MANAHAWKIN, N.J. — Five members of the JWU (Providence) field hockey program have achieved recognition as 2024 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Scholars of Distinction.

Seniors Haley Budenas and Darian Shepherd were joined by junior Rebecca Johnson, sophomore Sophia Brea, and freshman Zoe Soletsky as honorees. All were named to the NFHCA Division III National Academic Squad earlier this week.

Budenas is a Cyber Threat Intelligence & Defense major who was named the 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Defensive Player of the Year. Shephard (Business Administration) started all 22 games this pasts and graduated No. 2 in games played (83) in program history.

Johnson (Criminal Justice) won a career-high four games in 2024, recording her first two collegiate shutouts along the way, while Brea (International Business) went 14-3 and was named to the GNAC All-Tournament Team in 2024. Soletsky (Culinary Arts), meanwhile, appeared in 13 games for head coach Lisa Lopes.

A total of 550 undergraduate student-athletes from more than 135 institutions achieved recognition. This program acknowledges exceptional undergraduate student-athletes who have achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.9 or higher through the fall semester, nominated by their NFHCA member coaches.

Middlebury College and Shenandoah University paced Division III, with both institutions landing 12 student-athletes on the list. Impressively, 100 honorees earned this distinction for the fourth consecutive year.