(Story courtesy of Colorado College athletics)
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- The Colorado College women's lacrosse team added another impressive achievement to the program's culture of academic excellence by scoring top academic honors from the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association.
For the 10th consecutive year and the 15th time since the award was established in 2004, the Tigers were named an IWLCA Honor Squad for posting a combined grade-point average of 3.2 or higher.
CC was one of 140 Division III programs to earn the award.
"The team's 3.47 grade-point average is extraordinary in a year that demanded such elasticity to absorb the ever-changing environment both in the classroom and their daily life," head coach Susan Stuart said. "I am particularly proud of this team's resilience and the focus they demonstrated throughout this entire year all while maintaining a great sense of joy in playing this great game."
In addition to the team award, rising seniors Natalie Schluter and Abigail Turner were among the 766 student-athletes from 282 different institutions who received the organization's top individual award, a spot on the IWLCA's Academic Honor Roll for cumulative academic GPA of 3.50 or greater.
Schluter, who owns a 3.618 grade-point average as a mathematics major, received the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference's Elite 19 Award for having the highest GPA among the players who earned a spot on the all-conference women's lacrosse team.
The first-team all-SCAC selection anchored the CC defense that posted a 7.76 overall GAA and a 3.75 GAA in conference games. Schluter tied for the team lead with a career-high 23 ground balls and tied for fifth with six caused turnovers, which matched her previous best. The junior defender recorded four ground balls and a pair of caused turnovers in the 18-2 victory at Dallas. She also scored a goal against the Crusaders.
Turner, a political science major with a 3.571 GPA, was named the Defensive MVP of the SCAC Tournament after grabbing five ground balls during the 21-7 dismantling of Southwestern University in the championship game.
The junior defender ranked third on the team with 15 draw controls and finished sixth with 17 ground balls, both of which were career highs despite playing just nine games.
Earlier this year, Schluter and Turner were among the 18 Tigers who were named to the SCAC's Academic Honor Roll for maintaining a minimum 3.25 GPA. The others who earned that distinction a Bella Beattie, Naomi Bram, Olivia Dossett, Delia Freliech, Bridget Hanley, Hayley Heinecken, Caroline Keller, Amanda Lake, Sophie Murphy, Avery Newton, Susie Renehan, Bella Scola, Natalie Slade, Annie Tucker, Zoë Voettiner, and Courtney Zell.
The Tigers finished the 2021 season with a 7-2 record and won the SCAC regular-season and tournament championships.
