University of North Carolina Athletics
Four Tar Heels Land On Tewaaraton Award Watch List
February 10, 2023 | Women's Lacrosse
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Four University of North Carolina women's lacrosse players have been named to the 2023 Tewaaraton Award Watch List, as announced by the Tewaaraton Foundation on Friday.
Carolina's four standouts on the watch list – Olivia Dirks, Emily Nalls, Brooklyn Walker-Welch and Caitlyn Wurzburger – are tied for the second-most in the nation.
The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are made up of premier collegiate coaches and are appointed annually by the Tewaaraton Foundation.
Dirks, a senior midfielder, has already garnered preseason All-America nods from both ILWomen and USA Lacrosse Magazine ahead of the 2023 season. She saw action in all 22 games as a key reserve at midfield as a junior, capping off the season with 20 goals, five assists, 25 points and 36 draw controls, the latter which ranked third on the team.
A Second-Team All-America selection a season ago, Nalls led UNC with 49 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers – both which were career highs – and ranked second on the team with 58 draw controls in 2022. She was tabbed Second-Team All-America by Inside Lacrosse and Third-Team All-America by both USA Lacrosse and IWLCA as a junior.
Walker-Welch, a sophomore, finds herself as one of only five underclassmen on the Tewaaraton watch list. A key member of the Tar Heels' stalwart defense, she was the only rookie to start all 22 contests and ranked second on the roster with 19 caused turnovers, earning herself All-America Honorable Mention honors.
Wurzburger, a junior, tallied 34 goals, 42 assists and 76 points during her sophomore campaign. The Third-Team All-America selection was second on the roster in both assists and points and recorded at least one point in 21 of the 22 games she played, including a career-high seven on three occasions. She currently ranks 11th all-time in program history for career points.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Carolina's four standouts on the watch list – Olivia Dirks, Emily Nalls, Brooklyn Walker-Welch and Caitlyn Wurzburger – are tied for the second-most in the nation.
The Tewaaraton Award annually honors the top male and female college lacrosse player in the United States. The selection committees are made up of premier collegiate coaches and are appointed annually by the Tewaaraton Foundation.
Dirks, a senior midfielder, has already garnered preseason All-America nods from both ILWomen and USA Lacrosse Magazine ahead of the 2023 season. She saw action in all 22 games as a key reserve at midfield as a junior, capping off the season with 20 goals, five assists, 25 points and 36 draw controls, the latter which ranked third on the team.
A Second-Team All-America selection a season ago, Nalls led UNC with 49 ground balls and 22 caused turnovers – both which were career highs – and ranked second on the team with 58 draw controls in 2022. She was tabbed Second-Team All-America by Inside Lacrosse and Third-Team All-America by both USA Lacrosse and IWLCA as a junior.
Walker-Welch, a sophomore, finds herself as one of only five underclassmen on the Tewaaraton watch list. A key member of the Tar Heels' stalwart defense, she was the only rookie to start all 22 contests and ranked second on the roster with 19 caused turnovers, earning herself All-America Honorable Mention honors.
Wurzburger, a junior, tallied 34 goals, 42 assists and 76 points during her sophomore campaign. The Third-Team All-America selection was second on the roster in both assists and points and recorded at least one point in 21 of the 22 games she played, including a career-high seven on three occasions. She currently ranks 11th all-time in program history for career points.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
Midfielder
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Defender
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Defender
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Attacker
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