Lauren Crandall (born March 17, 1985 in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

) is an American field hockey player. At the 2008, 2012, and 2016 Summer Olympics, she competed for the United States women's national field hockey team in the women's event, serving as team captain in 2012 and 2016. She played for the national team from 2005 through 2016. Before joining the national team she played field hockey for Wake Forest University, winning the NCAA field hockey championship twice.

Early life

Crandall was born in Pittsburgh and grew up in Doylestown,

with 3 siblings. She attended Holicong middle school from 1997 to 2000. She began playing field hockey in 1998. She began attending Central Bucks East High School in 1999, playing both field hockey and soccer for the school. Crandall was named team captain of the field hockey and soccer team two times for each sport. As a high school senior, her team won the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association field hockey State Championship. That same year, Crandall was selected as an All-American player and named Southeastern Pennsylvania Field Hockey Player of the Year. She was named her school's top female athlete in 2003, the year she graduated.

College

Crandall attended Wake Forest University, where she played on the field hockey team as a midfielder. She was named Division I All-American from 2004 to 2006. She was named team captain in 2005 and again in 2006. She was a Honda Award Finalist in 2006. During her time at Wake Forest, the team won the

NCAA The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges an ...

field hockey championship twice, in 2003 and 2004. She graduated from Wake Forest in 2007

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

with a communication major and a minor in international studies. She went on to earn a graduate degree from DeVry University Keller Graduate School of Management.

United States women's national field hockey team

As part of the USA Junior World team, she scored 10 goals in the 2005 World Cup, leading the team to its best ever finish of seventh place. Crandall joined the United States women's national field hockey team in 2005. She played defense for the team. A broken hand in 2006 forced Crandall to sit out the 2006 World Cup. The

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...

Beijing } Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...

marked Crandall's Olympic debut. The team finished the Olympic tournament in 8th place. At the

2011 Pan American Games The 2011 Pan American Games, officially the XVI Pan American Games, was an international multi-sport event that was held from October 14–30, 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico. Some events were held in the nearby cities of Ciudad Guzmán, ...

, the team won gold, defeating then reigning World Cup champions Argentina. By 2012, Crandall was named team captain. The team finished a disappointed 12th place out of 12 teams at the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

. Crandall scored a goal against Germany in the team's opening game. Having failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, the team finished fourth in the 2014 World Cup. Crandall was part of the US Team that repeated as gold medal champion at the

2015 Pan American games Fifteen or 15 may refer to: *15 (number), the natural number following 14 and preceding 16 *one of the years 15 BC, AD 15, 1915, 2015 Music *Fifteen (band), a punk rock band Albums * ''15'' (Buckcherry album), 2005 * ''15'' (Ani Lorak alb ...

and won the bronze medal at the 2016 Champions Trophy. The team went into the 2016 Summer Olympics ranked fifth in the world, the highest ever ranking for the program. Crandall was again part of the U.S. team for the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...

in Rio de Janeiro, her third Olympic games with the team. The team placed 5th overall. Over the course of her field hockey career, Crandall played 279 games with the Us National team. She announced her retirement in November 2016. Upon her retirement, US women's head coach

Craig Parnham Craig Parnham (born 13 July 1973 in Bridgnorth, Shropshire) is an English field hockey defender and coach. He represented Great Britain in two Summer Olympics in 2000 and 2004, and played club hockey for Stourport, Bridgnorth and Cannock. Parnh ...

praised Crandall as an "international powerhouse." In June 2014, Crandall was inducted into the Holicong Hall of Fame.

References

External links