Dear Loyal Buckeye Friends and Family,
O-H! We hope that you and your family are safe and healthy during this unprecedented health crisis that we're all experiencing. A special thank you goes out to all the medical professional and frontline workers who have sacrificed so much for us as we battle this virus. You are the true heroes!
We hope you enjoy catching up on what the Buckeyes have been up to over the last several months. Thank you, as always, for your continued loyalty and support.
Go Bucks!
SPRING 2020 RECAP
Although our spring ended early, we still had some great training sessions leading up to spring break. The week before March break was our inaugural annual Buckeye Battle Week. The team was split into two groups and was able to earn points throughout the entire week individually and for their group. Points were earned at practice through skill competitions and games, in the weight room, and even some surprise locker room checks and trivia. See below for photos from the week, the team winner and our individual Buckeye Battle Champion, Sina Schwinn.
BOUGH MAKES U.S. U-21 NATIONAL TEAM
Freshman Leanne Bough (on the right) after a training session with the USA U21 team this spring
Freshman Leanne Bough was named to the U.S. U-21 Women’s National Team, USA Field Hockey announced in February following three days of training at Spooky Nook Sports in Lancaster, Pa.
“I am excited to represent myself and Ohio State at the next level. It is an honor to be chosen and I am looking forward to learning from and playing with some of the best field hockey athletes in the United States.”
2019 SEASON BANQUET
Although the COVID-19 pandemic didn't allow us to hold a traditional banquet, we were still able to celebrate our great senior class and annual award winners via social media at @OhioStateFH. Below is a recap of our award winners ⬇️
Two players – senior Jennica Jonovich and Emma Goldean – took home the Unsung Hero Awards. Jonovich, one of the team captains at Ohio State’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient, started all 17 games that she played in last season on defense. Goldean, a 18-game starter in 2019, scored two goals and had four assists. Both Jonovich and Goldean are OSU Scholar-Athlete and NFHCA National Academic Squad members.
Junior Nikki Trzaska was the recipient of the Scarlet Strong Award. She started 39 of her 55 career games, including all 18 last season, and was third on the team with 16 points (seven goals, two assists). She’s majoring in marketing and is also a OSU Scholar-Athlete and on the NFHCA National Academic Squad.
The Harriet Reynolds Scholar-Athlete award went to sophomore Sina Schwinn, who is majoring in psychology and is a two-time member of the NFHCA National Academic Squad. Schwinn is from Rheinbach, Germany.
The Defensive Player of the Year was also a senior, Whitney Harris. She led a unit that had five shutouts on the year. Her experience also was a steading force in the back half of the defense as she started 31 of the 55 career games that she played in. Harris also added five goals and three assists last season.
Freshman Mackenzie Allessie took home three awards, as she was named the team’s co-Offensive Player of the Year, Midfielder of the Year and Freshman of the Year. A Mount Joy, Pa. native, Allessie led the 2019 Buckeyes in scoring with 37 points on 16 goals and five assists. She was a first team All-Big Ten, first team All-Region and third team All-America selection.
The player that Allessie shared Offensive Player of the Year honors with was senior Esther Clotet Alsina, who was also an All-Big Ten and All-Region choice. Clotet Alsina was second on the team in nearly every major offensive category, including goals (nine) and points (25). She led the squad in assists (seven). Clotet Alsina finished her career with 81 points (32 goals, 17 assists) in 74 games, both highs amongst active players on the roster.
BUCKEYES STILL IN ACTION
Hello Buckeye family!
My name is Liz Tamburro. I am a goalkeeper who played for the Buckeyes from 2014-2018. After finishing up my time at Ohio State, I have continued my studies and my hockey career oversees in Barcelona, Spain. I am studying a Master of Spanish language, literature and teaching at the Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona while playing at Atletic Terrassa Hockey Club.
First and foremost, I want to thank Homero for making this opportunity possible. He went to Spain on a recruiting visit three summers ago and it was there that he found a place for me at ATHC. It just so happens that they were looking for a goalkeeper the season after my graduation.
My first season came with a lot of challenges. Not only did I have to adjust to the level of play in Spain, but I also had to adjust to new languages (Spanish and Catalan), a new diet and culture. It was a really humbling experience. I learned to show myself a lot of grace as I was adapting to so much change and also how to push myself outside of my comfort zone and try new things. My first season I was awarded MVP of the third match of the season. I was also ranked nationally among the top 25 best players in the league my first season and amongst the top 15 the second season.
I am forever grateful for my time at OSU, all the doors that it has opened, and of course the life-long friendships it has given me. GO BUCKS!
U.S. WOMEN'S MASTERS
Four Ohio State field hockey alumni were named to U.S. Women’s Masters Training Squads, USA Field Hockey announced in February.
Three Buckeyes, Katie Niewinski, Marije Toth and Stacey Ross, were named to the O-40 roster. In addition, Kim Bush was named to the O-45 squad.
BUCKEYES GIVE BACK
Ohio State field hockey is always looking for ways to give back to the Columbus community. This spring the buckeyes participated in the James Cancer Hospital Blanket Bash and Women is Sports Day. Although some of the planned team community activities were put on hold, many of the athletes are finding ways to continue to give back in their communities at home!
THE COMPLETE STUDENT-ATHLETE EXPERIENCE
ACADEMICS
Ohio State has 16 student-athletes who have been named to the 2019 Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad, the association announced last week. It marks the 15th-consecutive season the Buckeyes have recorded nine or more team members on the national academic list.
Leanne Bough / Major: Accounting
Sarah Charley / Major: Health Professions Exploration
Julia Dickinson / Major: Communication
Kennedy Fertitta / Major: Finance
Emma Goldean / Major: Biology
Whitney Harris / Major: Communication
Aaliyah Hernandez / Major: Biology
Jessica Hourihane / Major: Marketing
Mara Hunter / Major: Public Management, Leadership & Policy
Jennica Jonovich / Major: Communication
Tess Maloney / Major: Finance
Katie Pyle / Major: Early Childhood Education
Sina Schwinn / Major: Psychology
Samantha Stone / Major: Marketing
Julianna Sweeney / Major: Animal Sciences
Nikki Trzaska / Major: Marketing
BUCKEYES GO INTERNATIONAL
Julianna Sweeney, an Animal Bioscience major, spent her winter break immersed in different cultures, soaking up knowledge to further her career goals of becoming a veterinarian. The junior midfielder from Stroudsburg, Pa. spent ten days exploring Italy as part of the ‘Human and Animal Interactions’ study abroad trip. Activities ranged from visiting dairy farms and engaging with veterinary university staff to helping at a foreign animal shelter.
Julianna takes us on her journey ⬇️
BUCKEYES OFF THE FIELD
Included in Ohio State's comprehensive "circle of care" for student-athletes are robust opportunities to learn more about topics such as mental health, nutrition, personal finance and teambuilding.
“At this year’s Black Student-Athlete Summit I was able to present on the impact that SHEROS, a black female student-athlete organization at The Ohio State University, has had on my college experience. Alex Wright (Women’s Golf) and I told our unique stories about being minority’s on our teams and how SHEROS has benefitted our personal mental health. The Summit is an amazing opportunity that I hope some of my friends and teammates will be able to experience in the future.” | -Whitney Harris