Three women from the Eastern Mennonite field hockey team have received recognition from the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID), each being named to the All-State Second Team.
Junior Adriana Santiago (Souderton, PA/Christopher Dock) earned an All-State award for the first time after being named All-ODAC First Team earlier this fall. She was a key cog in the midfield and finished third on the team with eight goals and dished out two assists. Santiago had three-game winning goals, including in overtime against Bridgewater in the ODAC Quarterfinals.
Attackers Nicole Bencsik (Telford, PA/Souderton) and Jenessa Derstine (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) were also named to the All-State Second Team.
Bencsik led the Lady Royals with 11 goals and was tied for third in the ODAC during the regular season. She had four game-winning scores and was second for EMU with 24 total points.
Derstine led Eastern Mennonite with 29 points in her freshman season. She had a team-high nine assists and was second with ten goals. The speedy Derstine was also fourth in the ODAC in points.
EMU ended the year at 10-11, falling to eventual champion Lynchburg in the ODAC Semifinals.
Lynchburg College swept the top awards with the release of the 2011 College Division Field Hockey All-State Team, as voted on by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). Junior Shelly Milks earned the Player of the Year Award, Katie Kline was the Rookie of the Year and Enza Steele was the Coach of the Year.
Milks, a first-team National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-American, was also named the All-South Region Player of the Year. Earlier this off-season, Milks was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year for the second year in a row and was also the ODAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. She tallied 10 goals and added eight assists, while helping the LC defense allow just nine goals all season.
Kline, also the ODAC Rookie of the Year, burst onto the scene this year with 11 goals, nine assists and 31 points, placing third on the team in all three categories.
Steele, the 2011 ODAC Coach of the Year, takes home her second-straight All-State Coach of the Year Award after LC went 19-2. The Hornets ended its 2011 season ranked fourth in NCAA Division III and LC advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Quarterfinal after earning the program’s sixth-straight ODAC crown.
2011 College Division All-State Field Hockey Team
Player of the Year: Shelly Milks, Lynchburg College
Rookie of the Year: Katie Kline, Lynchburg College
Coach of the Year: Enza Steele, Lynchburg College
First Team:
Attack:
Morgan Jones, Mary Washington
Katie Kline, Lynchburg
Lindsay Leonard, Lynchburg
Midfielder:
Caitlin Cahill, Christopher Newport
Lisa Charney, Mary Washington
Shelly Milks, Lynchburg
Defender:
Amy Abernathy, Mary Washington
Jennifer Bateman, Bridgewater
Brianna Milne, Christopher Newport
Amanda Wain, Lynchburg
Goalkeeper:
Tiffany Frye, Lynchburg
Second Team:
Attack:
Nicole Bencsik, Eastern Mennonite
Janessa Derstine, Eastern Mennonite
Carrie Jacobs, Randolph-Macon
Lauren Seal, Randolph-Macon
Midfielder:
Caitlin Baker, Mary Washington
Kristina Morris, Lynchburg
Adriana Santiago, Eastern Mennonite
Defender:
Shelby Judkins, Christopher Newport
Melanie Tenney, Lynchburg
Amber VanHorn, Shenandoah
Goalkeeper:
Jamie Dowling, Christopher Newport