Lafayette, Columbia, Boston College, Mercer, Notre Dame, Williams, Bucknell, Dartmouth, Washington College: this list of prestigious colleges and universities does not end here. These are only a handful of the schools where recent Stone Ridge alumnae and current student-athletes have committed to play a college level sport.
Stone Ridge is regarded across the DC metropolitan region as an academically rigorous institution that produces scholarly and well-spoken young girls. However, an aspect often overlooked is the well-roundedness of each Stone Ridge girl. The Stone Ridge student-athlete experience and its continuation past the high school level serves as an example of this fact.
Alumnae Natalie Gosnell ‘14 and Allie Rock ‘14, have continued their athletic careers beyond their time at Stone Ridge, moving on to Lafayette University and Mercer University, respectively, to play lacrosse. This dedication to and passion for their sport are most directly a result of Stone Ridge’s Goals and Criteria. In addition, both girls were undoubtedly influenced and supported by the Stone Ridge Athletic Department and sports team through their recruitment process.
Natalie spoke of the Stone Ridge Varsity Lacrosse coaches’ readiness to help her in anyway possible, saying that, “Coach Thiede and Coach Kearns were my biggest aides throughout the process. They would help me set up time slots to go to their rooms and in the middle of the day, if I was free, I could just go to their rooms and call coaches. I was always able to rely on them, which was so reassuring.”
To Allie Rock, the most important aspect of Stone Ridge’s involvement in her recruitment was that “the Stone Ridge Athletic Department, as opposed to other schools’ Athletic Departments that put sports before grades, did something very differently. They focused on academics and viewed them as equally important, if not more vital to my growth. At the end of the day I am a student-athlete, and the student comes before the athlete. Being a student was going to help me form my future, and Stone Ridge recognized that as the priority. The Athletic Department helped me to pick a school that was going to benefit and further me academically, not just athletically.”
Stone Ridge’s values left a profound impact on both of the girl’s careers thus far as college-level athletes, as well as their overall development of character. Natalie, with much gratitude, said that “Stone Ridge athletics helped me to be a leader, but it helped me realize how to also be led. Now as a freshman, I listen to those that are older than me and am able to take their constructive criticism and put it to work, but have also learned that I am able to lead, too, through contributing during team huddles and meetings.”
Allie Rock attributes most of her success up to this point to Goal Five: a personal growth in an atmosphere of wise freedom. “It helped to shed some perspective on my athletic situation. I wanted to pick a school where I could not only grow as a lacrosse player, but as a well-rounded individual. I wanted to make new friends, I wanted to learn a lot, and I wanted to hopefully find my passion and future career all while playing the sport that I love, with a team that I love, in a place that I love. I wanted to find the person I was going to be. I wanted to carry my development on from Stone Ridge. Stone Ridge made me the person that I am today. The Goals are so inspirational and life changing and I am so thankful for them and the profound impact that they have had on me as an individual.”
Now, we have many current Gators that are committed verbally or signed to play a sport in a college or university within the next two years, two of whom are Isabella Richardson ‘15, who has committed to Washington College for lacrosse, and Elizabeth Shrout ‘15, who has committed to Columbia University for field hockey. Both are looking forward to further pursuing their passions at a higher level. Isabella is “excited to continue her lacrosse experience in the college setting because the lacrosse team at Stone Ridge has proven to be [sic] some of her best friends.”
Elizabeth has felt the support of the Athletic Department as a whole, citing how “Mr. McGhee was so excited for me upon hearing about my commitment, as he was very involved throughout the whole process and really got to witness my passion for the sport evolve into a desire to play at the higher level this season.” Stone Ridge has taught Elizabeth “to always be dedicated to what she does,” and she, along with the countless other Stone Ridge student-athletes continuing their sport at the higher level, has fostered that teaching and will continue to represent the Gators even after graduation.
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