FAIRFAX, Va.  – George Mason women's lacrosse junior Lauren Distad has been honored with the OrthoVirginia Student Achiever Award on behalf of OrthoVirginia and George Mason Athletics.
 
OrthoVirginia is the proud sponsor of the Student Achiever Award which recognizes student-athletes for, not only their athletic accomplishments, but also how they perform in the classroom and in service to our community. Student-athletes can be recognized for exceptional performance outside of the sport arena, such as community service, leadership on campus, consistent excellent performance in the classroom, incredible attitude, overcoming adversity, leadership skills, major improvement in their sport, etc. 
 
Distad is a junior on the Women's Lacrosse team and is majoring in Biology with a minor in Data Analysis. Distad has been recognized as a Peter N. Sterns Provost Scholar Athlete, the highest academic award for student-athletes at George Mason University. She has also made the Dean's list for five straight semesters and has been recognized twice on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner's Honor Roll. 
 
On the field, Distad has emerged as one of the top draw specialists in the Atlantic 10. She leads the Patriots with 48 draw controls on the season, and matched the second-most draw controls in a single game in program history with 13 wins against Howard earlier this season. Among conference opponents, she ranks third in the Atlantic 10 with 6.86 draw controls per game.
 
The Roseville, Minn. native represents the best of Mason Athletics as a leader on and off the field. Distad currently serves as the Atlantic 10 representative for George Mason SAAC and currently serves as a Mason Ambassador working with prospective students and groups visiting campus. 
 
During the Spring 2022 semester the lacrosse team volunteered to serve hot meals to the homeless at FACETS (A Non-profit shelter that helps parents and their children and individuals who suffer the effects of poverty in Fairfax County). After that experience she was moved to contact the volunteer's coordinator to seek additional opportunities and started volunteering weekly to tutor, mentor, engage with and spend time with children in their afterschool and summer programs.  Distad has made a commitment to volunteer until she graduates from George Mason. She also volunteers at a free clinic in Fredericksburg as a medical scribe for those without insurance or healthcare. 
 
Upon graduation she will be attending medial school to one day become a Pediatric doctor.