Three named regional All-Americans

Field Hockey garners numerous honors as season comes to end

Three Yeowomen have effectively cemented their positions in the annals of Oberlin College athletic history through their valiant efforts and consistently high level of play.

Last Tuesday, senior Jesse Robinson and first-years Jessica Raynor and Emily Robinson were named Division III Regional All-Americans by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

Johnson was selected as a first-team All-American, while Robinson and Raynor were designated second-team All Americans for the Great Lakes Region. Johnson will be eligible for National All American honors when selections are made later this year.

With her typical flair, senior Jesse Robinson, after learning of her All-American honor, said, "There was a moment in the Wooster game when a chick slammed my finger. I was bleeding all over the place, sucking it so the refs wouldn't see. It hurt like hell, but I thought to myself I have to keep going. Do it for the team, Jesse. Do it for Oberlin. Do it for your country. And that's why I'm All-American."

In addition to being named regional All-Americans, Robinson and Raynor were named to the first-team of the North Coast Atlantic Conference (NCAC) and were chosen by their teammates as offensive and defensive MVPs respectively. Johnson was chosen to the second-team All NCAC.

"I was excited. As a first-year I was not expecting to be nominated. I was honored to be awarded defensive MVP as well. I worked really hard and put forth all my efforts," Raynor said.

All three were starters during the regular season and played in all games of the 19 game schedule. Johnson, who was sixth in scoring in the NCAC, led Oberlin's attack with 14 goals and two assists. Robinson totaled 15 points with five goals and five assists, while Raynor tied for first in defensive saves with six.

Johnson attributed her 1.47 points-per-game to the solid play of her teammates. "Its all about the team. I owe my thirteen goals to them because assists are harder than goals. This shows that we play well together," she said.

Two first-year All-Americans bodes well for the team's posterity. Johnson said, "In the future other teams better watch out. These honors show that we have a strong team. Next year we're gonna come out on fire."

Coach Mindy Manelovich said, "It's pretty unusual to have so many students selected. I'm thrilled. I think it's wondeful to have such a distribution and selection. The team is excited about this and the recognition for our younger players says a lot for our future."