Annabelle Hasselbeck was never supposed to stand that close to the Vice President of the United States.
The student-athlete representative for the Boston College lacrosse program was going to stand among her peers for the White House's annual event honoring college sports' national champions. Like her teammates, she walked the grounds and introduced herself to other representatives with a congratulatory handshake or hug before spending time with the other Eagles bonded forever by the trophy earned in May's come-from-behind win over Northwestern. She laughed about how BC could have held the event in a dark, unlit closet space somewhere in the middle of nowhere, but she understood how she would stand with some of the greatest college athletes of the 2023-2024 season.