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On left, Aleese Warner begins her college career with the Highlanders. Her father, Storm, was a walk-on at Ohio State in the late 1980s. (Rob Simmons/Warner Family)

Women's Lacrosse Collin Perry

Different Sports, Same Mentality: Radford Lacrosse’s Connections to College Football

It doesn't take long to notice the differences between football and lacrosse. In fact, one of the few things the two have in common includes four 15-minute quarters and a roughly 100-yard playing field.

Also, if you haven't noticed, tackle football is something that has never been sponsored at Radford.

Yet for three Radford Highlanders women's lacrosse athletes, the game of football runs deep. It also shines a light on the attributes needed to be successful both in the playing area and on the gridiron.

For freshman midfielder Aleese Warner, Ohio State football has always been a part of her life. Her father, Storm, played two seasons with the Buckeyes as a walk-on defensive back.

"Our entire basement is Ohio State themed," explained Warner. "We have a toilet that says, 'flush twice since it's a long way to Michigan.'"

Storm Warner's story is unique in that he went from being a walk-on to playing most of his sophomore year at one of the most storied programs. The Columbus native turned down several Division I offers to get a chance to play at Ohio State. That's where he worked extra hard after practice.

"They gave me number 107. It was humiliating," said Warner about his start as a Buckeye. "But every day after practice, I'd be one of the few guys lifting weights. There'd be two or three of us, working extra, every day."

After his playing days, Warner instilled those same values of working hard to his children, including his daughter, Aleese. This meant getting an allowance based on doing pushups, pullups, and sit-ups. It also meant playing on the boy's lacrosse team in elementary school. No matter what it was, Storm gave his children a mentality of toughness, while also providing the tools to succeed.

"What's the point of doing something and not being great?," Warner said rhetorically. "(My dad) would say 'Are you good? Awesome. Good isn't good enough. We're not trying to be good, we're trying to be great.'"

Though Storm had to work hard for his time at Ohio State, the proud parent says that she was much more dedicated than he was in high school.

"I didn't need (to teach) her to do a whole lot of it because she had it naturally," he said about Aleese. "It was naturally ingrained in her. Before college, she would drive herself 35 miles after practice to go to speed training. She did that three or four times a week. She took the mentality that I had and multiplied that times 10."
CheneyvsGWU
Like Warner, senior midfielder Mady Cheney also has a connection to not only major college football but also having a family member that was a team captain at a Big Ten Conference institution. Cheney's grandfather Ray Forsthoffer was one of the star linebackers at Northwestern University, playing from 1967-69 and serving as the defensive captain for his senior season.

Cheney grew up very close to her grandfather, listening to his stories about his playing days. Though not as intense of a motivator as Warner, she cites him as the one who interested her in playing collegiately.

"It was always something that was on my radar," she said about playing lacrosse in college. "Something that I wanted to strive for. Mostly because I heard him doing that. I felt that once I got involved with sports and was pretty serious about it, I could talk to him and relate to him about that too."

For Forstoffer, he's seeing the attributes that he shares with his granddaughter. These traits include self-discipline, a willingness to work hard, and mental toughness.
Forstoffer
"Young Mady and today's Mady has shown many of these traits," said Forstoffer. "Her homework was always done with being told as a kid, and today she's getting straight As at Radford. She loved to win, but was a humble winner, as she is today. She leads by example."

Though not a contact sport, lacrosse demands toughness, especially for players on the attack, where Cheney finds herself in every game. Confidence, passion, grittiness, and hustle are all skills that the senior cites as being key to being a good lacrosse player.

These same traits were preached to freshman attacker Ashlyn Bell. Her family tree has roots that go deep into the football soil of Florida; her grandfather, Vernon Korhn, played football at Florida State and Tampa before dedicating his career to coaching. Across his storied career, Korhn coached numerous sports, being named the Hillsborough County Wrestling Coach of the Year in 1971 and the Football Coach of the Year in 1971. He eventually served as the Director of Athletics for the Hillsborough County School District and was induced into the FHSAA Hall of Fame in 2006. Korhn sadly passed away in 2021.

VernonKorhnBell's uncle, Trey Korhn, also played football in the mid-1990s at UCF and is an assistant flag football coach at her high school.

"I just think of how hard they pushed me," said Bell of her grandfather, who sadly passed away in 2021. "I just think (football) ties in with relentlessness. Being able to push yourself over the limit and accomplish things you didn't think you could do."

The hard work for all three of these Highlanders has paved the way for success. Cheney is wrapping up one of the best careers in Radford women's lacrosse history, having already scored 100 goals with over 200 draw controls while also setting the career record in ground balls. The Texan also holds a 4.0 cumulative GPA through three and a half years as a Marketing and Economics.

Though only one season into their collegiate careers, Bell and Warner have excelled from the start. Bell won the Big South Freshman of the Week award after scoring six goals at Howard earlier this season. Warner has scored three goals this season as a midfielder while also securing six draw controls.

The trifecta also has a lot left to play for this season. The Highlanders are competing to make the Big South Tournament for the first time since 2021, likely needing one more conference win to finish among the top six. They'll have three bites at the apple, with contests against Mercer, Longwood, and Wofford to cap off the regular season.
 
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Players Mentioned

Mady Cheney

#11 Mady Cheney

Midfield
5' 6"
Senior
Ashlyn Bell

#24 Ashlyn Bell

Attack
5' 5"
Freshman
Aleese Warner

#5 Aleese Warner

Midfield
5' 5"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Mady Cheney

#11 Mady Cheney

5' 6"
Senior
Midfield
Ashlyn Bell

#24 Ashlyn Bell

5' 5"
Freshman
Attack
Aleese Warner

#5 Aleese Warner

5' 5"
Freshman
Midfield
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