Five Wolverines Earn IWLCA West/Midwest All-Region Honors
5/16/2024 3:34:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. -- Five University of Michigan women's lacrosse student-athletes earned Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association West/Midwest All-Region honors -- Maddie Burns, Erin O'Grady and Jill Smith notched first team honors and Grace Callahan and Kaylee Dyer garnered second team honors -- the association announced Thursday (May 16).
The first-team honor is the second of Smith's career, while Burns earns her second all-region nod having been named to the second team in 2023. The honor is the first of the careers of O'Grady, Callahan and Dyer.
Burns, a 2024 Tewaaraton Award nominee and team captain, has anchored the nation's top defense and has started all 19 games this season. The Philadelphia, Pa., native has a team-best 28 caused turnovers and 37 ground balls, while ranking fourth on the team with 20 draw controls. Burns broke the U-M career ground-ball record with her 101st pick up against Northwestern on April 21 and brings her career total of 107 into the NCAA quarterfinals.
O'Grady, Michigan's second Tewaaraton nominee, has started 18 games in the cage for the Wolverines and leads the nation in goals-against average (6.96) and save percentage (.566). The junior goalie has made 146 saves this season and became just the fifth goalie in U-M history to record 100 saves in a single season. She has produced six games with double-digit save efforts this year, including 10 saves against No. 4 Notre Dame in the NCAA second round and was a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and a three-time National Defensive Player of the Week honoree.
Smith, U-M's career goals leader, earns her second straight first-team honor as the Wolverines' scoring leader with 69 points (55 goals, 14 assists). The Farmington Hills, Mich., native became the U-M career goals leader after scoring five goals against Johns Hopkins and carries a career total of 135 goals in just under three seasons of work. This season, Smith has 11 contests with three points or more and 10 hat tricks. The junior attacker recorded a Michigan-best nine points at Marquette with her seven goals and two assists, also while producing five games with six points this season. Smith ranks second on the team with 62 draw controls with 12 games that included three draw wins or more.
Dyer has started all 18 games for Michigan this season. The Elkins Park, Pa., native's 64 points (47 goals, 15 assists) rank second for U-M. Dyer has netted three goals or more in nine games this season, including an eight-point outing at Rutgers (six goals, two assists). She became just the seventh Wolverine in program history to eclipse 100 career points (118) heading into the NCAA quarterfinals.
Callahan has started all 18 games and has been a crucial part of the nation's leading defense. The sophomore defender had 29 ground balls and 19 caused turnovers this season and has produced eight games with two caused turnovers or more this season.
Michigan will play in its first-ever NCAA quarterfinal later today (May 16) at 5 p.m. against No. 2-ranked Boston College.
