Lewis brings speed to field hockey
By Justin Feil, Assistant Sports Editor
Diamond Lewis is known best for her basketball skills, though her speed became apparent when she won four gold medals at the Prep B state track and field championships.
Lewis has brought her basketball competitiveness and her track speed to the Stuart Country Day field hockey team that probably didn’t really need either, but is happy to have her.
”I played goalie last year to see if I liked the sport,” said Lewis, a junior. “I studied the game and did what I could. This year, I just went for it. I tried it and if I made it, I made it, and if I didn’t, I’d keep playing.”
Lewis doesn’t start, but she gives an already deep Tartans squad a little bit of a weapon off the bench. Lewis’s role won’t have her scoring goals, but rather preventing them.
”I love being on defense,” Lewis said. “I love running. I do track and field. Just to have people to push the ball up to who are amazing players is an amazing feeling. I know they’ll take care of the ball.”
The Tartan forwards took good care of the ball in a 6-0 win over cross-road rival Princeton Day School on Tuesday. Jackie Gaudioso Radvany had two goals and two assists and Caroline Passano had two goals and two assists. Kristi Hallowell and Maddie Copeland also added goals for the Tartans, who improved to 2-0 going into today’s game against a highly regarded Shawnee team.
”It should be a nice challenge,” said Stuart head coach Katie Grant. “We went to Baltimore our second week of practice and we played good teams that gave us a challenge. It made us realize that we have a lot of things to work on and a lot of things to work out. I think the girls took it for what it was worth and they really did make some adjustments at practice and it’s shown.
”I’m not saying these last couple games haven’t been challenging, I think we’re playing really well. I think our kids are playing good hockey. Regardless of the competition they face, they’re playing good hockey.”
The Tartans have won their first two games by a combined 13-0. Clodagh Coghlan made six saves for Stuart in Tuesday’s win. Her PDS counterpart, Bryanna Mayes, made 17 saves in goal as the Panthers dropped their season opener.
”Defense and pushing the ball up and making good passes is what’s really keeping us going,” Lewis said.
Her speed off the bench Tuesday helped hold in check a swift Panthers attack. In the big win, Lewis picked up plenty of valuable game experience.
”She’s an athlete first and foremost,” Grant said. “The thing about field hockey is speed is something you can’t teach. Speed is something that on a field hockey field can be so dangerous. You look at the Jenkins (from PDS), they pair speed with talent to make them that much more dangerous. Before they developed that talent, they were still a threat because they could run by somebody. The thing with Diamond is it’s great because she’s on defense and is able to make those recovery runs. She can get back on defense and break up the play and those fast breaks.”
Speed comes the most naturally to Lewis. She is smart enough to recognize it as one of her strengths and knows where she has to improve.
”My stickwork is not the best,” she said, “but I’m working hard at it each game, each practice. And having good teammates on the team makes it easier for me to get better.
”I just played basketball this summer. I came right into field hockey preseason not knowing a thing and just going on what my coaches were telling me. Dribbling a ball is good. The finesse, I don’t have. Jackie has great finesse.”
Gaudioso Radvany also has years of experience on Lewis. The Tartans, though, are happy to add another athlete to the fold.
”I’m very glad she decided to play because basketball is her big thing,” Grant said. “It’s nice to have her on the field. She’s also a great kid and fun to be around.”
Lewis is around the action even more this season as a field player. She is trying to make up for a late start in her third sport.
”Maybe I should have started earlier,” Lewis said. “I didn’t do any sport (in the fall) when I was a freshman. I wish I would have started a little bit earlier, but it’s never too late.”

