2019 MWLC POSTSEASON AWARDS

MINNEAPOLIS -- Six Augsburg University women's lacrosse players earned honors from the Midwest Women's Lacrosse Conference for their performances during the 2019 season, it was announced recently.

Leading the way for the Auggie honorees was defender/midfielder Christina Nelson (SR, Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy HS), who became the first Augsburg player to ever earn All-MWLC first-team honors all four years of her career. Goalie Maddie Seykora (SO, Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna HS) was named to the All-MWLC second team, joining midfielder Annika Hegrenes (JR, Maplewood, Minn./Concordia Academy HS), who was an All-MWLC Honorable Mention honoree last year.

Earning All-MWLC Honorable Mention honors this year were midfielder Mikayla Knudson (JR, Zimmerman, Minn./Elk River HS) and midfielder Mikayla Jones (JR, Oak Park Heights, Minn./B.E. Emerson Prep HS), and defender/midfielder Demey Everett (SR, Brooklyn Center, Minn./Champlin Park HS) was named to the All-MWLC Sportsmanship Team. It's the first MWLC honors for Seykora, Knudson, Jones and Everett.

Nelson cemented her status as one of the best players in the six-year history of Augsburg's women's lacrosse program by having another outstanding all-around season. As Augsburg's primary draw-control specialist, she led the MWLC for the second year in a row with 133 draw controls, breaking her single-season school record of 111 set last year. Among NCAA Division III players in overall statistics (as of May 5), Nelson ranks 17th nationally in draw controls per-game with a 7.33 average. 

Nelson also broke her old single-season school record for caused turnovers with 47 this year, ranking seventh in the MWLC in the category. She was the leader of an Augsburg defense that produced 284 caused turnovers, a 15.78 per-game average that ranks seventh-best among NCAA Division III teams nationally. Her 57 ground balls were 10th-most among MWLC players. Offensively, Nelson set personal-bests of 13 goals and six assists for 19 points in 2019. She had double-digit draw-control totals seven times in 2019, including single-season school records of 15 twice this year. She also had three-plus caused turnovers in eight games and three-plus ground balls in 12 games.

In her 72-game Augsburg career, Nelson holds school records with 290 draw controls, 176 caused turnovers and 201 ground balls, while scoring 34 goals with eight assists for 42 points. The national active career leader in caused turnovers among NCAA Division III players, Nelson's 176 caused turnovers are currently 15th-most in NCAA Division III history.

In her first campaign as Augsburg's starting goalkeeper, Seykora had a career year, finishing with an 8-8 record and a single-season school record 203 saves, with a .519 save percentage and 11.36 goals against-average. Her save total led all MWLC goalkeepers this season and are currently fifth-most among NCAA Division III players nationally. Her save percentage was third-best in the MWLC, with her goals against-average seventh-best. Seykora also tied a single-season school record with 69 ground balls -- fourth-most in the MWLC -- and had 24 caused turnovers.

In her two seasons (29 games) at Augsburg, Seykora now has a 9-10 record, with 242 saves, a .497 save percentage and 11.41 GAA in 1,289 minutes played. She also has 81 ground balls and 31 caused turnovers in her career.

Hegrenes had another solid season for the Auggies, moving from a primarily defensive role to more of a transition player as both a defender and midfielder. After scoring just three goals in her first two seasons, Hegrenes scored 32 goals in 2019, adding six assists for 38 points. She also had career-highs in every other statistical category, with 37 ground balls, 33 draw controls and 32 caused turnovers. She had 10 multi-goal games this season, including a career-best five-goal effort in a 20-11 win over Loras on April 23. She also had four or more draw controls in five games, three or more draw controls in seven games, and three or more caused turnovers in six games.

In her three seasons (53 games) as an Auggie, Hegrenes now has 35 goals and nine assists for 44 points, to go along with 73 ground balls, 60 caused turnovers and 37 draw controls. Her 35 goals and 44 points are both 12th-most in school history, while her 73 ground balls are tied for 11th-most, her 69 caused turnovers are seventh-most and her 37 draw controls are 10th-most.

Knudson had a career season on both ends of the field in 2019, as she finished fourth on the team in scoring with 30 goals and five assists for 35 points, along with 39 ground balls, 23 draw controls and 35 caused turnovers. Knudson had nine multi-goal games this season, and tied single-game school records with seven goals and nine points in a 17-12 win over Monmouth (Ill.) on March 31. She had three or more ground balls in eight games, and three or more caused turnovers in seven games.

In her three seasons (51 games) as an Auggie, Knudson now has 71 goals and 13 assists for 84 points, tied for fourth in school history in career goals, sixth in points and 11th in assists. Her 90 career ground balls are sixth in school history, while her 72 caused turnovers are tied for fifth and her 53 draw controls are sixth.

Jones was an impressive playmaking midfielder, using her speed to create many scoring opportunities on transitions and rushes this season. She finished second on the team in scoring in 2019, with a career-best 35 goals and 10 assists for 45 points, along with 14 ground balls, 16 draw controls and eight caused turnovers. She had 10 multi-goal games this season, with a career-high six-goal effort in Augsburg's 15-5 win at Beloit (Wis.) on March 30. In that game, she added three assists for a new single-game school record with nine points, a feat tied by Knudson the next day.

In her three seasons as an Auggie (46 games), Jones now has 54 goals and 18 assists for 72 points, ranking ninth in school history in career goals, tied for eighth in assists and ninth in points. She also has 54 ground balls, 41 draw controls and 38 caused turnovers in her career.

Everett was named to the All-MWLC Sportsmanship Team. Members are selected by their coaches and teammates as individuals who demonstrate ideals of positive sportsmanship both on and off the field of competition. Moving into a defensive role this season, Everett recorded 35 ground balls and 20 caused turnovers in 18 games, while scoring four goals with an assist for five points.

In 51 career games as an Auggie, Everett has 40 goals and 11 assists for 51 points, ranking 11th in school history in both goals and points, and 12th in assists. Her 73 career ground balls are tied for 11th-most in school history, with her 41 caused turnovers 13th-most.

Under sixth-year coach Kathryn Knippenberg, Augsburg finished 10-8 overall and 10-3 in MWLC play in 2019. The Auggies qualified for the MWLC postseason playoffs for the fourth straight year since joining the conference. In Augsburg's six years of women's lacrosse, the Auggies are 59-39 overall, including a 34-10 record in its four seasons of MWLC play.