Melissa Russo’s name is prominently displayed at Pleasant Valley.

It’s noticeable in the rafters of the gymnasium. It’s even more visible on the walls that display the school’s record holders outside the athletic complex.

Russo left Pleasant Valley as one of the program’s most decorated field hockey players and owns several single-season and career records.

Now, she holds the same distinction for her play at Gwynedd Mercy University.

Russo recently wrapped up a remarkable college career with a stellar senior season, leading Division III in goals scored (38) and points (90), while also breaking the school’s single-season record in both categories.

“She’s a young lady that, obviously, I brought in here to score goals, and she really helped move our program along to different heights,” Gwyenedd Mercy field hockey coach Laura-Ann Lane said of Russo. “And Melissa has 100 percent done that.

“We finished the year leading the nation I think in four offensive statistical categories. She leads the nation in goals. So her hard work, her dedication, to herself and to her team, is honestly putting us on the field hockey map.”

Russo never imagined she would set single-season records for goals (29, 2013) and assists (23, 2013), as well as career records for goals (64, 2011-13) and assists (35, 2011-13) while at Pleasant Valley.

“At Pleasant Valley, I actually never even thought I would come close to the school records,” she said. “And after my junior year, when I was shy by like one for a lot of the categories, then I was like, ‘OK, that’s it. I need to make it a point … I gotta work my butt off. I gotta get this.’

“So when I got it my senior year, I was ecstatic. I just thought it was so incredible, and I was very proud of myself.”

Russo did that and more at Gwynedd Mercy.

She ended her career as the school’s all-time leader in five different statistical categories – points (234), goals (99), game-winning goals (18), shots attempted (395) and shots on goal (291) – while ranking second in assists (36).

“Coming into college, again, I never thought I would even get close to it,” Russo said. “I’m not one … I don’t track my stats. I don’t look at all that stuff. When I play a game, I’m not playing to score a goal, I’m not playing to break a record. I’m just playing the game to win with my team.”

But Russo might be the only one not keeping track of her stats.

“So my dad, and my brothers and my boyfriend, they’re like insane about my stats, and they all talk to each other about it. They’re all talking about what I need to get; they all have their individual spreadsheets, and I told them, ‘I don’t want to know. Don’t tell me anything.’

“I wouldn’t know that anything happened until the game, when my coach would call a timeout, and she would say, ‘Congratulations, you just did this.’ And I would be like, ‘Oh.’ I’ve never wanted to know, because I never wanted it to be a point where I was only playing because of that.”

Plenty of individual accolades have come Russo’s way.

She earned her third straight Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association (NFHCA) Division III All Region Team selection this season as a first team pick. She was a second team choice in 2015 and also a first team pick last year.

Her play this season also garnered Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC) Player of the Year honors as the Griffins won their sixth Colonial States Athletic Conference Championship and finished the year 17-4 and 7-0 in conference play. Russo also became the all-time goal and point leader in CSAC history this year.

Russo was recently named a Division III NFHCA All-American Second Team selection. Last year, she was a NFHCA All-American Third Team selection, becoming the first player in program history to collect the honor.

“As an individual award, I’m definitely most proud of the All-American,” said Russo, who is an Elementary/Special Education major and was also named a member of the Philadelphia Inquirer’s Academic All-Area Team. “I think that’s something I’ve been shooting for ever since I started my recruitment process. Not just at Gwynedd, but listening to other schools as well.

“I would talk to other coaches, and some of them would say that I had the potential for it … as soon as they said that, I was like, ‘I need to get that. I’m going to definitely strive to become an All-American.’”

Russo’s passion brought her to Gwynedd Mercy. Her drive made her an All-American.

“Coming into Gwynedd, I definitely just wanted a starting position. That was my main thing,” said Russo, who started all 79 games she played in during her four-year career. “I chose a college where I thought would best fit me so I would be able to play my four years. I never wanted to hit the bench once. I know a lot of times with players that go D1 or D2, sometimes they practice very hard and everything, and then they don’t really see much playing time until sometimes their third year. So that wasn’t anything I was interested in. I wanted to be out on the field from the first second I was there.”

Though Russo’s playing days are over for now, the memories she has made through the sport she loves will last a lifetime.

“I really don’t have words to describe it,” Russo said of her career. “It’s just incredible, and I’m just really thankful for my coaches throughout the last decade, and my teammates, and just everyone I’ve met through the sport. I’ve made so many different friendships and connections with people from all over the United States, and even different parts of the world, which is just incredible.

“The sport has brought me so much more than just accomplishments. It’s brought me relationships. It’s brought me so many lessons. You never think a sport would be able to do that, but field hockey definitely did for me.”