping his career with seven total recognitions.
Steel Hagenbuch's athletic accomplishments have traveled farther than the hills of Hanover, as he represented Team USA and made his Olympic Debut at the 2026 Games in Italy. Hagenbuch was the first American finisher in the 10K freestyle race finishing in 21:41.1 to finish 14th overall. He also raced in the 4x7.5K relay, helping USA to sixth overall.
ALFRED E. WATSON TROPHY
The Alfred E. Watson Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding Dartmouth athlete on a men's team during the year. Nominations for the Watson Trophy are submitted by the coaches of the men's varsity teams and voted on by the head coaches of the men's teams.
Winner: Hayden Stavroff '28 – Men's Ice Hockey
Stavroff left his mark this season, securing his spot in the Dartmouth Men's Hockey history books. During the 2025-26 season, Stavroff led the entire country in scoring with 29 goals, goals per game at 0.83, and was sixth in the country in points per game averaging 1.37. The Columbus, Ohio native turned in 13 multi-point games including eight games in which he tallied three or more points. In the season opener against Stonehill, he scored his first of two hat-tricks of the season. On Dec. 5 he scored his second hat-trick as he scored four goals against Brown. He is one of just six players in the country to have two or more hat-tricks this season.
Stavroff's performance earned him many accolades, as he was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, Ivy League Player of the Year, was named to the AHCA All-American First team, was named First Team All-Ivy, and First Team All-ECAC. He is the first Dartmouth player to ever be named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year. Additionally, Stavroff was the first Dartmouth player to be awarded the Walter Brown award as the best American born player in New England. Stavroff was also named a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker award, the second Dartmouth player to be named to this list in program history.
CLASS OF 1976 AWARD
The Class of 1976 Award is given to the most outstanding athlete from a women's team during the year. The winner is determined by the head coaches of the women's varsity teams and the Dean of Students.
AGNES B. KURTZ AWARD
Aggie Kurtz was the first woman appointed to the athletic staff when co-education arrived at Dartmouth in 1972. She coached field hockey, squash and lacrosse, and also taught physical education classes. She was later appointed assistant athletic director. The award named in her honor is nominated and voted on by the captains of the women's teams and given to that person who best combines proficiency in athletics with dedication to the furthering of women's sports.
Winner: Ava Thurston '26 – Women's Nordic Skiing
Thurston closes out her senior campaign winning both the Class of 1976 Award and Agnes B. Kurtz Award. Thurston competed in all six EISA Carnivals, winning seven of her 11 total races. Additionally, she won two freestyle races, finishing on the podium in three others. Thurston also took the win in all five classic races she competed in.
For the fourth year in a row, Thurston represented the Big Green in the NCAA Championship where she earned First Team All-American honors on the 20K freestyle with a fourth place overall finish and a Second Team All-American honors for her eighth overall finish in the 7.5K classic. Thurston finishes her career at Dartmouth with two First Team All-America recognitions and three Second Team All-America honors.
CLASS OF 1948 SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
The Class of 1948 Scholar-Athlete Award is given annually to one member of a men's team and one member of a women's team in the junior class who have combined outstanding performance in athletics and significant achievement in academics, as nominated by the head coaches of the varsity sports and selected by the Athletics Director.
Winners: Peyton Capuano '27 – Women's Tennis and Eric Charpentier '27 – Men's Ice Hockey
Capuano, a junior government major, earns the 1948 Scholar Athlete Award for her performance both on and off the tennis court. Capuano was named Ivy League Player of the Year following a 13-4 singles record and a 15-5 doubles record. Additionally, she posted a 4-0 record in singles play against Ivy League opponents, including helping the Big Green to their first win over Harvard since 2016. Capuano earned her 50th career doubles win and surpassed 100 career wins, and currently ranks in the top ten in career doubles wins (59), career singles wins (43), and total wins (102). Capuano is a two-time College Sports Communicators All-Academic All-District.
Charpentier was a staple on the Dartmouth blueline as he played in a career-high 35 games, scored a career-high goals with four, and dished a career-high nine assists. The junior assistant captain was named a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Defenseman of the Year Award. Charpentier blocked a team-high 58 shots, finished seventh in the country in plus/minus at +27, and played his 100th career game against Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.
CLASS OF 1950 AWARD / COMMUNITY SERVICE
The Class of 1950 Award is presented annually to the varsity student-athlete who has demonstrated the most extraordinary commitment to community service. Nominations are submitted by the head coaches and captains of varsity sports, and the winner is selected by the Dean of the College, the Director of Athletics, and the Dean of the Tucker Foundation.
Winners: Maura Fiorenza '26 – Women's Ice Hockey and Julia Pye '27 – Women's Track and Field
Fiorenza's impact is not only felt on the ice, but in the community. Fiorenza appeared in all 31 games for the Big Green, blocking 36 shots – the third most on the team, tallied two points with two assists. Off the ice, Fiorenza is the president of SAAC and has led initiatives such as Welcome Back Scoop and Score, "We Lift For" for cancer awareness, Kind30, the Big Green Cup, and has volunteered alongside the women's hockey team. Additionally, Fiorenza has participated in the CHAD Hero toy drive, Upper Valley Haven, David's House, and Hanover Wild.
Pye, a member of the women's track and field team, has participated in 10 meets this season. She set a PR in the 500m at the Ivy League Indoor Championships with a time of 1:18.00, as well as set a PR in the 1500m at the UConn Dog Fight with a time of 4:43.20. Pye's speed helped put the Dartmouth women's 4x800 relay at seventh all-time in program history with a finishing time of 8:54.39 at the Ivy League Indoor Championships. Additionally, Pye set PRs in the 3.72m at the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational and the 4k at the Friar Invitational. Pye shares her love for running with the Hanover community as she serves as the president of the Hanover chapter for Run Your City, a volunteer-led running program for local youth. Run Your City is an organization dedicated to children in grades K-8 where runners, dreamers, leaders, and supporters build a non-profit organization that focuses on building an inclusive community around the sport of running.
TIMOTHY WRIGHT ELLIS 1955 MEMORIAL AWARD
The Timothy Wright Ellis 1955 Memorial Award is nominated and voted on by the captains of the men's teams. It is given to a member of a men's team showing the extra-curricular and scholastic drive, spirit, loyalty and amiability which made Tim such a well-known part of this community.
Winners: Delby Lemieux '26 – Football and Brandon Mitchell-Day '26 – Men's Basketball
As a senior offensive lineman, Lemieux is one of the best to hit the turf for the Big Green. Lemieux was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy First Team, is a three-time All-Ivy honoree, and started in 27 games in the last three seasons. Lemieux was named an Associated Press First Team All-American, a Phil Steele Second Team All-American, a Stats Perform Third Team All-American and competed in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl. Most recently, Lemieux, captain of the Big Green, was signed to the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent.
Mitchell-Day was a constant presence on and off the court for the Big Green throughout his career. Mitchell-Day appeared in 101 games for Dartmouth while making 75 starts over his four-year tenure. During his senior year, he started all 27 games, scored 10+ points in 17 games, and recorded a 17 point and 10 rebound double-double in the Big Green's first road victory over Cornell since the 2019-20 season. Additionally, Mitchell-Day became the 33rd person in program history to surpass 1,000 career points after a 23 point performance at Penn. Mitchell-Day also set a career-best 244 rebounds in his senior season, leading the team and Ivy League in the category. His defensive performance ranked him seventh in NCAA Division I men's basketball statistics as he averaged 7.19 defensive rebounds per game and was 29th in total rebounds per game.
MOMENT OF EXCELLENCE
The Moment of Excellence recognizes top plays, performances, and acts of character over the past year. The winner is determined through live polls on social media, so friends, family, fans, student-athletes, and coaches all have the opportunity to cast their votes for which moment stood out amongst all others.
Dartmouth Men's Hockey captured its first ECAC Hockey Tournament Championship with a 2-1 overtime win over Princeton to clinch a NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 1980. Dartmouth sophomore Tim Busconi scored the game winning goal in overtime for the Big Green goaltender Emmett Croteau made 25 saves in the win as Dartmouth set a new program record with 23 wins.
Brandon Mitchell-Day (men's basketball) and Samantha Bennett (women's lacrosse) served as masters of ceremony for the event.
KENNETH ARCHIBALD PRIZE
The Kenneth Archibald Prize is awarded to a member of the graduating class, who has been four years in attendance, and who in the judgment of the Athletic Council has been the best all-around athlete with regard being had to moral worth and high standing in scholarship.
Winner: John Steel Hagenbuch '25 – Men's Nordic Skiing
Steel Hagenbuch has been a valuable member of the Men's Nordic Skiing team since coming to Dartmouth. Steel Hagenbuch has competed in two carnivals this season for the Big Green, earning the win in the St. Lawrence classic race and both the freestyle and classic race at the EISA Championship and NCAA Regional.
Steel Hagenbuch also won an Individual National Championship at his third straight NCAA Championship, taking the 7.5K Classic title with a time of 18:25.3. He finished the championship with two First-Team All-American honors, wrapping his career with seven total recognitions.
Steel Hagenbuch's athletic accomplishments have traveled farther than the hills of Hanover, as he represented Team USA and made his Olympic Debut at the 2026 Games in Italy. Hagenbuch was the first American finisher in the 10K freestyle race finishing in 21:41.1 to finish 14th overall. He also raced in the 4x7.5K relay, helping USA to sixth overall.
ALFRED E. WATSON TROPHY
The Alfred E. Watson Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding Dartmouth athlete on a men's team during the year. Nominations for the Watson Trophy are submitted by the coaches of the men's varsity teams and voted on by the head coaches of the men's teams.
Winner: Hayden Stavroff '28 – Men's Ice Hockey
Stavroff left his mark this season, securing his spot in the Dartmouth Men's Hockey history books. During the 2025-26 season, Stavroff led the entire country in scoring with 29 goals, goals per game at 0.83, and was sixth in the country in points per game averaging 1.37. The Columbus, Ohio native turned in 13 multi-point games including eight games in which he tallied three or more points. In the season opener against Stonehill, he scored his first of two hat-tricks of the season. On Dec. 5 he scored his second hat-trick as he scored four goals against Brown. He is one of just six players in the country to have two or more hat-tricks this season.
Stavroff's performance earned him many accolades, as he was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, Ivy League Player of the Year, was named to the AHCA All-American First team, was named First Team All-Ivy, and First Team All-ECAC. He is the first Dartmouth player to ever be named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year. Additionally, Stavroff was the first Dartmouth player to be awarded the Walter Brown award as the best American born player in New England. Stavroff was also named a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker award, the second Dartmouth player to be named to this list in program history.
CLASS OF 1976 AWARD
The Class of 1976 Award is given to the most outstanding athlete from a women's team during the year. The winner is determined by the head coaches of the women's varsity teams and the Dean of Students.
AGNES B. KURTZ AWARD
Aggie Kurtz was the first woman appointed to the athletic staff when co-education arrived at Dartmouth in 1972. She coached field hockey, squash and lacrosse, and also taught physical education classes. She was later appointed assistant athletic director. The award named in her honor is nominated and voted on by the captains of the women's teams and given to that person who best combines proficiency in athletics with dedication to the furthering of women's sports.
Winner: Ava Thurston '26 – Women's Nordic Skiing
Thurston closes out her senior campaign winning both the Class of 1976 Award and Agnes B. Kurtz Award. Thurston competed in all six EISA Carnivals, winning seven of her 11 total races. Additionally, she won two freestyle races, finishing on the podium in three others. Thurston also took the win in all five classic races she competed in.
For the fourth year in a row, Thurston represented the Big Green in the NCAA Championship where she earned First Team All-American honors on the 20K freestyle with a fourth place overall finish and a Second Team All-American honors for her eighth overall finish in the 7.5K classic. Thurston finishes her career at Dartmouth with two First Team All-America recognitions and three Second Team All-America honors.
CLASS OF 1948 SCHOLAR-ATHLETE AWARDS
The Class of 1948 Scholar-Athlete Award is given annually to one member of a men's team and one member of a women's team in the junior class who have combined outstanding performance in athletics and significant achievement in academics, as nominated by the head coaches of the varsity sports and selected by the Athletics Director.
Winners: Peyton Capuano '27 – Women's Tennis and Eric Charpentier '27 – Men's Ice Hockey
Capuano, a junior government major, earns the 1948 Scholar Athlete Award for her performance both on and off the tennis court. Capuano was named Ivy League Player of the Year following a 13-4 singles record and a 15-5 doubles record. Additionally, she posted a 4-0 record in singles play against Ivy League opponents, including helping the Big Green to their first win over Harvard since 2016. Capuano earned her 50th career doubles win and surpassed 100 career wins, and currently ranks in the top ten in career doubles wins (59), career singles wins (43), and total wins (102). Capuano is a two-time College Sports Communicators All-Academic All-District.
Charpentier was a staple on the Dartmouth blueline as he played in a career-high 35 games, scored a career-high goals with four, and dished a career-high nine assists. The junior assistant captain was named a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Defenseman of the Year Award. Charpentier blocked a team-high 58 shots, finished seventh in the country in plus/minus at +27, and played his 100th career game against Wisconsin in the NCAA Tournament.
CLASS OF 1950 AWARD / COMMUNITY SERVICE
The Class of 1950 Award is presented annually to the varsity student-athlete who has demonstrated the most extraordinary commitment to community service. Nominations are submitted by the head coaches and captains of varsity sports, and the winner is selected by the Dean of the College, the Director of Athletics, and the Dean of the Tucker Foundation.
Winners: Maura Fiorenza '26 – Women's Ice Hockey and Julia Pye '27 – Women's Track and Field
Fiorenza's impact is not only felt on the ice, but in the community. Fiorenza appeared in all 31 games for the Big Green, blocking 36 shots – the third most on the team, tallied two points with two assists. Off the ice, Fiorenza is the president of SAAC and has led initiatives such as Welcome Back Scoop and Score, "We Lift For" for cancer awareness, Kind30, the Big Green Cup, and has volunteered alongside the women's hockey team. Additionally, Fiorenza has participated in the CHAD Hero toy drive, Upper Valley Haven, David's House, and Hanover Wild.
Pye, a member of the women's track and field team, has participated in 10 meets this season. She set a PR in the 500m at the Ivy League Indoor Championships with a time of 1:18.00, as well as set a PR in the 1500m at the UConn Dog Fight with a time of 4:43.20. Pye's speed helped put the Dartmouth women's 4x800 relay at seventh all-time in program history with a finishing time of 8:54.39 at the Ivy League Indoor Championships. Additionally, Pye set PRs in the 3.72m at the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational and the 4k at the Friar Invitational. Pye shares her love for running with the Hanover community as she serves as the president of the Hanover chapter for Run Your City, a volunteer-led running program for local youth. Run Your City is an organization dedicated to children in grades K-8 where runners, dreamers, leaders, and supporters build a non-profit organization that focuses on building an inclusive community around the sport of running.
TIMOTHY WRIGHT ELLIS 1955 MEMORIAL AWARD
The Timothy Wright Ellis 1955 Memorial Award is nominated and voted on by the captains of the men's teams. It is given to a member of a men's team showing the extra-curricular and scholastic drive, spirit, loyalty and amiability which made Tim such a well-known part of this community.
Winners: Delby Lemieux '26 – Football and Brandon Mitchell-Day '26 – Men's Basketball
As a senior offensive lineman, Lemieux is one of the best to hit the turf for the Big Green. Lemieux was a unanimous selection to the All-Ivy First Team, is a three-time All-Ivy honoree, and started in 27 games in the last three seasons. Lemieux was named an Associated Press First Team All-American, a Phil Steele Second Team All-American, a Stats Perform Third Team All-American and competed in the 2026 Panini Senior Bowl. Most recently, Lemieux, captain of the Big Green, was signed to the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent.
Mitchell-Day was a constant presence on and off the court for the Big Green throughout his career. Mitchell-Day appeared in 101 games for Dartmouth while making 75 starts over his four-year tenure. During his senior year, he started all 27 games, scored 10+ points in 17 games, and recorded a 17 point and 10 rebound double-double in the Big Green's first road victory over Cornell since the 2019-20 season. Additionally, Mitchell-Day became the 33rd person in program history to surpass 1,000 career points after a 23 point performance at Penn. Mitchell-Day also set a career-best 244 rebounds in his senior season, leading the team and Ivy League in the category. His defensive performance ranked him seventh in NCAA Division I men's basketball statistics as he averaged 7.19 defensive rebounds per game and was 29th in total rebounds per game.
MOMENT OF EXCELLENCE
The Moment of Excellence recognizes top plays, performances, and acts of character over the past year. The winner is determined through live polls on social media, so friends, family, fans, student-athletes, and coaches all have the opportunity to cast their votes for which moment stood out amongst all others.
Dartmouth Men's Hockey captured its first ECAC Hockey Tournament Championship with a 2-1 overtime win over Princeton to clinch a NCAA Tournament berth for the first time since 1980. Dartmouth sophomore Tim Busconi scored the game winning goal in overtime for the Big Green goaltender Emmett Croteau made 25 saves in the win as Dartmouth set a new program record with 23 wins.
Baseball Postgame vs. Manhattan - 5.3.2026
Sunday, May 03
Baseball Postgame vs. Manhattan - 5.2.26
Saturday, May 02
Baseball Postgame vs. Merrimack - 4.29.26
Wednesday, April 29
Softball vs. Yale Postgame Interview 4/26/26
Sunday, April 26
