July 1, 2004

FAIRFAX, Va. (July 1, 2004) - The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) released its 2004 IWLCA Academic Awards Wednesday and George Mason was one of two Colonial Athletic Association schools to make the elite list.

Among the approximately 80 Division I women's lacrosse programs, three schools received Merit Squad status while 22 other institutions earned Academic Squad status, signifying a collective grade-point average of 3.0 or greater. Duke led all Division I institutions with a team GPA of 3.46. George Mason ranked among such Ivy League schools as Columbia, Dartmouth, Princeton and Pennsylvania.

"We are really pleased with the academic performance of our team," expressed head coach Amy Umbach, who just completed her seventh season at Mason. "They continue to show their dedication and work ethic as student-athletes."

Three George Mason players were among 123 student-athletes representing 47 different institutions on the IWLCA Honor Roll. Patriot midfielder Lisa Hagan (Collingswood, N.J./Collingswood), who graduated in May with a bachelor's degree in biology, joined rising senior attackers Jeannine Ohler (Malvern, Pa./Great Valley) and Tracy Waterson (Niskayuna, N.Y./Colonie Central) on the Honor Roll squad.

"I am especially proud of our upperclassmen, including Lisa, Jeannine and Tracy, who have set a high academic standard for the team," said Umbach.

To be eligible for the IWLCA Academic Award, schools must submit the cumulative GPA's of the entire roster from the season. Individual Academic Honor Roll honors are given to those student-athletes who are of junior or senior standing and achieved a cumulative GPA of a 3.2 or above.