Update from Head Field Hockey Coach Kelsey Kolojejchick -- May 2024

Hi Bison Family,

Spring has sprung, and it feels like summer has come so soon. The team is finishing the last of their finals for the semester and looking to finish with our team goal of a 3.5 or higher GPA. We are also celebrating the graduation of our seven phenomenal seniors: Mia Fields, Kari Melberger, Rachel Apa, Olivia Bush, Gugu Sibanda, Reanne Burgess, and Sydney Panagos. Olivia gets an extra shout-out for receiving one of the most prestigious Bucknell Athletic Department Senior Awards: the Robert A. Latour Service Award. This award is presented to the student-athlete who displayed extraordinary service to Bucknell and the local community. We wish them all the best as they begin their lives beyond Bucknell!

The final phase of the team’s spring was all competition. We successfully competed against Cornell, Colgate, Lock Haven, East Stroudsburg, Shippensburg, and La Salle. The team ended the spring on a high note. These playdays and games were an excellent opportunity to play against different styles, tactics, and formations and prepared the team to be mentally and physically resilient. They helped our team stay true to our Bucknell Field Hockey Way and prepped the team significantly for Fall 2024.

On April 27, we welcomed our alums and families back on campus! It was special getting to see the past and present Bison reunite. They hit the field to play with each other again and competed against our current squad. Our Bison hockey family is special, and we are so thankful for the annual celebration that brings us back together again.

Not only did the team find camaraderie on the field this spring but there were also opportunities for culture and team building growth off the field. We had an evening at Hoopla’s Xtreme Family Fun and cuddled the cats of The Scratching Post Cat Cafe in downtown Lewisburg. The team also committed time to get out in the community and help run our annual 7v7 fundraiser, conduct an ID Clinic, and spend time with the children at the Donald Heiter Community Center afterschool program. Smiles, laughter, and fun are part of the program’s recipe for success, and spending it with your teammates in different environments is invaluable! But don’t worry; dodgeball was still played, igniting their competitive fire against any opponents!

The coaching staff will be hitting the recruiting trail to look for potential Bison this summer! A lot of time will be spent in Virginia Beach, Va., and we look forward to finding incredible student-athletes to join our program in the future.

We also have one more push for our department’s Drive for Five before the fiscal year ends. Your support provides our student-athletes with the best experience possible on and off the field. We are so thankful for our Bucknell Family and appreciate all donations and support. Let’s finish this year strong and set up the program for continued success!

Saving the best news for last ... we have a new Bucknell Field Hockey Team member! Bison family, I am pleased to introduce my daughter, Nylah Margaret Usefara, who was born on April 23! The family and I are doing excellent and are on cloud nine! We look forward to bringing her to as many games as possible and spoiling her with the love of our Bison Family!

‘Ray Bucknell,

Kelsey Kolojejchick
Head Field Hockey Coach
Bucknell University
kk053@bucknell.edu

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Update from Head Field Hockey Coach Kelsey Kolojejchick -- May 2024