2024-25 CSC Academic All-District At-Large Teams
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team placed six student-athletes on the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Academic All-District At-Large team that was announced Tuesday.
 
The Rock lacrosse program is represented by Paige Jenkins, Nicole Masi, Leora Owings, Grace Rotter, Amelia Nitsche and Erin Melcher on the Academic All-District team.
 
Masi becomes a three-time Academic All-District selection, while the other five honorees pick up their first career recognition.
 
Jenkins, Masi, Owings, Rotter and Nitsche were selected by a national committee to advance to the finalist ballot for the Academic All-America team. The Academic All-America team will be announced July 8.
 
The Academic All-America programs are nominated for and voted on by the athletic communication professionals at each college throughout the nation. In order to be eligible, student-athletes must be at least sophomores in athletic and academic standing, must maintain at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, must have appeared in at least 90 percent of the team's games or started at least 66 percent of the team's games and should have significant athletic credentials.
 
While many sports have their own Academic All-America programs, the sports of field hockey, ice hockey, lacrosse, water polo, bowling, fencing, rifle, crew, skiing, golf, gymnastics and beach volleyball are all combined into one "At-Large" team. Each institution is limited to six total nominations from those sports.
 
A brief look at the athletic and academic accomplishments of the six SRU All-District honorees can be found below.
 
PAIGE JENKINS  |  Sophomore  |  Defense
Academics: Jenkins owns a 3.69 GPA after completing 58 credits in the business administration program at SRU, where she also minors in leadership. She is a two-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and two-time D2ADA Academic Achievement honoree.
 
Athletics: Jenkins became the first SRU player in program history to be named as a first team All-American when she was named to the IWLCA All-America team earlier this spring. She was a consensus All-America selection after also being named to the USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America team. Those honors followed first team All-PSAC and All-Region recognitions and a PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Year award. She led one of the top ranked defensive units in the nation this spring with 42 caused turnovers, 70 draw controls and 37 ground balls. She also scored one goal on her only shot of the year and handed out one assist.
 
NICOLE MASI  |  Senior  |  Defense
Academics: Masi graduated this spring after 139 credit hours with a degree in public health with a minor in adapted physical activity after posting a 3.81 GPA. She picks up her third straight CSC Academic All-District honor and closes her career as a four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and four-time D2ADA Academic Achievement honoree.
 
Athletics: Masi finished her career with 81 caused turnovers to rank eighth all-time at SRU while she also grabbed 112 ground balls to rank 16th all-time at The Rock. She is one of just eight players in program history with at least 80 caused turnovers and 100 ground balls. This spring she was named to her first career All-America team with a selection to the USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America squad. She was also selected to play in the IWLCA Senior All-Star game after earning her third career All-PSAC honor and a second career All-Region recognition. She tallied 34 caused turnovers and 42 ground balls during her senior season while turning the ball over just four times all year.
 
LEORA OWINGS  |  Junior  |  Midfield
Academics: Owings wrapped up her last semester of coursework in the early childhood and special education program at SRU with a 3.97 GPA after completing 112 credit hours. She will do her student-teaching program in the fall. Owings is a three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and a three-time D2ADA Academic Achievement honoree.
 
Athletics: After missing the entire 2024 season with an injury, Owings returned to the field this year and led Slippery Rock on a historic run with her play up and down the field. She ranked in the top 10 nationally in draw controls with 140 while also tallying 49 points on 27 goals and 22 assists while causing 31 turnovers and picking up 42 ground balls. She joined Jenkins as a consensus All-American with selections to both the IWLCA and USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America teams, which followed All-PSAC and All-Region selections. In just two seasons on the field, Owings ranks fifth all-time at SRU with 170 draw controls.
 
GRACE ROTTER  |  Junior  |  Attack
Academics: Rotter carried above a 3.50 GPA at Notre Dame College (Ohio) over her first two academic years before the college closed last spring and she transferred to The Rock. She posted a perfect 4.0 GPA through her first full year at SRU while majoring in social work with a minor in psychology.
 
Athletics: Rotter settled into her new home at SRU and had a breakout season to lead The Rock in scoring with 82 points on 53 goals and 29 assists, including an eight-point showing in the national semifinals. Her 82 points are the second most in a single-season in program history. Rotter also caused 25 turnovers and picked up 20 ground balls. She was named to All-America honors by the IWLCA after picking up first team All-PSAC and All-Region honors.
 
AMELIA NITSCHE  |  Senior  |  Defense
Academics: Nitsche graduated from SRU this spring with a degree in multimedia journalism and public relations with a minor in political science after posting a 3.815 GPA through 130 credit hours. She was a four-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and four-time D2ADA Academic Achievement honoree.
 
Athletics: Nitsche leaves the program as the all-time record holder in games played and games started after she started all 73 games of her career. She caused 69 turnovers to rank 12th all-time at SRU and picked up 99 ground balls to rank 20th all-time at The Rock. This spring, she teamed with Jenkins and Masi to form one of the best defensive trios in the country. Nitsche closed the year with 22 caused turnovers and 41 ground balls while also leading SRU's defensive breakouts on the clear. She was named to All-PSAC honors and was selected to participate in the IWLCA Senior All-Star game.
 
ERIN MELCHER  |  Junior  |  Midfield
Academics: Melcher is among the finest students on the Slippery Rock campus and carries a perfect 4.0 GPA through 119 credit hours while dual-majoring in biology and Spanish with a minor in chemistry. During her time at SRU, she has traveled to Spain to take courses abroad and has completed as many credits as most seniors in just three years on campus. She is a three-time PSAC Scholar-Athlete and D2ADA Academic Achievement honoree.
 
Athletics: Melcher won the prestigious NCAA Elite 90 Award this year for owning the highest GPA of all women's lacrosse players competing in the national semifinals, becoming the first Slippery Rock athlete outside the sport of cross country to ever win an Elite 90 award. She tallied 11 points with five goals and six assists this year while also grabbing 13 ground balls.




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