Atlanta Wins U-16 National Futures Championship

LANCASTER, Pa. - June 23, 2017 - The U-16 Age Division completed play at the 2017 Citi National Futures Championship (NFC), presented by Harrow Sports, at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa. this afternoon. This premier championship event for USA Field Hockey's Futures and Olympic Development Program is held annually in late June since 1990. The NFC brings together the top female field hockey players selected from more than 5,000 athletes across nine regions for a high-level multi-day tournament-style competition.
USA Field Hockey’s High Performance staff evaluates and selects the top talent from the NFC to represent the United States in its other elite programs, including the Stars and Stripes Elite Games and STX Select Tournament, Junior National Camps and AAU Junior Olympic Games and eventually Junior U.S. Women's National Teams. These elite Junior High Performance Programs feed into the U.S. Women’s National and Olympic Teams that train and compete domestically and internationally throughout the year.
For the past four days, more than 250 U-16 athletes from around the country showed off their skills in front of selectors, coaches and fans as they competed for a spot in USA Field Hockey’s elite Junior High Performance Camps and Programs. Congratulations to all the athletes for their hard work and dedication over the last few days.
USA Field Hockey would like to extend its congratulations to the following regional teams on their tournament victories:

FIRST PLACE:
Atlanta, from Region 5, coached by Jeremy Cook

Athletes in Alphabetical Orrder: Mackenzie Allessie (Mount Joy, Pa.), Nicole Fredricks (West Chester, Pa.), Sophia Gladieux (Boyertown, Pa.), Peyton Halsey (Reading, Pa.), Caroline Kelly (Malvern, Pa.), Mia Leonhardt (Media, Pa.), Sophia Mackrella (Fleetwood, Pa.), Gabriella Martina (Collegeville, Pa.), Ellie McIntyre (Easton, Pa.), Hannah Miller (Malvern, Pa.), Katharine Olmstead (Hershey, Pa.), Madison Orobono (Macungie, Pa.), Gianna Pantaleo (Newtown Square, Pa.), Kelsey Reznick (Drums, Pa.), Ciana Riccardo (Downingtown, Pa.), Sarah Richards (Mountain Top, Pa.), Shealyn Tatara (Elizabethtown, Pa.), Lauren Wadas (Annville, Pa.)

SECOND PLACE:
Cortina, from Region 5, coached by Jen Stone

Athletes in Alphabetical Order: Anna Barbusca (Lancaster, Pa.), Sarah Beers (Fleetwood, Pa.), Kaitlyn Benton (Lansdale, Pa.), Alden Boccella (Collegeville, Pa.), Isabella Bressler (Leesport, Pa.), Margo Carlin (Drexel Hill, Pa.), Emma Deberdine (Millersville, Pa.), Kelsey Felix (Hallam, Pa.), Sydney Gillingham (Boyertown, Pa.), Adele Iacobucci (Malvern, Pa.), Courtney Kenah (Telford, Pa.), Kayla Kisthardt (Allentown, Pa.), Mia Magnotta (Forty Fort, Pa.), Hannah Maxwell (Forty Fort, Pa.), Gery Schnarrs (Camp Hill, Pa.), Alexandria Wesneski (Forty Fort, Pa.), Jaiden Wittel (Stroudsburg, Pa.), Madeleine Zimmer (Hershey, Pa.)

THIRD PLACE:
Rome, from Region 7, coached by Carla Johl

Athletes in Alphabetical Order: Hailey Bitters (Delmar, Md.), Mikayla Borneman (Crofton, Md.), Rachel Borzymowski (Fallston, Md.), Darcy Clement (Crofton, Md.), Allison Corey (Crofton, Md.), Rachel Fleig (Pasadena, Md.), Morgan Fletcher (Delmar, Md.), Pyper Friedman (Phoenix, Md.), Emma Gladstein (Sykesville Md.), Sydney Keld (Middletown, Md.), Theresia Keppel (Baltimore, Md.), Margot Lawn (Pasadena, Md.), Meredith Medvetz (Fallston, Md.), Clara Morrison (Brookeville, Md.), Alaina Pruitt (Crisfield, Md.), Chloe South (Lusby, Md.), Eve Vickery (Pasadena, Md.), Sydney White (Crofton, Md.)

In addition, congratulations to Melbourne for winning the Barbara Longstreth Award for Sportsmanship. This award was created to promote good sportsmanship and given to the team that best exemplifies the qualifies of fair play, graciousness in victory and defeat, and respect for opponents and officials. This award is selected by USA Field Hockey'S National Futures Championship Umpire and Coaching Staff.

A member of the U.S. Women's National Team from 1956 to 1964, Longstreth began her field hockey career at Beaver College (now Arcadia University) in the 1950's where she excelled in both field hockey and lacrosse. As a national team member, she competed in the epic 3-3 draw with England in front of 56,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium during the teams 1962 tour to Great Britain and Denmark. In 1963, she was a members of the USA's International Federation of Women's Hockey Association Conference team for an event that would become the precursor to today's FIH World Cup.

Longstreth continued her devotion to the game as a coach and eventually founded Longstreth Sporting Goods in 1977. Beginning the enterprise by selling field hockey sticks from the trunk of her car at tournaments, she established her company in Parkers Ford, Pa. where it has become the country's leader in speciality sports products for women. She announced her retirement from the company in 2007. #NFC2017

BARBARA LONGSTRETH AWARD FOR SPORTSMANSHIP WINNER:

Melbourne, from Region 6, coached by Marybeth Freeman

Athletes In Alphabetical Order: Anabelle Brodeur (Essex Fells, N.J.), Alayna Burns (Medford, N.J.), Jordan Carr (Point Pleasant, N.J.), Samantha Freeman (Whitehouse Station, N.J.), Lexie Hausheer (West Windsor, N.J.), Noor Kaur (Basking Ridge, N.J.), Maggie Lamb (West Long Branch, N.J.), Isabella Mancini (Medford, N.J.), Megan McKenna (Mount Laurel, N.J.), Amanda Middleman (Berlin, N.J.), Elise Pettisani (Medford, N.J.), Ana Claire Piacentini (Rumson, N.J.), Cassandra Romanczuk (Washington, N.J.), Lily Santi (Oceanport, N.J.), Tara Smith (Roseland, N.J.), Erica Solomen (Medford, N.J.), Shannon Tringola (Middletown, N.J.)

USA Field Hockey would like to thank all the athletes, coaches and umpires that participated in the U-16 National Futures Championship. We look forward to the 2018 Futures Program!