Photo by: Ryan Hunt
Caitlyn Wurzburger, She’s One Of Them
May 15, 2024 | Women's Lacrosse
When Caitlyn Wurzburger scored the final goal of the Tar Heels' season with 12 seconds remaining in her last college game – assisted, fittingly, by her best friend – a wave of visible emotion washed over her.
"Knowing that was my last play in a Carolina jersey really hit me hard," Wurzburger said. "It was a flood of happy, bittersweet and sad emotions. It just shows how much love I have for this program, and for the sport in general."
Regardless of what the scoreline read as the final horn sounded, Wurzburger was able to walk away with her head held high, marking the conclusion of her highly-anticipated – yet underappreciated – collegiate career.
"What makes UNC special, and what makes Caitlyn special, is the desire to come into our program, put yourself on the line and rise up to the occasion, all in the pursuit to be great," head coach Jenny Levy said. "And she did that."
Rise to the occasion, Wurzburger sure did. Be great? She did that, too.
A product of Delray Beach, Florida, Wurzburger boasts the most decorated resume in girls' lacrosse history. She finished her storied prep career at American Heritage School Boca-Delray as the nation's all-time leading scorer with 1,027 points behind 503 goals and 524 assists, a record that still stands today.
She became the first girls' lacrosse player to put up 100 points and 100 assists in a single season as an eighth grader playing at the high-school varsity level, reaching the century mark in both statistical categories in four of her six varsity seasons. Having served as team captain since the seventh grade, she went on to become a four-time All-American and the 2018 High School Player of the Year. She was even featured in Sports Illustrated.
Wurzburger continued to make waves when she became the youngest recruit in girls' lacrosse history to commit to a Division I team, selecting Syracuse as an eighth grader in 2016. However, she reopened her recruitment two years later and ultimately chose North Carolina, citing the people and winning culture as the deciding factors.
"When you're being recruited, you need to look at the people you're going to be around everyday," Wurzburger said. "I really clicked with the team and was drawn to them. They were great people to be around, and the winning culture here at Carolina is contagious."
Her high school success translated seamlessly onto a bigger stage. One of just three players in the Class of 2020 to represent the United States U-19 National Team, Wurzburger led the stars and stripes to gold at the 2019 World Cup after a team-leading 40 points. Her 19 assists set a U-19 tournament record and she earned a spot on the All-World Team.
Quite an accomplished resume at such a young age, all before stepping foot in Chapel Hill in Fall 2020.
"She came in with such high expectations, and that comes with a lot of pressure," Levy said. "Considering the level of scrutiny and pressure she had coming in, once we worked through that with her and she settled in, she was great. She had a great career here."
A great career, indeed.
Her prolific success on the high school and national stage, combined with her unique recruiting path, had steadily established her as a must-watch name in lacrosse. It was no surprise she was the nation's top-ranked incoming freshman ahead of the 2021 season, her first donning Carolina blue.
She pieced together a formidable rookie campaign, culminating in a trip to the national semifinals where she tied Katie Hoeg for a team-leading four points. The 2021 season saw her rank fourth on a deep Tar Heel squad with 53 points behind Scottie Rose Growney, Jamie Ortega and Hoeg, the latter two who were the reigning Co-National Players of the Year.
Even with her accomplishments, Wurzburger's role her freshman year still looked different than what she was used to. As she stated bluntly, she was playing behind what was essentially "an entire starting lineup of All-Americans."
That starting lineup of All-Americans was composed of some of the best players the sport has ever seen; players who stamped their names into the NCAA, ACC and UNC record books, players who continue to leave their mark on the professional and international stage. Along with Ortega, Hoeg and Growney, the team included the likes of Ally Mastroianni, Emma Trenchard, Taylor Moreno, Catie Woodruff and Caroline Wakefield, among several others.
There are some recognizable names in that group, and certainly no shortage of talent.
"It was a very unique experience, but it was a lot of fun playing with that crew. We did a lot of great things on the field together," Wurzburger said, reflecting on playing with some of UNC's all-time greats her freshman year. "I learned a lot from them. They're Carolina legends."
Now Wurzburger can count herself as one of them.
Flying slightly under the radar, Wurzburger was a secret weapon in Carolina's dominance during its undefeated national championship season in 2022. She finished her sophomore year with a career-high 76 points, tying Growney for second on the team behind Ortega.
"Caitlyn had the opportunity to play with Katie [Hoeg] as a freshman, so she stepped into that role. She was really important for us, especially since she had a year under her belt," Levy said, recalling how Wurzburger orchestrated two of the biggest game-changing plays in the epic NCAA semifinal game against Northwestern. "She had an incredible year. Even though there were a lot of big names around her, Caitlyn was a perfect fit for that offensive unit."
Wurzburger, then a sophomore, also recorded 42 assists – two shy of Ortega's team-high 44 – which ranks sixth all-time for single-season assists in the UNC record book. In fact, she's one of only four Tar Heels to ever dish out 40 or more assists in a given season, accompanying Hoeg, Ortega and Ela Hazar.
Pretty big names in Carolina lacrosse, right? We told you, she's one of them.
Then came 2023. With nearly three-quarters of UNC's offense from its historic 2022 season having graduated, the keys to the attack were Wurzburger's. She finished the year with a balanced effort of 35 assists and a career-high 37 goals for a team-high 72 points. But perhaps what impressed Levy most was how the junior handled being given the reins.
"Caitlyn was used to being the leader on the offensive end in high school, so she was excited to take on that role by her junior year," Levy said. "But she had a really tough job. She had to lead players that had never been in a college game before. That season was a tremendous year of development and growth not only for our program, but for her."
Wurzburger shares the same sentiment.
"It wasn't easy, but it was exciting," she said, adding how pressure is a privilege. "It was a complete transition year for us to get a whole new offense, and basically a whole new team, on the field. It took us some time on the field to trust each other. But once we did, we broke through a lot of barriers."
There were few, if any, telltale signs of 2023 being a transition period. Defying any expectations that inherently come with a younger and less experienced team, the Tar Heels played in the 2023 ACC Championship game and were on the brink of returning to the Final Four – something Levy credits to Wurzburger's consistent positivity and leadership.
"In Caitlyn's first two years, it was about how she fit into a group that was really talented and had played together for a long time," Levy explained. "As a junior, her role had to be how she could lead. What's special about Caitlyn was how she moved away from herself and started to invest in others and lead them to be their best."
Levy noted how that unselfish mindset carried into Wurzburger's senior year, especially given the adversity the team faced. Wurzburger was named one of four co-captains ahead of the 2024 season.
"The biggest thing I learned from the leaders I had my freshman and sophomore year is that your influence is never neutral," Wurzburger said. "You go through four years hoping you emulate the same qualities you've seen in past leaders, and hoping to put it into play when you are one of them. As a senior captain this year, I didn't realize how big of an influence I have on my teammates and younger girls in our sport. Being one of those leaders meant everything, especially in my last year here."
Taking on the leadership mantle, Wurzburger concluded her career on a 44-game streak of recording at least one point, having started every contest her final three seasons. She ranked second on the team with 21 assists and 50 points in 2024, also scoring 29 goals.
She entered her senior campaign with 201 career points, 13th among the program's all-time leading scorers. She continued to quietly pour them in, inching higher and higher up Carolina's leaderboard.
Wurzburger's two goals in her last collegiate game solidified her spot at fourth in program history with 251 career points, nestled behind Ortega, Hoeg and Corey Donohoe. She is one of just 13 Tar Heels to ever reach the 200-point threshold, and one of only five to have done so since starting their career in the past decade.
Additionally, her 115 career assists also rank fourth in Carolina laurels. Wurzburger is part of an elite group of players to surpass 100, trailing Hoeg, Ortega and Hazar.
The names she earned association with are a who's who of all-time great Tar Heels – and Wurzburger herself is now one of them.
Wurzburger graduated having earned All-ACC honors each of her four years, also garnering All-America recognition in 2022, 2023 and 2024. She hangs up her cleats with two ACC championships, two ACC regular season titles and one national championship to her name – more than most could even dream.
But accolades aside – and there are several – the legacy Wurzburger leaves extends far beyond her crafty finishes, innate talent to create opportunities and her proven ability to rewrite a record book.
"My teammates have told me that they've never met anyone who loves lacrosse more than I do, and I take that positively," Wurzburger said with a laugh. "I think my legacy will be someone who loves the sport the most. I hope my work ethic and wanting the best for others will trickle down to the younger players. I just hope I leave a great culture throughout this program, and that they continue to win and do great."
As humble as she is talented.
"A passionate pursuit of excellence," Levy said without hesitation when asked to describe Wurzburger's legacy. "She just wanted to be great, and she was. She is."
Now, as her time on the lacrosse field comes to end, Wurzburger concludes her career as a bona fide all-time great – right up there with the rest of them.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
"Knowing that was my last play in a Carolina jersey really hit me hard," Wurzburger said. "It was a flood of happy, bittersweet and sad emotions. It just shows how much love I have for this program, and for the sport in general."
Regardless of what the scoreline read as the final horn sounded, Wurzburger was able to walk away with her head held high, marking the conclusion of her highly-anticipated – yet underappreciated – collegiate career.
"What makes UNC special, and what makes Caitlyn special, is the desire to come into our program, put yourself on the line and rise up to the occasion, all in the pursuit to be great," head coach Jenny Levy said. "And she did that."
Rise to the occasion, Wurzburger sure did. Be great? She did that, too.
A product of Delray Beach, Florida, Wurzburger boasts the most decorated resume in girls' lacrosse history. She finished her storied prep career at American Heritage School Boca-Delray as the nation's all-time leading scorer with 1,027 points behind 503 goals and 524 assists, a record that still stands today.
She became the first girls' lacrosse player to put up 100 points and 100 assists in a single season as an eighth grader playing at the high-school varsity level, reaching the century mark in both statistical categories in four of her six varsity seasons. Having served as team captain since the seventh grade, she went on to become a four-time All-American and the 2018 High School Player of the Year. She was even featured in Sports Illustrated.
Wurzburger continued to make waves when she became the youngest recruit in girls' lacrosse history to commit to a Division I team, selecting Syracuse as an eighth grader in 2016. However, she reopened her recruitment two years later and ultimately chose North Carolina, citing the people and winning culture as the deciding factors.
"When you're being recruited, you need to look at the people you're going to be around everyday," Wurzburger said. "I really clicked with the team and was drawn to them. They were great people to be around, and the winning culture here at Carolina is contagious."
Her high school success translated seamlessly onto a bigger stage. One of just three players in the Class of 2020 to represent the United States U-19 National Team, Wurzburger led the stars and stripes to gold at the 2019 World Cup after a team-leading 40 points. Her 19 assists set a U-19 tournament record and she earned a spot on the All-World Team.
Quite an accomplished resume at such a young age, all before stepping foot in Chapel Hill in Fall 2020.
"She came in with such high expectations, and that comes with a lot of pressure," Levy said. "Considering the level of scrutiny and pressure she had coming in, once we worked through that with her and she settled in, she was great. She had a great career here."
A great career, indeed.
Her prolific success on the high school and national stage, combined with her unique recruiting path, had steadily established her as a must-watch name in lacrosse. It was no surprise she was the nation's top-ranked incoming freshman ahead of the 2021 season, her first donning Carolina blue.
She pieced together a formidable rookie campaign, culminating in a trip to the national semifinals where she tied Katie Hoeg for a team-leading four points. The 2021 season saw her rank fourth on a deep Tar Heel squad with 53 points behind Scottie Rose Growney, Jamie Ortega and Hoeg, the latter two who were the reigning Co-National Players of the Year.
Even with her accomplishments, Wurzburger's role her freshman year still looked different than what she was used to. As she stated bluntly, she was playing behind what was essentially "an entire starting lineup of All-Americans."
That starting lineup of All-Americans was composed of some of the best players the sport has ever seen; players who stamped their names into the NCAA, ACC and UNC record books, players who continue to leave their mark on the professional and international stage. Along with Ortega, Hoeg and Growney, the team included the likes of Ally Mastroianni, Emma Trenchard, Taylor Moreno, Catie Woodruff and Caroline Wakefield, among several others.
There are some recognizable names in that group, and certainly no shortage of talent.
"It was a very unique experience, but it was a lot of fun playing with that crew. We did a lot of great things on the field together," Wurzburger said, reflecting on playing with some of UNC's all-time greats her freshman year. "I learned a lot from them. They're Carolina legends."
Now Wurzburger can count herself as one of them.
Flying slightly under the radar, Wurzburger was a secret weapon in Carolina's dominance during its undefeated national championship season in 2022. She finished her sophomore year with a career-high 76 points, tying Growney for second on the team behind Ortega.
"Caitlyn had the opportunity to play with Katie [Hoeg] as a freshman, so she stepped into that role. She was really important for us, especially since she had a year under her belt," Levy said, recalling how Wurzburger orchestrated two of the biggest game-changing plays in the epic NCAA semifinal game against Northwestern. "She had an incredible year. Even though there were a lot of big names around her, Caitlyn was a perfect fit for that offensive unit."
Wurzburger, then a sophomore, also recorded 42 assists – two shy of Ortega's team-high 44 – which ranks sixth all-time for single-season assists in the UNC record book. In fact, she's one of only four Tar Heels to ever dish out 40 or more assists in a given season, accompanying Hoeg, Ortega and Ela Hazar.
Pretty big names in Carolina lacrosse, right? We told you, she's one of them.
Then came 2023. With nearly three-quarters of UNC's offense from its historic 2022 season having graduated, the keys to the attack were Wurzburger's. She finished the year with a balanced effort of 35 assists and a career-high 37 goals for a team-high 72 points. But perhaps what impressed Levy most was how the junior handled being given the reins.
"Caitlyn was used to being the leader on the offensive end in high school, so she was excited to take on that role by her junior year," Levy said. "But she had a really tough job. She had to lead players that had never been in a college game before. That season was a tremendous year of development and growth not only for our program, but for her."
Wurzburger shares the same sentiment.
"It wasn't easy, but it was exciting," she said, adding how pressure is a privilege. "It was a complete transition year for us to get a whole new offense, and basically a whole new team, on the field. It took us some time on the field to trust each other. But once we did, we broke through a lot of barriers."
There were few, if any, telltale signs of 2023 being a transition period. Defying any expectations that inherently come with a younger and less experienced team, the Tar Heels played in the 2023 ACC Championship game and were on the brink of returning to the Final Four – something Levy credits to Wurzburger's consistent positivity and leadership.
"In Caitlyn's first two years, it was about how she fit into a group that was really talented and had played together for a long time," Levy explained. "As a junior, her role had to be how she could lead. What's special about Caitlyn was how she moved away from herself and started to invest in others and lead them to be their best."
Levy noted how that unselfish mindset carried into Wurzburger's senior year, especially given the adversity the team faced. Wurzburger was named one of four co-captains ahead of the 2024 season.
"The biggest thing I learned from the leaders I had my freshman and sophomore year is that your influence is never neutral," Wurzburger said. "You go through four years hoping you emulate the same qualities you've seen in past leaders, and hoping to put it into play when you are one of them. As a senior captain this year, I didn't realize how big of an influence I have on my teammates and younger girls in our sport. Being one of those leaders meant everything, especially in my last year here."
Taking on the leadership mantle, Wurzburger concluded her career on a 44-game streak of recording at least one point, having started every contest her final three seasons. She ranked second on the team with 21 assists and 50 points in 2024, also scoring 29 goals.
She entered her senior campaign with 201 career points, 13th among the program's all-time leading scorers. She continued to quietly pour them in, inching higher and higher up Carolina's leaderboard.
Wurzburger's two goals in her last collegiate game solidified her spot at fourth in program history with 251 career points, nestled behind Ortega, Hoeg and Corey Donohoe. She is one of just 13 Tar Heels to ever reach the 200-point threshold, and one of only five to have done so since starting their career in the past decade.
Additionally, her 115 career assists also rank fourth in Carolina laurels. Wurzburger is part of an elite group of players to surpass 100, trailing Hoeg, Ortega and Hazar.
The names she earned association with are a who's who of all-time great Tar Heels – and Wurzburger herself is now one of them.
Wurzburger graduated having earned All-ACC honors each of her four years, also garnering All-America recognition in 2022, 2023 and 2024. She hangs up her cleats with two ACC championships, two ACC regular season titles and one national championship to her name – more than most could even dream.
But accolades aside – and there are several – the legacy Wurzburger leaves extends far beyond her crafty finishes, innate talent to create opportunities and her proven ability to rewrite a record book.
"My teammates have told me that they've never met anyone who loves lacrosse more than I do, and I take that positively," Wurzburger said with a laugh. "I think my legacy will be someone who loves the sport the most. I hope my work ethic and wanting the best for others will trickle down to the younger players. I just hope I leave a great culture throughout this program, and that they continue to win and do great."
As humble as she is talented.
"A passionate pursuit of excellence," Levy said without hesitation when asked to describe Wurzburger's legacy. "She just wanted to be great, and she was. She is."
Now, as her time on the lacrosse field comes to end, Wurzburger concludes her career as a bona fide all-time great – right up there with the rest of them.
Stay up to date with UNC women's lacrosse by following the Tar Heels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
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