Ashley McDonald ’18 is a gifted athlete who represents Kent in multiple competitive teams. In the fall, she is the captain of the varsity field hockey team. In the winter, she is an indispensable member of the girls varsity ice hockey team, and in the spring spring she also serves as the captain of the girls lacrosse team. While holding leadership positions in athletics, she also serves the Kent community as Blue Key head, taking up the major responsibility of planning and overseeing weekend activities for students at Kent.

McDonald has been playing ice hockey since the age of 4 and lacrosse since 7th grade, devoting her time to her passion and accumulating experience for the two sports. However, she was only introduced to field hockey in her sophomore year. She ran varsity cross country in her freshman year at Kent, in which she excelled at as one of the top runners of the team. However, she decided to make the switch to field hockey in her sophomore year, as it would support her specialization in ice hockey. “It was little hard, as I never liked quitting things,” said McDonald.

Her transition to field hockey proved to be a successful one. As a junior and in her second year of field hockey, she became part of the NEPSAC class A all-tournament team. “She’s now one of the best players among New England boarding schools. That’s pretty impressive, especially for someone who had only recently picked up field hockey,” said Mrs. Duncan.

McDonald’s achievement across the three sports can be attributed to one seemingly simple quality – a strong work ethic. “She is small but passionate in everything she does. She gives 100% at warm-ups and all and the way through the game,” Mrs Duncan further commented. “As a coach, it is remarkable to see because that kind of passion is not something you can teach.”

The varsity field hockey team has had a good season so far, and McDonald feels optimistic about their prospects in the future. “We’ve got some unfinished business,” McDonald said with excitement, referring to the previous year’s NEPSAC semifinal finish. Leading the team with the two other co-captains, she feels comfortable and confident about the field hockey team and the season ahead of them.