Oct. 6, 2005
NORFOLK, Va. -- The 25th anniversary of NCAA women's championships will be celebrated throughout the 2005-06 championship season and the NCAA needs your help in selecting the 25th Anniversary Team. On the ballot includes Division I all-time winningest coach Beth Anders and Lady Monarch legends Diane Bracalente, Yogi Hightower, Christy Morgan, Cheryl Van Kuren, Kelli James, Pam Neiss, Robin Smith, Marina DiGiacomo, Mimi Smith, and Maaike Hilbrand.
Eleven student-athletes and one coach will be named to the team. The final team will be named on October 14, 2005.
To vote, click here, or log onto www.ncaasports.com
About Old Dominion's Nominees:
Beth Anders:
Beth Anders has cemented her status as one of the greatest in field hockey in all facets of the game. As player, she has participated at every level possible, including World Cup and Olympic events and as a coach. Her coaching achievements are nothing short of impressive, including nine national collegiate titles, a bronze medal at the Pan American World Cup Games, and the distinction of being the winningest Division I field hockey coach in the country. Considered by many to be a pioneer of her sport, her resume is dotted with a long list of incredible achievements and monumental firsts.
At Old Dominion, Anders has mentored the field hockey team for over 22 years and has led her teams to perennial appearances in the NCAA tournament. Under her tutelage, the Lady Monarchs have achieved more honors than any other field hockey program in NCAA history. Among the most prestigious, Anders and her teams have brought the NCAA Championship trophy back to Norfolk an unprecedented nine times.
In national coaching records, Anders has coached more games than any other active Division I coach, having been on the sidelines of 521 games over her 22-year career. She became the first Division I coach to reach the 400-career victory mark, a milestone only reached by five other coaches in the sport, and Anders' 442 wins entering this season are the most of any Division I coach in history. With a 442-72-7 overall career record entering the 2005 season, Anders posts an amazing 85.5 winning percentage.
Anders' coaching experience has not been limited to the Old Dominion sidelines. Internationally, Anders guided the 1991 U.S. National Team to the bronze medal and masterminded the qualifying campaign for the 1994 World Cup. Most recently, in the summer of 2003, Anders was asked to take over the U.S. National Team and prepare them for the Pan American games in the Dominican Republic, the stepping stone necessary to qualifying for the Olympic Games.
Anders challenges her teams to not only excel on the field, but in the classroom as well. Since 1989, the Lady Monarch teams have had a G.P.A. of 3.0 or better. This past season, the team put forth six National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Academic All-Americans.
Diane Bracalente:
One of the main cogs of the most awesome collegiate field hockey teams ever assembled, Bracalente twice earned All-America honors. During her four years as a Lady Monarch, Old Dominion compiled a 75-4-2 record. This included three NCAA national championships and one third place finish. In 1984 she co-captained the 23-0 team with fellow Hall of Famer Christy Morgan. That squad outscored their opponents 127-10, outshot them625-135 and registered 15 shutouts. The Quakertown, Pa., native competed in field hockey on the national and international level, including the Olympic Festival. In 1988 she was one of four Lady Monarchs to represent the United States in the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea.
Marina DiGiacomo:
Marian DiGiacome is the NCAA's all-time leading scorer and a member of two national championship teams. During her Old Dominion career (1997-2000), DiGiacomo was a two-time AstroTurf/NFHCA All-American, a four-time Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year, four-time CAATournament MVP. She is the only player in the history of field hockey to be ranked in the top three of each statistical category (goals, assists, points). DiGiacomo made an incredible mark in the NCAA record books with 414 points on 167 goals and 80 assists during her career ranking her first in points, third in goals, and fourth all-time in assists.With DiGiacomo on the turf, the Lady Monarchs captured an outstanding 87-13 record including national championship in 1998 with a 23-2 overall mark and in 2000 with a 25-1 record. The Argentina native won the prestigious Honda Award trophy her senior season during the Lady Monarchs' 2000 campaign, which ended with Old Dominion's ninth national championship trophy. She became the fifth Lady Monarch to earn the National Player of the Year award leading the nation with an outstanding 151 points from 63 goals and 25 assists. DiGiacomo was a member of the Argentine National Team helping her native country to a bronze medal at the 2004 Olympic Games and the gold medal at the 2004 Pan American Cup.
Yogi Hightower:
Yolanda "Yogi" Hightower was a vital part of Old Dominion University's rise as a national power in women's field hockey. During her four seasons at ODU, Hightower earned All-American honors twice and was a two-timemember of the NCAA All-Tournament squad. The Virginia Beach, VA, native completed her career with 62 career points, which ranks her fifth on the all-time scoring list at ODU. She had 48 career assists which places herthird on the ODU all-time list. Hightower's field hockey career didn't stop after her ODU playing days were over. Yogi was a member of the United States national field hockey team. She competed in the 1987 Pan American Games, was an alternate on the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and was one of seven former Lady Monarchs to represent ODU in the 1988 summergames.
Maaike Hilbrand:
Maaike Hilbrand from Amstelveen, Holland was one of the most dominant field hockey players in Lady Monarchs history. She earned All-American honors both on and off the field, leading the Lady Monarchs to threeNCAA National Championships. She completed her career with 167 career goals which places her second all-time nationally with Marina DiGiacomo, also from Old Dominion . Her 372 career points places her thirdall-time in NCAA history. Hilbrand led the nation in goals scored and total points all four years she competed. Maaike earned first team All-American honors in 1991 and 1992 and was a Second Team GTE/COSIDA Academic All-American selection.
Kelli James:
Kelli James was a two-time All-American field hockey player, leading Old Dominion to NCAA national championships in 1988, 1990, and 1992. In 1992, James became one of an impressive list of Lady Monarch field hockey players to win the coveted Honda Award as the nation's top player in her sport leading the nation in scoring with 131 points and 59 assists. She completed her career with 65 career goals, 66 career assists, and 198 career points. James earned first team All-American honors in 1990 and 1992. She also earned All-CAA honors in 1992. James was a four-time All- South Region selection and was a 1990 and 1992 NCAA All-Tournament selection. James was a member of the 1996 U.S. Olympic field hockey team which competed in the Atlanta Games. She served as vice-captain for the USA field hockey squad at the 1998 World Cup, and tied for the team scoring lead for team USA in the 1999 Pan American games.
Christy Morgan:
Christy Morgan is the only three-time All-American in ODU field hockey history, and is the only field hockey player in NCAA history to earn a spot on the all-tournament team four times. Morgan earned the sports tophonor in 1985 as she was awarded the Broderick Cup, as being the nation's top female collegiate athlete. During her four years, ODU won three consecutive NCAA national Championships from 1981-84. Morgan completedher career as then ODU's all-time leading scorer with 86 career goals and 133 career points. She is also the school's fifth all-time assist leader with 47.During her career at ODU, Morgan was a member of the World Cup team, an alternate on the 1984 United States Olympic squad and later a member of the 1988 United States Olympic team.
Pam Neiss:
Pam Neiss was a two time All-American and member of three NCAA National Championship teams. During the four years, the Lady Monarchs compiled a 99-5-1 record, which included winning the last 36 matches. Neiss completed her career with 80 career assists, 22 goals and 102 career points. She ranked third all-time in NCAA history in career assists, after graduation. Neiss earned All-American honors in 1990 and 1991. She also earned All-CAA in 1991, All-South Region honors in 1990 and 1991 and was named to the NCAA All-Tournament team in 1990 and 1991. Neiss was thefirst Lady Monarch field hockey player to achieve First Team GTE/CoSIDA Academic All-American honors in 1991. She was also a member of the U.S. National Field Hockey squad while at Old Dominion.
Mimi Smith:
Mimi Smith was Old Dominion's fourth Honda Award winner in 1998 and rankes 10th at Old Dominion with 50 career assits. As a freshman in 1995, Smith was named the CAA Rookie of the Year and followed with All-South Region honors as a sophomore, a Third Team All-American honors as a junior, and First Team All-American honors as a senior. Her senior season she led the Lady Monarchs to the 1998 NCAA Tournament Trophy with as the team collected a 23-2 record. Additionally, in her final season at Old Dominion she was named the CAA Defensive Player of the Year and collected 20 goals and six assists. Smith began a career with the U.S. National Team beginning 1998 as an alternate. In 1999, she was named a Women's Sports Foundational Sportswoman of the Year Finalist and made her national team debut helping the U.S. to the silver medal at the Pan American Games. In 2001 she helped the U.S. capture the International Atlantic Cup and was also apart of the World Cup Team. In 2003 with the national team she participated in the Champions Challenge and in 2004 aiding the squad to the silver medal at the Pan American Cup and brought the U.S. to within one game of qualifying for the Athens Olympic Games at the Olympic Team Qualifier.
Robin Smith:
Robin Smith was an integral part in the Lady Monarchs field hockey dominance in the early 1990's. She helped lead Old Dominion to three straight NCAA National Championships and was a three-time NCAA All-Tournament selection in 1990,1991 and 1992. During her four years at Old Dominion, the Lady Monarchs compiled a 98-4-1 record, and two undefeated seasons. A two-time All-American, Smith was a member of the United StatesNational field hockey team from 1990 to 1992, and played on the 12th ranked 1990 World Cup team and the 1991 bronze medal team at the Pan American games. The three-time All-South Region pick completed her career with 66 goals, 18 assists for 150 points.
Cheryl Van Kuren:
An Olympian and All-American, Cheryl Van Kuren was an outstanding field hockey player at Old Dominion from 1982-85. She is Old Dominion's second all-time career assist leader with 61. Van Kuren helped anchor the Lady Monarchs as they amassed an 82-9 record with three NCAA championships and one runner-up finish. Van Kuren was a two-time All-American selection andwas selected to the NCAA All-Tournament team in 1985. In addition to the 61 assists, she scored 18 goals and compiled 79 career points which ranks her fifth on Old Dominion's all-time point list. During the 1984 seasonshe assisted on 37 goals and set an Old Dominion and NCAA Tournament record with six assists in one game against Virginia on Nov. 11, 1984. Van Kuren competed on the national and international level in field hockey as an undergraduate. She participated in the Olympic Sports Festivals, on the U.S. National team and in 1988 she competed in the summer Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea for the United States.