Field Hockey Adds Eight Commitments For 2020 Season

MUNCIE, Ind. - Eight student-athletes have committed to join the Ball State field hockey program for the 2020 season. The announcement was made today by second-year head coach Stephanie Bernthal.

The newest Cardinals include Halle Baisas (Louisville, Ky.), Rachel Bohn (Harrisburg, Pa.), Maureen Donegan (New City, N.Y.), Michaela Graney (Cape Town, South Africa) Emma Hilton (Clark, N.J.), Elyse Horner (Oconomowoc, Wis.), Hannah Johnston (Falls Church, Va.) and Callie Srader (Richmond, Va.).

"We have some incredibly talented young women in this 2020 class -- but beyond talent, I am most excited for the type of teammates they will be when they become Cardinals," Bernthal said. "Our staff has been incredibly intentional about who we pursued for this class, and the puzzle has come together in a truly special way. This group is driven on the pitch and they are excellent students in the classroom. Every young woman brings something elite to this program, and I could not be more grateful that they are passionate about bringing championships back to Ball State and getting a fantastic education here. Exciting things are ahead for us in 2020."

Halle Baisas, a four-year varsity letterwinner for DuPont Manual High School, Baisas ended her career on the varsity squad scoring 37 goals while registering 27 assists. Baisas was a four-time First Team All-State honoree in Kentucky. For her high school team, she was awarded the Tenacity Award as both a junior and senior. In her senior season, she was named 2019 NFHCA (National Field Hockey Coaches Association) All-Region and was a nominee for the Courier Journal Sports Award Player of the Year. Baisas was a member of four KHSAA (Kentucky High School Athletic Association) championship teams. She also helped the Rams to one state final appearance (2016) and two semi-states (2017, 2019). Baisas becomes the fifth player on the current Cardinals' roster from Louisville, Ky.

"Halle brings great energy and passion to the forward line," Bernthal said. "She has really smooth hands and the ability to pull fouls at will. We will certainly count on her to win us corners and create a lot of chaos in the circle. She is a feisty workhorse and will make a tremendous impact with her speed, fitness, and pressing abilities. I look forward to Halle joining our Cardinal family and carrying on our strong Louisville connection."

An offensive threat for Newport High School, Rachel Bohn finished her senior year as the program's career leader in goals (104), assists (57) and points (265). She also holds the single-season records in goals (31), assists (20) and points (82). Bohn was the Tri-Valley League's most valuable player in 2019, while also earning the Tri-Valley League All-Star award her sophomore, junior and senior seasons. Over her four years at Newport, Bohn helped the Buffalos to a state runner-up finish in 2017 along with a state final four appearance in 2016. Bohn also played varsity basketball for Newport and was a member of the track and field team.

"Rachel has a knack for finding the goal, an ability which took her high school team to fantastic heights during her time," Bernthal said. "While being elite individually, Rachel also has a great eye for distribution and setting up her teammates. I am confident that Rach will bring both these elements to our team. She is creative, crafty, and went toe-to-toe with some of the best players in the country throughout high school. I look forward to watching her bring that experience to our squad and am glad we can continue our ties with PA field hockey."

Maureen Donegan, captain of Clarkstown North High School, earned most valuable player distinction in both her junior and senior seasons. She finished her career with 56 goals for the Rams and in her junior year had a team-high 25 goals and five assists. Donegan earned multiple accolades throughout her high school career; three-time First Team All-Conference and three-time All-Rockland Team honors. Donegan also earned All-State accolades as a senior and was tabbed First Team All-Sectional and All-Elite her junior and senior seasons. Donegan also played varsity basketball and lacrosse for her high school.

"Maureen is a stud athlete—she has crazy speed and can pull of some really creative and tricky elimination skills," Bernthal said. "She will certainly be a menace to opposing backs—once she gets behind a defender, they can't catch up. It's going to be a joy to watch her fly around in the press and create counterattacks for us. We are thrilled to have a club teammate connection in Mo, Emma Hilton, and returning redshirt freshman Jessica Scheper. They played several years together and that will certainly bring great chemistry to our Cardinal squad."

Michaela Graney will become the third player on Ball State's current roster from South Africa. She will join teammates Rachel Pereira and Angel Nkosi for the 2020 season. Graney played five years for the First Team Reddam House while appearing in 113 games. She was a member of the Western Province U14-U18 teams and was a team captain in 2018-19. Graney was a member of the South African U18 Field Hockey squad, where she earned the 2019 Pinnacle Sports Award for Reddam House College. She was also a member of the Nationals Cape Seals Indoor Hockey team.

"Mick is a very wise and seasoned defender," Bernthal said. "She continues our strong tradition of South African hockey gals and will instantly impact our offensive build up, possession, and defensive organization. We are incredibly lucky that Mick will join us in January and be a part of our spring hockey. We cannot wait for her to arrive in the upcoming weeks and become a part of the family."

Hannah Johnston, a four-year varsity letterwinner, reigns from Dominion High School. She earned First Team All-Region honors as a freshman, sophomore and a senior. Johnston was tabbed Second Team All-State in 2017 and second team all-region after her junior year. As a senior, Johnston helped guide the Titans to a 14-4 overall mark. She was voted as the team's most valuable player her junior and senior seasons and was voted as the Dulles District Conference Player of the Year in 2018. Her senior season was highlighted by recording seven shutouts while also garnering a 90 percent save percentage for her career.

"Hannah Johnston is a special goalkeeping talent," Bernthal said. "I worked with her as an 8^th grader while running the Level I Futures site in Virginia and instantly knew Hannah was going to be the real deal. It's been amazing to see Hannah elevate her game throughout high school—she is a humble but fierce competitor who exudes quiet confidence on the pitch. We are thrilled that she chose our Ball State family and look forward to all that she will bring to our very talented goalkeeping unit."

Emma Hilton captained Arthur L. Johnson High School in her senior season and was recognized as her team's most valuable player. Hilton ended her career causing over 200 offensive corners. She scored 32 goals as a senior and had one of her best assist performances as a sophomore with 13. Hilton ranks second all-time in goals (64) and third all-time in points for A. L. Johnson. She is also tied in the state of New Jersey for goals scored in a season (32) in 2019 and was selected to play in the 2019 New Jersey All-Star game. Hilton earned First Team All-Conference and All-County honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. Hilton was also tabbed as a top 40 player in the state of New Jersey according to Max Field Hockey.

"Emma brings total New Jersey feistiness to the pitch," Bernthal said. "When the pressure is on, she has no problem putting the team on her back and scoring a game-winner or chasing down a player to win a ball back. She is the epitome of work rate and mental toughness. It's going to be really fun watching her in the Cardinal jersey—she will bring a fearlessness to our team that will help push us to championship level."

Elyse Horner, a four-year varsity letterwinner and senior captain, hails from University Lake High School. Horner was a varsity captain her junior and senior seasons. She earned First Team All-Conference accolades as a sophomore, junior and senior. Horner was voted most valuable player for the Lakers in 2017, 2018 and 2019. Horner also played varsity basketball for the Lakers.

"Elyse is a stingy defender—she is smooth on the ball, making solid decisions and demonstrating poise," Bernthal said. "Elyse has elite tackling ability and a good understanding of tactical hockey from her club background. She creates a new connection for our program with Wisconsin hockey. Looking forward to Elyse joining our Cardinal family!"

Callie Srader, captained Trinity Episcopal to an unblemished record her junior and senior seasons. Srader scored the winning goal in overtime in her senior year in the season championship. In 2019, Srader earned All-LIS (League of Independent Schools) team honors. Srader guided her team to back-to-back state championships as a junior and senior. Trinity Episcopal was also ranked ninth in the nation during her junior year and finished 16th in 2019.

"Callie is someone our staff has known for a LONG time through our time in Richmond, Virginia," Bernthal said. "We were fortunate that she was the first girl in the 2020 class who caught our vision for Ball State Field Hockey and became excited to pursue championships with us here. She was a huge commitment for us to receive so early in our time at BSU, and we could not be more excited with how she has continued to mature and grow as a player and leader. Callie comes from two straight undefeated high school seasons—she is a winner. She also spent time in the Netherlands each past summer improving her game there. Looking forward to her bringing that tenacity and creativity to Ball State."

Quotes On Why The Signees Chose Ball State:

Halle Baisas:
"I chose Ball State because I really loved the community and environment when I visited. I also really liked the coaching staff and the players on the team. The team had really good chemistry and made me want to be apart of that."

Rachel Bohn:
"I chose Ball State because the coaching staff was very welcoming and had a great vision for the program. Also, they have a respected nursing program that would allow me to play field hockey for all four years."

Maureen Donegan:
"I was originally drawn to look at Ball State because I was impressed with the coaches. Coach Bern and Chelsea made me feel so comfortable and I loved their "all in" team approach and their vision and commitment to make Ball State Field Hockey a top program once again. I knew it would be a great experience to get to play for them. Once I went to visit the campus, I loved it! I was most impressed with the academic support available to ensure their students are successful and I knew Ball State was where I wanted to be for college."

Michaela Graney:
"Ball State just seems to have the nicest people at the university and as I am traveling from so far (South Africa), I wanted to feel welcome, comfortable and safe and that is exactly the atmosphere that I can imagine that Ball State would offer. I chose BSU hockey because of how friendly everyone was when chatting to them over FaceTime from South Africa. They made me feel so part of it even though I was so far away."

Emma Hilton:
"After visiting Ball State, it was pretty clear that this school was the best fit for me. Ball State offered me the academic opportunities that I wanted to pursue my intended career while allowing me to play a Division 1 sport. The academics at BSU are superb and the comforting atmosphere within the campus is something that many schools don't have. The Coaching staff creates a friendly environment while pushing the team to work hard and achieve their goals."

Elyse Horner:
"I chose Ball State because of the coaching staff and their approach to working with student athletes. Everyone was very welcoming and provided an environment where I see myself succeeding."

Hannah Johnston:
"I chose Ball State because of academic fit and the wonderful atmosphere on campus. I immediately felt at home here. The great team culture and vision for the future were a great fit for me."

Callie Srader:
"I chose Ball State for many reasons not just one. Ball State checked off all my boxes and came with some bonuses. As a sophomore when I officially chose Ball State, I did not know my intended major yet Ball State offers so many major and minors that I was free to explore myself in any arena I wanted. The curriculum was something that caught my attention immediately. In addition, when walking around campus and learning more about what it means to be a Cardinal, everyone was welcoming to me and had wonderful things to say. The campus is beautiful and provides places for my to meet up with friends or study both inside and outside."

Field Hockey Adds Eight Commitments For 2020 Season

Players Mentioned

Angel Nkosi

Rachel Pereira

Jessica Scheper

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