When the 2020 Maryland lacrosse season kicked off, as the Terps and George Mason squared off for the first draw, Maryland held a unique accolade over its opponents: sheer volume of All-American talent. The Terps’ squad consisted of 20 Under Armour High School All-Americans — over half of its roster.
While four of those departed after the coronavirus shortened season, the Terps welcomed a new wave for the 2021 season. And the future looks particularly bright, as three incoming freshmen — Eloise Clevenger, Sophi Wrisk and Kennedy Williamson — were named All-Americans Tuesday, Corrigan Sports Enterprises and Inside Lacrosse announced Tuesday afternoon.
“We are very proud of Kennedy, Eloise and Sophi for being recognized as Under Armour All-Americans and can’t wait to see what the three of them and the rest of their class can accomplish as Terps,” coach Cathy Reese told The Diamondback.
All three of the soon-to-be Terps are among the highest-rated recruits in the nation. Midfielders Clevenger and Wrisk cracked Inside Lacrosse’s top 20, while Williamson came in at No. 37 — making her the highest-ranked defender in her class.
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The trio also continue Maryland’s tradition of bringing in some of the best local players. All are in-state talents, who represented high school teams separated by mere minutes.
Headlining the contingent is Clevenger, the no. 14 recruit in the nation, per Inside Lacrosse. As a versatile midfielder, she captained Marriotts Ridge’s squad, besting the 40-goal mark in both her sophomore and junior years — earning two All-County selections in the process. Clevenger also led the Mustangs to a historic 10-8 win over rival Glenelg in 2019, snapping a five game losing streak against one of their closest competitors.
Wrisk starred in three sports at Catonsville High School. Although she missed two weeks of her junior year with a calf injury, she scored 34 goals and added eight assists in an 11-4 season. The Comets only played one scrimmage before the coronavirus pandemic ended their 2020 season. She was also an all-county selection for Catsonsville’s volleyball team, and a stingy defender for the Comets’ basketball squad.
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Williamson is the highest-rated defender in the 2020 class — a distinction she held as early as 2018. She led Glenelg Country School to an 11-2 conference record, and a second place finish in the fiercely competitive A division of the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland league in 2019. She scooped 49 ground balls that year, earning a second team All-County selection for her performance. Her teammate Madison Sesay will also suit up for the Terps in 2021 as the duo look to continue their harmonious partnership on defense.
While none of the three headlining recruits played out a full 2020 season, all developed impressive enough resumes to be considered among the best high school talent in the nation.
And they will come into a Maryland program with a few holes to fill. While attacker and preseason Big Ten Player of the Year Brindi Griffin will stick around for the 2021 season, defender Meg Doherty declined her extra year of eligibility — as did attacker and draw control specialist Kali Hartshorn. The Terps also lost All-American defender Emma Schettig, who transferred to Notre Dame.
Maryland has a slew of in-house talent who could step into those spots — and returning starters who project to improve. With bountiful talent, Maryland will look to maintain its spot among the best women’s lacrosse programs in the nation. And it just added three more All-Americans to help in that effort.
