Holman signs letter of intent with Stanford

Fallbrook High School will be represented on Stanford’s field hockey team in the near future through the participation of current senior Devon Holman.

Holman, who played center-midfielder and forward for the 2007 Fallbrook High School field hockey team, signed a letter of intent on February 8 to play for the Cardinal. “I’m definitely relieved I made the decision,” she said. “It takes a lot of pressure off.”

Holman had narrowed her choices to University of the Pacific and Stanford before deciding to enroll at the Palo Alto campus. “I definitely had to pray a lot,” she said.

Holman believes that she can handle the academic requirements of Stanford as well as the field hockey competition. “I knew that I could challenge myself,” she said.

“I think it will help me to improve,” she said. “I think it will put me on the right track for the rest of my life.”

While Holman will be the only former Fallbrook High School player on Stanford’s field hockey team, several former Warriors now play for University of the Pacific.

“It will definitely make the game interesting,” Holman said of playing against some of her former teammates. “I think it will be fun.”

Holman’s field hockey honors in 2007 included first team all-section, all-division, and all-league honors as well as a selection to the section’s academic first team.

“So excited for her,” said Fallbrook High School field hockey coach Kathy Waite. “To get in academically and be able to play field hockey there is wonderful.”

Holman earned second-team all-division honors and first-team all-league recognition in 2006. She spent her freshman year on the junior varsity field hockey team before making the varsity as a sophomore in 2005.

In 2007 Holman was selected to the under-19 team of field hockey’s National Futures Tournament, and in 2006 she was an alternate for the under-16 team.

“She is highly skilled, very dedicated, and will do her best in college,” Waite said.

Although Holman was born in Escondido, she is a lifelong Fallbrook resident.

The youngest of five children, Holman began playing field hockey in seventh grade due to the recommendation of an older sister who played field hockey for Fallbrook High School.

Holman attended Fallbrook Street Elementary School, Live Oak Elementary School, and Potter Junior High School prior to her Fallbrook High School years.

In addition to field hockey, Holman also played on Fallbrook High School’s lacrosse team as a freshman and sophomore. She was on the Warrior track team as a junior and ran the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash, and the 4x100 relay. Holman has also been active in Fellowship of Christian Athletes and in Warriors for Christ.

Holman has not decided upon a major at Stanford, although she is leaning toward a business major.

“It’s definitely going to be a challenge,” Holman said. “I’m going to have to focus.”