Sept. 2, 2003
Colorado Springs, CO -- U.S. Field Hockey has selected its women's national team residency squad for 2003-04 which includes former Lady Monarch standouts Jill Reeve (1989-92) and Mimi Smith (1994-98).
Continuing their residency training program at the team's National Training Center in Virginia Beach, U.S. and Old Dominion head coach Beth Anders and the newly-selected squad will begin their preparations for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, March 19-28, 2004 in Auckland, New Zealand. The U.S. women will need to finish among the top four or five teams at the Qualifier to earn a spot in the 2004 Olympic Games.
Selected during open trials held Aug. 28-31 in Virginia Beach, the squad includes 15 members of the USA team that captured the silver medal at last month's Pan American Games in Santo Domingo, as well as three new members to the squad.
Returning to the squad are Pan Am Games team members Kate Barber (West Chester, Pa.), Katie Kauffman Beach (West Lawn, Pa.), Tracey Fuchs (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Kelli Gannon (Escondido, Calif.), Tara Jelley (Greenfield, Mass.), Robyn Kenney (Readington, N.J.), Tracey Larson (Morrisville, Pa.), Carrie Lingo (Rehoboth Beach, Del.), Kristen McCann (Allentown, Pa.), Jill Reeve (Hoosick Falls, N.Y.), Dina Rizzo (Walpole, Mass.), Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), Peggy Storrar (Mahopac, NY), Amy Tran (Grantville, Pa.) and Abbey Woolley (Ocean City, N.J.). Also returning to the squad is 1999 Pan Am Team member Mimi Smith (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Jill Reeve helped the Lady Monarchs to a 98-4-1 during her four seasons including three national championships in 1990, 1991, and 1992 and a national runner-up in 1989. Reeve is the all-time NCAA leader in assists with 139 and set the ODU record for single season assists with 64 in 1991. Also in 1991, she was a Third Team All-American and NCAA All-Tournament member. Reeve has been a member of the U.S. national team since 1991.
Mimi Smith is one of Old Dominion's six Honda Award winners helping the Lady Monarchs to a national title in 1998 as one of the nation's top defensive players. In fact, Smith played for Old Dominion's very first Honda Award winner, Yogi Hightower, at Ocean Lakes High School in nearby Virginia Beach. The Lady Monarchs compiled a 80-19 overall mark during her career and helped start Old Dominion's string of CAA wins which currently stands. She was a two-time All-American (Third Team - 1997, First Team - 1998) and two-time All-NCAA Tournament selection. Additionally she was the 1995 CAA Rookie of the Year and 1998 CAA Defender of the Year. Smith has been apart the U.S. national program since 1998 and was an alternate on this year's Pan Am squad.
In preparing for next year's Olympic Qualifying Tournament, the new squad will see its first international competition when the U.S. hosts Germany, Great Britain and Japan in the 2nd International Atlantic Cup, Oct. 8-12, 2003 at the U.S. Field Hockey National Training Center. Ticket information for the tournament is available on the U.S. Field Hockey website at www.usfieldhockey.com
Born: 1 November 1969Position: Defender #15Height/Weight: 5-6, 130International Caps: 134International Goals: 8Years on National Team: 13 (1991)Hometown: Hoosick Falls, NYResidence: Virginia Beach, Va.High School: Hoosick Falls Central, Hoosick Falls, NY
College:Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va.Health and physical education, 1992Occupation: Sales associate, Home Depot,Virginia Beach, Va.
Playing Career:
Early Career:Began playing in the 7th grade when it was the only sport offered in the fall.
Collegiate Career:1988 - NCAA National Champion...1989- NCAA National runner-up...1990-NCAA National Champion ...1991 - All-Colonial Athletic Association second team...All-South Region second team...NCAA All-Tournament Team...Set CAA Tournament record with former ODU and USA teammate Kelli James wity 8 assists vs James Madison (11/7/92)...NCAA National Champion...Set ODU single-season assist record with 64...1992 - CFHCA All-America 3rd Team...All-South Region first team...NCAA All-Tournament Team... All-Colonial Athletic Association first team...NCAA National Champion...Set ODU and NCAA career assist record with 139
International Career:1991 - U.S. National Team training tour to Australia...Olympic Festival gold medalist (West team)...1992 - U.S. National Team...USA/Mexic Challenge (Virginia Beach)...1994-U.S. National Team...World Cup bronze medalist...1995 - U.S. National Team...Champions Trophy Silver medalist...Pan American Games silver medalist...1996 - U.S. National Team...U.S. Olympic team (5th)...1997...U.S. National Team...Champions Trophy team captain...1998 - U.S. National Team...World Cup team...Sidelined at World Cup with tournament-ending knee injury...1999 - U.S. National Team...U.S. Field Hockey Female Athlete of the Year...Recipient of General Motors/UAW Team Behind the Team vehicle...Pan American Games team silver medalist...2000 - U.S. National Team...FIH Player of the Year nominee...Olympic Qualifying Tournament Team (6th place)....2001 - U.S. National Team....2002 - U.S. National Team...Champions Challenge team...Recovered from injury suffered at Champions Challenge to help the U.S. defeat India in best-of-three World Cup qualifying series, 1-0-2...World Cup Team (9th place)...2003 - U.S. National Team... Champions Challenge (Catania, Italy)
Personal:
Nickname: "Reever"Career high: Placing third at the 1994 World CupCareer low: 1996 Olympic selectionsSport Ambition: 2004 Olympic GamesMost influential person in your sporting career: DadI would characterize my style of play as: calculated risk takerI can't live without: my teammatesPhilosophy on life: Follow you passion and you will never be disappointedHobbies: CookingFavorites: Thai food, American President, Food Network, actor Jack Black
Major International Competitions:2003 2nd Champions Challenge Catania, Italy 5th2002 10th World Cup Perth, Australia 9th2002 USA vs India WC Qualifiying Series Cannock, England 1st2002 Japan 6 Nations International(KOR, AUS, RUS, JPN, GER, USA) Gifu, Japan 6th2002 1st Champions Challenge Johannesburg, South Africa 5th2001 3rd Korea Telecom Cup Seongnam, Korea 6th2001 Americas Cup Kingston, Jamaica Silver2000 Olympic Qualifying Tournament Milton Keynes, England 6th1999 Sydney International Hockey Challenge Sydney, Australia Silver1999 Pan American Games Winnipeg, Canada Silver1998 World Cup Utrecht, Netherlands 8th1997 Champions Trophy Berlin, Germany 6th1996 Olympic Games Atlanta, Ga., USA 5th1995 Pan American Games Mar del Plata, Argentina Silver1995 Champions Trophy Mar del Plata, Argentina Bronze1994 World Cup Dublin, Ireland Bronze
Born: 5 October 1977Position: Forward/DefenderHeight/Weight: 5-6, 135International Caps: 52International Goals: 2Years on National Squad:1997 U.S. Under-23 Team1998 National Team (alt)1999 National Team2000 National Team2001 National Team2002 National Team2003 National TeamHometown: Virginia Beach, Va.Residence: Virginia Beach, Va.High School: Ocean Lakes High School '95Virginia Beach, Va.
College:Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va.Psychology, 1999Occupation:Behavior Specialist, The Pines Residential Treatment Facility
Playing Career:
Early Career:Began playing at age 12 after attending a practice with a friend
Collegiate Career:1995 - CAA Freshman of the Year...Scored 8 goals and added to assists... 1996 - All-Colonial Athletic Association first team...NFHCA All-Soputh Region second team...Scored 14 goals and added 27 assists to lead Old Dominion to the NCAA semifinals...1997...NFHCA All-America third team...NCAA All-Tournament Team...All-Colonial Athletic Association first team...NFHCA All-South Region first team...Scored 12 goals with 15 assists... 1998 - Honda Award winner as the nation's top colleigate field hockey athlete...All-Colonial Athletic Association first team...NFHCA All-America first team...NFHCA All-South Region first team...NCAA All-Tournament Team...CAA Defensive Player of the Year...Old Dominion Female Athlete of the Year...Led Old Dominion to the 1998 NCAA Championship with a 23-2 record...Scored 20 goals with 6 assists
International Career:1998 - Named an alternate to the U.S. National Team...1999 - Named to the U.S. National Team...Following her career at Old Dominion, Named as a Women's Sports Foundation Sportswoman of the Year Finalist...Made her National Team debut in helping the U.S. to the Canada...Silver medalist at the 1999 Pan American Games...2000 - Named to the U.S. National Team...Briefly retired from the team in 2000 before returning to the squad at 2001 Open Trials... 2001 - Named to U.S. National Team and residency squad during Open Trials, June 2001...Scored first career international goal vs South Africa, Oct. 14 in Storrs, Conn...2002 - Named to the U.S. National Team...Scored tying goal in the championship game of the International Atlantic Cup to give the USA an eventual 3-2 extra time victory over Irealnd...U.S. World Cup Team...Connected on penalty stroke to help USA defeat Japan in 9th/10th place game, 4-2, in strokes at the World Cup......2003 - Named to the U.S. National Team...Champions Challenge Team (Catania, Italy)
Personal:Nickname: "Mimi" Full name, Tamika SmithFavorite places to play: South Africa ("It's beautiful") & Virginia Beach ("It's my hometown"Sport Ambition: 2004 Olympic GamesAmbition after field hockey: Continue with school, start a familyMost influential person in your sporting career: (Olympian and Virgina Beach native) Yogi Hightower Boothe - she is an amazing person and she inspires me to press on and strive to be better.Before each game: I prayI would characterize my style of play as: aggressive/emotionalI can't live without: my CD player/musicOther than field hockey, my favorite Olympic Sport is: Track & FieldMost people don't know that I: am afraid of birdsPhilosophy on life: Live today as if it were your lastHobbies: Reading, writing, music, dancingFavorites: Chick-fil-a, Love Jones, Law & Order, Halle Berry, Brian McKnight, NBA's Chris Webber, walking my dog
Major International Competitions:2003 2nd Champions Challenge Catania, Italy 5th2002 10th World Cup Perth, Australia 9th2002 USA vs India WC Qualifiying Series Cannock, England 1st2002 Japan 6 Nations International(KOR, AUS, RUS, JPN, GER, USA) Gifu, Japan 6th2002 1st Champions Challenge Johannesburg, South Africa 5th1999 Sydney International Hockey Challenge Sydney, Australia Silver1999 Pan American Games Winnipeg, Canada Silver
* For more information log onto www.usfieldhockey.com