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Senior Day Wesleyan Women's Lacrosse

Class of 2020

The Class of 2020 has experienced the greatest success in Wesleyan women’s lacrosse history and was well on its way to becoming the winningest class of all-time before the abrupt end to the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This tremendous group compiled a 44-17 (.721) overall record and 22-9 (.710) NESCAC mark - both winning percentages are the highest in the Cardinals 45-year history. Also, before this group’s arrival, the Wesleyan women’s lacrosse program had never advanced to the NCAA Tournament. These 11 Cardinals have not only qualified for the postseason each year, but have also advanced further each season en route to a Final Four appearance in 2019 while setting program records in wins each year. Additionally, they won two of the past three Little Three titles and were a perfect 4-0 to start the season while outscoring opponents 60-22. Wesleyan opened and closed the year ranked No. 5 in the IWLCA Division III Coaches Poll. Let’s take a look at this incredible class that has played a vital role in turning around the Wesleyan women’s lacrosse program.

Grace Andonian

Grace is an attack from Concord, Massachusetts. She played in 20 career games while totaling 16 points on 12 goals and four assists. Grace studied abroad in Madrid, Spain and has excelled in the classroom as she earned recognition on the NESCAC All-Academic Team (2018) and the Zag Sports Div. III Academic Honor Roll (2019), while also being named to the Dean’s List each semester since the Fall of 2017.

"Grace is one of the strongest 1-vs-1 players on this team, and always found a way to get to the goal and score. We could always count on Grace to come and provide a spark to our offense. One of Grace's biggest moments was in her contributions during our first NCAA wins in program history her sophomore season at St. John Fisher. She came into the game with so much poise and confidence and stepped up when we needed her most. Grace celebrated her teammates every day on the field, and brought smiles and energy to every practice and game.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Allie Damren

Allie is an attack from Westwood, Massachusetts. Away from the field, she has tutored at an elementary school in Boston and is a dance marathon participant at Wesleyan. She is a member of Students Demand Action and started Wesleyan’s first-ever Pre-Veterinary Medicine Club which connects current pre-vet students to alumni, while also starting an internship program at Pieper Memorial Veterinary Hospital. She is a double major in Neuroscience & Behavior, with a chemistry minor, and is a two-sport athlete (lacrosse and ice hockey).

"We will miss Allie's killer shot and her amazing instinct to put herself in the right place at the right time on the field. Allie played an inside position for us on the offensive end, would make great cuts inside the 8-meter, and always find a way to finish. She had one of the hardest shots on the team and put in so much work outside of practice to make not only herself better, but our goalies as well. Allie brought her hockey skills to the field every day and brought such a great style of play to our offense.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Allegra Grant

Allegra is a goalie from Winnetka, Illinois. She took over the starting nod as a sophomore in 2018 and has excelled ever since. Allegra was named a First Team All-American a year ago, a season after earning All-America honors in ice hockey. She is also a two-time All-NESCAC selection and has a career record of 33-11 with an 8.14 goals-against average and 50.6 save-percentage. When she’s not competing, Allegra also works for the Athletic Department, in which she helped input statistics for field hockey and performed various jobs in the Freeman Athletic Center.

“As a two-sport athlete, Allegra earning All American in both lacrosse and ice hockey was an incredible accomplishment, and she will go down as one of the best two-sport female athletes Wesleyan has ever seen. She was always our X factor, and would literally stand on her head to make a save. She showed off her hockey skills on the field and made saves that no one could understand how she could possibly move that way, or react so quickly. For the last three years, she has not only been one of the best goalies in the NESCAC and the country, but she has shown an ability to lead by example and rally her teammates to play their very best around her.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Julia Gretsky

Julia is a midfielder from Westfield, New Jersey. She made an immediate impact on the program and has started every game for the Cardinals since her freshman year. For her career, Julia has 66 points (36 goals, 30 assists), 75 ground balls, 38 caused turnovers, and 16 draw controls. Off the field, she is the President of SAAC and has participated in community service events such as recess at McDonough Elementary School, the Thanksgiving drive, ‘Stuff the Nets’, and WesThon. Julia also studied abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark.

“Julia is a true unsung hero for us on the field. She has been a four-year starter for us and is one of the best defensive midfielders this program has ever seen. Her ability to pressure out and make plays on the defensive end is what made our defense one of the strongest in the country. Julia had an incredible vision on the offensive end and was always willing to do whatever she could to make those look good around her. One of my favorite things about Julia was the way she celebrated the success of her teammates whether it was a dance move on the field or jumping into her teammates' arms. She was all over the field making plays, sacrificing her body along the way, and giving it her all to help the team win." | Head Coach Kim Williams

Gillian Lubin

Gillian is a defender from Scarsdale, New York. She is the Co-President of Road to Finance and Co-Chair of the Wesleyan Gift Committee. Additionally, Gillian has been named to the NESAC All-Academic Team each year of eligibility, is a member of Omicron Delta Epsilon (the international Honor Society of Economics), and won the Plukas Teaching Apprentice Award. Gillian is an Economics major with a minor in History and she studied abroad in the Vassar-Wesleyan Program in Paris.

“Gillian truly made every practice and every game better with her hard work, energy, and positive attitude. The team was always so impressed and motivated by Gillian's leadership and energy that they named actual days of the week after her. She improved every single season on the defensive end and went out of her way to make those around her feel special and supported.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Meghan Manley

Meghan is a defender from Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Meghan is co-chair of the Title IX Student-Athlete Leadership Council, a board member of the Survivor Advocacy and Community Awareness Advisory Council, and is a member of the Sinai Scholars. She also studied abroad in Prague, Czech Republic.

“A senior captain, Meg has always been an incredible leader for this team on and off the field. She will do anything for the team and her teammates and is one of the most well-respected players within this program. She was looked up to by so many for her work ethic in the off-season and her amazing ability to stay positive, resilient and so hard working through every situation. Meg earned a starting role this season which was so well deserved. She is such a tough person, had overcome so much to be in this position, and was killing it her senior year. We were really looking forward to seeing her succeed in so many ways this season.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Abby Manning

Abby is a midfielder from Wilmington, Delaware and will go down as one of the greatest women’s lacrosse players in program history. As a junior last year, she set single-season program records in points (84) and goals (69), and is second all-time in career points (189) and career goals (155). She was named First Team All-American and First Team All-NESCAC in 2019 and claimed two All-Region selections in her career as well. A two-sport athlete (women’s lacrosse and field hockey), Abby also excels academically and has been named to four NESCAC All-Academic Teams, three Field Hockey Coaches Association Div. III National Academic Squads, and the IWLCA Div. III Academic Honor Roll.

Abby is one of the strongest attackers this program has ever seen. She loves lacrosse and does everything she can to perfect her game, whether it is extra time on the field, watching our film, watching Division I games, or helping a teammate in need. Abby made an impact in our program from her freshmen season, and every year has gone above and beyond to help this team reach success on a national level. She was frequently assigned either the opponents strongest defender, or a faceguard, but always found a way to make an impact whether she was scoring or helping a teammate score. After coming off an incredible junior season, especially in the NCAA tournament, Abby was determined to have an even stronger senior season, and we know that she would have.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Therese Mittleman

Therese is an attack from East Islip, New York. She is a member of the Wesleyan Mathematics and Science Scholars (WesMass) program, is a Computer Science course assistant, a Wes Reads/Math tutor and teaching assistant at Farm Hill Elementary School, and was a Freeman Athletic Center facility monitor. A double major in Mathematics and Computer Science, Therese will be working as a Corporate Analyst for Fiserv upon graduation.

“No one can replace Therese's energy, enthusiasm, killer dodges, and her no-look passes. Therese played just about every spot within our offense and was always willing to do whatever the team needed each day. She was incredibly committed to our team and was a great leader both on and off the field, always going the extra mile to get better. She brought so much to our program.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Emma Richards

Emma is a midfielder from Littleton, Colorado. A very active member of the community, Emma was the Chair Member of the Senior Class Gift Committee, a Survivor Advocacy and Community Education (SACE) committee member, a Peer Mental Health Advocate through the student-athlete support network, a volunteer at the Wesleyan Center for Prison Education, and she also co-founded/facilitated ‘Beyond the Game’, which was a drop-in hour for athletes to discuss everything from mental health to coaching conflicts, team conflicts, etc. ‘Beyond the Game’ ended in 2018 when Emma went to study abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark. On the field, Emma made an immediate impact by starting 16 games a freshman. Despite suffering a season-ending injury early in the season last year, she concludes her career with 39 points (31 goals), 42 ground balls, and 24 caused turnovers.

“Emma is resilient, strong, passionate, kind, and very hard working. She is always willing to go the extra mile for everyone and cares so much for every teammate. She is a standout athlete who worked so hard this past year to come back from ACL surgery and had such a great start this season. Emma could do it all on the field, whether it was scoring a goal, causing a turnover on the defensive end, or hustling after a groundball, she made impacts all over the field.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Josie Russ

Josie is a midfielder from Houston, Texas. She is a member of the Adolescent Sexual Health Awareness (ASHA) and Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC). As a member of ASHA, Josie helped coordinate workshops tailored towards Wesleyan’s sports teams. Through SAAC, she has been involved in community service events like recess at McDonough Elementary School and ‘Stuff a Cruiser’. Josie studied abroad in Bologna, Italy and is a two-sport athlete (lacrosse and squash). She has excelled academically, earning the CSA Scholar-Athlete award, and being named to the NESCAC All-Academic Team and the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll each year she was eligible.

“These last four years, Josie has brought a spark to the team every time she stepped into the game, whether it meant grabbing a much-needed groundball, playing incredible 1-vs-1 defense, or bringing the ball upfield. She is one of the most competitive players and uses her passion and energy to make every drill, every practice, a fun battle. Josie joined us late from her squash season, but made an immediate impact earning a starting role and helping us to a great start for our 2020 season with a win at Bates.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Case Tucker

Case is a defender from Wilton, Conn. She joined the program during the 2017-18 season and made an immediate impact, starting 41 of the team’s 43 games since 2018. During her career at Wesleyan, she accumulated 46 ground balls and 26 caused turnovers.

“Case has made such an impact on our program the moment she got here. We had Case play three different spots within our defense in three years due to our needs, and she showed what an incredible player she is by being a standout no matter where we put her on the field. Every season she has gotten faster, stronger, and more coachable, and she was on her way to having an incredible senior year and end to an amazing career.” | Head Coach Kim Williams

Grace Andonian, Allie Damren, Allegra Grant, Julia Gretsky, Gillian Lubin, Meghan Manley, Abby Manning, Therese Mittleman, Emma Richards, Josie Russ, and Case Tucker, the impact you have had on the Wesleyan women's lacrosse program will be forever remembered and your historic achievements will be etched in the Cardinals' record books.

THANK YOU SENIORS!