Drew University Athletics

Sally-Jo Placa Madsen's accomplishments in Women's field hockey are almost too numerous to mention. In 1982 she won the Joseph Lombardi Award as outstanding female athlete of the year from Union County, N.J. While team captain from 1982-84, she was All-Mideast Region All-Star and All-Middle Atlantic Conference. As a junior and senior Sally-Jo was named to the First Team Division III All-America in field hockey. Her junior year she was elected MVP. In 1985, Sally-Jo's senior year, she was named Morris County (N.J.) Collegiate Female Athlete of the Year, and she was an N.C.A.A. Top Five Finalist, the only one in Division III.

When she graduated in 1985, Sally-Jo held several Drew athletic records: most assists in a career (15) and a season (6); tied for most total points (4) and goals (3) in a game; second leading career scorer (34 goals) and total points (49) in Drew history; second on the team in total points as a freshman (8) and a sophomore (16). Sally-Jo played a record 71 games and started a record 68 consecutive games. She also played women's lacrosse for one season and started on defense for the number two-seeded women's lacrosse team in the N.C.A.A. Division III national tournament. In 1985 Sally-Jo received the prestigious Southland Olympia Award, sponsored by the Southland Corporation of Dallas, Texas, and the U.S. Olympic Committee.

Playing field hockey wasn't her only strength. Sally-Jo received four scholarships while at Drew, including the Sherman Plato Young Scholarship. She was inducted into Tri-Beta biology honor society and was selected for Outstanding Young Women of America.