Penn State Sports Magazine
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/847744
Steph Lazo really knows how to set a tone. In the first game of her final season, the senior blitzed Albany for 12 points on five goals and seven assists. It was the start of a huge season – both for Lazo and the Penn State women's lacrosse team. The Stevensville, Md., native finished with 89 points, the ninth-best single-season total in school history and the highest in the Big Ten this past year. Her 43 assists also led the conference and constituted the sec- ond-highest total ever by a Nittany Lion player. Averaging 4.24 points per game, Lazo was named Big Ten Attack Player of the Year, and she also became the first Penn State player in 13 years to receive first-team IWLCA All-America honors. "She just kept getting better and better every year," coach Missy Doherty said. "To have the year she had this year with some of the best defenders marking her throughout the season is a credit to her and the season she had." Better still, Lazo's strong performances propelled her team to another great season. The Lions reached the NCAA semifinals for the second consecutive year, and although they bowed out of the tournament with a 20-10 loss to eventual champion Mary- land, they finished 17-4, their winningest season since 1989. If Lazo knew how to set a tone, she also knew how to wrap things up. Last month, she concluded her college career by winning MVP honors at the IWLCA Senior All-Star Game. HONORABLE MENTION Frannie Crouse soccer | Led the Big Ten in goals with 12, in- cluding five game-winners, and was fourth in points with 27 to claim first-team All-Conference and second-team All-Great Lakes Region honors … Dannielle Gibson track and field | Won the Big Ten indoor and outdoor titles in the triple jump… Si- mone Lee volleyball | Received first-team All-America notice after averaging 4.16 kills per set, the second-best average in the Big Ten… Teniya Page basketball | Was chosen an honorable mention WBCA All-American after scoring in double figures in 30 of 32 games and averaging 19.9 points per game... Haleigh Washington volleyball | Garnered first-team All-America honors after leading the Big Ten and finishing third nationally with a .430 hitting percentage. –M.H. STEPH LAZO F E M A L E A T H L E T E O F T H E Y E A R Senior's oensive outburst sparks Lion laxers LAZO Any other year, this honor would undoubtedly go to James Franklin, who brought the Nittany Lion football program roar- ing back to national prominence with an 11-3 finish, a stunning Big Ten championship and a Rose Bowl berth in 2016. Those ac- complishments are sure to linger in the memories of Penn State fans, and who knows? They may even foretell a return to greatness for the university's flagship ath- letic program. But holy cow, did Sanderson have a great season. In his eighth year in University Park, he guided the Nittany Lions to an un- defeated dual meet record (14-0, 9-0 Big Ten) and a spectacular performance at the national tournament. The Lions compiled 146.5 points to run away from second- place Ohio State for the team title. In the process, they crowned five individual champs, a feat that had only been done three times in NCAA history. And they did it with two starters – 125- pounder Nick Suriano and 133-pounder Jered Cortez – out of action due to injuries. Penn State's title was its sixth in the past seven years, lending further credence to Ohio State coach Tom Ryan's claim that "Cael was the greatest hire of any institution in the history of college sports." HONORABLE MENTION Missy Doherty women's lacrosse | Led the Nittany Lions to their second consecutive Final Four appearance and the No. 3 ranking in the final Division I coaches poll… James Franklin football | Took a team that was unranked to begin the season and led it to its first Big Ten championship since 2008 and the No. 7 ranking in the final Associated Press poll… Guy Gad- owsky men's ice hockey | Coached the Nittany Lions to their best-ever record (25-12-2), a Big Ten tournament champi- onship and a spot in the NCAA tourney, where they came only one win short of the Frozen Four… John Gondak cross coun- try/track and field | Presided over two Big Ten championship seasons, as the track and field teams captured the women's in- door and men's outdoor titles… Greg Nye men's golf | Led the Lions to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2010, where they finished 24th after entering the competition ranked 48th. –M.H. CAEL SANDERSON C O A C H O F T H E Y E A R Another national title for PSU wrestling mentor SANDERSON