You always know which one Anna Rowthorn-Apel is on the field. She’s the fiery fast blonde with her hair in a braid, and she is everywhere. She is on defense, she is on offense, and she is scoring goals.

Senior field hockey star Anna Rowthorn-Apel began her field hockey career in second grade when she was living in Uruguay. Her school required her to play, and when she moved back to the United States, she joined a club team called the Jackals.

Since then she has been a part of the Future Elites program, which led her to national tournaments and the Junior Olympics, where she was scouted by colleges and recruited by Dartmouth College in New Hampshire.

Her WJ career has been outstanding from the start. Rowthorn-Apel is a four-year varsity starter and leading scorer. She has also been a captain since sophomore year.  Rowthorn-Apel earned 1st Team All-Gazette honors as a sophomore and as a junior was named Player of the Year All-Gazette, First Team All-Met and First Team All-State.  Playing center midfield helps Rowthorn-Apel lead on and off the field because she is at the center of play at all times.

“I play all over the field so I can relate to every type of player,” she says.

Now, as the season begins and she takes on the role of senior captain, she hopes the team “can come together and go even further than last year.”

Rowthorn-Apel has some advice for her teammates.

“Don’t be discouraged from last year, but use it as motivation and just play our game out there without worying about the other team.”

The future seems very bright for Rowthorn-Apel and the varsity field hockey team.