Shenandoah, Christopher Newport Split Major Awards in College Field Hockey

FERRUM, Virginia – The Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) has announced its 2024 College Division Field Hockey All-State Team, with Shenandoah University and Christopher Newport University each grabbing a pair of major awards.

Shenandoah's Farren Winter and Ashley Smeltzer-Kraft have been named Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively, while Defensive Player of the Year went to Brooke Billhimer and Rookie of the Year went to Avert Mast, both from Christopher Newport.

Winter tallied 16 goals and nine assists for 41 points this season, including five game-winning goals. She was the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year, earning All-ODAC first team, ODAC All-Tournament and NFHCA All-Region first team.

Smeltzer-Kraft guided the Hornets to a 19-3 record last fall, including a perfect 8-0 mark to win the ODAC regular season title, then earned a pair of wins to claim the 2024 ODAC Field Hockey Tournament crown. The Hornets advanced to the second round of the 2024 NCAA Division III Tournament.

Billhimer was the Synapse Sports National Defensive Player of the year, and earned NFHCA All-America first team honors. She helped lead the Captains to the NCAA Division III Tournament, advancing to the Elite 8.

Mast had six goals and a pair of assists for 14 points this season, notching three game-winners. She was named to the Synapse Sports National All-Rookie Team.

CNU earned six of the 11 All-State first team honors. Joining Mast and Billhimer from the Captains are Caroline Hughlett, Courtney Hughlett, Kate Abdenschoen and Lily Kerr. 

Joining Winter from Shenandoah are Maired McKibbin, Cassidy Morrison and Elisa Velasquez. 

University of Lynchburg's Khanyisile Mzizi earned the final All-State first team spot.

The complete 2024 VaSID College Division Field Hockey All-State Team is listed below.

2024 VaSID All-State Field Hockey Team – College Division

Major Award Winners

Player of the Year: Farren Winter - Shenandoah
Defensive Player of the Year: Brooke Billhimer - CNU
Rookie of the Year: Avery Mast - CNU
Coach of the Year: Ashley Smeltzer-Kraft - Shenandoah

First Team

F: Caroline Hughlett - CNU
F: Mairead McKibbin - Shenandoah
F: Cassidy Morrison - Shenandoah
M: Courtney Hughlett - CNU
M: Avery Mast - CNU
M: Khanyisile Mzizi – Lynchburg
M: Farren Winter - Shenandoah
D: Kate Abdenschoen - CNU
D: Brooke Billhimer - CNU
D: Elise Velasquez - Shenandoah
GK: Lily Kerr – CNU

Second Team

F: Sydney Baggett – W&L
F: Grayson Scott – Mary Washington
F: Maddison Steele - CNU
M: Daphne Daymude - Bridgewater
M: Anna Dorrestijn - Lynchburg
M: Maddy Duggleby – W&L
M: Allie Freeman - Lynchburg
D: Camryn DeLeva - Shenandoah
D: Kendall Gibson – CNU
D: Madison Short - Shenandoah
GK: Taylor Swann – Shenandoah

VaSID names 44 all-state teams in 23 sports each year, as well as an Academic All-State squad and an all-sports champion in both the University and College Divisions. Membership in VaSID is open to all media relations professionals working at a university or conference in the state of Virginia.