King’s Fork High School senior Rachel Gist recently committed to continue her field hockey career at the next level, choosing Randolph-Macon College for both athletic and academic reasons.

“I’m so excited to have this opportunity to go past high school level and just keep growing as a player and hopefully be able to build with this new team and reach new goals,” Gist said.

Prior to making her decision on Jan. 24, she had an impressive senior season with the Lady Bulldogs, earning the title of Ironclad Conference Player of the Year.

After hearing of Gist’s decision, KF coach Courtney Van der Linden said, “I was actually really excited for her. She is the second person in King’s Fork field hockey history to have committed to play at the university level.”

The first was a former teammate of Gist’s, Kana Hashigami.

Gist said playing at the next level had been in her mind from the time she started playing around the age of 8, but a strong desire set in during high school.

“I think my sophomore year is when I really started wanting it because I knew I had the potential to make it to that level if I could push myself,” she said.

Van der Linden said she knew when she met Gist that she had the drive to make it happen.

“I’m glad that she pursued it,” the coach said. “She’s very well-disciplined, very motivated to learn new skills.”

Gist has taken the initiative to continue to learn field hockey and “make the sport a lifestyle,” Van der Linden said.

With regard to the college selection process, Gist said, “It was stressful, I’m not going to lie. It was a lot of contacting coaches, just exchanging emails and ultimately trying to see which school was the best fit for me, not just for athletics, but for academics, as well.”

In addition to Randolph-Macon, she had three other schools showing interest in her for her ability as a field hockey player: Christopher Newport University, Washington and Lee University and University of Mary Washington.

Randolph-Macon’s location in Ashland a big thing that gave the school an edge for Gist over the rest “because I am going off to college, and that’s a big thing for me to have a new experience in a new location.”

“And the academic programs there were fitting for what I plan to major in and the career path I’m hoping to go on,” she continued.

She is considering majoring in biology and is hoping to go into a pre-med program at Randolph-Macon, with the goal of becoming a doctor.

“And in terms of field hockey, the coach has told me that they’re a young program, and they’re hoping to grow,” Gist said, adding she hopes to have the opportunity to grow with it and perhaps even fill a leadership role early in her tenure there.

Looking back at what helped her reach this point, Gist made a point to thank her parents, Andy and Beth Gist, and Coach Van der Linden for the important impacts they had on her.