McNamara, Roselli, Velez named 2021 NFHCA Division II National Scholar-Athletes

Photo credit: Mark Palczewski/West Chester University and Kutztown University

BROCKPORT, N.Y. — Caitie McNamara and Emma Velez of West Chester University, and Leigh Roselli from Kutztown University, have been named this year’s NFHCA Division II National Scholar-Athletes.

The NFHCA National Scholar-Athlete honor is presented annually to the Division II All-American who earns the highest cumulative grade-point average through the first semester of the current academic year. McNamara, Roselli, and Velez were in a three-way tie for the honor.

Caitie McNamara, a graduate-student defender from West Chester University, was named to 2021 NFHCA Division II All-American First Team and was a Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) All-Conference First-Team selection. Her presence on the field helped lead West Chester to the NCAA Division II National Championship final. McNamara is currently pursuing a master’s degree in public administration. As an undergraduate, she was named Outstanding Marketing Student in 2021. McNamara was named to the Dean’s List seven times and was a five-time selection to the NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad, earning Scholar of Distinction status this year.

Leigh Roselli, a graduate-student defender from Kutztown University, was a 2021 NFHCA Division II Second-Team All-American and a PSAC All-Conference Second-Team selection. Roselli graduated with a bachelor’s degree in secondary education in 2021 and is currently pursing a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction for secondary education. The 2021 team captain was a five-time NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad honoree and received Scholar of Distinction status this year. Roselli was named a PSAC Scholar-Athlete and a Division II Athletic Director’s Association Academic Achievement Award recipient in four-consecutive years. She has also been recognized on Kutztown’s Dean’s List four times.

Emma Velez, a senior midfielder from West Chester University, was a 2021 NFHCA Division II Second-Team All-American. On the field, Velez stood out — despite a knee injury, she finished fourth in scoring for the Golden Rams and was a PSAC All-Conference First-Team selection. Off the field, Velez is enrolled in West Chester’s Honors College Seminar Program and has been named to the Dean’s List seven times. She was a NFHCA National Academic Squad selection and earned Scholar of Distinction recognition for five-consecutive years. Velez was inducted into West Chester’s Alpha Eta Honors Society in March 2020.

McNamara, Roselli, and Velez are the first student-athletes from their respective institutions to receive the National Scholar-Athlete award.

The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) is a nonprofit organization serving field hockey coaches and supporters of the game from across the United States. The mission of the organization is to stimulate the professional development of coaching leadership within the sport of field hockey. The NFHCA strives to cultivate and recognize the professional contributions of its membership and to foster and promote the growth of the sport. The NFHCA is responsible for providing a recognizable presence and voice in regard to legislation affecting the sport as well as interscholastic and intercollegiate programs.