LYDIA MARTIN, Haverford College
Field Hockey / Women's Lacrosse, Class of 1986
Lydia Martin was a trailblazer in every sense, becoming Haverford College's first female All-America selection and a central figure in the renaissance of women's athletics at the institution.
A two-sport standout in lacrosse and field hockey, Martin served as lacrosse team captain and was named the sport's Most Valuable Player all four years of her career. She recorded 19 goals, 13 assists, and 186 ground balls and was the team's leading scorer as a freshman. A Philadelphia Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (PAIAW) all-star each of her final three lacrosse seasons, she earned All-MAC, all-region, and First-Team Brine and USILA All-America honors as a senior while helping lead the Fords to an undefeated regular season, MAC and PAIAW championships, and an NCAA Division III tournament appearance in 1986. Haverford finished fifth in the final Brine Division III national poll that year. In field hockey, Martin was the team's MVP and a repeat PAIAW all-star in 1984, contributing to a PAIAW Division III championship team that advanced to the Mid-Atlantic championship game. She had also been part of a nationally ranked ECAC tournament field hockey squad that went 11-2 in 1983.
Beyond her athletic achievements, Martin was Haverford's first female recipient of the Varsity Cup, awarded to the outstanding athlete of her graduating class regardless of gender — a reflection of her singular impact on the program. She went on to earn a master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and has built a career in education, serving as Assistant Head of School for Enrollment, Communications, and Strategic Planning at Friends Central School in Wynnewood, Pa.
Martin was inducted into the Haverford College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007, becoming the first woman chosen for the Glasser Hall of Achievement.