Mother and Daughter Share MVP Honors for Field Hockey

“It was definitely special,” said Herrick, reflecting on what it was like to watch her daughter accept the MVP Award that she herself had received. “It was nice to see her hard work pay off. She puts her heart and soul into everything she does, so it was a proud moment.”

Josie’s reaction to sharing space on the perpetual plaque with Herrick went from an initial nonchalance to realizing the significance of it. “At first, I just thought, ‘OK that’s cool,’” she said. “Then when I saw the plaque, I realized that it’s a pretty big deal. I like that our names will be on there together.”

Although Herrick’s athletic accolades weren’t a frequent topic of discussion at home, Josie and her twin sister Sadie ’25 were well aware of their mother’s achievements. In fact Herrick, who is not only an alum but also a Severn Trustee, shared that her daughters used to joke that she was following them around campus. “They said they would look for my name on things at school,” she said.

Turns out there were plenty of places for the Elion sisters to look too. In addition to the Hodges MVP Award, Herrick also earned the 1986 Athletic Award (annual graduation award), was inducted in Severn’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 1999, and was the 2017 recipient of the Rolland M. Teel Distinguished Alumna Award.

Despite ending the final Severn season with the same award, Josie’s high school career had a completely different start from Herrick. Having first picked up a stick in kindergarten, Josie entered Severn as an accomplished and motivated player who had a passion for the sport. She and Sadie have been Varsity teammates for the past three years at Severn.

By contrast, Herrick entered Severn’s Upper School as a soccer player, only to find there was no girls team. Not ready to give up the sport, Herrick requested approval to play with the boys team, earned a spot, and spent her freshman and sophomore year as the only girl on the squad.

Eventually, the field hockey coach approached her and convinced her to come out as the team’s goalie. “She pointed out that I was already good with my feet and wasn’t afraid of the ball,” said Herrick. She also had experience in the goal, as that was her position on the girls lacrosse team. Thus, as a junior in high school, her field hockey career was born.

Remarkably, Herrick earned the MVP award in just her second season and then went on to be named the first All-American field hockey player at Kenyon College, where she also played lacrosse.

Following in her mother’s cleats, Josie is committed to continuing her field hockey career at Hobart and William Smith Colleges beginning in the fall of 2025. She also plays lacrosse with the Admirals and will be a senior member of that squad this spring.

The field hockey program has grown stronger and become more competitive in the last several years. Josie credits its strong team culture for much of its success. “It’s the most unique team I’ve ever been on,” she said. “Of course we’re competitive, and everyone wants to win and earn playing time, but we are all really close. There is no negativity around it, only support.”

The Admirals have proven they are a playoff-caliber team, advancing to the semifinals this fall after an appearance in the championship game last season. The team’s overall 2024 record improved to an impressive 10-6-2.