Six Girls Lacrosse Wildcats Named To Class 4 Team
Following an outstanding junior year, Rockbridge County High School girls lacrosse player Anna Nye was named the Virginia High School League Class 4 state player of the year last week, and she was one of six Wildcats to receive all-state honors.
Nye, a 5-foot-7-inch midfielder, became the first girls lacrosse player in RCHS history to earn the honor. The Region 4D player of the year for the second consecutive year, Nye scored 61 goals and dished out 65 assists this spring while leading the Wildcats with 220 draw controls and 65 caused turnovers and collecting 55 ground balls. For her career, the Wildcats’ co-captain has tallied 323 total points, with 174 goals and 149 assists. Her season highs this year were 18 draw controls against Loudoun Valley, seven assists against E.C. Glass and nine caused turnovers against Blacksburg. Nye, a USA Lacrosse All-American, has committed to continuing her academic and lacrosse career at Division I school James Madison University.
Joining Nye on the all-state first team were senior attacker Lola Mulitalo and junior midfielders Emma McKnight and Laura Ingram. Mulitalo, a co-captain and a first-team all-region selection, scored 66 goals and dished out 20 assists this spring while recording 14 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Mulitalo finished her career with more than 300 total points, including more than 200 goals, holding the program record in both categories. Mulitalo will continue her academic and lacrosse career with Division I school Kennesaw State University in Georgia.
McKnight, a first-team all-region selection and a USA Lacrosse All-Academic selection, scored 65 goals and had 25 assists this spring while winning 45 draw controls and logging 35 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers. For her career, she has more than 100 total points and goals. Ingram, also a first-team all-region selection, scored 22 goals and added 17 assists while winning 45 draw controls and recording 21 ground balls and 15 caused turnovers.
Two Wildcat defenders, senior Nadia Gaydos and junior Tadara Cooper, were named to the all-state second team. Gaydos, a co-captain and a first-team all-region selection, scored six goals and won 12 draw controls while logging 25 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers. Gaydos will continue her academic and lacrosse career at Division III school Christopher Newport University in Newport News. Cooper, a first-team all-region selection, racked up 19 caused turnovers while collecting 31 ground balls, scoring two goals and dishing out one assist.
Under the direction of Region 4D coach of the year Susan Nye, the Wildcats went 17-2 this year, winning their sixth consecutive Region 4D champion and defeating Loudoun Valley 20-5 in the Class 4 state quarterfinals before suffering a 16-11 loss at Western Albemarle, which would go on to win its fourth consecutive state title.
