University of Vermont Athletic Hall of Fame
JoAnn Rathbun 1991 - Field Hockey
The school's all-time assist leader and a 2003 Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, JoAnn Rathbun was one of the finest field hockey players UVM has ever produced. A four-year letterwinner and captain of the team her senior year, Rathbun won the Coaches' Award in 1990 and was honored by the Athletic Department with the Semans Trophy, given annually to senior student-athletes who gain the respect of their fellow athletes through participation in athletics, service to the university and to the community.
After her senior year, when she led the team in scoring with six goals and 18 assists for 30 points, Rathbun became the first Catamount ever to play in the prestigious North-South All-Star game. She started the game at center midfield. In addition, she was named to the America East (then North Atlantic Conference) All-Conference First Team, the All-Championship Team and a second-team Northeast Region All-American as the Catamounts went 10-8. That season she also set the school record for assists in a game (4), assists in a season (18), points (30) in a season and became the UVM all-time assist leader (25).
The Bristol, Vermont native capped off her career with an invitation to participate in the Olympic Development A Camp in December of 1990. She was also named to Who's Who in American Universities in 1990-91. Since graduating from UVM with a degree in accounting, Rathbun has remained active in field hockey.
Now living in Atlanta, Georgia, she has been a member of the Georgia Field Hockey Association since 1993, serving as team captain and in other official positions. She has also coached in the Futures program, an Olympic youth development program; volunteered as a statistician at the Olympic Games in 1996; competed in tournaments in Barbados, Trinidad, Bermuda and across the United States; and has officiated since 1993. She also has served as a member of the Finance Committee for the United States Field Hockey Association.
In 1994, Rathbun won the Atlanta Gas Light Sportsmanship Award after leading her team to the gold medal in the Georgia Games. In addition to her work in athletics, Rathbun has found the time to volunteer at local schools and in local hospitals.
