SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) has announced its year-end academic honors and Mount Holyoke College was recognized for the 10th straight season. The squad was one of 300 schools across all divisions to be named a Zag Sports Academic Honor Squad for the 2017 season. Individually, three student-athletes were also recognized.
The Lyons, who were guided by 10th-year head coach Miriam Esber, were one of 40 squads in Division III to be honored. MHC was also one of seven New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) institutions recognized.
Individually, graduate Charlotte Wagner '17 and rising seniors Kaitlin Braz and Julia Lankin were among the student-athletes to be recognized. Wagner (West Chester, Pa./Westtown School) concluded her collegiate career with 93 goals and 20 assists for 113 total points. She became just the 14th player in program history to reach the 100 point milestone. During the 2017 season, Wagner was second overall with 43 points on 37 goals and six assists.
Braz (Tolland, Conn./East Catholic) led the way offensively for the Lyons last season, posting a squad-high 44 points on 32 goals and 12 assists. She also added a team-best 60 ground balls with 19 draw controls and a team-high 20 caused turnovers. Amongst the NEWMAC's best, she ranked first overall in ground balls, 12th in assists, 15th in points and 16th in both goals and caused turnovers.
Lankin (West Hartford, Conn./Conard) not only finished in the top-10 in scoring during the 2017 campaign, but also boasted strong numbers defensively for the Lyons last season. She finished second on the squad in draw controls with 36, while also posting 30 ground balls – which was good for fourth. Lankin also added nine caused turnovers on the year.
As a team, the Lyons finished 3-13 overall, including wins against the University of New England (16-15), Western New England University (14-13), and conference-rival Coast Guard Academy (11-6).
In order to qualify for the team honor, squads must have posted a 3.0 or higher team GPA for the year. In order to be eligible for the individual honor, student-athletes must be a junior, senior, or graduate student and earned a cumulative academic GPA of 3.50 or greater.
