Bishop Kearney will have an undeniable presence when the puck drops for the Olympics later this week.
In the women’s hockey tournament, eight alumni of the BK Selects program will compete for three different countries.
The school, which offers 16-and-under and 19-and-under teams, started its prestigious program in 2016.
“This is a milestone moment not just for BK, but for women’s hockey. From the early vision of creating opportunities for girls to compete at the highest level, to now watching our alumnae play on the world stage it shows what intentional commitment can achieve,” Kathy Pippy, a school board member and leader in women’s hockey, said in a recent press release.
The program will also be well-represented off the ice. Brent Hill, who coached at Bishop Kearney for four seasons, is an assistant coach for the United States’ women’s national team. Also serving as a program director, Hill led Bishop Kearney to 173 wins in four seasons.
He’s also credited with helping 29 Bishop Kearney alumni reach Division I and III universities, a handful of which he’ll be coaching again in the Olympics.
Haley Winn, United States
Winn is the third Rochester-area native to make the women’s national team, following Lyndsay Wall and Kim Insalaco. After graduating from Bishop Kearney in 2021, Winn played four seasons at Clarkson University where she was an All-American and top player in the ECAC. Drafted second overall by the Boston Fleet in last year’s Professional Women’s Hockey League, Winn leads all PWHL players in average ice time entering the Olympic break.
Laila Edwards, United States
Edwards, a 2022 graduate, is the first Black woman to be named to the U.S. national team. During her career with the Selects program, she recorded 413 points in 287 games, including 97 points for the U-19 team in 2021-2022. Edwards is currently a senior at the University of Wisconsin where, as a junior, led the NCAA with 35 goals in 41 games and was a finalist for the nation’s top player.
Ava McNaughton, United States
The 2023 Bishop Kearney grad is one of three goaltenders named to the Olympic team. The Pennsylvania native finished her sophomore season with a 36-1-2 record and .944 save percentage, including 20 saves in the national title game won by the Badgers. She has a 22-1-2 record so far as a junior, the best mark in the nation.
Caroline Harvey, United States
Harvey played two seasons for the BK Selects 16-U team, winning a pair of state titles in 2019 and 2020. She then completed her high school career at the North American Hockey Academy in Massachusetts. The Salem, New Hampshire native was a Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award finalist last season, and set a Badgers record for points in a single season (63) and career (137) by a defenseman. Harvey is finishing up her senior season at Wisconsin, where she is currently second in the nation in scoring with 54 points in 26 games.
Kirsten Simms, United States
Simms bounced around as an amateur, playing for Bishop Kearney’s U-16 and U-19 teams before stops with Little Caesars and Honeybaked. A senior at Wisconsin, the Plymouth, Michigan native currently has 48 points in 24 games for the Badgers.
Nina Christof, Germany
The Hammelburg, Germany native is currently in her senior season at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. She attended Bishop Kearney for five years, graduating in 2022. In international play, Christof captained Germany at three straight U-18 women’s world championship tournaments.
Jule Schiefer, Germany
Schiefer graduated from Bishop Kearney in 2020 after one season with the U-19 team. After high school, Schiefer opted to return home and play professionally in the DFEL, the highest level of hockey in Germany. Schiefer also competed for Germany at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, China.
Michaela Hesová, Czechia
Hesová played three seasons for the Selects program and graduated in 2024. The sophomore goalie, who is from Prague, Czech Republic, appeared in every game but one for Dartmouth College in 2024-25 and was a unanimous selection to the ECAC All-Rookie team.
This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Bishop Kearney has 8 alumni playing hockey at the Olympics: See the list
Reporting by Justin Ritzel, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle / Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
