Whether it was on grass, hardwood, rubber, or turf, Gettysburg College field hockey players have shown off their skills in multiple sports on multiple surfaces through the years.
 
Many multi-sport athletes have started their collegiate careers on the field hockey field before moving on to sports like basketball, lacrosse, softball, and tennis in the winter and spring. Like men's sports, playing multiple sports was the norm for many years. The 1980 field hockey team, which won the institution's first-ever national championship, saw all 16 members of the varsity squad compete in at least two sports during the collegiate careers.
 
"I enjoyed playing two sports because the games were both very different in their execution, training, and strategy and as a future coach in training it was the greatest educational component of my college career," said current head women's lacrosse coach Carol Daly Cantele '83. "Playing two sports allowed me to learn more about the value of teamwork, goal setting, and discipline. We were able to travel more and represent our college. I loved to wear the orange and blue all year long!"
 
Not only did Cantele play both sports collegiately, she was also the head coach of both field and lacrosse from 1992-2002 before ceding the field hockey job to Barb Jordan in 2002 to focus on lacrosse and her role as Senior Woman Administrator. Jordan was also a two-sport athlete at Penn State University in the 1980s and continues to coach lacrosse as an assistant coach alongside Cantele in the spring.  
 
Sometimes, playing just two sports wasn't enough. A number of field hockey players stayed in the competitive spirit throughout the winter and spring months. Basketball was the most popular winter pastime for multi-sport student-athletes, though the demands of playing nine consecutive months of the year was a burden on even the highest-performing athletes.
 
"We didn't have the early starts to the spring sports as much as the student-athletes do now, but I certainly didn't want to miss any of the early lacrosse practices either," noted Cheryl McHale Carey '82, who played on the basketball team for two years. "It was a tough decision but the right one for me. I think as a student athlete I was always a better time manager when I was busy and being a two-sport athlete with extended seasons was busy."
 
Out of 75 female student-athletes in the Hall of Athletic Honor, 48 played at least two sports with at least 10 dabbling in a hat trick. Ten of the 27 remaining solo sport Hall of Honor inductees competed in swimming, which is the longest competitive season beginning in the midst of the fall campaign and ending in the middle of spring.
 
Despite the impressive record of multi-sport athletes at Gettysburg, the culture has shifted in recent years with position specialization and the rise of year-round sport competition. Among current field hockey players, only sophomore Jill Ahlgren (Mercersburg, Pa./Mercersburg Academy) competed in two sports last year. Ahlgren's mother, Kristin '91, was also a multi-sport athlete competing in field hockey and lacrosse like her daughter at Gettysburg.
 
"A great deal has definitely changed for the two-sport athlete," said former field hockey/lacrosse player and current Muhlenberg College head lacrosse coach Kristen Stuckel '95. "The requirements on the Division III athletes has increased, and the level of expectations off-season are more intense.  As a collegiate coach, I of course love the increased opportunities and intensity for the athletes. It has, however, made it more difficult for an athlete to participate in two sports; not impossible but much tougher."
 
Below are more thoughts from former Gettysburg field hockey student-athletes about competing in multiple sports during their collegiate careers.
 
Heidi Tuma Wandel '81
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
Hall of Athletic Honor - 2005
 
"Participating in both a fall and spring sport was just what I had to do. I love sports and I don't think I'd have had as great a college experience if I didn't participate! Playing sports was like breathing. I purposely did not play a winter sport to give my body rest and I'm not a fan of winter, frankly.  I had never played Lacrosse before since my high school didn't have it so playing in college was wonderful! I loved every minute of it and was sad when it was over."
 
Cheryl McHale Carey '82
Field Hockey, Basketball, Lacrosse
Hall of Athletic Honor – 2001
 
"If I had to say what was my favorite part of being a two-sport athlete was ALWAYS having somewhere to go and something meaningful to do.  I LOVED my teammates and many of those that played field hockey played lacrosse as well.  We were friends on and off the field – and the best part is those friendships is they still exist today!"
 
Carol Daly Cantele '83
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
 
"I loved the fact that we were ALWAYS in season so we had that "GAME DAY" feeling all year long! I LOVED the practices before the game as we finalized the plan and did specific set pieces to prepare for the game. Being a two-sport athlete tested your competitive spirit more frequently and provided a positive outlet for all that energy!"
 
Kristen Stuckel '95
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
 
"I loved being in season and competition, and therefore loved the thrill of playing two-sports. At times it was definitely challenging. Especially when I would finish an in season practice and then jump right to a fall ball practice. It was exciting to go back-to-back, but it made me have to really organize my time especially as a biology major. Just about everyone would always ask what sport I liked better, however I truly just loved the season I was in. The intensity, camaraderie, of each team was special and unique."
 
Katie Lowe Reinke '05
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
 
"I have a lot of positive, happy, successful memories of being a part of both programs. I was the captain of both my senior year. I won a total of five Centennial Conference championships. I earned individual awards/ recognition for both. Sports are not forever, and in some way I knew that, so I knew college was it for me. I gave it my all. Because I lived it, because I gave it everything I had, I walked away without an ounce of regret. I didn't miss anything, not a single college experience. I went abroad in the summer so I didn't miss a sports season. I'm thankful I went to Gettysburg and had the support I did from the athletic department and the college. They were phenomenal. Everyone in the program, coaching staff, equipment manager, athletic trainers, everyone made it possible. Being a two-sport collegiate athlete for two competitive, successful programs is something I will always, forever be proud of."
 
Lexie Hearn Merrill '10
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
 
"Playing sports was a passion for me but it also helped with my time management skills which in turn helped with my academics. Balancing the commitments of field hockey and lacrosse was easy given the connections that Barb and Carol had to each sport. They were both extremely supportive and even saw the benefits that we received from playing a second sport. Missing the off-season practices/ games was tough and I missed my teammates but everything always fell right back into place when the season started."
 
Laura McIntyre '11
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
 
"I wasn't ready to 'choose' a single sport to focus on when I decided to go to Gettysburg. I loved both sports equally, and knew that I was willing to put in the effort to try. I was too stubborn and competitive to give one of them up, and thankfully both coaches believed in me enough to keep me on the teams. The ability to play both sports and work with coaches that were supportive of that was definitely a driving force in my decision. If you look at my career trajectory, I didn't choose a sport until very recently and pretty much just became 'Barb' other places."
 
Hayward Sawers Caswell '13
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
 
"I always loved both sports and the balance it brought to my athletic life. It's great to have sports as an outlet and even better to be able to enjoy two separate experiences. At first, the idea of playing two sports in college never really crossed my mind. When the opportunity to play both sports at Gettysburg presented itself, I was thrilled and it truly enhanced my college experience."
 
Kelly Spieker '14
Field Hockey, Lacrosse
 
"The ability to play two sports was a driving force, if not the driving force, in my decision to go to Gettysburg College. I loved both field hockey and lacrosse and couldn't imagine giving one up. Once I came to Gettysburg and saw that I could play both at a competitive level, I was sold! Having a strict schedule with practices and games kept me focused and on track with school work. My priority was always the sport that was in season and having two coaches that were so understanding and supportive of two-sport athletes meant I was never in a situation where I had to choose."
 
Christina Wright '16
Field Hockey, lacrosse
 
"Being in-season and competitive all year round was the absolute best athletically and academically. As an athlete, being in-season is obviously the most exciting part of your sport. Constantly being with your in-season team; from preseason training, postseason runs, game days, Servo team lunches and Mr G's trips, there was always something to look forward to. Academically, it helped tremendously in the classroom. I felt I was able to focus and manage my time really well by constantly having a demanding schedule."