Junior midfielder Bridget Instrum was named U.S. Lacrosse All-American in recognition of her outstanding 2011 season.
Teammate Katie Cavanaugh was named an Academic All-American.
Instrum and Cavanaugh led the Wildcats to their sixth straight Western New England Class B Championship this past season.The most recent championship continues an unprecedented streak of success for the team, which has lost only two games in the last four seasons.
“Bridget is one of the hardest working and gifted athletes I’ve ever had the pleasure to coach,” says Jen Fulcher, the team’s head coach. “She’s a natural scorer and instinctive in her play. Most importantly, when the game’s on the line, she wants the ball.”
According to Coach Fulcher, Bridget had a “dominant” year. She led the team in scoring, averaging almost six goals per game. She also led the team in ground balls. She will be team captain next year and has verbally committed to play lacrosse at The Ohio State University after she graduates from Williston.
Katie Cavanaugh is the second Williston student to be named Academic All-American. She started every game as a defender and according to Coach Fulcher, “she does whatever it takes to better the entire team.” Katie is the program’s second academic All-American. Katie Pettengill ’09, who currently plays at Williams College, was the first. This past May, Cavanaugh was also chosen to be a part of the prestigious U.S. Lacrosse Women’s New England Team at the National Tournament.
The girls lacrosse program began at Williston in the 1970s, soon after The Williston Northampton School was formed as a result of the merger of Williston Academy and Northampton School for Girls. This marks the second year in a row that a Williston girls lacrosse player has been named to the All-America team. SA Fogelman ’10 was named to the team last year; she currently plays lacrosse at the U.S. Naval Academy.