Seven UNC women’s lacrosse players and one UNC men’s lacrosse players earned preseason All-America honors from USA Lacrosse on Wednesday.

Junior defenseman Paul Barton was Carolina’s lone honoree on the men’s side. Barton started all 14 games for the Tar Heels in 2023 and led the team with 17 caused turnovers. Inside Lacrosse named him an honorable mention All-American, and he was also named to the All-ACC Academic Team.

On the women’s side, Brooklyn Walker-Welch earned a first team selection, Emily Nalls landed on the second team and Caitlyn Wurzburger on the third team. Reilly Casey, Alyssa Long, Alecia Nicholas and Marissa White each received honorable mention nods. UNC’s seven preseason All-America selections are tied for second-most in the country.

A stalwart defender, Walker-Welch helped UNC allow a league-low 8.4 goals per game last season. She received first team All-ACC and first team All-America honors. Also on that defense was Nalls, who led the Tar Heels with 30 caused turnovers and 33 ground balls. She was also named first team All-ACC and first team All-America.

Wurzburger tallied 37 goals and a team-high 35 assists in 2023. She sits at 94 assists in her decorated college career, good for fourth on the all-time Carolina leaderboard. She was named second team All-ACC.

The No. 19 men’s lacrosse team will get its season underway on February 10 when it faces Mercer in Atlanta at 3:30 p.m. The No. 3 women’s team will open on the same day at No. 8 James Madison at noon.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jeffrey A. Camarati

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