Dawson commits to Dartmouth

CEDAR RAPIDS -- Signing day came and went. But as it turned out, Tia Dawson's big basketball opportunity was still waiting.

A senior at Cedar Rapids Washington, Dawson said Tuesday that she has committed to play at Dartmouth College of the Ivy League.

"A lot of people told me I should go there," Dawson said. "It's Division I, and the academics are really good."

Dawson averages 11.5 points and 10.6 rebounds per game for the Warriors (19-2), who earned a share of the Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division title.

Washington is ranked sixth in Class 4A and begins regional play on Saturday.

A 6-foot-2 post, Dawson carries a grade point average of 4.0-plus. She intends to major in engineering.

"This is a great opportunity for Tia," said Washington Coach Frank Howell. "She can help Dartmouth, and Dartmouth can help her."

Ivy League schools do not offer athletics scholarships, but Howell said the school "came up with a financial-aid package that came out pretty favorably."

The Big Green has a 5-16 record.

Dawson did not play summer AAU ball, which decreased her visibility. She went uncommitted through the November signing period and through the majority of the season.

Dartmouth assistant coach Erin Rewalt saw Dawson play when the Warriors beat Cedar Rapids Prairie on Jan. 18, then Dawson visited the campus in Hanover, N.H., Feb. 5-7.

"I liked the coaches, they seem really nice," said Dawson, Washington's all-time career leader in blocked shots. "I am really, really excited."