Wolford Highlights Four Flashes on MAC Awards
5/13/2021 4:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
Cleveland, Ohio – Four Golden Flashes earned Mid-American Conference postseason honors, the conference announced on Thursday. Jackie Wolford was named the MAC Freshman of the Year, while Abby Jones and Graceyn Dean earned first-team honors, and Madison Rapier made the second team.
"I am excited for our four athletes to be in the ranks of the best in the MAC," said Head Coach Brianne Tierney. "For them to be able to say they are on the first ever all-MAC team is a special benchmark for our program."
Wolford's incredible second half of the season and dominance in conference play led her to receive one of the highest conference honors. The Columbus, Ohio native scored 21 of her 27 goals in MAC play. She posted a whopping 15 goals in the last four conference games of the season, ranked second on the team in conference goals and tied for 7th in the conference. Wolford showed up big time in the team's four conference wins, scoring 13 goals and recording 17 total points. Her all-around impact helped the Flashes to a program-recorded five wins.
"Jackie's Freshman of the Year accolade is a testament to the amount of time she spent on her own, honing her game," said Tierney. "She has set the bar high for herself, and I am excited to see how she continues to exceed her own expectations."
Jones was named to an all-conference team for the second time in her career. She was an All-ASUN First Team member as a freshman and now earns the same honor for the MAC. Jones scored 30 goals in conference play which ranked second in the conference. This included a 7-goal performance against Youngstown State that tied the program's single-game goal record. She recorded multiple points in all but two conference games, including four MAC performances with five or more points. In Kent State's four MAC wins, Jones recorded 15 goals and 21 total points.
Dean is one of the most intriguing stories on the team, switching from attack to defense prior to the 2021 season. She recorded 19 caused turnovers in 10 conference games and grabbed 20 ground balls. Her switch from attack to defense proved to be a major success as Dean shattered the program record for single season caused turnovers (22). Her outstanding defensive play helped the Golden Flashes tie for second in the conference in caused turnovers (103). Dean tied a single-game program record with five caused turnovers against YSU. She ranked fourth in the MAC with 1.90 caused turnovers per game in her first season as a defender. Dean's defensive impact helped hold opponents to just 10.25 per game in the Flashes' four conference wins.
Rapier had a solid year across the board, scoring 31 goals and controlling 36 draws. She also recorded 18 ground balls and caused 13 turnovers. Rapier's impact could be felt all over the field as she battled through injuries the last half of the season. The junior from Powell, Ohio tallied multiple goals in all but two games that she played in. She had seven games with three or more points, including two five-goal games on the season. Rapier ranked top-3 on the Flashes in goals, points, draw controls and caused turnovers.
Follow the Flashes
For more information on the women's lacrosse team, follow Kent State Lacrosse on Twitter and Instagram and visit kentstatesports.com for additional updates.
2021 MAC Lacrosse Postseason Award Winners & All-MAC Teams
Offensive Player of the Year:Â Natalie Karlen, Attack, Central Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year:Â Shea McArdle, Defender, Robert Morris
Goalkeeper of the Year:Â Katelyn Miller, Robert Morris
Freshman of the Year:Â Jackie Wolford, Attack, Kent State
Coach of the Year:Â Katrina Silva, Robert Morris
All-MAC First Team
Midfielder – Brennan Paddy, Central Michigan
Midfielder – Tyra Prince, Central Michigan
Midfielder – Clio Kerr, Robert Morris
Midfielder – Jordan Anderson, Robert Morris
Attack – Natalie Karlen, Central Michigan
Attack – Abby Jones, Kent State
Attack – MacKenzie Gandy, Robert Morris
Attack – Melanie Gandy, Robert Morris
Defender – Shea McArdle, Robert Morris
Defender – Brianna Hart, Central Michigan
Defender – Graceyn Dean, Kent State
Goalkeeper – Katelyn Miller, Robert Morris
All-MAC Second Team
Midfielder – Alexis Kiefer, Akron
Midfielder -- Audrey Whiteside, Central Michigan
Midfielder – Madison Rapier, Kent State
Midfielder – Colleen Tifft, Robert Morris
Attack – Kamryn Corraro, Detroit Mercy
Attack – Jackie Wolford, Kent State
Attack – Kelley Flynn, Robert Morris
Defender – Taylor Cantelon, Detroit Mercy
Defender – Jillian Baldwin, Central Michigan
Defender – Madison Burke, Robert Morris
Defender – Kelly Colegrove, Robert Morris
Goalkeeper – Sierra Savage, Central Michigan
