CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Earning varsity status in 1981, the Harvard softball program will celebrate its 40th anniversary in 2021. A virtual celebration will be held on Sunday, April 18 at 2 p.m. EST to commemorate the Crimson's past 40 years of Harvard Softball.
 
Over the previous 40 years, the Crimson has claimed eight Ivy League championship titles, appeared in seven NCAA Tournaments and garnered 242 All-Ivy League honorees. Additionally, seven Crimson players have been named Ivy League Player of the Year, eight have earned Ivy League Pitcher of the Year honors and six have been recognized as Ivy League Rookie of the Year.
 
Read more below about the most historic moments in the history of Harvard Softball:
 
1981- Harvard Softball played its first season with head coach Kit Morris at the helm. The Crimson garnered a 14-5 overall record and a 3-2 Ivy League mark, while Harvard garnered its first All-Ivy League First Team selection in Betty Ippolito '81 and three Honorable Mention Team honorees: Elaine Holputch '92, Pat Horne '83 and Gillian Raney '82.
 
1982- John Wentzell stepped in as head coach of the Crimson. Harvard posted a 12-4 record during its first season with Wentzell leading the way, while two players earned All-Ivy League First Team recognition: Pat Horne '83 and Ellen Jakovic '82. Landya Boyer '84 collected All-Ivy Second Team honors.
 
1987- The Crimson finished in third place in the conference for the second-straight year. For the first time in the history of the program, three students-athletes were awarded First Team All-Ivy League honors:  Sharon Hayes '87, Lisa Rowning '87, and Lora Rowning '89.
 
1989- Harvard hired Barry Haskell to serve as head coach. The Crimson claimed second place in the Ivy League during his first season with a 5-3 record, its second time finishing in the top two in the conference in program history. Julia Fromholz '92 earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors, the first in program history for the Crimson.
 
1991- The Crimson finished the year with a 21-17 record and earned its first Ivy League Player of the Year distinction as Beth Reilly '91 garnered the award her senior season. Additionally, Chris Carr '93 and Beth Reilly '91 were named First Team All-Ivy.
 
1995- Jenny Allard was hired to lead the Harvard softball program as head coach. The Crimson compiled a 28-14 overall record and 9-3 conference mark to finish second in the Ivy League standings and make its first postseason appearance in the ECAC Tournament.
 
1997- The Crimson qualified for the ECAC Tournament for the second time in program history after posting a 32-19-1 record, while Deborah Abeles '00 earned Ivy League Rookie of the Year honors and Melissa Kreuder '97 was named to the NFCA All-Northeast Region First Team.
 
1998- Allard led the Crimson to the most successful season in the history of the program, as the team recorded a 34-22 record, captured its first Ivy League championship with a perfect 12-0 league record and earned its first bid to the NCAA Championship, where it defeated Boston College in the regional. It was the last time an Ivy League team went undefeated in conference play.
 
1998- The Crimson was rewarded for its outstanding season with 10 All-Ivy League selections. Five of those players, including Ivy Player of the Year Tara LaSovage '99 and Pitcher of the Year Tasha Cupp '98, were named to the First Team. Four were Second Team selections, and one received Honorable Mention.
 
1999- Chelsea Thoke '01 was named the Ivy League Player of the Year and Deborah Abeles '00 earned NFCA All-Northeast Region First Team honors after helping the Crimson to a 10-2 conference mark.
 
1999-The Ivy League Conference celebrated 25 years of Women's Championships (1974-1999).  The Harvard Silver Anniversary Honor Roll for softball included Mary Baldauf '88, Trish Brown '87, Elizabeth Crowley '89, Tasha Cupp '98, Sharon Hayes '88, Pat Horne '83, Melissa Kreuder '97, Tara LaSovage '99, Beth Reilly '91, Amy Reinhard '96, Gerri Rubin '86.  Additionally, Sharon Hayes '88, and Tasha Cupp '98 were named to the Ivy League Silver Anniversary Honor Roll.
 
2000- Harvard compiled a 11-1 Ivy League record, giving the Crimson its second conference championship title and an NCAA Tournament berth. Additionally, Deborah Abeles '00 earned Ivy League Player of the Year honors.
 
2001- The Crimson claimed back-to-back Ivy League titles after posting an 11-3 League mark.
 
2002- Allard guided the Crimson to a 31-10 record, the best mark in the history of the program. That squad closed out the season by capturing the ECAC championship, while Tiffany Whitton '03 was named the Ivy League Player of the Year and garnered All-Northeast Region First Team honors.
 
2004- Kara Brotemarkle '04 earned Ivy League Pitcher of the Year and NFCA All-Northeast Region Second Team honors after helping the Crimson to a 9-5 conference record.
 
2007- Harvard returned to the top of the Ivy League standings, posting a 31-15 record and a 14-6 Ivy League mark. The Crimson followed up its regular season success by winning the inaugural Ivy League Championship series against Penn and advancing to the NCAA Tournament. Pitcher of the Year Shelly Madick '08 and Rookie of the Year Lauren Murphy '10 were NFCA All-Northeast Region honorees and were among six All-Ivy selections from the Crimson.
 
2008- The Crimson claimed its second consecutive Ivy North Division championship and had nine players earn All-Ivy League honors.
 
2009- Rachel Brown '12 was named the Ivy League Rookie of the Year and earned All-Ivy League First Team honors after leading the conference with 21 strikeouts in 28 appearances and compiling a 16-7 record with a 1.49 ERA.
 
2010- Harvard went 17-3 in conference play, capturing the Ivy North Division title and taking Cornell to three games in the Ivy League Championship Series. Junior Ellen Macadam '11 was named to the NFCA All-Northeast Region First Team.
 
2011- A record-breaking season for the Crimson, the team set a new school record for wins in a season (36) and Ivy League wins in a season (18). For the first time in school history, and second in the history of the Ivy League, Harvard produced the Ivy League Player (Ellen Macadam '11), Pitcher (Rachel Brown '12) and Rookie of the Year (Kasey Lange '14), and matched a program high with 10 All-Ivy selections. Harvard swept the Ivy League Championships Series against Cornell and advanced to the Tucson, Ariz. Regional in the NCAA Tournament. Additionally, Amy Reinhard '96 was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
 
2012- Harvard was able to repeat its success, as the Crimson posted a 35-15 overall mark with a 17-3 league record. A sweep of Penn in the Ivy League Championship Series earned Harvard a spot in the NCAA Seattle Regional, where it notched upsets over Maryland and No. 23 Texas Tech in back-to-back elimination games to earn the program's first berth in an NCAA Regional final. Jane Alexander '12 was named Ivy League Co-Player of the Year and Rachel Brown '12 picked up her second-straight Ivy League Pitcher of the Year award. The pair both earned NFCA All-Northeast Region honors as well. In all, 11 players earned All-Ivy League accolades.
 
2013- Tasha Cupp '98 was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame. A four-time All-Ivy selection (First Team 1998, Second Team 1995-97), Tasha was named the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year in 1998. That year, she helped her team to an undefeated 12-0 record in the Ivy League and the program's first Ivy League championship.
 
2014- Harvard broke the all-time program record for consecutive wins, collecting 18-straight victories, including 11 Ivy League wins. The team turned in its second-straight runner-up finish in the Ivy League North Division standings and two NFCA All-Northeast Region Third Team honorees.
 
2015- The season boasted four First Team All-Ivy League selections and two NFCA All-Northeast Region honorees, as Harvard posted its third-straight runner-up finish in the North Division. Additionally, Deborah Abeles '00 was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
 
2016- Allard guided the Crimson to its best record in the Ivy League (16-4) and the North Division crown. Seven players garnered All-Ivy League honors with Morgan Groom '16 and Rhianna Rich '19 earning League Pitcher and Rookie of the Year accolades, respectively. Chelsea Thoke '01 was also inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
 
2017- The Crimson once again earned the North Division championship, claiming back-to-back berths in the Ivy League Championship Series. Seven players were selected to All-Ivy teams, including Rhianna Rich '19 and Maddy Kaplan'18 who were also name to the NFCA Northeast Region Third Team. 
 
2018- Harvard captured its seventh Ivy League championship, and sixth appearance in the NCAA regionals with a sweep of Dartmouth in the Ivy League Championship Series. Finishing the season with a 23-18 overall record, including a 14-7 mark against conference opponents, seven Harvard players earned All-Ivy recognition, while Katie Duncan '19 was tabbed as the Ivy League Pitcher of the Year. Duncan and junior Rhianna Rich '19 were named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District, while the pair was joined by senior Maddy Kaplan '18 and junior Meagan Lantz '19 to earn NFCA All-Northeast Region honors. Capping the year, Tiffany Whitton '03 was inducted into the Harvard Varsity Club Hall of Fame.
 
2019- The Crimson posted a 25-19 overall record, while boasting a 16-5 performance against Ivy League opponents before collecting its second consecutive Ivy League championship, Ivy League Playoff Series title and automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. Collectively, eight players were awarded All-Ivy League accolades. Additionally, senior Katie Duncan '19 was named Ivy League Pitcher of the Year, NFCA All-Northeast Region Second Team, CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team and Academic All-America Third Team. Head coach Jenny Allard also earned her 300th Ivy League victory.
 
2021- Amy Reinhard '96 earned the NCAA Silver Anniversary Award, recognizing former student-athletes who have distinguished themselves since completing their college athletics careers.