The McDaniel College women’s lacrosse team received recognition from the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) as an Academic Honor Squad for the 12th straight year, underscoring the program’s sustained commitment to academic excellence. Additionally, six student-athletes from the team were named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll, honoring juniors, seniors, or graduates with a cumulative GPA of 3.50 or greater.
Academic Excellence Maintained Over More Than a Decade
To qualify for the IWLCA Academic Honor Squad, a team must maintain a minimum team GPA of 3.2 throughout the academic year. McDaniel College has fulfilled this standard every year since 2014, with the sole exception in 2020 when no award was given due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Reflecting the program’s strong academic culture, the team has been honored 16 times in the 17 years since the award’s inception in 2009.
The players named to the 2026 Academic Honor Roll include seniors goalie Caleigh Kohr, defensive players Bellina Sargo and Kat Thayer, attack Addison Utterback, and juniors Emily Conklin and Alexa Dobbs.
Profiles of Honored Student-Athletes
Caleigh Kohr, Senior Goalie: Graduated with a bachelor9;s degree in Psychology and a 3.735 GPA. Kohr earned her second consecutive IWLCA Academic Honor Roll recognition and is a three-time Centennial Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll selectee. Additionally, she was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. On the field, Kohr appeared in 16 games with 14 starts, compiling 78 saves and 20 ground balls. Her career totals place her eighth all-time in program career saves with 350 over 64 games.
Bellina Sargo, Senior Defense: Graduated with a bachelor9;s degree in Kinesiology and a 3.530 GPA. Sargo earned her first IWLCA honor after appearing in all 17 games with 15 starts on defense, contributing nine ground balls and nine caused turnovers. She is a three-time Centennial Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll selectee.
Kat Thayer, Senior Midfield: Received a bachelor9;s degree in Business Administration with a 3.720 GPA. Thayer achieved her second consecutive Academic Honor Roll distinction and is a three-time Centennial Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll recipient. She also earned the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team honor. Athletically, Thayer led the team with 36 goals, 20 assists, and 56 points while securing 57 ground balls and 60 draw controls. She was named second-team All-Centennial Conference and earned USA Lacrosse Division III All-America Honorable Mention status. Her 26 caused turnovers rank seventh-most for a single season in program history, and her 57 ground balls rank third.
Addison Utterback, Senior Attack: Graduated with a bachelor9;s degree in Marketing and a 3.613 GPA. Utterback was selected for a second straight year to the Academic Honor Roll and is a three-time Centennial Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll honoree. She started all 17 games, ranking second on the team with 30 goals, 19 assists, and 49 points, all career highs. She also recorded career highs of 24 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
Emily Conklin, Junior Defense/Midfield: Pursuing a degree in Business Administration with a 3.968 GPA. She is a two-time Centennial Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll recipient and was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team. She recorded career highs with 17 goals, 25 points, 43 ground balls, 31 caused turnovers, and 58 draw controls. Her 31 caused turnovers rank second in program history.
Alexa Dobbs, Junior Defense: A Communications major with a 3.931 GPA. Dobbs is a two-time Centennial Conference Spring Academic Honor Roll recipient. She appeared in all 17 games with 15 starts on defense, contributing 11 ground balls and seven caused turnovers.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
The McDaniel College women’s lacrosse team exemplifies the balance between academic achievement and athletic competition. Maintaining a 12-year streak as an IWLCA Academic Honor Squad and celebrating six individual Academic Honor Roll student-athletes demonstrates a strong culture of scholastic dedication. The collective leadership and continued academic successes of seniors like Kohr, Thayer, and Utterback, alongside standout juniors, underscore the program’s ongoing commitment to developing well-rounded student-athletes prepared for success beyond collegiate athletics.
Source: Original report
