The NCAA recognized UNC sophomore P.J. Zinsner on Friday as its Elite 90 Award for men’s lacrosse, which honors the player with the highest cumulative grade point average competing in the Final Four.

An economics major from Alexandria, Virginia, Zinsner’s 3.982 GPA is the highest ever for a men’s lacrosse winner in the 10-year history of the award.

He was presented with the honor on the field following the Tar Heels’ practice session on Friday.

Zinsner — a midfielder — has appeared in just five games for UNC this season and has not recorded any on-field statistics but this award goes right along with head coach Joe Breschi’s mantra for the program, which is “Family. Academics. Lacrosse.”

This marks the 14th time a UNC athlete has won an Elite 90 Award, which ranks third-most among all NCAA Division I schools. Zinsner is the first Tar Heel men’s lacrosse player to earn the honor.

There have been five UNC field hockey players to claim the award, four women’s soccer athletes and two each in both women’s lacrosse and men’s soccer.

The most recent Tar Heel winners prior to Zinsner are Natalie Chandler (women’s soccer) and Abby Pitcairn (field hockey), who each did it during the 2019-20 school year.

Eligibility for the award requires student-athletes to be sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. In the event of a tie for top GPA, the number of course credits completed serves as the tiebreaker.

The top-seeded Tar Heels saw their season come to an end on Saturday, as No. 4 Virginia beat UNC in the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament, 12-11.

 

Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees. You can support local journalism and our mission to serve the community. Contribute today – every single dollar matters.

Related Stories
‹
No. 4 Seed Virginia Hangs On to Top No. 1 UNC in NCAA Men's Lacrosse Semifinals
Much like the top-ranked women’s team on Friday, the No. 1 UNC men put together an incredible second-half comeback on Saturday in Hartford before ultimately falling short in the NCAA Tournament Semifinals. The Tar Heels fell to No. 4 Virginia by a score of 12-11 after a pair of shot attempts in the final minute […]
UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Venue Christened Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium
Dorrance Field, the home venue for the UNC soccer and lacrosse programs, has expanded its name to Dorrance Field at Play2Dream Legacy Stadium. The expanded name comes in recognition of a gift from Kathleen Welsh and Gary Loveman, parents of two former UNC women’s soccer players. UNC describes Play2Dream as “a private family foundation” founded […]
Check out the Full Schedule for UNC's ACC Network Takeover
The ACC Network will air a full day of UNC games from the 2025-26 academic year Wednesday, July 1. It’s part of a series of ACC Network Takeovers, which started June 24 and include all 18 member schools. UNC’s takeover includes wall-to-wall coverage from 12 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. The broadcast day gets underway with […]
UNC Men's Lacrosse's Season Ends vs. Syracuse in NCAA Quarterfinals
Despite leading 6-2 in the second quarter, UNC fell to No. 6 overall seed Syracuse 13-11 in the NCAA quarterfinals Saturday in Hempstead, N.Y. The Tar Heels’ season is over. Carolina, the No. 3 overall seed in the field, had taken its early lead thanks to three goals in rapid succession from Brady Wambach, Anthony […]
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.
Pietramala's Record-Breaking Day Helps UNC Men's Lacrosse Beat Albany in NCAA Tournament
UNC junior attackman Dominic Pietramala rewrote several record books in a 24-6 Tar Heel win against Albany in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday in Chapel Hill. The win was the Tar Heels’ first in the NCAA Tournament since 2021. 🗣️ HEELS WIN#GoHeels x @WellsFargo pic.twitter.com/2tGpLXLAB1 — UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) May 9, […]
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 […]
Multiple UNC Teams Post Perfect Academic Progress Rates, New Report Says
Several UNC sports programs posted perfect single-year and multi-year academic progress rates for the 2024-25 academic year, according to the NCAA’s latest report. Academic progress rate (APR) is used to track performance of scholarship students who compete on varsity teams, and the score measures eligibility and retention each semester. A perfect score is 1000, and […]
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 Men's Lacrosse Falls to Virginia in ACC Championship Game
Virginia scored 11 unanswered goals to end the first half to blow open the ACC Championship game early and beat UNC 16-6 in Charlotte Sunday. Carolina is still searching for its first conference tournament title since 2017. The Tar Heels had opened on the front foot, scoring two goals in the first five minutes to […]
›