Northwestern University Athletics
Field Hockey Signs Seven to National Letters of Intent
3/21/2002 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
March 21, 2002
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern field hockey head coach Marisa Didio has signed the following seven high school seniors to National Letters of Intent to play field hockey beginning in the fall of 2002:
Kelly Augustine (goalkeeper-Northampton, Pa./Northampton)
Rachel Cody (midfield/back-Oklahoma City, Okla./Casady)
Christine Nannicelli (midfield-Walpole, Mass./Walpole)
Holly Palin (midfield-Mequon, Wis./University School of Milwaukee)
Kristin Provencher (back-North Conway, N.H./Kennett)
Thaddia Rintel (midfield-Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth)
Ellen Schlafly (midfield/forward-St. Louis, Mo./MICDS)
"The 2002 class clearly understands the position of our program and the direction we are going as a team," said Didio. "I believe the talent and winning behaviors of these seven athletes show the will and drive they have to work within our team centered goals."
The 2002 student-athletes are a very diverse group, as all seven hail from different states. Four of the athletes will travel west from the New England area, while the other three will converge on Chicago from surrounding states.
"As a staff, we did a great job of finding talent all over the country and broadening our roster with national players," said Didio. "This is the deepest pool of talented athletes we've recruited to date."
Kelly Augustine/Goalkeeper
Northampton, Pa./Northampton
High School: Three-year varsity field hockey letterwinner ... Played on U.S. Under-16 National Team ... Two-time NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) High School All-American Mideast Region ... Two-time Pennsylvania All-State First-team goalkeeper ... Mountain Valley Conference First-team selection in 2001 ... Two-time Morning Call newspaper all-area goalkeeper ... Two-time Express Times all-area first team ... Two-time Junior Olympian ... Was selected Blue Ridge Cable TV Athlete of the Week during her junior season ... Competed in the USFHA National Field Hockey Festival and the Futures Elite Program ... Saved 552 shots in high school career, compiling a .880 save percentage ... Played for Northampton softball and varsity track teams ... All-Academic all-state ... Named a Mountain Valley Conference Scholar Athlete ... Member of the "Distinguished" High Honor Roll (straight A's) and winner of the Joseph C. Hammer Award (geography) ... National Honor Society member.
Personal: Born Kelly Augustine on 8/21/84 ... Daughter of Robert and Beverly Augustine.
Rachel Cody/midfield-back
Oklahoma City, Okla./Casady
High School: Selected as a regional All-American senior year ... Two-time all-conference selection ... Four-year letterwinner in field hockey ... Played varsity basketball all four years, becoming team captain sophomore season ... Chosen to compete on Team Gateway Southwest (festival team) junior and senior seasons ... Field hockey team went undefeated as conference champions freshman year ... Basketball team won conference championship junior year ... Was a conference honorable-mention selection in tennis junior year ... Received the Francis Nagle Award for "outstanding personal character and intellectual promise."
Personal: Born Rachel Cody on 12/27/83 ... Daughter of Phillip Cody and Cindy and Blake Arnold.
Christine Nannicelli/midfield
Walpole, Maine/Walpole
High School: Three-time field hockey letterwinner ... Named 2001 Neponset Valley News Co-Player of the Year ... Two-time Bay State Conference All-Star (2001 and 2000) ... Named second-team high school All-American ... Chosen to be part of the 2001 Massachusetts "Best of 60" team ... Named a 2001 Regional All-American ... Elected tri-captain in 2001 ... Voted Walpole High School's Defensive Player of the Year in 2000 ... Daily News All-Star in 1999 and 2000 ... Selected to the 2000 Bay State League All-Star team ... 1999 and 2000 Daily Transcript All-Star ... Picked as "Player of the Game" in South Sectional Finals ... Competed at Futures Field Hockey Tournament the last four years and the USFHA National Festival the last three ... Team won the 2001 Massachusetts State Championship in field hockey, amassing a 74-2 overall high school record ... Selected to play in the Massachusetts Bay State Games ... Won two Massachusetts state field hockey titles in 1998 and 1999 ... Earned Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Scholastic accolades in 2001 ... Was a finalist in the Walpole Downtown Business Associates Young Citizens Award in 1998 ... Honor Roll Student.
Personal: Born Christine Nannicelli on 8/2/84 ... Daughter of Tom and Paula Nannicelli.
Holly Palin/midfield
Mequon, Wis./University School of Milwaukee
High School: Four-sport varsity athlete at University School of Milwaukee ... Voted team MVP in field hockey and basketball in 2001 ... Four-year varsity field hockey starter ... 2001 Wendy's High School Heisman Award state finalist ... Two-time first-team Midwest Classic All-Conference and All-Star team selection ... Team captain as a junior and senior ... Team won Wisconsin state title junior season, going undefeated (9-0) ... Received the "Spirit of the Game" award in 2000 ... Competed with Team EuroTour ... Chosen as one of six outstanding defensive players at Sport EuroTour Elite Camp in Barcelona, Spain ... Basketball conference Player of the Year in 2001 ... Three-time first-team all-conference selection in basketball ... Received the Freshman Academic Achievement Award ... Dean's List ... Won sophomore Class Citizenship Award ... Three-year Student Council member.
Personal: Born Holly Merrill Read Palin on 2/13/84 ... Daughter of Drew and Alice Palin ... Father played football at Stanford ... Mom was a two-sport athlete competing in field hockey and rugby, at Stanford.
Kristin Provencher/back
North Conway, N.H./Kennett
High School: Two-time New Hampshire Field Hockey All-State member ... Team captain in 2001 ... Three-year varsity field hockey starter ... Competed at national field hockey tournament last three years ... USFHA Futures Program participant in 1999 and 2000, competing in the national tournament ... Selected to the all-tournament team at the Cape Cod Classic Tournament in 2000 ... Won two New Hampshire state championships (1999, 2000) as the starting catcher for softball team ... Received Boston Globe All-Scholastic accolades in 2000 ... Selected to the New Hampshire all-state softball team in 2000 ... Mark Butler Award recipient for outstanding all-around athlete sophomore year ... Participated in Marisa Didio's New England Field Hockey camps in 1999 and 2000 ... Member of the Alpine Skiing team in 1998, 1999 and 2000 ... Placed second in the overall slalom and giant slalom in the New Hampshire JIII Championships ... Named a New Hampshire State Scholar Athlete in 2002 ... Three-time Boston Globe All-Scholastic.
Personal: Born Kristin Provencher on 4/27/84 ... Daughter of Peter and Kim Provencher ... Older sister Diane is a senior on the NU field hockey team.
Thaddia Rintel/midfield
Cape Elizabeth, Maine/Cape Elizabeth
High School: Three-year field hockey varsity letterwinner ... 2001 Maine all-state first-team selection ... 2001 Western Maine all-conference ... 2000 Most Valuable Defense Award for field hockey ... 2001 team captain ... 2001 Forecaster Athlete of the Year recipient ... Voted team MVP in 2001 ... USFHA National Field Hockey Futures Program participant 1998 through 2001 ... Gold Medal winner in 2000 at Field Hockey Nationals ... Team won field hockey conference championship in 2000 ... Competed in varsity tennis and girls lacrosse while at Cape Elizabeth ... Team won 2000 State Championship in tennis ... Played two years of boys varsity Ice Hockey ... Espanol Diploma de Excelencia Award recipient in 2000.
Personal: Born Thaddia Rintel on 5/12/84 ... Daughter of Theodor and Hallie Rintel.
Ellen Schlafly/midfield-forward
St. Louis, Mo./MICDS
High School: Named a 2001 second-team all-star for MWAA Conference and first-team all-star in 2000 ... Three-sport varsity letterwinner, field hockey, basketball and lacrosse ... Scored 20 goals in 2000 (field hockey), to help lead the team to a league championship ... Competed in the Gateway Indoor League and the Gateway Summer League ... Participated in the National Field Hockey Festival and the National Futures Tournament ... 2001 Missouri State Champions in lacrosse ... First-team all-state selection ... Named a 2000 first-team all-star for MWAA conference in lacrosse.
Personal: Born Ellen Schlafly on 8/15/83 ... Daughter of Joe and Annie Schlafly.
