Four groups of siblings take to the field as the 2009-2010 Lynchburg College athletic season gets under way. The field hockey team has two groups of sisters, the men's soccer squad has a pair of twin brothers, and the women's soccer team boasts a set of three sisters.
Ashley, Beverly, and Shelley Hoath, natives of Alexandria, Va. and graduates of Mount Vernon High School, are all starters on head coach Dr. Todd Olsen's team - ranked 10thin the NCAA Division III women's soccer pre-season poll.
Ashley, a senior midfielder, was a third-team All-American in 2008 and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Player of the year and co-State Player of the Year. Beverly, a sophomore defender, earned All-ODAC, All-State, and Lynchburg College Female Rookie of the Year honors as a freshman. The Hornets went 21-1-3 last season, won their third-straight conference title, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament's Sweet 16.
Adding a third Hoath sister to the lineup has paid immediate benefits. In Lynchburg's 2-0 win Tuesday evening at Christopher Newport University, freshman Shelley scored just 3:12 into play of her first collegiate game and added an assist later in the first half. She was scheduled to start on defense, but an injury moved her to offense just before game time.
"I think it is excellent testimony for our program and Lynchburg College that we are able to attract this type of student-athlete, and all from the same family," Olsen said. "Ashley brought our program to the next level when she arrived in 2006, and once Beverly came on board, our defense was solidified. With three sisters added to an already strong team, we now become a formidable force.
"Ashley, Beverly, and Shelley are incredible technical players, and are tenacious, supremely coachable and hardworking. They love to play soccer and they love to play soccer together."
Allie and Jenny Weir, from Richmond, Va., and Signey and Shelly Milks, from Gloucester, Va., are four of the 11 starters on the 16th-ranked field hockey team. Allie, a third-team All-American in 2008 and the All-State and co-ODAC Player of the Year is in her senior season, while junior Jenny was an All-ODAC first-teamer last season. Signey, a senior, was also a first-team All-ODAC honoree, while Shelly started in her first college game Tuesday, a 4-3 win at the University of Mary Washington.
Twins Hunter and Cam Smith, men's soccer standouts from Goode, Va., round out the impressive group of Hornet siblings. Hunter, a junior defender, earned first-team all-conference and second-team all-state accolades last year. Cam, a junior midfielder, is in his second year in the starting lineup.
Bloodlines aside, these nine are among the best student-athletes at Lynchburg College. The list of individual awards and team accomplishments is quite lengthy, and Hornet fans will have plenty of additional opportunities to see them in action or read of additional exploits in the coming years.