A two-sport standout often overshadowed by a wealth of superlative offensive teammates, Tuma established herself as the heart and soul of defensive units that propelled the Gettysburg field hockey and women's lacrosse programs to unprecedented heights. She was a co-captain of the Bullets' 1980 national championship field hockey team and a nationally honored lacrosse player.
A four-year member of the varsity field hockey squad, she helped Gettysburg post 24 shutouts during her defensive tenure. As a junior in 1979, she assisted on the first goal of a 3-1 win over Moravian in the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) semifinals, then scored one of two overtime stroke goals in a 3-2 championship-clinching victory over Wilkes.
Tuma and her field hockey teammates cemented their legacy in 1980, rolling up 10 straight postseason victories to clinch the College's first national team championship. In the title game, she helped the defense backstop a 1-0 shutout of Hartwick.
Also a three-year letterwinner with the women's lacrosse program, she guided the Bullets to the 1981 MAC championship and a fifth-place national finish, earning AIAW all-tournament honors along the way.
A native of Willingboro, N.J., she graduated from Gettysburg in 1981 with a degree in health and physical education.
 |
| Heidi Tuma winds up to strike the ball |
