Burns, O’Grady Earn Michigan’s First-Ever B1G Yearly Award Honors
5/6/2024 2:00:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- For the first time in Michigan women's lacrosse history, a Wolverine is taking home a Big Ten yearly award as senior Maddie Burns was named the Big Ten Defender of the Year and Erin O'Grady was named the Big Ten Goaltender of the Year as announced by the conference office Monday afternoon (May 6).
Burns anchored a defense that led the nation in scoring defense for the entirety of the season as Michigan heads into the NCAA Tournament giving up just 6.88 goals per game. The Philadelphia, Pa., native, has a team-best 26 caused turnovers and 34 ground balls in the 2024 season, while ranking fourth with 20 draw control wins. The senior defender also added her first two collegiate goals this season and started all 17 games. Burns broke the Michigan ground ball record of 100 ground balls, set by Anna Schueler from 2014-17, as she now has 104 ground balls to her name. This season, Burns was named a Tewaaraton Nominee and earned Big Ten first-team honors for the third time in her career.
O'Grady started 15 games in the cage for the Wolverines in the 2024 season and continues to lead the nation in save percentage (.580) and goals against average (6.68) heading into the NCAA Tournament. The Massapequa, N.Y., native, became just the fifth goalie in program history to make 100 or more saves in a single season with 131, including five double-digit save efforts. O'Grady was named a 2024 Tewaaraton Nominee and was a two-time National Defensive Player of the Week, a three-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week and an All-Big Ten first-team honoree in her junior campaign.
Burns, O'Grady and the rest of the Michigan squad will head to South Bend, Ind., on Friday (May 10) to take on Mercer in the first round of the NCAA Tournament starting at 4 p.m.
