March 3, 2003

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Seven Maryland field hockey players were selected to the 2003 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Academic Squad, having attained a 3.3 minimum cumulative grade point average through the 2002 fall semester.

The Terps' seven selections tied North Carolina as the most among ACC schools. Maryland has had 33 academic squad honorees over the past four seasons, an average of more than eight per year.

Forward Courtney Thornton (Annapolis, Md.), a sophomore on the playing field but junior in the classroom, is a two-time academic squad selection. The recipient of Maryland's prestigious Banneker/Key Scholarship is a Criminology & Criminal Justice major.

Defensive back Kristin Harris (Lititz, Pa.), whose on-field efforts earned her Mid-Atlantic All-Region honors last fall, is also a two-time selection. Harris majors in the Life Sciences.

Sophomore Amber McQuillan (Coopersburg, Pa.), a redshirt freshman on the turf, is a first-time selection to the squad as a Secondary Education/English major.

Sophomore Christina Pernia (Burtonsville, Md.), is a first-time honoree as a Biological Resources Engineering major.

Freshmen Leah Harner-Kerlavage (Montgomery Village, Md.), Jen Hasemeier (LaPlata, Md.), and Tiffany Marsh (Marathon, N.Y.) were selected to the squad after their first semesters on campus. Harner-Kerlavage is an Early Childhood Education major, while Hasemeier and Marsh major in Letters & Sciences.

The academic awards come to the Terrapins after a 17-5 season and an eighth-straight appearance in the NCAA championship tournament. The Terps advanced to the round of eight for the 13th time in program history in 2002.

2003 Academic Squad Selections
Name                    Year          Major
Leah Harner-Kerlavage   Freshman      Early Childhood Education
Kristin Harris          Sophomore     Life Sciences
Jen Hasemeier           Freshman      Letters & Sciences
Tiffany Marsh           Freshman      Letters & Sciences
Amber McQuillan         Sophomore     Secondary Education/English
Christina Pernia        Sophomore     Biological Resources Engineering
Courtney Thornton       Junior        Criminology & Criminal Justice