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Michelle Allen Receives Numerous Accolades 4-22-04 4/22/2004 VU lacrosse senior lauded nationally and by conference NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Michelle Allen, a senior tri-captain and attacker on the Vanderbilt women’s lacrosse team, earned a trio of honors this week for her play against American Lacrosse Conference rivals Ohio and Ohio State, as well as her outstanding leadership all season long. Allen was named the ALC Player of the Week, while also earning a spot on the womenslacrosse.com honor roll and begin nominated for the Tewaaraton Trophy. “Michelle has played a critical role in the success our program has enjoyed over the last three years,” VU Head Coach Cathy Swezey said. “What makes Michelle special is her ability to go beyond the traditional role of an attacker. She earns every goal and assist, but her ability to make plays in the midfield is what make her stand out, whether is be with caused turnovers, draw controls or ground balls. She is one of the most complete players I have ever coached.” The ALC Player of the Week honor was the third for a VU student-athlete this season and the second in as many weeks. Sophomore Kate Hickman claimed the award last week after senior Jess Roguski had won the first of the 2004 season. Allen, a native of Eldersburg, Md., also took Player of the Week honors last season in the week following matches against the two Ohio schools. The publicity from womenslacrosse.com is Allen’s second piece of national recognition this season. The Liberty High School product earned honorable mention from insidelacrosse.com in late March. Commodores have been mentioned by one of those two lacrosse web sites a total of seven times this year. Perhaps the greatest of Allen’s honors was the Tewaaraton nomination. The Tewaaraton Trophy, awarded each year to the top collegiate male and female, is the most prestigious award a varsity lacrosse player can receive. Allen joins 19 other student-athletes on the list, which will be narrowed the five finalists in early May. The trophy, awarded as a joint effort between the Tewaaraton Award Foundation and the University Club of Washington, D.C., will be presented in on June 3, 2004 at a banquet honoring the finalists and trophy winners at the National Geographic Society Auditorium in Washington, D.C. “Michelle is a great leader for this team and has earned the respect of her teammates with her diligent work ethic and her playmaking ability in big games,” Swezey added. “It’s nice to see one of our players earn so much recognition. We could not be more excited about her being a Tewaaration finalist, and she is certain to earn several more post-season honors.” |
