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Falcons Honored With Academic Recognition, 3rd Most Across DIII
Posted: 9/13/2011
More Women's Lacrosse news
Kara Geiman '11 (22) was one of six Messiah women's lacrosse players honored by the IWLCA this week with the 2011 Academic Honor Roll.

Grantham, PA – Six members of the Messiah women’s lacrosse team were recognized this week by selection to the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) 2011 Academic Honor Roll.  The student-athletes awarded are nominated each year by their respective schools and must be enrolled as juniors or above.

Messiah honorees included Kara Geiman ’11, Elizabeth Graham ’11, Andrea Thomas ’11, and current seniors Rachel Dirksen, Meghan Doolittle, and Jamie Gerhart. For both Graham and Thomas, this is the second straight year being named to the Honor Roll.

“I’m proud of them, and really our entire team,” said Messiah head coach Heather Greer. “Our mission is to be excellent in the classroom and on the field, to be true student-athletes. We strive to have a balance of both.”

Geiman led the Falcons in 2011 in points (95), goals (54), assists (41) and shots (100), and was second on the team in ground balls (61). The attack from Westminster, Md., was also a 3rd Team IWLCA All-American and 1st Team IWLCA All-Metro Region.

Joining Geiman on the All-Metro team was Dirksen, a midfielder/attack from Glenside, Pa. Dirksen collected 58 points, 43 goals, and 15 assists for Messiah this spring, good for fourth on the team in all categories. She also was second in draw controls with 57.  Doolittle, an attack from Tabernacle, NJ, also handed out 15 assists for Falcons across 18 games played.

Thomas was second on the team in caused turnovers, collecting 27 on the season. The defender from Lancaster, Pa., was also selected to play in the annual IWLCA North-South game, which was coached by Greer. It was the first time in Messiah’s history that a Falcon coach led the annual competition.

Gerhart, a midfielder from Ephrata, Pa., scored 17 goals for the Falcons this spring while also handing out 12 assists. Graham, a defender from Annapolis, MD, collected 17 ground balls.

“(Elizabeth) Graham is a perfect example of what we try to be,” noted Greer, who led the Falcons to the program’s second Commonwealth Conference title in 2011. “She had a lot on her plate with classes, leadership responsibilities…and she gave nothing less than 100%. That’s what we expect from our players.”

The six student-athletes honored from Messiah are the third-most of any team in the country, trailing only Washington & Lee University (9) and Vassar College (7).

When asked what that means for the Falcons, Greer added, “It validates that our everyday focus really is special. We want to be both great on the field and in the classroom. I’m proud that we’ve been successful in doing just that.”