BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Loyola Maryland women’s lacrosse senior Elli Kluegel was named the 2020-21 Patriot League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year following a vote conducted by the athletics communications staff from each of the League’s member institutions.
Kluegel is the fourth Loyola Maryland student-athlete to earn Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year, joining Kristen Yanchoris (women’s lacrosse, 2019), Franz Rassman (men’s basketball, 2016) and Joe Fletcher (men’s lacrosse, 2014). She is also the fourth women’s lacrosse student-athlete to garner the accolade, joining Yanchoris, Alison Fisher (Lafayette, 2000) and Jill Altshuler (Lehigh, 1996).
“What an outstanding and well-deserved honor this is for Elli, “said Donna M. Woodruff, Loyola’s assistant vice president and director of athletics. “She is the consummate teammate who walks the walk when it comes to her unwavering commitment to being the top student and athlete that she can be. Elli represents the best of Loyola, our women’s lacrosse program, and the Patriot League.”
“Elli is the ultimate representative of a student-athlete who excels in every aspect of collegiate athletics,” Loyola Maryland women’s lacrosse Head Coach Jen Adams said. “She is such an incredible leader and role model on the field, in the classroom and in life. Elli is one of the brightest and most hardworking student-athletes I have ever had the opportunity to coach. I am so happy to see her receive this prestigious recognition from the Patriot League. We are so proud of all that Elli continues to accomplish while representing Loyola athletics and our women’s lacrosse program.”
The award is presented annually to one female and one male Patriot League student-athlete. Earlier this year, the candidates for the honor were named the scholar-athlete of the year in their respective sports. For the 2020-21 academic year, there were 22 candidates from 24 Patriot League sports.
2021 Patriot League Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Elli Kluegel, Loyola Maryland, Sr. Midfielder, Fairfax, Va./Robinson
*Kluegel, a biology major and innovation and entrepreneurship minor, is the only Loyola Maryland senior with a 4.0 cumulative GPA.
*She received Second Team All-Patriot League honors after starting all 15 games and finishing with 38 points on 32 goals and six assists, to go along with a team-high 30 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers
*She is a two-time Academic All-League and three-time CoSIDA Academic All-District honoree.
*The two-year team captain has totaled 111 career goals, 72 ground balls and 33 caused turnovers to help the Greyhounds extend their Patriot League regular-season winning streak to 57 games.
Kluegel finished the 2021 season on an 11-game goal-scoring streak, including tallying her 100th career goal in the Greyhounds’ regular-season finale against Furman. The senior midfielder was impactful in the postseason combining for five goals during the Patriot League Championship, including three goals in the title game against Lehigh. She posted a team-high four goals, along with the game-winning goal, in the Greyhounds’ 11-9 win over Hofstra in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.
Away from the field, the Fairfax, Va. native is a Dean’s List student and Loyola Presidential Scholarship recipient, along with a four-time Patriot League Academic Honor Roll selection. Kluegel serves as secretary of Omicron Delta Kappa, Loyola’s National Leadership Honor Society, in addition to being a member of the Alpha Sigma Nu Jesuit, Phi Beta Kappa and Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Societies. She has also worked as an Ambassador for BioNavigators, an organization aimed at introducing college students to career paths related to STEM.
“I am so proud of Elli and all her hard work that has helped her achieve this prestigious honor,” said Andrea Hoffman, the assistant director of student-athlete support services at Loyola Maryland. “To be the only student in her class to graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA, as a biology major, a student-athlete, and with involvement in various organizations across campus, is an incredible accomplishment. She is a true example of a student-athlete and has shown her team the importance of competing as hard in the classroom as they do on the field. We are so excited to have her back for another year representing Loyola Women’s Lacrosse and the Patriot League in everything she does!”
The winner of each sport’s Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is eligible to collect the end of the year honor. The 2020-21 women’s field included Carley Barjaktarovich (Lehigh, Softball); Andrea Claeson (Boston University, Women’s Cross Country); Helena Elbaek (American, Volleyball); Sydney Harrington (Navy, Women’s Swimming and Diving); Abby Kapp (Bucknell, Women’s Basketball); Hanako Kawasaki (Boston University, Women’s Golf); Emily Kim (Boston University, Women’s Tennis); Sam Orie (Navy, Women’s Indoor Track & Field); Hanna Price (Navy, Women’s Rowing); Aidan Rossman (American, Field Hockey); Anna Tovkach (Army West Point, Women’s Outdoor Track & Field) and Victoria Tran (Navy, Women’s Soccer).
To be eligible for the Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative GPA and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen are not eligible for this honor.
Patriot League All-Time Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year Honorees
| Year |
Female Scholar-Athlete |
Sport |
Cl. |
GPA |
Major |
| 1992 |
Lauren Gubicza, Fordham |
Cross Country/Track and Field |
Jr. |
3.93* |
Accounting |
| 1993 |
Lauren Gubicza, Fordham |
Cross Country/Track and Field |
Sr. |
3.61 |
Accounting |
| 1994 |
Jen Smith, Colgate |
Basketball |
Jr. |
4.02 |
History/Psychology |
| 1995 |
Jen Smith, Colgate |
Basketball |
Sr. |
3.98 |
History/Psychology |
| 1996 |
Jill Altshuler, Lehigh |
Lacrosse |
Sr. |
3.80 |
Psychology |
| 1997 |
Kathy Courtney, Holy Cross |
Basketball |
Sr. |
3.86 |
Mathematics |
| 1998 |
Amy O'Brien, Holy Cross |
Basketball |
Jr. |
3.43 |
Psychology/Spanish |
| 1999 |
Nicole Aunapu, Navy |
Soccer |
Sr. |
3.87 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| 2000 |
Lori Houck, Bucknell |
Basketball |
Sr. |
3.60 |
Accounting |
| 2001 |
Alison Fisher, Lafayette |
Field Hockey/Lacrosse |
Sr. |
3.59 |
Biology |
| Becki Marshall, Bucknell |
Cross Country/Track and Field |
Jr. |
3.75 |
Civil Engineering |
| 2002 |
Kate Macfarlane, Navy |
Soccer |
Sr. |
3.92 |
Mathematics |
| 2003 |
Karla Kucerkova, American |
Volleyball |
Jr. |
3.98 |
Business Admin./Finance |
| 2004 |
Karla Kucerkova, American |
Volleyball |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Business Admin./Finance |
| 2005 |
Lauren Wible, Bucknell |
Softball |
Jr. |
3.76 |
English |
| 2006 |
Julie Jorgensen, Army |
Soccer |
Sr. |
4.21 |
Mathematics |
| 2007 |
Kirsten Andrews, Navy |
Track and Field |
Sr. |
3.91 |
Quantitative Economics |
| 2008 |
Kelly Zahalka, Navy |
Swimming and Diving |
Jr. |
4.00 |
Honors History |
| 2009 |
Lizzie Barnes, Navy |
Soccer |
Sr. |
3.90 |
Computer Science |
| 2010 |
Beth Reed, Navy |
Soccer |
Sr. |
3.95 |
Mechanical Engineering |
| 2011 |
Elise DeRoo, Colgate |
Cross Country/Track and Field |
Jr. |
3.93 |
Molecular Biology |
| 2012 |
Elise DeRoo, Colgate |
Cross Country |
Sr. |
3.97 |
Molecular Biology |
| 2013 |
Brigid Byrne, Navy |
Outdoor Track & Field/Cross Country |
Sr. |
3.83 |
English |
| 2014 |
Allison Barwise, Boston University |
Outdoor Track & Field |
Gr. |
3.85 |
Speech-Language Pathology |
| 2015 |
Jen Dumiak, American |
Basketball |
Gr. |
4.00 |
Mathematics |
| 2016 |
Ellen Bradford, Navy |
Swimming and Diving |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Honors Systems Engineering |
| 2017 |
Natalie Konerth, American |
Field Hockey |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Applied Mathematics |
| 2018 |
Christine Bendzinski, Bucknell |
Cross Country/Track and Field |
Sr. |
3.84 |
Cell Biology/Biochemistry |
| 2019 |
Kristen Yanchoris, Loyola |
Lacrosse |
Sr. |
3.97 |
Business Admin/Marketing |
| 2020 |
Not Awarded |
Due to COVID-19 Pandemic |
|
|
|
| 2021 |
Elli Kluegel |
Lacrosse |
Sr. |
4.00 |
Biology |
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.