Herons Collect National Academic Honors
19 March 2021 Herons Collect National Academic Honors
The National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced today that 12 members of the William Smith College field hockey team were among the 2,050 student-athletes from more than 140 Division III teams to earn a spot on the 2020 NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad. The Herons also had a dozen players earn the honor last season.
The Division III National Academic Squad program honors student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative grade point average of 3.3 or higher through the first semester of the 2020-21 academic year. The NFHCA will announce more awards later this month. The Scholars of Distinction will be revealed on March 23 and the National Academic Team Awards on March 29.
The following student-athletes represented William Smith on the National Academic Squad:
- Sophomore defenderKate Barilla, Dallas, Pa., undeclared
- Senior goalieAlexandra DeVito, Rumson, N.J., Political Science major
- First-year midfielderSydney Foster, Danvers, Mass., undeclared
- Sophomore defenderLauren Jackson, Natick, Mass., Biology and Psychology major
- First-year defenderLibby Maxwell, Wilton, Conn., undeclared
- Sophomore forwardHannah McGrath, Windham, N.H., Environmental Studies major
- First-year forwardSofia Pattillo, Middlebury, Conn., undeclared
- Senior midfielderColby Poerio, Pittsburgh, Pa., Biology and Environmental Studies major
- Junior forwardAnna Rider, Brunswick, Maine, Biology and Environmental Studies major
- Junior defenderKatie Ruggles, Tilton, N.H., Media & Society and English major
- Junior midfielderEmma Schafer, Syracuse, N.Y., Architectural Studies major
- First-year midfielderLaurens Van Alen, Newtown Square, Pa., undeclared
Poerio is a four-time National Academic Squad honoree. Ruggles and Schafer have been recognized in each of the past three seasons. Barilla, Jackson and Rider are two-time honorees.
William Smiths 2020 season was wiped out by the pandemic. The team held workouts during the fall semester and recently resumed practices this semester. The Herons are exploring up to two game/scrimmage opportunities next month.
Since 1994, William Smith student-athletes have earned a spot on the NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad 211 times.