When meeting Olivia and Arianna Sabatino ’19, one could only be grateful that Olivia Introduced herself immediately. And that she wore her glasses while Arianna had contacts in. They both smiled their 100-watt smiles as Liv said, “I thought I’d do you a favor today.” 

As of this writing, Olivia Sabatino ’19 shares the school record for most goals scored in a career with her twin sister, Arianna. The team is enjoying one of its most successful seasons of late.

It’s not hard to imagine that they spur each other on, both on the field and in the classroom. As they speak there was an unconscious meeting of the minds. They finish each other’s sentences with the same cadence and enthusiasm, with glances that say as much as their words. Both are biology majors minoring in psychology. Both want to become physical therapists and run a practice together. And they both give their adviser, associate professor of biology Aaron Krochmal, (four!) thumbs way up for his guidance and help throughout their careers here.

That camaraderie is a twin thing. But their athletic prowess is just as strong.

They are generally on opposite ends of the midfield. Arianna is a lefty and Liv is a righty, which allows them to feed each other’s dominant foot. Because they’ve been playing together since the age of four, as teammates on every squad they’ve joined since elementary school, they have a keen sense of what’s happening on the field and how to communicate with one another. They chalk it up to experience as much as the sibling connection.

Hailing from Dix Hills, New York, the Sabatino women learned about Washington College from a good friend in high school who came to play lacrosse here. They also had the good fortune to play on travel teams with athletes who landed in D-1 programs, meaning that they worked with outstanding teammates throughout high school. For Liv and Arianna, it’s the team’s success, rather than their individual accomplishments, that really matters.

 “I don’t pay a lot of attention to stats; what it really shows is how much our team has improved,” says Liv. “Emily Jacoby, who’s a freshman, will probably shatter our records in two to three years.”

 “It’s just amazing to see how much our team has grown this year,” says Arianna. “And it’s really fun to be part of the recruiting process, to reach out to high school players who could enjoy Washington College just as much as we have.”