Northern Michigan University’s Kaitlyn Bridger, front, receives the ball in front of the net and gets away from a Lewis defender to take a shot during their college lacrosse game played on Friday, Feb. 16, 2024, at the Superior Dome in Marquette. (Photo courtesy Cara Kamps)

By Journal Sports Staff

MARQUETTE — The national organization of college lacrosse coaches has honored the Northern Michigan University women’s team along with eight of its players for academics.

Based out of Northborough, Massachusetts, the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association named the Wildcats to its Academic Honor Squad and the eight NMU juniors and seniors to its Academic Honor Roll.

In all, the IWLCA named 324 schools across NCAA Divisions I, II and III along with institutions in the NAIA as honor squads by having a 3.20 or higher grade-point average for the academic year.

“Success is measured in many ways for a student-athlete, but this is one that should be highly celebrated,” Northern head coach Lindsey Majkrzak said in an NMU Sports Information news release announcing the honors. “I’m so proud of this group for their academic accomplishments and how they have pushed Northern Michigan lacrosse as a whole to be our best in the classroom.

“We had one of our highest cumulative GPAs as a team in 2023-24, and that success comes in part from the example set by the honor roll selections.”

The eight honored student-athletes must be a junior, senior or graduate student and have accumulated a GPA of at least 3.50.

The Wildcats honored are juniors Norah Bates, who is studying engineering technologies; Dayna Carlson, environmental science; Lindsey Locke, Spanish-international studies; and Taylor Priestley, second education.

The NMU seniors honored are Minnie Bittell, who is majoring in Spanish-public relations; Kaitlyn Bridger, nursing; Clara Johnson, multimedia journalism-biology; and Jane Taylor, earth science.

The coaches group honored 524 student-athletes from 72 institutions at the four levels.

NMU earned the Academic Honor Squad designation for the second straight season and also had at least five student-athletes for the second consecutive year.

The four Northern seniors earned the Academic Honor Roll recognition for the second straight season, too.

The IWLCA’s national press release for NCAA Division II in 2023 is available online at https://www.iwlca.org/news_article/show/1280100.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.