Florida Tech Women’s Lacrosse Receives IWLCA Honor Squad, 10 Panthers Recognized on Honor Roll

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ORLANDO, FLORIDA – The Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association has announced its Academic Honor Squads and Honor Roll.

The IWLCA has named 324 schools from Division I, II, III and NAIA as IWLCA Academic Honor Squads for the 2024-2025 school year.

To be eligible for this prestigious honor, the women’s lacrosse team must:

■ Have achieved a team GPA of 3.2 or higher for the academic year.

Of the 324 schools selected at all levels of collegiate women’s lacrosse, Florida Tech’s women’s lacrosse team was selected to the IWLCA Honor Squad, with a team grade point average of 3.575 over the course of the 2023-24 academic year.

The team’s Spring GPA of 3.61 was the highest GPA of any sport at Florida Tech for the spring 2023 sports season.

The IWLCA also honored 519 academic athletes from 71 different institutions on the 2023 IWLCA Division II Academic Honor Roll. To be eligible for this honor, academic athletes must:

■ Be a junior, senior, or master’s student.

■ Achieved a cumulative academic GPA of 3.50 or higher.

Florida Tech women’s lacrosse is represented on the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll by Jennie Boyle, Cailey Canessa, Lizzy Christ, Annabel Frey, Millie Hurt, Karly Liebendorfer, Carly Niro, Gabrielle Skowronski, Mackenzie Smith and Ashley Walter.

Boyle, a recent graduate in chemical engineering, earns the honor with a 3.60 GPA during her time at Florida Tech.

In 2024, the midfielder started all 17 games for the Crimson and Gray, while recording 35 points, 22 goals, 13 assists, 14 caused turnovers and 32 draw-control wins. Additionally, Boyle was academically named to the 2024 Florida Tech Athletic Directors Honor Roll and Spring SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Canessa, who recently earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration, achieved an average GPA of 3.83 in her three years at Tech.

As goalkeeper for the Panthers, the West Long Branch, New Jersey native started all 17 games for Florida Tech, setting a personal best with 778:44 minutes.

She made 93 total saves and posted a 13.25 goals-against average. Academically, Canessa earned an Outstanding Student of the Year award from the Nathan M. Bisk College of Business and was honored with a Distinguished Student Scholar Award, while also being named to Florida Tech’s Athletic Directors Honor Roll and the Spring SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Christ attended Gulf Breeze, earned a 3.85 grade point average at Florida Tech, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering.

During the 2024 season, Christ scored a goal, 13 ground balls, 10 caused turnovers and 13 draw controls. She was named to the Florida Tech Athletic Director’s Honor Roll and SSC Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Frey, a senior, carries a cumulative GPA of 3.94 in forensic psychology. Frey started and played in 10 games during the 2024 campaign. She recorded 17 ground balls, 12 caused turnovers and a draw control. Frey was named to the Florida Tech Athletic Directors and SSC Spring Commissioner’s Honor Rolls.

Hurt, from Manchester, England, earned a cumulative GPA of 3.85 while at Tech after recently earning her bachelor’s degree in biochemistry. In 2024, the defenseman appeared in all 17 games with 16 starts, recording 30 ground balls, 13 caused turnovers and one assist.

Academically, Hurt won the 2023-24 Outstanding Student of the Year award for the School of Engineering and Science: Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Science, a Distinguished Student Scholar Award, and was named to the Florida Tech Athletic Director’s Honors Roll, Spring SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll, and Spring SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Originally from Frederick, Maryland, Liebendorfer finished her career at Tech with a 3.84 GPA.

In 2024, she played in all 17 games, recording 21 points on 17 goals and four assists with 13 ground balls, seven caused turnovers and 28 draw control wins.

Liebendorfer recently graduated with her bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering. She has received numerous academic awards, including the prestigious 2023 Scholar Astronaut Scholarship, Florida Tech’s Most Outstanding Senior, Outstanding Student of the Year for the Faculty of Engineering and Sciences: Department of Biomedical and Chemical Engineering and Sciences, the Distinguished Student Scholar Award, and a mention on Florida Tech’s Athletic Directors Honor Roll and the Spring SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Niro, a junior on attack, earned a 3.63 GPA while studying forensic psychology. On the court, Niro finished second on the team with 49 points on 37 goals and 12 assists.

Defensively, she collected 23 ground balls, 21 turnovers and five draw control wins, which helped her be named Second Team All-SSC. For her efforts in the classroom, Niro was named to Florida Tech’s Athletic Director Honor Roll and Spring SSC Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Skowronski, a rising senior, achieved a cumulative GPA of 3.84 while studying biomedical engineering.

She played in five games last season, with an assist and two groundballs. The Point Pleasant, New Jersey native was named to the Florida Tech Athletic Directors Honor Roll and SSC Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

A native of Flower Mound, Texas, Smith has a cumulative GPA of 3.87 while pursuing a major in strategic communications. The rising senior has appeared in eight games during the 2024 season, recording six ground balls, six caused turnovers and one draw control. She was also named to both the Florida Tech Athletic Directors Honor Roll and the SSC Spring Commissioner’s Honor Roll.

Born in Barnegat, New Jersey, Walter worked hard to earn a cumulative GPA of 4.0 as a business student.

She started and played in 17 games for the Panthers, collecting 24 groundballs and three turnovers. Walter was named to the Florida Tech Athletic Directors and SSC Spring Commissioners Honor Rolls.

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