lora chandler
School: Atlee
Year: Senior GPA: 4.52
Athletic accomplishments: A four-year varsity player, first-team all-region and second-team all-state and All-Metro midfielder, Chandler helped the Raiders (17-3) claim a Region 4B championship and advance to the state semifinals for the first time in more than a decade, scoring 11 goals and adding 4 assists along the way. Also a track athlete and lacrosse player, Chandler scored the winning goal in Atlee’s 2-1 Class 4 quarterfinal victory over Grafton.
Club: Focus Field Hockey
Academic accomplishments: Takes many AP/IB classes
On this year’s Atlee field hockey team: “I think we really just had a positive attitude. The seniors on the team, we were really excited and thought we’d put together a really strong team. All of our attitudes, just being really positive and wanting to win made the difference. At the beginning of the season it was the usual ‘Let’s work hard, let’s kick butt.’ But toward the end of the season, our coach sat us down and told us, ‘Hey, we have a good shot of going really far this year, I want to push y’all.’ And we all kind of took it, understood and tried to go as hard as we could.”
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On her game: “I consider myself a very communicative player, even if I don’t have the ball I’ll try and help my teammates by talking if I can, even if I’m not open just trying to help. I like to stray away from being selfish as much as I can, I like being a team player and helping everybody.”
Favorite memory from the season: “Our regional championship game against Powhatan (1-0 win) was really great for our whole team because we had lost to Powhatan earlier in the season, so it was really a nail-biter for us. But we fought really hard, ended up coming out on top and it felt really great.”
Favorite high school field hockey memories: Water balloon fight practices. Parents brought a big bucket of water balloons and the team played capture the flag and dodgeball. “I think that really helped our team chemistry with us becoming friends, that’s something that will always stick with me.”
On coach Heather Hodges: “She is a very determined coach, we all respect her so much. She’s really smart, pushes us all really hard and that’s what’s made the difference with how well we’ve done these past few years.” “She is really an inspiration to me because of how amazing she was back in her college days. She got cancer while playing at Delaware and was still able to finish out all four years playing, which is an insane inspiration the she could get through that.”
On balancing athletics and academics: “Having that busy schedule, keeping yourself always doing something has always helped me be better. When I’m busier and have that organized schedule of ‘this is what I’m doing today, this is what I have to do,’ it really makes me finish it and not procrastinate, and work harder because I want to be able to get through everything I can.”
Biggest mentor: Her mother, Shanna Chandler
Favorite teammate: Senior central defender Mandy Hazelgrove, a first-team all-state and All-Metro honoree. They’ve been good friends since Chandler started playing field hockey, and they have a handshake they do with their sticks before every game.
Field hockey beginnings: Picked up a stick around fifth grade while doing a one-week summer camp. It poured rain the whole week and she had no idea what she was doing, but Chandler ended up loving the sport after making friends at camp. Also did gymnastics and pole vaulting as a kid, and still plays lacrosse. But field hockey has always been her favorite sport.
On playing with her sister, sophomore keeper Lenna Chandler: “I thought it would be weird until it happened, but it was really awesome to experience that together and she had an amazing season so I was really proud of her.”
College plans: She’s committed to play field hockey at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn., and plans to major in physics.
Favorite subjects in school: Math and physics, she’s in Physics 2 this year. They’re challenging and entertaining, Chandler said, and she loves her teachers in those classes. STEM subjects have always interested her, and she wants to follow an educational path to work in engineering.
Favorite musical artist: The Smiths
Favorite food: Any kind of pasta
