MANAHAWKIN, N.J. – The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) announced the 2023 NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad Wednesday morning (Feb. 14). The St. Mary's College of Maryland field hockey team had 16 of their players named to the National Academic Squad.
 
The Seahawk contingent was part of 1,783 student-athletes from 154 schools selected to the National Academic Squad. The NFHCA National Academic Squad program, sponsored by OPA Winning Teams, honors collegiate student-athletes who have attained a cumulative grade-point average of 3.5 or higher through the first semester of the current academic year and were nominated by their NFHCA member coach.
 
Representing St. Mary's College were:

• Senior captains Audrey Dickens (Phoenix, Md./Dulaney) and Anna Eaton (Silver Spring, Md./James Hubert Blake) as well as senior Hayden Kesner (Catonsville, Md./Catonsville);

 

• Junior captains Bryce Carlin (Baltimore, Md./Friends School) and Charlotte Horn (Schnecksville, Pa./Northeastern Lehigh) and fellow classmates Jill Hayden (Abell, Md./Chopticon) and Kaley Christman (Jefferson, Md./Brunswick);

 

• Sophomores Fiona Kortyna (Pittsburgh, Pa./Pine Richland), Ally Rice (Frederick, Md./Oakdale), Jena Vanskiver (Fallston, Md./Fallston), and Emma Watkins (Frederick, Md./Linganore);

 

• And first-years Tori Hampton (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora), Emma Mastrangelo (Cinnaminson, N.J./Cinnaminson), Caroline McDonald (Frederick, Md./Tuscarora), Elena Pasko (New Freedom, Pa./Susquehannock), and Alyssa Riggleman (Sudlersville, Md./Queen Anne's County).

 
Eaton has made the National Academic Squad four times while Dickens, Hayden, and Horn are making their third appearance on the squad. Carlin, Kesner, Rice, Vanskiver, and Watkins earned a spot on the squad for a second time while Christman, Hampton, Kortyna, Mastrangelo, McDonald, Pasko, and Riggleman are all first-timers.
 
Connecticut College had the most National Academic Squad selections this year with 26 student-athletes on the list while Middlebury College claimed the second-highest spot with 24 student-athletes honored. Johns Hopkins University, Juniata College, and Shenandoah University each tied for the third-most National Academic Squad selections this year, having 22 student-athletes earn this prestigious distinction.
 
Appearing on the list for the fourth time are 291 student-athletes, including Eaton and Hayden, who is graduating a year early.
 
Since 2000, St. Mary's College has earned 292 National Academic Squad selections.
 
The Seahawks had an incredible run in 2023, claiming the program's first-ever Atlantic East Conference tournament championship title and first-ever berth in the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament. St. Mary's College finished with a 13-6 (6-0 AEC) overall record and collected the program's third consecutive Atlantic East regular-season championship crown with its third straight undefeated league record.
 
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