Women's Lacrosse Inks Eight to National Letters of Intent
11/10/2017 10:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- University of Michigan women's lacrosse head coach Hannah Nielsen announced the program's nine-person 2018 recruiting class on Friday (Nov. 10). The class hails from six different states and will join the Wolverines in the fall of 2018 in preparation for the 2019 season.
The class of 2018 includes:
Midfielder/defender Maddie Andrews (Delray Beach, Fla./American Heritage)
Attacker Claire Galvin (Maplewood, N.J./Oak Knoll)
Midfielder Erin Garvey (West Chester, Pa./Unionville)
Attacker Julia Henry (Bel Air, Md./Bel Air)
Midfielder Hailey Mead (Sparta, N.J./Sparta)
Midfielder Kaitlyn Mead (Sparta, N.J./Sparta)
Midfielder/defender Nicole Orella (Northport, N.Y./Northport)
Midfielder Kelly Poole (Stevensville, Md./Kent Island)
Midfielder Morgan Whitaker (Glen Allen, Va./Deep Run)
"We are excited to welcome this group of talented athletes into the Michigan Lacrosse program," said Nielsen. "In the time I have had to get to know this group, it is clear they share our staff's same enthusiasm and excitement about the direction we are taking this program, and I look forward to them having an impact in the fall of 2018."
Maddie Andrews (Delray Beach, Fla. / Club: Florida Select Lacrosse)
Andrews is a midfielder/defender from Delray Beach, Florida, where she attends American Heritage High School. Andrews has represented her team as a captain in all three seasons on varsity, helping her team compile a 50-9 record, including a run to the state semifinals during her sophomore season. In three seasons, she has recorded 69 goals and 14 assists. As a freshman and junior, she was a First Team All-District selection, while as a junior she was also tabbed a First Team All-County honoree. Off the field, she was named a National Merit Commended Scholar and AP Scholar, and is involved in Student Government and National Honor Society. In addition to competing in lacrosse at American Heritage, Andrews also runs cross country and plays basketball, while she plays club lacrosse for Florida Select.
Claire Galvin (Maplewood, N.J. / Club: Metro Magic Lacrosse Club)
Galvin is an attacker from Maplewood, New Jersey, and attends Oak Knoll School. Galvin helped her team win New Jersey Group 1 State championships as a sophomore and junior and capture the Tournament of Champions title as a freshman. In three seasons, she has tallied 81 goals and 30 assists. In addition to the state titles, Galvin's team also captured three straight NJSIAA Prep championships (2015-17) and won the 2017 Union Country championship. Galvin also plays for Metro Magic Lacrosse Club. High-level lacrosse runs in her family; her sister, Shannon, was a midfielder on the Villanova women's lacrosse team during the 2012-2015 seasons. In addition to lacrosse, Galvin also plays varsity field hockey at Oak Knoll.
Erin Garvey (Westchester, Pa. / Club: Ultimate Lacrosse)
Garvey is a left-handed midfielder from West Chester, Pennsylvania, and attends Unionville High School. In three seasons on varsity, Garvey has scored 177 goals and registered 59 assists. During her junior year, she was named to the All-Area first team after leading her team to a 16-3 record. Garvey has been named to the All-Chesmont League first team in each of the last two seasons and second team in her freshman year. Collegiate athletics run in the Garvey family, as her sister, Katie, is a sophomore on the Penn State women's lacrosse team, and her mother, Carey, played both field hockey and lacrosse at Lafayette College. In addition to lacrosse, Garvey is a four-year letterwinner in soccer and three-year letterwinner in winter track, and is involved in National Honor Society at Unionville.
Julia Henry (Bel Air, Md. / Club: Skywalkers 2018 Blue)
Henry is an attacker from Bel Air, Maryland, and attends Bel Air High School. Entering her senior year, Henry has scored 116 goals and recorded 65 assists. She was named First Team All-Harford County during both her sophomore and junior years. In the 2017 MPSSAA 3A-4A State Championship game, Henry had four goals and one assist, including the game winner. During her junior season, she also hit her 100th career goal and broke the all-time points record in a season at Bel Air High school with 86 points (64G, 22A). Outside of lacrosse, the Honor Roll student is also a two-year letterwinner in soccer and three-year letterwinner in basketball and is involved in National Business Honor Society and Math Honor Society.
Hailey Mead (Sparta, N.J. / Club: Building Blocks Lacrosse)
Hailey Mead is a midfielder from Sparta, New Jersey, and attends Sparta High School. She will join the Wolverines for the 2019 season along with her twin sister, Kaitlyn. She has helped her team's record improve each year on varsity, including an 18-3 mark, as well as a North I Group II Sectional title and appearance in the state semifinal game as a junior, where individually she recorded 25 goals and 27 assists. Sparta High School was named the NJ Herald Team of the Year and Mugs Media Team of the Year for the third straight season following that run, while Hailey was named to the 2017 All-Herald first team. Outside of lacrosse, Hailey competes on her school's varsity soccer and swimming teams. She is also involved in National Honor Society and DECA at Sparta High School and plays club lacrosse for Building Blocks Lacrosse.
Kaitlyn Mead (Sparta, N.J. / Club: Building Blocks Lacrosse)
Kaitlyn Mead is a midfielder from Sparta, New Jersey, and attends Sparta High School. She will join the U-M women's lacrosse program for the 2019 season along with her twin sister, Hailey. Entering her senior year, Mead has scored 242 goals, including 140 as a junior, good for a career average of 4.5 per game. Her junior season, Kaitlyn set New Jersey State records for most goals scored (140) and most ground balls (192) in a season, en route to leading her team to a North I Group II Sectional title and a trip to the state semifinals. She is already the all-time leading goals scorer in Sussex County with one season to go. Kaitlyn was named a US Lacrosse All-American, as well as the Player of the Year by the Freedom Conference and the New Jersey Herald following that historic junior season. In addition to lacrosse, she also played one year of varsity basketball and four years of varsity soccer at Sparta High School. She also competes for Building Blocks Lacrosse Club.
Nicole Orella (Northport, N.Y. / Club: Long Island Yellow Jackets)
Orella is a midfielder/defender from Northport, New York, and attends Northport High School. As team captain during her junior year, Orella lead her team to a 13-5 record and a trip to the county championship, recording 13 goals and seven assists. The three-time Scholar Athlete honoree was also an All-League selection following her junior season. Collegiate athletics run in the Orella family, as her sister, Courtney, is a sophomore on the Villanova University women's lacrosse team, and her father, Christopher, played baseball at SUNY Albany. In addition to lacrosse, Orella is also involved with World Language Honor Society, Business Honor Society, and competes in cross country and field hockey at Northport. She also plays club lacrosse for the Long Island Yellow Jackets.
Kelly Poole (Stevensville, Md. / Club: Maryland United)
Poole is a midfielder from Stevensville, Maryland, and attends Kent Island High School. During her junior year, Poole helped her team to a 13-1 league record with 17 goals and 23 assists. She missed her sophomore season due to injury, while as a freshman she notched 24 goals and 20 assists. During her three years of play, Poole has lettered and has earned Academic Honors at Kent Island. Poole also plays club lacrosse for Maryland United. In addition to lacrosse, the honor roll student is involved with National Honors Society, National English Honors Society, DECA and also participates in indoor track.
Whitaker is a midfielder from Glen Allen, Virginia, and attends Deep Run High School. As a junior, Whitaker was named All-Conference, All-Region and All-State first team, while leading her team to an 11-4 record. In 18 games, she accounted for 58 goals and 17 assists. The four-time Honor Roll student was also named Conference Player of the Year following her junior season. She missed all of her freshman and sophomore seasons recovering from ACL injuries. In addition to lacrosse, Whitaker played four years of varsity field hockey and one year of varsity basketball at Deep Run. She also plays club lacrosse for Storm Elite 2018.
