2025 Duke True Spotlight: Stella Bumgarner

Stella Bumgarner | Defense | Pasadena, Maryland

Duke field hockey head coach Pam Bustin and the program are excited to welcome a total of eight additions to the Blue Devil program in 2025. The Blue Devils will profile each of the newest Duke True members over the next two weeks. Learn more about Stella Bumgarner who hails from Maryland and was a member of the Freedom HKY club.

Hailing from Connecticut, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania and England and The Netherlands, this group features a diverse set of talents and field hockey experiences. While varying in position, one thing is for sure, Duke field hockey got better on and off the turf with the addition of this group of outstanding young players.

“Stella Bumgarner will arrive on campus as a member of the 2025 freshmen class! Stella, who is very familiar with Duke True, has watched our program evolve over the past few years, and now she is ready to be a part of the process! Her passion for the game and her consistency in play will help in her transition to D1 college hockey and her hockey development. She has kept the backfields strong for both her Archbishop Spalding (Maryland) high school team and for the Freedom HKY club, and we look forward to more as she brings her talents to Duke! Welcome Stella!”

Head Coach Pam Bustin

Learning More About Stella

A four-year starter for Leslee Brady at Archbishop Spalding High School, Stella led the Cavaliers to incredible success throughout her four years. She earned three IAAM A All-Conference honors while leading the Cavaliers to the IAAM A title as a freshman and to runner-up honors in each of the following three years. She served as team captain as a junior and senior, garnering FHCAMD All-State First Team recognition in each of those seasons. Stella capped her career with a second straight Capital Gazette All-County and Washington Post All-Met Honorable Mention recognition. She also nabbed Baltimore Sun Second Team All-Metro honors as a junior.

In club field hockey, Stella was equally as successful with Freedom HKY. She helped guide the club to consecutive U-19 regional club championship titles as they took third at nationals in 2023 and fifth in 2024. Freedom HKY, with Stella anchoring the backfield, won the U16 regional championship in 2021 and finished third the following year. They took third at nationals in 2021. Stella was also selected to compete in the Nexus Championship in 2021, 2022 and 2024. Freedom HKY also won the Junior Premier Outdoor League title in 2023. Stella found success on the indoor hockey court, winning crowns at the 2024 and 2025 U-19 Junior Premier Indoor League.

Stella is familiar with the Blue Devils as she follows her sister Shelby Bumgarner ’25 who played four seasons at Duke.