Senior Traci Anselmo was named Field Hockey Athlete of the Year by Big Ten Officials.

ANN ARBOR, Mich., November 3, 2000 - Penn State senior defender Traci Anselmo (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) has been named the 2000 Big Ten Field Hockey Athlete of the Year and earned Defensive Player of the Year honors for the second time in three years. The All-American guided the Lady Lions to a second-place finish in the Big Ten with a record of 5-1, and a No. 7 national ranking (as of Oct. 31). A three-time first team all-conference pick, Anselmo is the third-consecutive Lady Lion to earn Athlete of the Year honors. Heather Gorlaski and Tracey Larson won the award in 1998 and 1999, respectively. Six other Lions also earned all-conference honors which were announced at last night's annual tournament banquet.

Anselmo enters the Big Ten Tournament second in the league in scoring with 40 points, trailing Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Kelli Gannon from Michigan by just three points. Anselmo also plays a major role on a defense that is ranked 10th in the nation, giving up just 1.13 goals per game (as of Oct. 31). She earned Defensive Player of the Year in 1998, when the Lions won the last of four-consecutive Big Ten Tournament titles. She was also selected the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week on September 19.

"This is a great honor for Traci, for the program and for Penn State," said Penn State head coach Charlene Morett. "She has had an outstanding career. Despite her injuries this year and in the past, it is great how she has been able to produce that type of continued performance this season."

Three Lady Lions were selected first team all-Big Ten. Besides Anselmo, senior Maegan Galie (Collegeville, Pa./Methacton) is a first team all-league pick for the third time in her career. Galie was twice named Offensive Player of the Week and leads the team in assists and is second in scoring. Junior Kiley Kulina (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) receives first team honors after being named to the second team last year.

Two-time Defensive Player of the Week sophomore Jill Martz (Dalmatia, Pa./Line Mountain), true-freshman Neilye Stoner (Manheim, Pa./Hempfield) and junior Meredith Shulzitski (Harleysville, Pa./Souderton) all receive Big Ten honors for the first time. Each were named second team all-conference. Rounding out the Big Ten honors is senior defender Mandy Robinson (Haddonfield, N.J./Haddonfield). She was selected second team for the first time in her career, despite missing the last eight games of the season.

The seven all-Big Ten honors are the most of any team. Michigan received six all-Big Ten accolades.

2000 All-Big Ten Field Hockey Honors

First Team
April Fronzoni, Fr., Attack, Michigan
Maegan Galie, Sr., Attack, Penn State
Marije Van Nouhuys, Jr., Attack, Ohio State
Kelli Gannon, Sr., Midfield, Michigan
Katie Hobson, Sr., Midfield, Ohio State
Kiley Kulina, Jr., Midfield, Penn State
Courtney Reid, Sr., Midfield, Michigan
Traci Anselmo, Sr., Defense, Penn State
Natalie Dawson, Sr., Defense, Iowa
Kristi Gannon, Fr., Defense, Michigan
Jessica Yates, Sr., Goalkeeper, Northwestern

Second Team
Gina Carr, Jr., Attack, Iowa
Bridget Cooper, Jr., Attack, Michigan State
Meredith Shulzitski, Jr., Attack, Penn State*
Neilye Stoner, Fr., Attack, Penn State*
Lindsay Wright, Sr., Attack, Northwestern
Adrienne Miroslaw, Sr., Midfield, Michigan St
Wendy Robert, Sr., Midfield, Northwestern*
Tiffany Fodera, Jr., Defense, Iowa
Catherine Foreman, Jr., Defense, Michigan
Diana Kuser, Jr., Defense, Ohio State
Jill Martz, So., Defense, Penn State
Mandy Robinson, Sr., Defense, Penn State
Jeanne Shin, Sr., Defense, Michigan*
Allison Blanton, Jr., Goalkeeper, Ohio State

ATHLETE OF THE YEAR: Traci Anselmo, Sr., Defense, Penn State
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR: Kristi Gannon, Defense, Michigan
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kelli Gannon, Sr., Midfield, Michigan
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Traci Anselmo, Penn State
COACH OF THE YEAR: Marcia Pankratz, Michigan

*indicates a tie