On April 23, junior Riley Carr announced her commitment to play field hockey at Franklin and Marshall College via Instagram.
Carr has been playing field hockey since she was six years old when she lived in South Africa. Since moving to Westfield, Carr plays for the club team Mid-Jersey Knights and has participated in many of the Westfield-run clinics. Carr has been playing on the varsity team since freshman year and this upcoming season will mark her fourth year.
As a player Carr serves as a big presence on the field with her strong stick skills and quick plays. Head coach Corrine Varhley said, “Riley is very dynamic and an effective communicator… She sees the field and thinks two passes ahead. This is incredibly important as a midfielder because her job is to transition the ball from one end of the field to the other and creating scoring opportunities. Her passes and shots on goal are strong as well, especially under pressure.”
Junior teammate Emily Kennedy said, “[Carr] has a very uplifting personality and is someone you know you can laugh with all the time.”
Adding to that, Varhley said, “[Carr] was voted as one of our captains for this upcoming season. Her teammates describe her as welcoming, a great listener, supportive, hard-working, dedicated, and passionate. I could not agree more.”
Throughout the recruiting process, Carr attended various clinics and tournaments to gain recognition from coaches. Additionally, her father served as a major guide as he assisted and supported her throughout the process.
Franklin and Marshall is a liberal arts college located in Lancaster, PA. The prestigious school is ranked No. 31 out of 211 national liberal arts colleges and has a 32 percent acceptance rate.
As for the Franklin and Marshall field hockey program, they compete in the Centennial Conference, an NCAA Division III conference. The team closed out their 2024 season 10-9 and were ranked No. 4 in their conference.
Going into the 2025 high school season, Carr will be one of three captains leading the team. Carr said, “I really want to be a good leader to the team. One who is supporting and uplifting to everyone on the team.”
Individually, Carr closed out her 2024 season with a total of 10 goals and 11 assists, totaling to 31 points. Carr said, “This season, I really hope to accomplish my goal of beating the record for most goals scored in an overall season.”
