March 10, 2011
CHANDLER, Ariz. - The Penn State field hockey team was well represented on the 2010 NFHCA National Academic Squad as 10 Nittany Lions earned the prestigious honor for their outstanding work in the classroom.
The National Academic Squad, which is sponsored by Gladiator by SGI, recognizes those student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.30 or higher through the first semester of the 2010-11 academic year.
Seniors Ali Meves, Jenny Purvis, and Daneen Zug headlined the Penn State contingent after they each earned the honor for the fourth consecutive year. In addition to the veterans, junior Casey McCartin, sophomores Kelsey Amy and Ayla Halus, and freshmen Annabelle Abdo, Jacqueline Kenney, Lauren Purvis, and Whitney Reddig all earned a spot on the academic team as well.
The award joins a growing list of academic honors for Penn State. Earlier in the year, Amy, Halus, McCartin, Meves, Jenny Purvis, and Zug were also named to the Academic All-Big Ten team, while the squad as a whole was honored with the NFHCA Division I National Team Award for posting a GPA above 3.0.
In addition to their success in the classroom, the 10 standout student-athletes also served as the core to Penn State's incredible success on the field last season. Together, the academic honorees combined to make 100 starts and accounted for 60 percent of the scoring offense. Halus and Meves were also stalwarts in the cage, combining for an .817 save percentage, which ranked first in the nation.
Overall, Penn State wrapped up the 2010 campaign with a 14-6 record and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Charlene Morett guided the program to another successful season and garnered Mideast Region Coach of the Year honors for her efforts.