2024-25 CSC Academic All-America At-Large Teams
 
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – The Slippery Rock University women's lacrosse team led all women's lacrosse programs from all levels of collegiate competition with four selections to the 2024-25 College Sports Communicators Academic All-America At-Large team that was announced Tuesday.
 
The Rock are represented on the Academic All-America team by attacker Grace Rotter, defender Paige Jenkins, defender Nicole Masi and midfielder Leora Owings.
 
Rotter was named to the first team, while Jenkins, Masi and Owings were all named to the second team. All four honorees pick up their first career Academic All-America award.
 
Slippery Rock was one of only seven institutions from all levels of collegiate competition to place multiple lacrosse players on the Academic All-America team. The Rock's four selections were more than any other NCAA program from the Division I, Division II or Division III levels and matched the University of the Cumberlands (NAIA) for the most honorees among all levels of college lacrosse. Wingate (D2), York (D3), Colby (D3), Tufts (D3) and Missouri Baptist (NAIA) all had two honorees and were the only other schools in the nation with multiple lacrosse players on the Academic All-America team.
 
The four selections are the most in a single-season for The Rock in program history and match the all-time total of Academic All-America selections for the program. Prior to this year, only Amy Halls (2012) and Charleigh Rondeau (2022, 2023, 2024) had earned the honor.
 
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.
 
Only 45 women's lacrosse players from all levels of collegiate competition were named to the Academic All-America team, a number that represents approximately 0.4 percent of the total number of women playing collegiate lacrosse.
 
The four lacrosse selections to the Academic All-America team give The Rock a total of nine Academic All-Americans so far in 2024-25 with the track & field and cross country teams still to be announced. SRU now has 146 all-time honorees for the Academic All-America program since its inception in 1970, a number that ranks first among all NCAA Division II schools in the region and ranks in the top 10 nationally among all NCAA Division II schools.
 
A brief look at the athletic and academic accomplishments of the four SRU Academic All-America honorees can be found below.
 
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. She becomes just the second Slippery Rock player in program history to be named to first team Academic All-America honors, joining two-time first team selection Charleigh Rondeau.
 
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.
 
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. Jenkins becomes just the second sophomore in program history to earn the recognition, joining Rondeau.
 
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 picked up her third straight CSC Academic All-District honor before adding the Academic All-America recognition. Masi closed 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.
 
 


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