And The Number Is ...

The Daily Princetonian has updated its chart of Ivy League titles for this school year and it reads like this:

Princeton 15
Yale 7
Cornell 4
Harvard 4
Penn 4
Dartmouth 2
Brown 0
Columbia 0

Princeton's record-setting 15 titles, Brown and Columbia taking the, uh, donut, and Dartmouth following last year's one championship with two this year got me thinking. What is the Big Green's record for championships in one year, and how does this year stack up?

In the past it was a relatively easy chore to find that information. Just grab the Ivy League record book, flip through the pages and in five or so minutes you had everything you needed. But one of the truly unfortunate casualties of the Internet age has been the disappearance of the printed version of the Ivy League record book. The last I could find on my bookshelf was the 324-page 2000-01 volume (a bargain at the time for $11.00).

Sans a current version of the "bible of Ivy League athletics," I went to the Ivy website and tried to work my way through each men's and women's sport. Unfortunately, the transition to electronic records is a work in progress and for a good number of sports a click on the "record book" simply turned up the message, "under construction!"

That sent me scurrying to the Dartmouth team web pages, where some of the missing information was available. Through sleight of hand I managed to fill in the other blanks. At least most of them ... I think.

All that is by way of saying this checklist is as complete and accurate as I could make it sitting here at BGA central last night. I'm hoping someone – TB? – has a thorough and complete accounting that will allow me to post an updated list with a little more confidence. Or perhaps the information is actually on the Ivy website and I just couldn't find it. I'm guessing I missed a title or two, or three. Anyone?

With that caveat, here's what my preliminary search turned up:

The Dartmouth record for Ivy League championships in one year is six in 1990-91.
Dartmouth Ivy League titles:

6 – one time
5 - two times
4 - six times
3 - 11 times
2 - 16 times
1 - 12 times
0 - 8 times

I'd be curious to know what the record is for each Ivy school, but that's for someone who has a lot more time on their hands than I do.

*

From an ESPN recruiting story out of New Orleans:

... (D)efensive tackle Matthew Gaston (6-2, 270 pounds). Gaston, whose father Cameron played for the Houston Oilers, has a 4.2 GPA and has already scored a 27 ACT. ...

"Matthew already has academic scholarships to Princeton, Yale and Dartmouth," (St. Augustine assistant coach Kyle) Gilbert said. "I think he's holding out for Harvard. Army came by (on Wednesday) and they love him. He's by far the strongest player on the team with a 415 bench press. He wants to be a brain surgeon.

A couple of thoughts. Am I off base or does it seem unlikely that a kid has locked in an academic scholarship to three Ivies before he's finished his junior year of high school? And how do you think the rest of the Ivies like hearing a coach say that a kid is, "holding out for Harvard?"

*

The Sports Network writes about the top offensive linemen in the nation and lists 6-foot-7, 305-pound Columbia senior tackle Jeff Adams "on the cusp" of that select group. Adams is a two-time member of the All-Ivy first team.

*

With Dartmouth scheduled to install lights on Memorial Field before the start of the 2011 season it is instructive to discover what's happening down at Lafayette. Turns out the Patriot League school is playing four of its five home games under the lights this year. Here's what Lafayette athletic director Bruce McCutcheon said about the scheduling (link):

"The 6 p.m. start seems spot-on. We find it's more family-friendly. You can come tailgate, watch the ball game and be home by 9:30, 10. Families are a big part of our fans and they have a lot going on during the day Saturdays, soccer games, the like, and then people only have a day or two to get things done so they can do that during the day Saturday and come to the game at night.

"And let's face it, with college students they may not even be up for an afternoon game."

*

The Nashua Telegraph has a story about the challenge of fielding a perennially successful football program across the state at the University of New Hampshire and the terrific job coach Sean McDonnell has done. From the story:

On the field, football is alive and well at UNH. The stadium and other facilities are among the worst in the country for a Division I program, but McDonnell has certainly made the program relevant to both UNH students and alumni.

The story also included this, which could come back and haunt New Hampshire Athletic Director Marty Scarano when McDonnell's contract is up:

“We’re very fortunate that he’s still here. I’ve gone on record saying Sean is irreplaceable. He understands the place like no one can and found, miraculously, a way to make it work here.

“I think I’m a pretty good athletic director, but I would be hard pressed to find someone to replace him.’’

*

And finally, a report last night on the closest thing we have to a local TV station said this is now the rainiest spring on record for these parts.

Somehow between yesterday's midafternoon monsoon and another outbreak of heavy rain while we were getting the traditional post-game ice cream, our Green Machine youth baseball team squeezed in a game about 35 minutes north of here. It ended up being our second no-hitter in a row, improving our record to 4-0. Although we graduated the core of our team after going 23-1 last year, the kids are off to a fast start in our first spring after moving from Little League to Ripken Baseball.