Twelve Tar Heels Named To NFHCA National Academic Squad

Meredith Sholder (left) and Cassie Sumfest earned the NFHCA academic honor for the fifth year in a row.

Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati

February 8, 2022 | Field Hockey, Academics

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Twelve North Carolina student-athletes have been named to the NFHCA NCAA DI National Academic Squad, announced Tuesday by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

Tar Heels honored are Brooke Behan, Katie Dixon, Dorrit Eisenbeis, Hannah Griggs, Erin Matson, Abby Pitcairn, Meredith Sholder, Kelly Smith, Eva Smolenaars, Jasmina Smolenaars, Cassie Sumfest and Kiersten Thomassey.

Sholder and Sumfest both earned the honor for the fifth year in a row.

The honor requires a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.3 through the fall semester.

Behan, from St. Louis, Mo., is majoring in media and journalism.

Dixon, from Cary, N.C., is majoring in statistics & analytics.

Eisenbeis, from Cary, N.C., is working toward a double major in exercise & sport science and psychology.

Griggs, from Haversham, England, is majoring exercise and sport science.

Matson, from Chadds Ford, Pa., is majoring in media and journalism.

Pitcairn, from Pittsburgh, Pa., is majoring in biology

Sholder, from Alburtis, Pa., is also a biology major.

Smith, from Downingtown, Pa., is majoring in exercise and sports science.

Eva Smolenaars is majoring in media & journalism and Jasmina Smolenaars is majoring in communication studies. Both are from Weert, the Netherlands.

Sumfest, from Lewisburg, Pa., majored in business administration and is now in graduate school.

Kiersten Thomassey, from Westerville, Ohio, is majoring in communication studies.

The Tar Heels finished the 2021 season 13-7, winning their fifth consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference title and the 24^th in program history.

For a full list of the more than 1,370 honorees, click here.