Nov. 9, 2007

ATHENS, Ohio - Field hockey players Estienne Coetzee, Rachelle Coetzee, Nikki Gnozzio and Jessie Martin were selected to the 2007 Field Hockey Academic All-MAC Team, announced by the league office today. Ten MAC student athletes were selected to team, as voted on by the faculty athletic representatives at the MAC institutions.

It is the second year in a row that sisters Estienne and Rachelle Coetzee have been Academic All-MAC selections. Estienne (Bloemfontein, South Africa) has a 3.96 cumulative grade point average and is majoring in business. She earned a perfect 4.0 GPA last quarter and is on the Dean's List. She was selected to the All-MAC Second Team for the third consecutive year. Rachelle (Bloemfontein, South Africa) has a 3.95 GPA and is a finance management major. She also earned a perfect 4.0 GPA last quarter and is also on the Dean's List. She was selected first-team All-MAC for the second straight year.

Gnozzio (Flanders, N.J.) has a 3.64 GPA and is a sports industry major. She is also on the Dean's List and was selected to the All-MAC First Team this year. She played a big part in Ohio's execution on penalty corners this year and was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4.

Martin (Louisville, Ky.) is the MAC Player of the Year. She is a sports management major and has a 3.32 GPA. She was selected first-team All-MAC. Martin started 18 of Ohio's 19 games this season and was a catalyst for the Bobcats on defense ... Named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week five times during the regular season, while earning 14 wins in goal, tallying three shutouts and posting a career-high 11 saves.

Nicole Humphreys and Brooke MacGillvary were selected for Ball State, while Allison Kittelberger and Charlotte Muller represented Kent State. Miami and Missouri State rounded out the list with one each, Danielle Gaynor for Miami and Kim Kensella for Missouri State.

The Academic All-MAC honor is for a student-athlete who has excelled in athletics and academics. To qualify, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and have participated in at least 50 percent of the contests for that particular sport. First-year students and junior college transfers in their first year of residence are not eligible for the award. ----------------------------
Quenjana Adams is the field hockey contact in the Ohio media relations office. She can be reached via email at adamsq@ohio.edu and in the office at 740-593-1299.