IRETON LACROSSE FINISHES 2009 RANKED #25 IN THE NATION
Two first team, two honorable mention US Lacrosse all-Americans for Cardinals, 5 others academic all-Americans
Bishop Ireton Girls Lacrosse finished the 2009 season with a record of 19-4 and ranked #25 in the nation by LaxPower.Com. The national rankings take into consideration strength of schedule, goal differential, home, away and neutral site competition and calculates a power ranking for each of the 2400 high school girls lacrosse programs nationally. Bishop Ireton’s previous highest ranking was #89 in 2008. “We set a goal back when we began preseason conditioning that we were going to take that next big step to joining the top elite programs not just locally but at the national level” said Cardinal Head Coach Steve Tela. Three of Ireton’s four losses came at the hands of #5 St. Stephens and twice to #12 Good Counsel including a double overtime heartbreaker in the WCAC Championships played at the
The Cardinals shattered nearly every team and individual record in program history including most games won (19), fewest losses (4), winning percentage (.826), goals scored (401), and goals allowed (167). Almost every individual season and career record also fell in 2009.
The Cardinals claimed a hearty share of prestigious honors including four US Lacrosse All Americans (Seniors Ashton Hellmuth, Lauren Gray first team – Senior Clair Banta and Junior Janet Tela honorable mention); five US Lacrosse Academic All Americans (Seniors Maria Bowman, Bridget Corridon, Rachel Gartlan, Lauren Gray, and Junior Jacqui Galdos); five Washington Post All Met selections (first team – Hellmuth, second team – Gray and Tela, honorable mention Banta and Bowman); and three All Virginia (Gray, Hellmuth and Tela) and four All Extra first team selections (Banta, Gray, Hellmuth and Tela). In the Washington Athletic Conference (WCAC), six Bishop Ireton players were named to the first team (Banta, Bowman, Gray, Hellmuth, Senior Heather Olson and Tela) three to the second (Corridon, and Sophomore Sarah Rupp and senior Brittany Barnwell) and four to the honorable mention teams (Seniors Allie Fife, Rachel Gartlan and Chesney Hellmuth, and sophomore Katherine Simmons) .
The one accomplishment of which Coach Tela suggested he is most proud was not on the field, but in the classroom, where the players earned a team grade point average of 3.65. 14 of 20 varsity players being named Scholar Athletes and earning first or second honors during the season. “They clearly demonstrated they are not just elite players but elite student athletes. What they did this spring on and off the field will serve them well far into their future endeavors” said Tela.
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