NFHCA Scholars of Distinction
 
BROCKPORT, N.Y. – Six members of the Slippery Rock University field hockey program were named Scholars of Distinction by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, the organization announced Wednesday.
 
The Division II Scholars of Distinction program recognizes student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher through the first semester of the 2021-22 academic year.
 
Slippery Rock's six honorees were tied for the eighth highest total across all of Division II. Inside the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference, only Bloomsburg had more student-athletes named NFHCA Scholars of Distinction with seven honorees. However, no PSAC program had a higher percentage of their roster receive Scholars of Distinction recognition than Slippery Rock did at 30 percent.
 
Representing Slippery Rock as NFHCA Scholars of Distinction were freshman Grace Burker, sophomore Alex Held, freshman Nadia Irving, senior Hannah Nurse, senior Abby Thomas and senior Jessie Trube.
 
Wednesday's announcement marks the fourth time that Trube has been named a Scholar of Distinction over her career. She is one of just four Rock student-athletes to earn the prestigious honor four times along with Abby McKay, Maddie Murphy and Liz Wolfe.
 
In addition to their outstanding achievements in the classroom, Trube wrapped up an excellent playing career in 2021 as the senior led The Rock in both goals (10) and points (20) while graduating ranked fifth in program history for goals scored in a career with 25 and sixth in total points at 48.
 
A four-year veteran of the program, Thomas' latest award marked the third time in her career that she was bestowed with Scholar of Distinction honors. Nurse, another Rock senior, is a two-time honoree who leaves the program ranked fifth in program history in goals against average and 10th in total saves.
 
Burker and Irving both enjoyed productive seasons on and off the field in their first official years of collegiate competition in 2021 as Burker served as The Rock's starting goalkeeper for all 16 games while Irving totaled five points on one goal and three assists.
 
Held, who missed the 2021 season due to injury, is now a two-time Scholar of Distinction award recipient as well.

Slippery Rock's impressive Scholar of Distinction total comes on the heels of the NFHCA announcing that 18 members of the program were named to the organization's National Academic Squad earlier in the month.
 
A final Division II academic award remains to be announced as the NFHCA National Academic Team awards will be released Feb 21.
 
Entering the 2021-22 academic year, The Slippery Rock field hockey team had recorded the highest GPA in NCAA Division II for seven out of the last 11 years overall.
 
The 2021 season was a great year for Slippery Rock under first-year head coach Rayell Heistand as SRU closed the year with a 7-9 overall record. The seven wins marked The Rock's highest single-season win total over the last four years and the program's second-highest total overall since 2015.
 
NFHCA Scholars of Distinction
Grace Burker                          
Alex Held                                
Nadia Irving                            
Hannah Nurse                        
Abby Thomas                         
Jessie Trube                           





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