Three Sun Devils Land on Pac-12 Lacrosse All-Academic Teams

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Three members of the Sun Devil Women's Lacrosse team were selected to the Pac-12 All-Academic Team, as announced by the Pac-12 Conference Wednesday morning.

The All-Academic teams are selected by the conference based on the following criteria: a 3.00 cumulative grade-point average, either starting status or identification as a significant substitute on the competitive team, and a minimum of one year of enrollment at the institution.

Defender Rachel Gregory and midfielder Maria Villanti were two of 12 individuals named to the Pac-12 All-Academic First Team. Midfielder Kylie Kroeger earned a spot on the All-Academic Second Team. 12 additional Sun Devils received Honorable Mention distinction, giving them a total of 15 recognized academically by the conference.

A season ago, Sun Devil Lacrosse had five represented on All-Academic teams. Those same five (Kerri Clayton, Carley Adams, Berkeley Bonneau, Sydney Bosmans and Kristina Coppinger) received honors for the second consecutive season.   

Sustainability major Rachel Gregory made the most of her time in Tempe, placing on the First Team thanks to a 3.75 GPA. During her two seasons as a Sun Devil, Gregory made an impact on and off the field. As one of the first two seniors in program history, she helped lay the foundation for a young program as it continues to build. This represents the second academic honor for Gregory, as she was selected to the IWLCA 2018 Zag Sports Division I Academic Honor Roll at the end of last season. Gregory played 32 career games at Arizona State, starting 28 while providing toughness and leadership in the locker room. She completed her versatile Sun Devil career with 46 ground balls, 19 caused turnovers, and 40 draw controls.

Political Science major Maria Villanti got it done in the classroom this year, while also serving as an integral part of the success of the team. Her 3.99 GPA was the highest of any player in the conference that met the criteria, making her a First Team selection. Villanti provided the durability and consistency that the Sun Devils relied on throughout the past two years. She has started all 36 games since arriving in Tempe, making a seamless transition from defender to midfielder at the beginning of last season. She settled into her role this season, contributing in many facets of the game. Villanti scored 12 goals, picked up 20 ground balls, caused 13 turnovers and controlled five draws during her 2019 season. She found her scoring touch as the season moved along, tallying at least one goal in eight of her final ten games.

Psychology major Kylie Kroeger was the Sun Devils' only representative on the Second Team. Her hard work on the field and in the classroom has paid off, as she maintained a 3.66 GPA while also improving her game. Much like her fellow sophomore midfielder Maria Villanti, Kroeger has epitomized reliability since arriving in Tempe. She has started all 36 games for Arizona State, building off a 15-point freshman season to put together an even better sophomore campaign. Kroeger registered 18 points (16 goals & 2 assists), 31 ground balls, 14 caused turnovers, and 33 draw controls during a productive 2019 season. The highlight of her season came in the Sun Devils thrilling 15-14 overtime victory over Oregon, as she secured the season sweep of the Ducks with a game-winning sudden-death goal just over four minutes into overtime.
 
A total of 15 Sun Devils were recognized in some way by the conference, with 12 receiving Honorable Mention distinction. Here is a full look at the Pac-12 All-Academic teams:
 

PAC-12 ALL-ACADEMIC - WOMEN'S LACROSSE
FIRST TEAM
NAME	YEAR	GPA	MAJOR
Olivia Aschman, COLO	SR	3.78	Integrative Physiology and Psychology
Eliza Cahill, COLO	SO	3.90	Business
Katherine Gjertsen, STAN	SO	3.84	Undeclared
Rachel Gregory, ASU	SR	3.75	Sustainability
Caroline Jaworski, ORE	SR	3.92	Human Physiology
Audrey Kingdom, COLO	JR	3.81	Business Finance
Kira Lopes, STAN	JR	3.79	Management Science and Engineering
Marina Smith, CAL	SO	3.83	Undeclared
Maria Villanti, ASU	SO	3.99	Political Science
Mikaela Watson, STAN	JR	3.81	Product Design
Shannon Williams, ORE	SR	3.95	Health and Human Physiology & Biology
Nikki Zaccaro, CAL	SO	3.82	Film
SECOND TEAM
Ella Annest, CAL	JR	3.60	Molecular Biology
Ali Baiocco, STAN	SO	3.79	Undeclared
Areta Buness, STAN	SR	3.63	Biology
Haileigh Farrell, ORE	SO	3.73	Advertising
Jackie Gilbert, USC	SR	3.70	Real Estate Development
Emma Knaus, STAN	SO	3.70	Undeclared
Kylie Kroeger, ASU	SO	3.66	Psychology
Morgan Kuligowski, USC	JR	3.73	Neuroscience
Jennifer Lanuza, ORE	SO	3.78	Health and Human Physiology
Jacie Lemos, STAN	JR	3.64	Human Biology
Julia Massaro, STAN	SR	3.61	Management Science and Engineering

 
Honorable Mention - ARIZONA STATE: Carley Adams, Berkeley Bonneau, Sydney Bosmans, Julia Burns, Taylor Carson, Maura Cissel, Kerri Clayton, Kristina Coppinger, Kate Dougherty, Emily Glagolev, Maddy Hunter, Lia Willis.
 
The 2019 season may be over, but with the development of underclassmen and veterans growing into leadership roles, there is a lot to be excited about with the future of Sun Devil Lacrosse. Follow our social media accounts (@SunDevilWLax) and visit our website (thesundevils.com) throughout the offseason to keep up with your favorite Sun Devils and receive the latest updates on the program.