High school students choosing which college or university to attend is one of the most important decisions they have to make in their lives, and for the few that wish to continue their athletic careers, it is more complicated.
A pair of Ohio field hockey players, Katherine Fenzel and Hannah Kingsbury, experienced different recruiting processes, having both attended duPont Manual High School.
When Fenzel, the Bobcats’ senior captain, was searching for a college to continue her field hockey career, she was alone for the hunt and struggled getting her name on coaches’ desks.
“My coach at the time didn’t have very many connections and didn’t help a lot with getting our names out there,” she said. “So when I found out that Hannah was coming to play here, I got excited.”
Kingsbury, a freshman, said that her recruiting process was the opposite because she was able to contact Fenzel, who guided her former teammate to eventually becoming a Bobcat.
This preseason, Ohio traveled to Wake Forest for 10 days, where the duo from Lexington, Ky., roomed together and developed a bond.
“Any time you spend 10 days in a hotel room with someone, whether you want to or not, which wasn’t the case here, you are almost forced to connect to each other in some way,” Fenzel said. “But even with that, the fact that we went to the same high school only strengthens the bond between us.”
The age difference is a significant factor in their relationship.
Kingsbury said that she looked up to Fenzel during her freshman year of high school, but jokingly said that the then high school senior probably didn’t know who she was, though Fenzel said that was not the case.
“What makes it hard for them is being so far apart age-wise,” coach Neil Macmillan said. “I can imagine that if they were closer to the same age, having a relationship between them would be stronger than most because they have a similar background.”
When Fenzel graduated from high school, she kept tabs on her former team, which won a state championship during Kingsbury’s junior year — an experience Kingsbury called the most amazing she’s ever had.
“I still have a strong connection back to Manual,” Fenzel added. “I still visit the school and the team during my time at home. If any player from Manual wanted to come here, I would say, ‘bring them in.’”
The duo has also been integral in laying a pathway for other girls from duPont Manual and surrounding Louisville schools, something that Macmillan values when it comes to recruiting.
“It’s important to develop good connections when you begin recruiting from an area,” he said. “When players have good experiences here, they go back home and promote the program, which is always a good thing.”
Although Fenzel is in the midst of her final season at Ohio, Kingsbury believes what the senior has taught her during the two’s short time together will stick with her for her remaining seasons as a Bobcat.
“When she first reached out to me, she talked to me about the basics of adjusting to college life,” Kingsbury said. “She helped me with adapting to the college style of play and was always there, picking me up and encouraging me. I am very happy here. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.”
tj790511@ohiou.edu
@TaylorJed73
