By Mike Walsh
Correspondent
Ryan McGee is one of four Concordia University Chicago women’s lacrosse athletes to be chosen to the 2023 All-Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Team. McGee, a goalie who prepped at Nazareth, was one of two Cougars named to the All-NACC First Team.
For McGee, this marks her third consecutive All-NACC First Team plaudit. The senior started all 14 games this season, playing 837 minutes and posting a record of 14-14. She made 162 saves on faced 459 shots (.488 save percentage).
In six conference matches, McGee made 65 saves and allowed 58 goals (9.99 goals against average). She was second in saves per game (10.83) and third in save percentage (.528).
McGee also honored as the NACC’s Defensive Player of the Week for March 21 and April 12.
Fly Like an Eagle
Senior Kathleen Casella, a Lyons graduate, is one of four members of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse’s women’s swimming and diving team to be named to the 2022-23 Academic All-District Team as selected by the College Sports Communicators.
The 2022-23 Academic All-District Men’s and Women’s Swimming & Diving Teams, recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances in the pool and in the classroom.
Lauding Luc
Andrew graduate Luc Valdez was selected to the National Wrestling Coaches Association (NWCA) 2022-23 Scholar All-America Team and Individual honorees list. This is the third consecutive season that Valdez, who attends the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh, has garnered this accolade.
Valdez also earned the 2023 Max Sparger Men’s Scholar-Athlete Award from the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Association, becoming the first Titan to receive the honor since the 2011-12 season.
A team captain this season, the Tinley Park resident claimed the 125-pound title at the WIAC championship after finishing as the runner-up a season ago. He placed third at 133 pounds at the 2021 WIAC championship and sixth at 125 pounds in 2020.
Valdez was 25-11 this season overall and authored a career mark of 71-35.
Heart of a Champion
One of the reasons why Northwestern’s women’s softball team was able to win back-to-back Big Ten championships has been the play of senior left fielder Angela Zedak.
In helping the Wildcats to an overall record of 33-10 and a reading of 18-2 in the conference, the Marist graduate is pacing NU in home runs (9) and slugging percentage (.559) in 43 starts.
Zedak is second on the team in runs (32), RBI (33) and total bases (71), tied for second in doubles (8), fourth in hits (39) and on-base percentage (.945), and fifth in batting average (.307).