This past week, standout Sacred Heart pitcher and Guilford resident Anna Fagan announced where she will be playing collegiate softball. Having led Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) in Hamden, CT from the circle for the past two years, and while preparing to lead them this spring as a senior captain, Fagan announced her commitment on Feb. 28 to Dartmouth College of the Ivy League.

“I am so incredibly excited and blessed to announce my commitment to continue my academic and athletic career at Dartmouth College,” said Fagan on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Entering her junior campaign, few considered SHA a threat to advance deep into the CIAC State Tournament. Entering the postseason as the No. 18 seed, Fagan helped to lead SHA all the way to the state finals at UConn against No. 1 seeded Woodland Regional. On the road to the Class M State Championship game in Storrs, SHA would defeat Oxford in the semifinals before falling to the No. 1 seed and defending champion Hawks in the final.

Fagan attributes this success to the focus on the team over personal statistics or individual highlights.

“We had a great run last year in the state tournament,” said Fagan. “This year, we have to build on that, finish the job, and bring a state championship back to SHA.”

Following her junior high school season, Fagan returned to the national club softball circuit with the Stars National, based in New Jersey. With the team, she played tournaments from coast to coast against Division 1 committed players and prospects, and in front of college softball coaches from around the country. Her success against this level of competition gained her exposure and firmed her resolve to pitch at the highest level of college softball.

Fagan will bring more to Dartmouth’s campus than just her pitching arm. She was recently named a Summa Scholar for ranking among the top 5% of her graduating class at highly competitive SHA. She is among only a few students still eligible to be named Valedictorian.

Carrying a cumulative GPA above 4.6, while taking 10 AP classes over three years at SHA, Fagan has proven herself to be a tremendous competitor, both on the field and in the classroom. She is a dual-threat, custom made for the NCAA Division 1 Ivy League.

The academic and athletic honors Fagan earned over her high school career have been extensive, including SCC All-Conference recognition, The Harvard Book Award, National Honors Society, Mu Alpha Theta Math National Honors Society, Science National Honors Society, etc. She has also received High Honors throughout her tenure.

Few student athletes can meet both the academic rigor of admission into an Ivy League school, along with the athletic prowess of an NCAA Division 1 athlete.

“While softball is such a large part of my life, I did not want to sacrifice attending a school that will challenge me academically at the highest level,” said Fagan. “Dartmouth offers both the academic rigor of an Ivy League school and Division 1 softball. It is a perfect fit for me.”

Fagan will enter Dartmouth in the fall as a member of the class of 2028. She plans to major in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Business Administration.