University of North Carolina Athletics
Falgowski Nominated For Prestigious FIH Award
December 7, 2011 | Field Hockey
Dec. 7, 2011
North Carolina senior Katelyn Falgowski has been announced as one of five nominees for the 2011 FIH Young Player of the Year Award, which recognizes the world's best field hockey player under the age of 23. The candidates were announced Tuesday by the International Hockey Federation (FIH).
Falgowski is the first U.S. player to be nominated for the award since Rachel Dawson, another former Tar Heel, was a candidate in 2006.
"I think it is fantastic recognition for Katelyn," said U.S. National Team head coach Lee Bodimeade. "Her performance at Champions Challenge at the start of this year and what she did at the Pan American Games in the final against the world's best player (Luciana Aymar) is really the background to this nomination and I would expect her to be close to winning the award."
Other nominees are Willemijn Bos (Netherlands), Charlotte Harrison (New Zealand), Stacey Michelsen (New Zealand) and Joyce Sombroek (Netherlands).
Falgowski, who played her senior season at UNC in 2011 and will graduate this month, is a longtime member of the U.S. National Team. In October, she helped the squad to its first-ever gold medal at the Pan American Games, earning a berth in the 2012 Summer Olympic Games. Falgowski recently was recognized as the Division I National Player of the Year, and she finished her Tar Heel career as the program's all-time leader in assists. She was named Player of the Tournament at the USA Field Hockey National Championships in 2010 and 2011.
The winner of the award will be announced during the Argentina FIH Champions Trophy in Rosario, Jan. 28-Feb. 5, 2012.
Read more about the nominees for FIH Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year click here.
