NORFOLK, Va. – The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) announced the 2014 NFHCA National Scholar Athlete Awards on Monday afternoon and senior midfielder Kelsey Smither earned the honor for division I field hockey.
The NFHCA National Scholar Athlete Award goes to the Division I, Division II and Division III All-American First, Second or Third Team selection who possesses the highest cumulative grade-point average.
She adds this honor to her already long list of academic achievements this year. She helped the team to a SGI/NFHCA Division I National Academic Team Award and was also named a NFHCA Scholar of Distinction for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.90 or higher through the first semester of the 2014-15 academic year.
Smither graduated early and is currently pursuing a Master of Science in education with a concentration in sport management. During her first semester of grad school, she posted a perfect 4.0 GPA. During her undergrad years, she averaged a 3.62 GPA and made the Dean's List four times.
Athletically, Smither earned Second Team Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-American honors for the second-consecutive year, as the Suffolk, Va. native finished the season ranked second on the team in assists with six in 19 games. She was also part of the defensive unit that has allowed just 29 goals and posted six shutouts.
Smither was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team and closed out the season earning First Team All-BIG EAST honors, First Team All-South Region laurels and was named a Second Team Synapse Sports All-American. She was also selected to participate in the 2014 Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior game. The midfielder started in all 86 contests in which she has played over her career and notched 56 points on 44 assists and six goals.
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