University of North Carolina Athletics

Sophomore P.J. Zinsner was presented with the Elite 90 Award following Friday's practice.
Zinsner Earns NCAA Elite 90 Award
May 28, 2021 | Men's Lacrosse, Academics
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. – North Carolina sophomore P.J. Zinsner has been named the recipient of the NCAA's Elite 90 Award for Division I men's lacrosse, recognizing the player with the highest cumulative grade point average competing this weekend at the finals site.
 
Zinsner, an economics major from Alexandria, Va., currently has a 3.982 GPA, the highest for a men's lacrosse winner in the 10-year history of the award. He was presented with the award at the end of the team's practice session on Friday at Rentschler Field.
 
Including Zinsner's honor, UNC student-athletes have claimed the Elite 90 Award on a total of 14 occasions, third-most among all Division I schools. He's the first winner from the Carolina men's lacrosse program, joining previous Tar Heel honorees in field hockey (five awards), women's lacrosse (two), men's soccer (two) and women's soccer (four).
 
For a list of previous Elite 90 winners, click here.
 
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 championships. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
 
Zinsner and the top-seeded Tar Heels (13-2) meet Virginia Saturday at noon in the first NCAA semifinal game. It's the Tar Heels' 14th semifinal appearance in school history and the first since 2016, when UNC won the fifth NCAA title in program history.
 
Watch live on ESPN2.
 
 
 
 
 
Zinsner, an economics major from Alexandria, Va., currently has a 3.982 GPA, the highest for a men's lacrosse winner in the 10-year history of the award. He was presented with the award at the end of the team's practice session on Friday at Rentschler Field.
Congratulations PJ ‼️ 🎉🎊
PJ Zinsner earns the NCAA ELITE 90 AWARD 📚
The award goes to the player with the highest cumulative GPA competing in the FINAL FOUR 💪
Link to full story: https://t.co/maZJDj2Px4
⬇️ 😆 Here's the reaction 😆 ⬇️#FamilyAcademicsLacrosse pic.twitter.com/6oUlCUEIqe
— UNC Men's Lacrosse (@UNCMensLacrosse) May 28, 2021
  Including Zinsner's honor, UNC student-athletes have claimed the Elite 90 Award on a total of 14 occasions, third-most among all Division I schools. He's the first winner from the Carolina men's lacrosse program, joining previous Tar Heel honorees in field hockey (five awards), women's lacrosse (two), men's soccer (two) and women's soccer (four).
For a list of previous Elite 90 winners, click here.
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 championships. Eligible student-athletes are sophomores or above who have participated in their sport for at least two years with their school. All ties are broken by the number of credits completed.
Zinsner and the top-seeded Tar Heels (13-2) meet Virginia Saturday at noon in the first NCAA semifinal game. It's the Tar Heels' 14th semifinal appearance in school history and the first since 2016, when UNC won the fifth NCAA title in program history.
Watch live on ESPN2.
Players Mentioned
WBB: Post-South Carolina Press Conference - Oct. 30, 2025
Friday, October 31
Carolina Insider - Olympic Sports Update (Full Segment) - October 30, 2025
Thursday, October 30
Tar Heels in the Community pres. by NC Electric Co-ops - LaxBall 2025 Recap
Thursday, October 30
Carolina Insider - Men's Basketball vs. WSSU Exhibition Recap (Full Segment) - October 30, 2025
Thursday, October 30









