Posey earns a spot on the All-State First Team as a utility player. Starting as an outfielder and EMU’s No. 1 pitcher, Posey completed one of the finest all-around seasons in program history. He was a terror atop the batting order, hitting .424 with 41 runs and 23 RBIs. His 72 hits led the nation during the regular season and tied an EMU record set by current MLBer Erik Kratz.  Posey added 10 doubles, three triples and his first career homerun. He was the lone EMU regular with more walks than strikeouts (14 to 13) and he was second on the team with nine stolen bases.

On the hill, Posey was 4-4 with one complete game and a 4.57 ERA. He struck out 56 batters in 65.0 innings and walked only four. Posey was second in the nation with a 14.00 strikeout-to-walk ratio and third nationally with 0.55 walks per nine innings. He was also named All-ODAC First Team and All-Region by two different organizations.

McAlister repeats his All-ODAC Second Team award with an All-State Second Team honor. A four-year starter at second base, he batted .365 with 29 runs and 23 RBIs. His .447 on-base percentage was second on the team only to Posey’s .471. McAlister led the ODAC with nine sacrifices and added 12 stolen bases. He also broke Eastern Mennonite’s record for career assists, finishing with 329.

Shenandoah University’s Michael Paul was named Player of the Year while teammate Darrell Thompson and Ferrum’s Jake Perkins shared Pitcher of the Year honors. Rounding out top honors was Randolph-Macon College’s Nick Maiolo as Rookie of the Year and Bridgewater’s Curt Kendall tabbed as Coach of the Year.

The Royals finished with a record of 20-19 this spring, notching their first winning record since the Kratz era ended in 2002. It was also just the third 20-win season in program history.

Eshleman, a four-year starter at defender for the Royals, holds a 3.81 GPA with a double major of biology and philosophy and theology with a minor in English.  He is an honors program student at Eastern Mennonite and has also been named to numerous other academic teams over his four years: Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) All-Academic Team, Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Academic All-State Team and National Soccer Coaches Athletic Association Scholar All-Region Team.

On the field, EMU’s senior has started all 77 games possible in his career.  He has helped the Royals to 18 shutouts since his freshman year (including six this fall) and has also scored a goal with two assists.  He was named All-ODAC First Team in 2011 as well as VaSID All-State First Team.  (The 2012 all-conference awards have not yet been announced.)

Eastern Mennonite ended their 2012 campaign with a 2-1 loss to top-seeded Roanoke in the ODAC Tournament Quarterfinals.  The men finished 8-11-1 overall, including 5-6 in league play.

Junior (Souderton, PA/Christopher Dock) earned an All-State award for the first time after being named All-ODAC First Team earlier this fall.  She was a key cog in the midfield and finished third on the team with eight goals and dished out two assists.  Santiago had three-game winning goals, including in overtime against Bridgewater in the ODAC Quarterfinals.

Attackers (Telford, PA/Souderton) and (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) were also named to the All-State Second Team.

Bencsik led the Lady Royals with 11 goals and was tied for third in the ODAC during the regular season.  She had four game-winning scores and was second for EMU with 24 total points.

Derstine led Eastern Mennonite with 29 points in her freshman season.  She had a team-high nine assists and was second with ten goals.  The speedy Derstine was also fourth in the ODAC in points.

EMU ended the year at 10-11, falling to eventual champion Lynchburg in the ODAC Semifinals.

Lynchburg College swept the top awards with the release of the 2011 College Division Field Hockey All-State Team, as voted on by the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID). Junior Shelly Milks earned the Player of the Year Award, Katie Kline was the Rookie of the Year and Enza Steele was the Coach of the Year.

Milks, a first-team National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) All-American, was also named the All-South Region Player of the Year.  Earlier this off-season, Milks was named the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the Year for the second year in a row and was also the ODAC Scholar Athlete of the Year. She tallied 10 goals and added eight assists, while helping the LC defense allow just nine goals all season.

Kline, also the ODAC Rookie of the Year, burst onto the scene this year with 11 goals, nine assists and 31 points, placing third on the team in all three categories.

Steele, the 2011 ODAC Coach of the Year, takes home her second-straight All-State Coach of the Year Award after LC went 19-2. The Hornets ended its 2011 season ranked fourth in NCAA Division III and LC advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Quarterfinal after earning the program’s sixth-straight ODAC crown.

2011 College Division All-State Field Hockey Team

Player of the Year: Shelly Milks, Lynchburg College
Rookie of the Year: Katie Kline, Lynchburg College
Coach of the Year: Enza Steele, Lynchburg College

First Team:
Attack:
Morgan Jones, Mary Washington
Katie Kline, Lynchburg
Lindsay Leonard, Lynchburg

Midfielder:
Caitlin Cahill, Christopher Newport
Lisa Charney, Mary Washington
Shelly Milks, Lynchburg

Defender:
Amy Abernathy, Mary Washington
Jennifer Bateman, Bridgewater
Brianna Milne, Christopher Newport
Amanda Wain, Lynchburg

Goalkeeper:
Tiffany Frye, Lynchburg

Second Team:
Attack:
Nicole Bencsik, Eastern Mennonite
Janessa Derstine, Eastern Mennonite
Carrie Jacobs, Randolph-Macon
Lauren Seal, Randolph-Macon

Midfielder:
Caitlin Baker, Mary Washington
Kristina Morris, Lynchburg
Adriana Santiago, Eastern Mennonite

Defender:
Shelby Judkins, Christopher Newport
Melanie Tenney, Lynchburg
Amber VanHorn, Shenandoah

Goalkeeper:
Jamie Dowling, Christopher Newport

Rittle, a defensive midfielder, had a career year and was third for the Lady Royals with 17 points as she had five goals and tied for the team lead with seven assists. She was also 3-for-3 in penalty strokes.

Landis helped anchor a defense which ranked third in ODAC play, allowing just 2.0 goals per game. Both Landis and Rittle were named All-ODAC First Team.

Spicher was consistently a force on the defensive side of the field despite missing six mid-season games with an injury. She recorded a pair of defensive saves and made her way forward for one assist and was also named ODAC Rookie of the Year.

The Lady Royals field hockey team finished the year 10-9 after a semifinal loss to eventual champion Lynchburg. EMU was also 4-3 in ODAC play.

Other Virginia Sports Information Directors Honorees

Lynchburg’s Jenny Weir was named the All-State College Division Player of the Year Award in a vote by the Virginia Sports Information Directors. Lauren Seal from Randolph-Macon earned Rookie of the Year honors and Lynchburg’s Enza Steele and Randolph-Macon’s Crystal Carper earned co-Coach of the Year accolades.

Weir follows in the footsteps of older sister and 2010 LC graudate Allie Weir, the All-State Player of the Year the last two years. Jenny Weir led the ODAC this fall with 20 goals and 50 points and tied for the top spot in assists (10).

Seal, a freshman attacker, was an honorable mention all-conference performer this year for the Yellow Jackets. She tallied 13 goals and seven assists and netted five game-winning tallies.

Carper was voted the ODAC Coach of the Year, leading the Yellow Jackets to a 13-7 record and a 6-1 mark in conference play. R-MC tied the most wins in program history. Steele led the Hornets to their fifth-straight ODAC title in 2010. LC finished the season 17-4 and defeated Christopher Newport University in the first-round of the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Complete 2010 VaSID All-State Field Hockey Teams

Player of the Year: Jenny Weir, Lynchburg College
Rookie of the Year: Lauren Seal, Randolph-Macon
Co-Coaches of the Year: Crystal Carper, Randolph-Macon and Enza Steele, Lynchburg College

All-State First Team
Attack
Morgan Jones, Mary Washington
Kelly Tran, Washington & Lee
Jenny Weir, Lynchburg

Midfielder
Caitlin Cahill, Christopher Newport
Emmy Mathews, Washington & Lee
Shelly Milks, Lynchburg

Defender
Erin Claire Cassidy, Randolph-Macon
Kristen Haynor, Mary Washington
Brianna Milne, Christopher Newport
Katelyn Yandle, Christopher Newport

Goalie
Brittany Bradsher, Christopher Newport

All-State Second Team
Attack
Lindsay Leonard, Lynchburg
Mary McCarthy, Randolph-Macon
Lauren Seal, Randolph-Macon

Midfielder
Kalah Hess, Bridgewater
Monica Jenkins, Randolph-Macon
Hailee Rittle, Eastern Mennonite
Amanda Wain, Lynchburg

Defender
Caitlin Gibb, Lynchburg
Vanessa Landis, Eastern Mennonite
Morgan Spicher, Eastern Mennonite

Goalie
Tiffany Frye, Lynchburg