On Thursday, Nov. 9, 2017, North Penn seniors Mikayla Barrow, Erica Kelly and Bri O’Donnell were recognized for committing to continue their lacrosse careers at the collegiate level. To view photos of the event, please visit the Photo Gallery.
“I’m very proud of the three of them,” coach Shannon McCracken said. “They’ve been with the program for four years, and they’re exceptional athletes and great people. They work really hard, and they were excellent leaders for us this year. What’s great about the three of them is they’re best friends, and that they get to move on and play at the college level is pretty cool.”
Mikayla Barrow – Appalachian State University (Field Hockey)
Major: Undecided
Final list of colleges: Appalachian State, VCU
Reasons for choosing Appalachian State: “I just really liked the team atmosphere.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in field hockey at the collegiate level? “I decided I wanted to play in college when I saw my sister and how much she really enjoyed it, and I just wanted to keep playing.”
Coach Shannon McCracken says: “Mikayla was a three-year letter winner for us. She played forward. She had 44 career goals and 16 assists. Last year she was an all-conference first team selection and this year a second team selection. She was also a three-year letter winner for lacrosse as a defender.
“Mikayla is a real tough competitor. She’s one of our mentally toughest players on the field. She understands the game really well. In fact, she officiates on the weekend for youth field hockey. She’s passionate about field hockey, and she always has a desire to win. I could always count on Mikayla to be extremely competitive and have that desire on the field to win.”
About Mikayla:
Favorite food: Pasta
Favorite movie: Soul Surfer
Favorite music: Country
Erica Kelly – Fairfield University (Field Hockey)
Major: Education
Final list of colleges: Fairfield, East Stroudsburg, Gwynedd Mercy
Reasons for choosing Fairfield: “I chose the school because I really liked it when I was on my visits.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in college at the collegiate level? “I decided I wanted to play field hockey in my freshman year. Field hockey gives me structure.”
Coach Shannon McCracken says: “Erica is a four-year letter winner for us. She is a defensive midfielder. She was a captain this year. She had one career goal, which was a really, really important goal because it was the game winner in overtime this year against CB East. She has four career assists. Last year she was all-conference honorable mention, and this year she was all-conference first team.
“Erica’s an extremely consistent player and she works extremely hard. She really cares about her teammates and her coaches. She’s positive – you could always look to Erica for something positive. She really loves the game, and she works hard to be a better player every day.”
About Erica:
Favorite food: Blue Bunny Ice Cream Cone & Birthday Cake
Favorite movie: Good Will Hunting
Favorite music: Country
Bri O’Donnell – Penn State University (Field Hockey)
Major: Health & Sciences
Final list of colleges: Penn State, Boston University, James Madison
Reasons for choosing Penn State: “I picked it because I loved the atmosphere and how close the team was.”
What was the progression that led you to competing in cross country and track at the collegiate level? “Ever since I was little, I just always loved sports, and seeing my sister play in college, I knew I wanted to do it too.”
Coach Shannon McCracken says: “Bri is a four-year letter winner for us. She’s a forward and a captain this year. She had 78 career goals and 23 assists. Her freshman year she was a third team all-conference selection, and sophomore, junior and senior years, she was an all-conference first team selection. Her sophomore and junior years she was a Pennsylvania all-state selection as well. She also was a three-year varsity letter winner in lacrosse. She has 129 career goals. She was a second team all-conference selection her sophomore year and first team selection her junior year, so she’s a very talented multi-sport athlete.
“Bri plays with grit and heart at all times. You could always count on Bri to be one of the toughest competitors on the field. She’s mentally tough, she’s a great teammate, and she’s very humble. She does what she can do for the team, not for the accolades, and she’s one of the top players ever to come through this program. We’ve very proud of her.”
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