SALEM, Va. - Slippery Rock University midfielder
Erin Melcher was named the 2025 NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Elite 90 Award winner Thursday prior to The Rock's semifinal game against Adelphi University at the 2025 NCAA Division II Tournament
The NCAA Elite 90 Award is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade point average at each of the organization's 90 National Championship finals sites.
"I am incredibly proud of Erin for her commitment to her academic studies in addition to her dedication to lacrosse," said SRU head coach
Taryn Burkholder.
A junior from Ypsilanti, Michigan, Melcher carries a perfect 4.0 GPA while having accumulated 119 credit hours as a dual major in Biology and Spanish with a minor Chemistry.
On the field, Melcher has made 18 appearances, including three starts, for a Slippery Rock team that is in the midst of the best season in program history.
The Rock enters Thursday's national semifinal game as the 12th-ranked team in the country and with an18-2 overall record, qualifying for the NCAA Tournament for the first time and already setting a program record for wins in a single season.
SRU went 10-0 in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division to claim the division crown this year and have lost just two games, both on the road at fellow nationally ranked opponents.
Melcher has contributed 11 points on five goals and six assists to go with 13 ground balls and two draw controls in addition to her academic prowess.
Melcher is the third SRU student-athlete in any sport to be named an NCAA Elite 90 Award winner. Past Slippery Rock student-athletes to earn the prestigious award include Ethan Brentham (Men's Cross Country / 2023) and Jennifer Cichra (Women's Cross Country / 2024).
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