St. John Fisher Selects Tarah Christenson To Lead Field Hockey
Tarah Christenson has been named as St. John Fisher College’s first field hockey coach.
Fisher will begin competition in 2011 and will compete in the Empire 8 Conference. Field hockey will be one of seven new NCAA Division III athletic programs that the College will offer. In the 2011-12 academic year, Fisher will also add men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track, as well as men’s and women’s cross country, giving the College 21 varsity athletic programs.
“I’m very excited to have Tarah as our field hockey coach and I’m confident she will work hard and get this new program off and running,” says Bob Ward, who has served as the College’s Director of Intercollegiate Athletics since 1987. “I wish her the best of luck and look forward to working with her.”
Christenson has been coaching field hockey at the collegiate level since 2004. She most recently spent the 2009 season as an assistant coach for the field hockey team at the University of Rochester and helped the Yellowjackets reach double-digits in the win column. Prior to that, Christenson was the head coach at Utica College, leading the Pioneers to 15 wins in her two-year career.
Christenson served as Utica’s assistant coach for three seasons, from 2004-2007. In these three seasons, she aided the team to a second-place finish in the ECAC Tournament (2004), an NCAA Championship appearance (2005), and an Empire 8 title (2006).
Christenson has coached the Futures Program and instructed at the Syracuse University Field Hockey Camp, the Merestead Sports Camps, and the Utica College Field Hockey Camp. She earned a Master of Science in Education degree from Utica College of Syracuse University in 2007.
From 2000-2003, Christenson played field hockey at Division I Central Michigan University and graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Environmental Studies in May 2004. While at Central Michigan, she was a co-captain for the 2003 season, during which she was recognized as a NFHCA Division I North/South Senior All-Star selection, a West-Region Second Team selection, and a Mid-American Conference First Team and All-Tournament Team honoree.
A native of Ontario, Canada, Christenson graduated from Grand River Collegiate Institute in 2000. While in high school, she participated in swimming, softball and rugby in addition to field hockey.
Tarah currently resides in Brockport with her husband, Steve, and their five-month-old son, Reid.