My colors are blue and white now, but I still bleed green.

I don’t play sports at Colby, yet not a day goes by that I don’t miss my teams at Deerfield. It’s usually during my afternoon runs, when, naturally, I think of cross country and all the time I spent on Mill Village Road and the Hairpin and Moto-Cross and the Ridge, laughing and talking and letting off steam with other girls on the team.

I remember how perfect five miles felt after an exhausting Deerfield day—long enough to be an accomplishment, short enough that our energy wasn’t entirely depleted, and we could finish that final 400 meters on the baseball field with a strong kick.

I think of the ski team on those nights when my group of friends and I were last to eat in the dining hall. I remember epic late dinners when three tables pushed together were barely enough space to fit all of the cold, tired skiers who weren’t quite ready to separate for the night. And maybe when Sugarloaf opens, Pat Adams ’09, Phil Amato ’09 and I will take a few runs together and reminisce.

Deerfield sports taught me a lot about camaraderie and support; I learned how much closer a finish line can seem when someone next to it is calling your name. When I came to Colby, I realized I could only bring so much with me. Fortunately, my Deerfield athletic experience made the cut. It’s always a good day to win.

Ellicott Dandy ’09 was captain of the girls’ varsity ski team and a member of the cross country team, a member of the Disciplinary Committee; she is now a freshman at Colby College in Maine.