Madison, NJ - The Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) hosted the annual MAC Awards Lunch on Tuesday, May 1, while simultaneously “kicking off” the celebration of the MAC 100—a year-long tribute to the 100
th year of the MAC to be held in 2012-13. The events were held on the campus of Fairleigh Dickinson University-Florham in Madison, N.J.
Among those recognized at the Awards Lunch were three Falcons—senior MAC Scholar Athletes
Kelsey Gorman and Rachel Dirksen, and former head field hockey coach Jan Trapp.
Messiah College was also honored in being voted both the Male and Female Sportsmanship Team Award winners for the 2011-12 seasons. The awards are voted on by conference coaches throughout the fall, winter, and spring seasons. The Falcons also won both the male and female awards in 2011.
Trapp retired at the end of the 2011 field hockey season after 39 years' service as the Falcons' program leader. The MAC presented Trapp with the
Sorrentino Award for extraordinary professionalism and service to the MAC. Elizabethtown College women's basketball coach, who also retired after this season, was also honored for her 42 years of coaching with the Blue Jays.
Jan Trapp—affectionately referred to as “Coachee” by generations of players—began working at Messiah in 1972 when she was hired as a part-time physical education instructor and assistant field hockey coach. She was named head coach of the Falcons in 1973, beginning a 39 year-stint as the program's leader. Her career has rivaled those of legendary coaches in NCAA Athletics history.
Her career record is complete at 536-179-28. Her victory total is currently ranked first all-time in NCAA Division III field hockey, and third all-time across all NCAA divisions. Trapp's 743 games coached are currently most all-time across all divisions.
A six-time NCAA Regional Coach of the Year, and eight-time Middle Atlantic Conference Commonwealth Coach of the Year, Trapp's teams stood towards the top of NCAA field hockey for almost three decades. Since Messiah joined the NCAA in 1981, Trapp's teams advanced into 25 NCAA Tournaments, winning 14 Regional Championships and finishing national runner-up eight times. Additionally, Messiah won 18 MAC-Commonwealth Conference Championships with Trapp at the helm.
Recognitions for Trapp's players include:
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30 NCAA 1st Team All-American recognitions
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15 NCAA 2nd Team All-American recognitions
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8 NCAA 3rd Team All-American recognitions
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32 NCAA All-Tournament team selections
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4 NCAA Division III National Player of Year seletions
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96 Commonwealth Conference 1st Team All-Stars
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41 Commonwealth Conference 2nd Team All-Stars
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9 Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year selections
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8 Commonwealth Conference Rookie of the Year selections
In 2002, Coach Trapp was inducted into the West Shore Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and, in 2007, she was inducted into the National Field Hockey Coach's Association Hall of Fame. On February 17, 2012, Trapp's career was also celebrated
at the Messiah College Athletics Hall of Honor ceremony.
Kelsey Gorman and Rachel Dirksen were honored by the MAC for being voted the MAC Scholar Athletes for women's soccer and women's lacrosse, respectively.
To read more on
Gorman's award see here, and for more on
Dirksen's award, here.
