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

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.

Related Stories
‹
Photo Gallery: UNC Men's, Women's Lacrosse Win NCAA Tournament Openers in Chapel Hill
Both the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams hosted NCAA Tournament action at Dorrance Field during the weekend. The No. 3 seeded men’s team earned a blowout, first round victory against Albany on Saturday, before the No. 2 seeded women’s team handled Clemson on Sunday after having a bye in the first round. Check out […]
4 UNC Lacrosse Players Named First Team All-Americans, Several Others Honored
A combined four players between the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were named as first team All-Americans by USA Lacrosse this week. Brady Wambach earned first team honors on the men’s team, while Chloe Humphrey, Sam Forrest and Eliza Osburn each earned nods on the women’s team. Wambach, a junior faceoff specialist, has already […]
UNC Women's Lacrosse No. 2 Overall Seed, Men No. 3 in NCAA Tournament
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both national seeds in their respective NCAA Tournament fields, which were announced Sunday night. The women’s team is the No. 2 overall seed in the bracket, while the men are No. 3 overall. On the women’s side, the Tar Heels earned the No. 2 overall seed despite […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Dominate Boston College, Men Outlast Army
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up wins against ranked foes at Dorrance Field Saturday afternoon. The top-ranked women’s team soundly beat Boston College, while the fifth-ranked men held on to beat Army. Both the Eagles and Black Knights are ranked No. 16 in the national polls. The women led off the […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men, Women Both Dominate in Home Wins
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams each picked up comfortable home wins Saturday, with the top-ranked women defeating Pitt 19-3 and the No. 5 men defeating Brown 19-7. The women were up first Saturday, and they quickly took control with two goals in the opening two minutes. The first half was all Tar Heels, […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men's and Women's Teams Both Ranked No. 1 in Latest Polls
As of Feb. 23, 2026, Chapel Hill is the center of the collegiate lacrosse world. The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams are both ranked No. 1 in the latest Inside Lacrosse polls, which were released Monday. 𝗡𝗼. 𝟭 𝗨!@UNCMensLacrosse joins @uncwlax at the top spot in the Week 3️⃣ @kanefootwear Media Polls. pic.twitter.com/ckKe35KDZT — […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Thump Ohio State and Louisville, Men Beat No. 13 Johns Hopkins
The UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams both picked up decisive home wins Friday at Dorrance Field, with the top-ranked women beating Ohio State 22-9 and the third-ranked men defeating No. 13 Johns Hopkins 17-9. The women’s team followed up its win against the Buckeyes with another blowout victory against Louisville Sunday. In the first […]
UNC Lacrosse: Men Ranked No. 5, Women Ranked No. 1 in Preseason Poll
The USA Lacrosse Preseason Polls have been released, and voters are high on the UNC men and women as the 2026 season approaches. The men’s team is ranked No. 5, while the women’s team is ranked No. 1 following its national championship 2025 season. The UNC men’s team reached the NCAA Tournament in 2025, breaking […]
UNC Lacrosse: Women Earn No. 1 Overall Seed, Men No. 8 Seed in NCAA Tournament
It’s tournament time for the UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse teams. The NCAA Tournament brackets were revealed Sunday night, with the women earning the No. 1 overall seed in the field and the men earning the No. 8 overall seed. The women are the No. 1 overall seed for the third time in the last […]
6 UNC Lacrosse Players Named Tewaaraton Award Nominees
Six UNC men’s and women’s lacrosse players have been named as nominees for the Tewaaraton Award, given annually to the national player of the year. On the men’s side, Owen Duffy and Dominic Pietramala both earned nods, while Sam Forrest, Brooklyn Walker-Welch, Chloe Humphrey and Ashley Humphrey are nominated on the women’s side. 🗣️ Tewaaraton […]
›