NFHCA academic honors
Photo by Mark Campbell March 16, 2017
13 UD field hockey student-athletes named to National Academic Squad
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) has named 13 University of Delaware field hockey student-athletes to its National Academic Squad for their work in the classroom.
The 2016 ZAG Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad recognizes individuals who have achieved a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.30 or higher during the first semester of the 2016-17 academic year, which is arguably the busiest time of the year for the student-athletes as they are amidst their championship season.
“A great team semester GPA can only be accomplished by a great team of individual student-athletes working together,” said UD head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. “What is impressive to me is that during the 2015 season, we had our then-highest team fall semester GPA (3.35), won our third consecutive Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) title and played really well in the NCAA tournament. This past fall, we were able to surpass what we knew was a great 2015 with a new team-high GPA (3.44) while winning our fourth straight CAA title and becoming national champions. This players group never stops to impress and surprise people in a good way.”
UD was represented by freshmen Sarah Horgan, Ally Pollak and Kaitlyn Zook; sophomores Kiki Bink, MaryCate Butler, Lisa Giezeman and Michaela Scanlon; junior Emmeline Oltmans; and seniors Kayla Devlin, Esmée Peet, Marjelle Scheffers, Meghan Winesett and Maura Zarkoski.
Since 2004 and prior to 2013, the Blue Hens never had more than seven student-athletes honored with NFHCA National Academic Squad accolades. In 2013, UD had a dozen student-athletes recognized while the Hens have had 13 acknowledged in the past two seasons.
“A special congrats and thank you to Kiki, MaryCate, Kayla, Lisa, Sarah, Emmeline, Esmée, Ally, Michaela, Maryellen, Meghan, Maura and Kaitlyn for representing our team,” said van de Kerkhof. “It is great for them and our institution to have 13 Blue Hens securing their affiliation as a member of the 2016 ZAG Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad.”
Last week, the NFHCA recognized UD for the sixth straight season under van de Kerkhof and his staff as a National Academic Team.
The Blue Hens, who finished the year with a 19-game winning streak and an overall mark of 23-2, won the program’s first-ever national championship in late November while achieving the team’s highest-ever semester GPA of 3.437.
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