By Andy Loigu

A pair of sisters who were standout field hockey players at Warren Hills, Kate and Megan Springmeyer, have been selected to the Blue Streaks’ Sports Hall of Fame.

While at Warren Hills, Kate was honored as a Star-Gazette Warren County Athlete of the Year nominee in 2001 for her prowess in two sports (softball being the other), and Megan was chosen Warren County Field Hockey Player of the Year in 2006.

Both went on to be star performers in field hockey at Fairleigh Dickinson University, staying in-state at Madison. Both are married and are using the skills they developed athletically and academically in the professional world. They give their parents and coaches credit for the growth and mindset which enabled them to be high achievers. Nobody can accuse them of  “rusting” on their laurels.

Kate is going into the HOF as a member of the 2001 field hockey team which reached the state final, one of several Blue Streak teams which have done so in the program’s proud history. She played a major role in that banner season.

“After a brief stint playing soccer, my parents asked if I would be interested in playing field hockey,” Kate remembered. She said they could tell soccer wasn’t her sport. She added that her decision to get involved with field hockey changed the course of her life.

“The commitment and continuous motivation to do all it takes to win is derived from a combination of factors,” she shared. “It was fueled by superior coaches from elementary school through college, and by teammates who shared the same passion to win.”

At Warren Hills, “there is a culture and familial spirit that we were exposed to,” she remarked, even with coaching changes and new players coming and going, She credited in particular, Tara Encarnacion, Luanne Ferenci (who also was a winning softball coach) and Laurie Kerr as coaches who “lit a spark ignited to win and that carried through to high school and, for many, to college.”

Her parents, she said, “always taught us to do what is best for the team, not for personal desires, that there is no I in ‘team’.” This approach helped her keep learning new skills in order to add value as a player who could help both offensively and defensively, at any position (other than goalie) where an adjustment was needed.

She said her favorite memories included hard practices in hot weather and cold (as the season progressed), cheer and laughter on the bus rides home after wins, and a triple-overtime win over Hunterdon Central.

At FDU Kate was honored as the school’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2006, finishing her field hockey activity as their fourth all-time scorer with 31 goals.

She married Christopher Paglio, who she met at FDU. They are raising a two-year old daughter named Scarlett. Kate is working as a senior principal and global client manager for Mercer, a human resources consulting firm headquartered in New York City.

Megan, married to Andrew Riexinger, works as a director of customer success for Cint, a technology company within the market research space.

She said there is a commonality in purpose in being a part of a sports team and in service to employers and clients.”Commitment, resilience, teamwork and goal setting, which were learned as a youth, have carried over to career life,” she said. “Repetition until you get it right, is a big thing in practicing for a sport and self evaluation is a key to keep from repeating mistakes,” she shared. Keeping going and getting better, fine-tuning aspects of what you do, are keys to long term success, she added. 

While you work as a team both on a sports squad and at work, Megan added, “you alone are responsible for yourself, your goals, and the work you do.” Basically she said that you can’t expect somebody to do your work for you, even though there is nothing wrong with asking for help and discussing problems.

At FDU Megan was named to the first team All-Freedom Conference unit in 2010, but I had to learn that from a Google search. She’s not given to bragging. She confided that she had some difficult times off the field at Warren Hills, but that coach Kerr helped her navigate through them.

One thing (among so many) that she learned was how to handle criticism. She learned that even after wins and performances which drew raves from the local sports media covering the games, there was always room for improvement. Learning to raise her skills and character to the next level paid off in long-term achievement.  

With that in mind, she went on to earn a master’s degree to further her education at the Madison campus. 

When asked about her favorite memories, she said that there are many, but what really “tops the charts” is going into the Hall of Fame with her sister. She’s glad for her parents and family as much as she is for herself.

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Ladies and gentlemen, Elvis has left the building.