2025 NFHCA Scholars of Distinction
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. –  The Slippery Rock University field hockey team had six members of the program named Scholars of Distinction for the 2025 season, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced Friday.
 
The NFHCA Scholars of Distinction program recognizes student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher through the first semester of the 2025-26 academic year.
 
The Rock's six honorees were tied for the seventh highest total of any program in Division II.
 
Representing Slippery Rock as NFHCA Scholars of Distinction in 2025-26 were junior Julia Boettler, sophomore Ava Masorti, sophomore Roz Mikulak, freshman Maddie Orrson, junior Leah Riegling and junior Haylie Sucharski.
 
Friday's announcement marks the third time that Riegling and Sucharski have been recognized by the NFHCA as Scholars of Distinction. The duo are the 11th and 12th athletes in program history to garner Scholar of Distinction accolades at least three times in their collegiate careers.
 
Other current Rock athletes to be named a Scholar of Distinction multiple years of their collegiate career include the trio of Boettler, Mikulak, and Masorti who are all now two-time recipients of the lofty honor.
 
Rounding out the group as a first-time honoree for the award is Orrson, who was in her freshman season at SRU in 2025.
 
Slippery Rock's impressive Scholar of Distinction total comes on the heels of the NFHCA announcing that 15 members of the program were named to the organization's National Academic Squad earlier in the week. The total ranked 10th in Division II.
 
Friday's announcement was the second of four academic awards to be released in the coming days by the NFHCA — the NFHCA National Academic Team awards come out Feb. 17 and the National Scholar-Athlete of the Year will be revealed Feb. 19.
 
Entering the 2025-26 academic year, the Slippery Rock field hockey team had recorded the highest GPA in NCAA Division II for seven out of the last 15 years.
 
Slippery Rock concluded its 2025 season with a 5-12 overall record. The five victories were the most by a Rock team over the last three seasons.




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