University of North Carolina Athletics
Sophomore Abby Pitcairn, a midfielder, is majoring in biology.
Photo by: Dana Gentry
Pitcairn Honored With NCAA Elite 90 Award
November 21, 2019 | Field Hockey, Academics
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – As the UNC field hockey team prepares to play on the sport's biggest stage at the NCAA final four, a Tar Heel has been honored for having the highest GPA among those competing.
North Carolina sophomore Abby Pitcairn, a midfielder from Pittsburgh, Pa., was announced Thursday evening at the NCAA Championship banquet as the winner of the 2019 NCAA Elite 90 Award for field hockey. Pitcairn, who has played in every game this season for the top-ranked and undefeated Tar Heels, is majoring in biology and has a GPA of 3.86.
UNC, in the final four for the 11th year in a row, meets Boston College Friday at 1 p.m. in the first of two NCAA semifinal games at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium.
Pitcairn's award is the fifth for the Tar Heel field hockey program and the 12th for UNC, which ranks fourth among all Division I schools in number of Elite 90 Awards across all sports. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
"This is a great honor for Abby, for our program and for the University of North Carolina," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "You can't win the award if your team doesn't make the final four, so I love that we as a school have put our student-athletes in a position to be recognized this way. Then it's up to them to perform at an extraordinary level academically, and Abby has done that. She works hard every day to be the best she can, and we're all so proud to see her win the Elite 90 Award."
Pitcairn is the third UNC field hockey player honored on the fifth occasion. Marta Malmberg won in 2011, then Loren Shealy won three years in a row, 2012-14. Carolina is the only school to have won the field hockey award more than twice.
UNC has also won three times in women's soccer, twice in men's soccer and twice in women's lacrosse.
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
The award was initiated during the 2009-10 school year and was then called the Elite 88 (after the number of championships then sponsored by the NCAA). For more information on the Elite 90 Award, log on to NCAA.com/elite-90.
UNC's Elite 90 Award winners:
Bill Dworsky, men's soccer (2009)
Kristi Eveland, women's soccer (2009)
Meredith Newton, women's lacrosse (2010)
Marta Malmberg, field hockey (2011)
Loren Shealy, field hockey (2012, 2013, 2014)
Caitlin Ball, women's soccer (2012)
Paige Hanson, women's lacrosse (2013)
Alex Comsia, men's soccer (2016)
Frances Reuland, women's soccer (2016)
Abby Pitcairn, field hockey (2019)
North Carolina sophomore Abby Pitcairn, a midfielder from Pittsburgh, Pa., was announced Thursday evening at the NCAA Championship banquet as the winner of the 2019 NCAA Elite 90 Award for field hockey. Pitcairn, who has played in every game this season for the top-ranked and undefeated Tar Heels, is majoring in biology and has a GPA of 3.86.
That moment when you find out you won the NCAA Elite 90 award 😮😁
Good work, Abby! #GoHeels | @UNCFieldHockey | #NCAAFH pic.twitter.com/bS4ME9ONpm
— UNC Tar Heels (@GoHeels) November 22, 2019
UNC, in the final four for the 11th year in a row, meets Boston College Friday at 1 p.m. in the first of two NCAA semifinal games at Wake Forest's Kentner Stadium.
Pitcairn's award is the fifth for the Tar Heel field hockey program and the 12th for UNC, which ranks fourth among all Division I schools in number of Elite 90 Awards across all sports. The award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
"This is a great honor for Abby, for our program and for the University of North Carolina," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "You can't win the award if your team doesn't make the final four, so I love that we as a school have put our student-athletes in a position to be recognized this way. Then it's up to them to perform at an extraordinary level academically, and Abby has done that. She works hard every day to be the best she can, and we're all so proud to see her win the Elite 90 Award."
Pitcairn is the third UNC field hockey player honored on the fifth occasion. Marta Malmberg won in 2011, then Loren Shealy won three years in a row, 2012-14. Carolina is the only school to have won the field hockey award more than twice.
UNC has also won three times in women's soccer, twice in men's soccer and twice in women's lacrosse.
Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. They must be an active member of the team, traveling and a designated member of the squad size at the championship. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
The award was initiated during the 2009-10 school year and was then called the Elite 88 (after the number of championships then sponsored by the NCAA). For more information on the Elite 90 Award, log on to NCAA.com/elite-90.
Amazing honor! 📚🏑
We're so proud of you, Abby! 👏👏👏
More here ➡️ https://t.co/cnh8HriJh0#GoHeels#NCAAFH pic.twitter.com/BgiC220r2h
— UNC Field Hockey (@UNCFieldHockey) November 22, 2019
UNC's Elite 90 Award winners:
Bill Dworsky, men's soccer (2009)
Kristi Eveland, women's soccer (2009)
Meredith Newton, women's lacrosse (2010)
Marta Malmberg, field hockey (2011)
Loren Shealy, field hockey (2012, 2013, 2014)
Caitlin Ball, women's soccer (2012)
Paige Hanson, women's lacrosse (2013)
Alex Comsia, men's soccer (2016)
Frances Reuland, women's soccer (2016)
Abby Pitcairn, field hockey (2019)
Players Mentioned
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