March 2, 2009

ATHENS, Ohio - The Ohio University field hockey team had 11 players named to the 2008 Division I National Academic Squad released by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Monday. The 11 honorees tie the 2007 squad for the most-ever in one season.

Senior Lauren Stahlhuth (St. Louis, Mo.) was named to the Squad for the fifth time, as she also received recognition while redshirting her freshman year. Fellow seniors Estienne Coetzee (Bloemfontein, S.A.), Rachelle Coetzee (Bloemfontein, S.A.) and Nikki Gnozzio (Flanders, N.J.) were all named for the fourth time, while Jessie Martin (Louisville, Ky.) was honored for a second time.

Juniors Taylor Anderson (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Marcy Dull (Ephrata, Pa.) were listed to the Squad for the third time, while junior Patty Donahue (Powell, Ohio) and sophomore Courtney Seiders (Mt. Joy, Pa.) have achieved the feat twice. Freshman Jenna Green (Wescosville, Pa.) and Laine Greenawalt (Pottstown, Pa.) also earned their first National Academic Squad honor.

The National Academic Squad recognizes those student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher through the first quarter/semester of the 2008-09 academic year.

In February, the Ohio field hockey team was named a National Academic Team by the NFHCA for earning a team GPA above a 3.0 during the 2008-09 Fall Quarter.

The Bobcats placed seven players on the '08-'09 Fall Quarter Dean's List, which takes a 3.5 GPA or higher to achieve, including four with a 4.0, and seven more Bobcats had a 3.0 GPA or better during the term.

Ohio had five players named to the 2008 Academic All-MAC Team (E. Coetzee, R. Coetzee, Gnozzio, Martin and Dull), more than any other school in the league, making up 41.6 percent of the squad. It was the most-ever recipients in one season for an Ohio field hockey team.

The Bobcats went 11-12 overall and 6-4 in the MAC last year, reaching the MAC Tournament finals for the third-straight year.