WHAC RELEASE

Grand Rapids, Mich. – The Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference announced its women's lacrosse 2024 season honors yesterday afternoon (Apr. 17). 15 individuals were selected to the First and Second All-Conference Teams (five attackers, four midfielders, five defenders, and one goalkeeper). The Saints had two players named Second Team All-Conference as both Kennadie Minerich and Alexis Villarini were named to an all-conference team for the third consecutive season.

Both Minerich and Villarini finished their respective careers at Aquinas as two of the best to ever suit up for the Saints.

Minerich ended the season with a team-high of 63 points and 29 assists. She also found paydirt 34 times with Shaylin Rings being the only player on the team to score more. Defensively, she picked up 24 ground balls and caused 12 turnovers.

The Montrose, Colorado native ends her career as one of the best offensive players in Aquinas College women's lacrosse history. She has 275 career points, 167 career goals, and 108 career assists. Minerich is the Aquinas all-time leader in both points and assists, having 43 more points than anyone else and 39 more assists. Her nine career game-winning goals top the all-time charts as well.

Defensively, the senior ranks sixth all-time in ground balls (135) and third in caused turnovers (62).

Minerich was named First Team All-Conference in 2022 and 2023, along with being named a CSC All-American in 2023 and an NAIA Second-Team All-American.

Villarini was also named Second Team All-WHAC after being named First Team All-Conference in 2022 and 2023, along with being named the WHAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2023 and an NAIA Second Team All-American in 2022.

AQ's All-Conference defender ended the season with 51 ground balls, 25 caused turnovers, and 33 draw controls – both her ground balls and caused turnovers were best on the 2024 Aquinas team. Additionally, she had two goals and three assists this season from the defensive line.

Villarini's career comes to a close with the most ground balls (179) and caused turnover (102) of all time while breaking into fifth all-time in draw controls (106).

Aquinas had seven athletes named to the WHAC All-Academic team in 2024. To qualify for the All-Academic team, the athlete must possess a 3.25 cumulative GPA, be at least a sophomore in academic standing, and have been at Aquinas for at least one academic year. AQ's all-academic honorees are: Olivia Bowen, Minerich, Trinity Reynoso, Shaylin Rings, Sophia Schmader, Alex Sullivan, and Brianna Trepins.

Reynoso was also named as AQ's representative on the Champions of Character team. This athlete is identified by her respective coach as the player who best represents the five core character values of integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership.