NORFOLK, Va. – ODUSports is set to introduce the 2015 field hockey newcomers in three installments. The third and final installment of the Old Dominion field hockey incoming class features Kealsie and Kristie Robles and Amie Olton.
“We had an excellent spring as a team, and have created a really solid foundation for this coming season,” said head field hockey coach Andrew Griffiths. “The incoming group is large in number, diverse in background and playing styles, and they are a strong group academically. We look forward to the challenge of integrating them into our team, and to an exciting season ahead.”
Kealsie was a four-sport athlete at York High School, participating in field hockey, lacrosse, indoor track and soccer. She was a three-year varsity letter winner in field hockey and helped the team to a fourth place finish in the district in 2012 and a first place trophy at the Falcon Invitational in 2013. She was named First Team All-Conference, Honorable Mention All-Region, Daily Press Player of the Week and Daily Press All-Star in 2013. She was also a member of the Focus Field Hockey Club where she led the team to four top five finishes at national tournaments. Kealsie closed out the summer with an invitation to the Junior National Camp where she made an immediate impact and was named to the U19 Junior National Team.
Kealsie was also a standout in the classroom, earning High Honors all four years of high school. She was a member of the Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta (National Math Honor Society) and the National Honor Society and was named the Bayport Teller Scholarship recipient as a senior.
“Kealsie is a tall goalkeeper with great reactions and athleticism,” noted Griffiths. “She has the ability to be aggressive and to make an impact on the game for our backfield. She had the opportunity to learn at the USA Field Hockey Women’s National Championships this summer, and this will help to prepare her to compete at the level and speed of our training.”
Kristie joins her sister on the ODU team from York High School. Not only did she play field hockey, but also was a captain for the varsity track and field and cross-country teams and played on the varsity soccer team. She helped the Falcons place fourth in the District in 2012 and was named First Team All-Conference and the Falcon Invitational MVP in 2013. Outside of high school, Kristie played on the Focus Field Hockey club team and helped lead the team to a first-place finish at the Region Club Championship in 2015 and an appearance in the Forex Argentina Experience in 2014. She also helped the program advance to the National Club Championships in 2014, where they placed sixth overall.
Kristie also earned multiple scholastic achievements, including Highest Honors all four years, the York County Honors Program Medal and the York County Service Award. She was also a member of the Spanish Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and the National Honor Society.
“Kristie can either play in the midfield and backfield, and has been a consistent high performer with her club program,” said Griffiths. “We expect her to develop into a strong midfield contributor for our team.”
Olton comes to Old Dominion from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. In 2010, she was named her school’s Under 21 Most Outstanding Indoor Player, while also garnering her club’s Under 19 Most Consistent honor and Trinity’s Most Promising award in 2010. In 2013 she earned the Under 19 Most Valuable Player distinction for outdoor and the Most Valuable Player honor in the outdoor league. She has played in eight different club indoor and outdoor leagues and tournaments since 2006, including the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board Indoor League (2006-pres) the Trinidad and Tobago Hockey Board National Outdoor League (2006-pres).
Olton has also been a part of the Junior National team and helped lead the program to a seventh place finish in the Under 21 National Pan Am Junior Championships in Guadalajara, Mexico. She also played with the Senior National Team in 2012, leading the team to a third place finish in the World League Round One. In 2013, the National Team placed seventh in the Pan American Cup in Mendoza, Argentina, while the team placed 10th at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland. Olton also helped the team place fourth at the Central American & Caribbean Games in Veracruz, Mexico and take first place overall in the 2014 World League Round One in Jamaica.
During her time on the national team, she was named the TTHB Youth Player of the Year, a nominee for the First Citizen and Sports Award and one of the TTHB Top Five Female Players.
“Amie is a tough, competitive defender with strong distribution skills,” said Griffiths. “She has high level senior international experience at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland last year. We hope this experience will help us to strengthen our backfield unit.”
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