USA Field Hockey qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in France in July. USA was one of three teams to advance to Paris in the last qualifying tournament held this past week in India. USA lost out in a bid for the Olympics in November losing to Argentina in the Pan Am gold medal game in Santiago. The United States still made the qualifying tournament and took advantage of the opportunity by defeating Japan in a semi-final showdown. Down 1-0 in the first quarter, USA found a seam in the fourth period after back-to-back saves by goalkeeper Kelsey Bing ’16 (#31). USA scored two quick goals to take the lead over Japan and held on for the win, and a trip to Paris. Bing was selected as the Goalkeeper of the Tournament.
“It’s hard to describe in words what this means to me and our team," said Bing. "Four years ago, we were in India for Olympic Qualification. We had a heartbreaking loss where we missed out on the Tokyo Olympics. It means so much to our team to not only qualify for the Olympics but do so here in India. I am so proud of the hard work and belief this team has had over the past Olympic cycle as we have had lots of change. We are looking forward to representing both the United States and all the people who have supported us along the way at the upcoming Paris Olympics.”
Congratulations toMeg Shelburne ’20 for earning the NCAA Elite 90 Award and a third NCAA Field Hockey Championship with the Middlebury Panthers. She scored a 4.0 GPA, the highest cumulative grade-point average for a player participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships, and she is the first Middlebury Field Hockey player to receive this award. Shelburne’s defensive play helped Middlebury prevail over Johns Hopkins in the D3 finals for the third consecutive season. In her freshman year, the 2020 season was canceled due to Covid. Read more on Shelburne’s journey starting at St. John’s.
Goalkeeper Kelsey Bing ‘16 helped USA Field Hockey defeat Chile in a semi-final shootout at the Pan Am Games on November 2. Team USA then advanced to the finals against Argentina three days later. Argentina broke a 1-1 tie in the fourth quarter to win gold. Team USA still qualified for the FIH Olympic Qualifier event.
Congratulations to Coach Richie Mercado ’79 for receiving the 2021 USATF Fred Wilt Educator of the Year Award. Coach Mercado has been involved with USATF since 1990 and met the late Coach Wilt soon afterward. From volunteer to the head of the regional congress, Coach Mercado has been at the forefront of the federation’s track and field education on a global scale.
So far, St. John’s Mavericks have found their way into the NCAA tournament in football, field hockey, cross country, and soccer. Meg Shelburne '20 and the Middlebury Panthers won the NCAA D3 Field Hockey Championship and more Mavs still have games to play starting on Saturday.
Lindsey McKone ’16 is in a league of her own. The only Texan to be drafted by the new AU professional lacrosse league, McKone just finished a decorated collegiate career at Northwestern University. In her last season with the Wildcats, she received IWLCA Second Team All-American lacrosse honors in addition to First-Team All-Big Ten accolades. Her team finished the 2021 season as Big Ten Champs and NCAA semifinalists. McKone was also selected as Academic All-Big Ten along with teammates Carson Copeland ’17, and Kate Copeland ’17. All three were recognized with IWLCA Academic honors. Lindsey was also a nominee for the 2021 Tewaaraton Award.
Congratulations to Lindsey McKone ’16 of Northwestern for receiving IWLCA Second Team All-American honors in addition to First-Team All-Big Ten accolades. McKone was selected as Academic All-Big Ten along with teammates Carson Copeland ’17, and Kate Copeland ’17. Lindsey garnered distinction honors as well. The Wildcats were Big Ten Champs and made it to the NCAA semifinals this season.
The Wash U Bears Women’s Tennis team landed in the NCAA Division III team tournament with an at-large bid against host UT Dallas. The Bears were down 4-3 before Hannah Johnston ’18 won her match to set up the clincher with the Bear’s #2 singles. Sophia Huynh ’19 won her singles match to contribute to the win. Katherine Johnston ’20 also competed at #2 doubles. The Bears advanced to the round of 16 only to drop to the Pirates of Southwestern University 5-1. Hannah Johnston picked up the lone win for Wash U. Hannah Johnston and Sophia Huynh were also selected to the University Athletic Association (UAA) Spring All-Academic Team.
Congratulations to Lindsey McKone '16 for being selected as a nominee for the 2021 Tewaaraton Award. An Inside Lacrosse Women's Preseason D1 All-American for the Northwestern Wildcats, McKone ended the abbreviated 2020 season with third-team Inside Lacrosse Media All-American honors. She was also placed on the Tewaaraton Watch List the last two seasons. Northwestern, 11-0 and #2 in the Inside Lacrosse poll, will start post-season play this Friday in the Big Ten tournament semifinals. McKone was also selected as first-team All-Big Ten.
Denise Pan '20 of Carnegie Mellon Women's Golf made an immediate impact in her first collegiate event. She finished fourth out of 82 participants at the Jekyll Island Collegiate, paced the Tartans to 3rd place, and was named UAA Women's Golf Athlete of the week.
Congratulations to Phillip Sampson '86 for being inducted into the Washington and Lee University Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2021. Sampson was a captain in both track & field and football for the Generals. He set the school record in the pole vault and received Honorable Mention All-American accolades as the starting quarterback for W&L. Sampson was a four-sport letterman in football, basketball, track & field, and baseball for St. John's.
A trio of former Mavericks helped lead Washington University Bears Women’s Tennis team to a 6-3 victory over Northern Iowa in their home opener. Katherine Johnston ’20 won her # 2 doubles match 8-6, while Hannah Johnston ’18 won #5 singles in three sets (7-5, 6-7, 6-2) and Sophia Huynh ’19 captured the # 6 singles match 6-0, 7-5.
Congratulations to Lindsey McKone '16 for being named an Inside Lacrosse Women's Preseason D1 All-American for the Northwestern Wildcats. McKone ended the abbreviated 2020 season with third-team Inside Lacrosse Media All-American honors, and is back with third-team All-American accolades for 2021. She was also placed on the Tewaaraton Watch List the last two seasons.
Congratulations to Genson Hooper Price '19 for earning Academic All-Big Ten accolades with the Northwestern Wildcats Football team. The 'Cats (6-1) clinched a berth in the 2020 Big Ten Football Championship game versus Ohio State set to held in the Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on December 19.
Congratulations to Hannah Johnston '18 (Tennis) and Ian Thakur '18 (Track & Field) for earning UAA All-Academic Honors for the spring season. Their respective teams led the University Athletic Association conference in All-UAA honors for those sports.
Congratulations to Lindsey McKone '16 for earning Inside Lacrosse Media All-American honors for the Northwestern Wildcats. Northwestern finished its season ranked 6th in the nation.
Rain and clouds could not stop the inaugural St. John's Boys' Tennis Alumni tournament held on November 30th at the George R. Brown Tennis Center at Rice University. The warm-up included squeegee work of the courts before Ian Blakely '95 and Chip Earl '91 took on the 2020 captains Andrew Sall '20 and William Urdahl '20. Also in attendance were Coach Steve Gleaves, Bryan Trammell '19, Coach Sam Chambers '77, Coach Harold Graham '71, Keval Shah '22 and Hamzah Mir '22.
Congratulations to Eden Epner '14 for being awarded an NCAA Post Graduate Scholarship. Epner played four seasons of lacrosse at Johns Hopkins University where she received numerous accolades including All-Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, IWLCA Academic Honor Roll, and IWCLA's Community Awareness Award. Epner is the second Blue Jay Women's Lacrosse player to receive the scholarship.