Paige Sutton

Paige Sutton of the Lindenwood women’s lacrosse team has been tabbed as the recipient of the Elite 90 Award. The award recognizes a student-athlete who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers.

Paige and teammate Meg with the trophy

 

Kiss Kiss !!

Sutton, a Victoria, British Columbia native has played in 16 games making 14 starts this season. The junior attack has compiled 32 goals, while adding four assists in those games. The 32 scores ranks third on the team, as she also registered 11 ground balls and four caused turnovers so far this year.

Sutton recorded four games in which she registered three or more goals, including a career-high six in the season-opener against Northern Michigan on February 20th.

Paige with fellow Canadians

 

Paige and Coaches

For her efforts this season, Sutton was also named as a member of the all-GLVC second team, one of 11 Lions to garner such honors this season.

Sutton becomes the fifth Lion to receive the award, joining Melissa Menchella, Ryan Dyck, Brad Currier, and Morgan Judd, who won the award twice. Menchella and Judd were both members of the women’s lacrosse team
Paige and her Lindenwood University (St. Charles MO) women’s lacrosse team won the NCAA Division 2 National Championship. Winning a NCAA National Championship is a hard and long road. The team finished their season 17-1 to cap off their first national title and the first for a NCAA team in the Midwest. To say it was  a very successful season for this group of females, especially coming of a 2020 season that was cancelled due to COVID is an understatement.

The ELITE 90, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 90 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA’s 90 championships.

Few Canadians win a NCAA national championship, let alone one from the island.