Lynchburg, Va. -- Awards season continued to bear fruit for the Lynchburg College men's lacrosse program Wednesday with the unveiling of the Virginia Sports Information Directors' College Division All-State squad. Five Hornets found their way onto the Commonwealth's 2018 iteration.
The state's athletic communications professionals elected junior attackman Evan Lombardo (Franklin Park, N.J.), senior midfielder Colin McGuire (Odenton, Md.), and junior long-stick midfielder Seamus McDonald (Far Hills, N.J.) to the first team, while junior midfielders Kevin Rogers (Leesburg, Va.) and Nick Willertz (Severn, Md.) were dubbed second-teamers.
Lynchburg's five All-State selections are the most on the teams since the 2015 season. The Hornets have placed four on the teams each of the past two years. Lombardo and McDonald are repeat selections.
Lombardo scored 66 goals in 2018, a mark that led both the Hornets and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. He also made 12 assists and 21 ground balls to earn honorable mention All-America status along with first-team selections to the all-region and All-ODAC teams.
McGuire was fourth on the team with 36 goals, and his 32 assists were second among Hornet players. He was an honorable mention All-American, first-team All-South Region and All-ODAC, and participated in the Division III North-South All-Star Game in May. Half his goals came in Lynchburg's final five games.
McDonald collected 51 ground balls and 13 caused turnovers in his junior season. He also scored four goals and dished out four assists on his way to honorable mention All-America status and first-team All-South Region and all-conference accolades.
Willertz led the team in caused turnovers (15), also tallying four goals, four assists, and 44 ground balls to garner his first All-State award. He was first-team All-ODAC and second-team All-South Region.
Rogers, a second-team All-ODAC selection, was tied for second on the team with 37 goals and third with 15 assists.
Lynchburg finished 2018 with a 12-9 record and won the program's seventh ODAC tournament title. The team reached the NCAA tournament for the seventh-straight year.
Washington and Lee attackman A.J. Witherell took the player of the year honor, while Christopher Newport swept the year's top rookie and top coach honors; the Captains' Dylan Rice and Mikey Thompson won those, respectively.
2018 VaSID ALL-STATE MEN'S LACROSSE TEAMS
Player of the Year: A.J. Witherell, Washington and Lee
Rookie of the Year: Dylan Rice, Christopher Newport
Coach of the Year: Mikey Thompson, Christopher Newport
All-State First Team
Attack, Matthew Crist, Christopher Newport
Attack, Evan Lombardo, Lynchburg
Attack, A.J. Witherell, Washington & Lee
Midfield, Hunter Brown, Hampden-Sydney
Midfield, Colin McGuire, Lynchburg
Midfield, IV Stucker, Roanoke
Defense, Conn Curry, Roanoke
Defense, Kyle Gifford, Washington & Lee
Defense, Kent Henry, Hampden-Sydney
Goalie, Ian Davies, Roanoke
Face-off, Tony Cruz, Christopher Newport
Long Stick, Seamus McDonald, Lynchburg
All-State Second Team
Attack, Shawn Lamb, Southern Virginia
Attack, Ian Levin, Hampden-Sydney
Attack, Dylan Rice, Christopher Newport
Midfield, Hudson Hamill, Washington & Lee
Midfield, Kevin Rogers, Lynchburg
Midfield, Nick Willertz, Lynchburg
Defense, John Broderick, Washington & Lee
Defense, Robby Moore, Roanoke
Defense, Max Wayne, Christopher Newport
Goalie, Scott McAneney, Christopher Newport
Face-off, Jack Hodgson, Washington & Lee
Long Stick, Phoenix Hines, Christopher Newport
--LC--
