Plymouth Whitemarsh seniors Victoria Byrne, Claire McAllister and Paige Totten were recognized for committing to play field hockey at the collegiate level. (Photos provided courtesy of Dave Sherman/Plymouth Whitemarsh High School.)
They’re awesome kids,” coach Marianne Paparone said. “They’re so coachable, hard working, just really, really good kids. That’s the nice dynamic. I had nine seniors this year, and that really told the story of all of them. They all worked hard and got along well. Some played a lot, some didn’t play a lot, but they all were positive, those three more so than anybody else. Those kids are leaving with three league championships, which is a nice situation to go out on, and they all played a part in it.”
Victoria Byrne – Widener University (Field Hockey)
Major: Accounting/Finance
Final list of colleges: Widener, West Chester
Reasons for choosing Widener: “I fell in love with the campus during my tour, and then my overnight solidified my decision. My teammates were very welcoming and I felt like I was already part of the Widener family. On top of that, Widener is the perfect size and distance from my house – far enough that I can live on campus but can go home if I need to.”
What was the progression that led you to playing field hockey at the collegiate level? “The thoughts of playing field hockey in college started my junior year when I started to tour colleges. I was very unsure of whether or not I wanted to continue playing. My coaches and teammates wanted me to continue playing and that was a huge factor. I was recruited by the Widener field hockey coach, and from that point on, I realized it would be the right decision to keep playing.”
Coach Marianne Paparone says: “Tori is a four-year starter. She just has good natural instincts, good natural ability. The game comes kind of easy to her almost. She’s an unassuming kid, a hard worker, never misses practice, is never late and doesn’t demand any attention. She’s just a good hard worker.
“She was a first team all-league kid last year in goal, and I know when I split time with her and Claire McAllister this year she wouldn’t get the starts or the notice to get first team this year. She never thought twice about it. She’s very unselfish, very team oriented, and she’s really just a good kid. I’m really happy that she’s playing because she was going back and forth about it. I think this will be a great situation for her to play. Just the experiences she’ll gain and the friendships she’ll make because she’s an asset to the team.”
About Victoria:
Favorite food: BBQ Wings
Favorite movie: The Last Song
Favorite music: Luke Bryan
Claire McAllister – The University of Scranton (Field Hockey)
Major: Secondary Education for Mathematics
Final list of colleges: Scranton, Arcadia, Franklin & Marshall, Gettysburg
Reasons for choosing Scranton: “I chose the University of Scranton because it felt like I belonged there from the first time I visited. It has great academics, a beautiful campus and a really friendly atmosphere. Their field hockey program is competitive and the team and coaching staff made me feel welcome, making my decision really easy.”
What was the progression that led you to playing field hockey at the collegiate level? “I decided to pursue field hockey in college my sophomore year because that was my first time playing indoor hockey for my club team, WC Eagles. The competitive environment and training made me realize I had the opportunity to continue playing the sport I love at the collegiate level, so I began the recruiting process and discovered that Scranton has everything I was looking for.”
Coach Marianne Paparone says: “Claire convinced Tori (Byrne) to play field hockey and then Tori ended up beating her out for the starting job when they were both ninth graders. There wasn’t much difference between the two, but Tori had the experience and Claire has been playing jayvee for three years.
“Claire plays a ton out of season. She plays for WC Eagles, she works incredibly hard, and Claire is probably more technical than Tori – she knows what she should do, where she should be and why she should do it, and she’s more vocal than Tori, but she has to work harder for it. She’s a very earnest kid, a really hard worker. She talked Tori into going out for hockey and then plays behind her for three years and is not the least bit bitter or unhappy or pouted about it - not one day, not one second. They’ve always been so supportive of each other, which was really nice to see. There was a really nice dynamic between Tori and Claire, and they both got third team all-league, which was really nice to see.
“Claire is going to Scranton, and I think that’s a great situation for her. It’s a good academic school. She’s a triplet, and her parents will be able to see her.”
About Claire:
Favorite food: Cheesesteaks
Favorite movie: The Shawshank Redemption
Favorite music: Adele
Paige Totten – Mansfield University (Field Hockey)
Major: Business Management
Final list of colleges: Mansfield, Neumann, Shippensburg, Murray State
Reasons for choosing Mansfield: “Midway through the past season, Mansfield coach Brittney Hansrote was interested along with coach Sarah Kurpel from Neumann. We took a trip to Mansfield, saw the team play, met the girls on the team and walked the campus. I knew Mansfield was the college program I wanted to play for. MUFH has been competing for 100 years, and I wanted to be a part of that tradition.”
What was the progression that led you to playing field hockey at the collegiate level? “At the close of my junior season, after winning back-to-back American conference championships with the team so successful and personally being a part of it (leading the conference in goals with 22 and points with 46), my confidence was extremely high.
“I realized that if I continued to work hard and give it my best shot senior year I might have a chance to play in college. My parents and I started looking at a few colleges, and I began writing to the coaches for feedback.”
Coach Marianne Paparone says: “Paige is an attacker, and she plays the left side. She’s been a starter for two years, and her greatest strength is her ability to get touches inside the last couple of feet in front of the goal cage. She’s learned to really excel particularly at that. She had good kids feeding her from the right side and center, and that’s what you need a left outside to do – knock in those balls. She’s very good at that.
“She’s the kind of kid that you almost overlook sometimes because she doesn’t demand any attention. She gets along really well with her teammates. I’ve never seen her in a bad mood in four years. She’s always smiling, always positive. Whatever you tell her to do – she’s very agreeable, very coachable. You almost forget about her sometimes because she’s just there and does her job. She just doesn’t demand any attention. She’s a very positive kid, a very pleasant kid, easy going. I’m happy that she’s playing at the next level.”
About Paige:
Favorite food: Rita’s Water Ice
Favorite movie: Home Alone
Favorite music: Coldplay
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