Photo by: John McCreary
Men's Lacrosse Announces Recruiting Class
8/13/2020 2:00:00 PM | Men's Lacrosse
Interim head coach Chad Surman added 16 players
MACON, Ga. – Following a 2020 season that saw the Mercer men's lacrosse squad achieve the best start in program history, coach Chad Surman and staff bolstered the roster for 2021 with the addition of 16 players.
The 16 players represent both the United States and Canada. From the United States, the team added four players from Georgia followed by three from Florida and two each from North Carolina and Maryland. Mercer inked one student-athlete from New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In Canada, a pair of student-athletes come from Ontario.
"We had an excellent start to the 2020 season," said Surman. "Our staff is confident that this group of student-athletes will continue to build on the culture we've established and will represent Mercer with excellence on the field and in the classroom."
Kellan Arthur – Midfield – Cockeysville, Md. – Calvert Hall HS/FCA Lacrosse MD
Arthur spent two years on the varsity squad at Calvert Hall High School for coach Bryan Kelley as a midfielder. Arthur also played for Kelley on the club circuit, spending eight seasons with FCA Lacrosse MD. He is the youngest son of Alex and Tina Arthur. Arthur plans to pursue a degree in business.
Brian Barlotta – Midfield – Bedford, N.H. – The Governor's Academy/NH Tomahawks
Barlotta is the lone student-athlete making the trek to Macon from New Hampshire. He played two years of varsity lacrosse at The Governor's Academy in neighboring Massachusetts while competing for four years with the NH Tomahawks on the club level. He led the Tomahawks to four tournament titles and was named to the Under Armour New England Team.
Barlotta is an Eagle Scout and decorated student. He graduated with high honors and received the school's Presidential Award for Community Service. Additionally, he participated in the NHIAA Leadership Conference and was a huddle leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Barlotta plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Dominic DeRiso – Attack/Midfield – Greensburg, Pa. – Hempfield Area HS/IMG Academy/412 Elite & Shred Thread National
DeRiso played four seasons at Hempfield Area HS before embarking on a postgraduate year at the renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The Greensburg, Pa. native was a four-year letter winner and a team captain for three seasons. He left Hempfield Area as the highest scorer in program history and was a 2018 and 2019 Academic All-America nominee. During his time at Hempfield he played for coaches Jake Bow and Spencer Wright. At IMG, he spent a year under the direction of head coach Mike Foderarro.
In addition to lacrosse, DeRiso also participated in cross country, wrestling and golf. He was named to the honor roll during each of his for years at Hempfield High and was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Interact Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
DeRiso played club lacrosse for 412 Elite and Shred Thread National, both out of Pittsburg, Pa. He spent two seasons with each organization.
At Mercer, he plans to major in criminal justice with the goal of becoming a criminal defense attorney.
Taylor Dooley – Midfield – Lindsay, Ontario Canada – Everest Academy/Toronto Beaches Jr A
Dooley played three years at Everest Academy for head coach Clem D'Orazio. During his time with Everest, the program appeared in the finals of the Southern Retreat and the semifinals of the Midwest Lacrosse Championship. The Ontario product earned a variety of awards including: Team MVP, Coaches Choice Award, Midwest Lacrosse All-Tournament Team Honorable Mention and all-star selections from Cam-Am and the Southern Retreat.
Dooley was four-year honor student and won the social science award in 2018. He participated in three additional sports – hockey, basketball and soccer.
He participated in two seasons of club lacrosse with Toronto Beaches Jr. A.
At Mercer, Dooley plans to major in business.Â
Zach Dubois – Defense – Dublin, Ohio – Dublin Jerome HS/Haymakers
Dubois left his mark on Ohio's Dublin Jerome High School, leading the squad to three OCC championships. He earned a pair of all-state, All-Midwest, All-OCC and Defensive Player of the Year awards while also being a team captain for two seasons.
In the classroom, Dubois was member of the honor roll all four years and earned the President's Award in addition to being inducted into DJHS' chapter of the National Honor Society.
Dubois played club lacrosse for the Columbus, Ohio based Haymakers and coach Jason Pritchard.
He plans to pursue a degree in biology.
Wyatt Jones – Attack/Midfield – Hillsborough, N.C. – Orange HS/Carolina Hilltoppers
Jones played four seasons of varsity lacrosse for head coach Chandler Zirkle at Orange High School where he helped the Panthers reach a No. 3 ranking in the 3A state rankings. Jones was named all-state, all-conference and all-region during his tenure with the team. He led the Panthers in goals as a junior while leading both the Panthers and the conference in goals as a senior en route to Orange High School Athlete of the Year honors.
Jones spent five seasons with the Carolina Hilltoppers lacrosse club, based out of Chapel Hill, N.C. His high school coach also coached him during his tenure with the Hilltoppers.
The Hillsborough native graduated summa cum laude and volunteered in the community as a football camp counselor at Pathways and Hillsborough Elementary schools.Â
At Mercer, he plans to focus on engineering and is currently deciding between a mechanical or biomedical engineering pathway.
Ben Lever – Defense – Apex, N.C. – Middle Creek HS/Madlax Capital Lacrosse
Lever was a dual-sport athlete at Middle Creek HS, playing both football and lacrosse. He was a four-year starter for head coach Nick Holota and led the Mustangs to three SWAC Championships (2017-2019) and a state championship (2017). Middle Creek finished as the state runner-up in 2018 and had the highest team GPA in North Carolina. During Lever's four years with the Mustangs, they did not lose a conference match.
Lever was named an all-freshman member in 2017 and earned his first all-state honor in 2018 (third team). He earned first team selections to the all-state, all-region and all-county teams in 2019. Off the field, he was a three-time Academic All-Conference selection (2017-2019) in lacrosse and four-time selection (2016-2019) in football.
The Apex, N.C. native played two years of club lacrosse for Washington D.C. based Madlax Capital and head coach Cabell Maddux.
At Mercer, he plans to major in business.
Sam Matusek – Goalie – Derwood, Md. – Our Lady of Good Counsel HS/Eastside Lacrosse Club
Matusek spent three seasons as a varsity lacrosse student-athlete at Our Lady of Good Counsel and served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons. He was a two-time WCAC All-Conference selection and was voted Team MVP by his teammates and coaches. The Derwood, Md. product was named to the Maryland Free State team in 2017 was twice selected to the Under Armour Underclassmen team.
Matusek was also a varsity swim team member and made the honor roll while also participating in a service trip to El Salvador.
He played six seasons for the East Side Lacrosse Club and head coach Darren Murray.
He plans to pursue a degree in finance.
Garrett Meuninck – Face off – Fayetteville, Ga. – Starr's Mill HS/Thunder LB3
Meuninck, a US Lacrosse All-American and Georgia High School Association (GHSA) record holder for career face off wins (891) and win percentage (81.67%) will come to Mercer from Starr's Mill High School. The Fayetteville native played four years of varsity lacrosse for coaches Alex Haskins and Jeff Schmidlkofer. He led the team to a pair of region championships (2017, 2018) and four GHSA Class 6A Elite Eight appearances (2017-2019).
Meuninck was named a first team all-state selection in 2019 and earned a third team nod in 2018. He was twice selected to the All-South Metro First Team and was both the Fayette County and All-Metro County Player of the Year in 2019. Additionally, he was a two-time All-Fayette County First Team selection and a Third Team All-LaxRecords member in 2019.
He played four years of club lacrosse with the Atlanta, Ga. based ThunderLB3 team and coach Andy Pons.
Meuninck is the second member of his family to participate in intercollegiate athletics, joining sister Haleigh who played soccer at Armstrong Atlantic State. He plans to pursue a degree in business.Â
Yosef Ngowe – Midfield – Milton, Ga. – Milton HS/Homegrown Lacrosse Massachusetts
A three-sport athlete, Ngowe split time between Marblehead (Mass.) High School and Milton (Ga.) High School. He participated in football track and field and lacrosse. Ngowe won a conference championship during each of his three seasons of varsity lacrosse and was named a Great 88 All-Star. He was a two-time indoor track & field state qualifier, making state in three events – the 300-meter dash, 4x400-meter relay and high jump.
He played club lacrosse for Homegrown Lacrosse Massachusetts and coach John Pynchon, leading the squad to a Bulldog Bash tournament title.
Ngowe will become the second member of his family to participate in intercollegiate athletics, joining his father Charles who was a four-year letter winner at Wabash College. Ngowe will pursue a degree in business.
Jack Parolin – Attack – Toronto, Ontario Canada – Malvern Collegiate Institute/Edge LacrosseÂ
Parolin will come to Macon from the Malvern Collegiate Institute in Toronto where he played four years of varsity lacrosse for head coach Carter Livingstone. During Parolin's tenure with the squad,
Malvern was a city finalist on two occasions. Parolin earned a starting role in each of his four seasons on the team and led the squad in goals and points for three of four seasons while receiving the 2019 Team Most Valuable Player award. He also participated in golf and squash.
The Ontario native was in the top-25 percent in the Canada World Math contest during his freshman and sophomore years and also made the senior honor roll.
He played club lacrosse for Edge Lacrosse, a team ranked in the top-10 in the United States and member of the National Lacrosse Federation (NLF). Parolin was named an Inside Lacrosse Invitational All-Star.
Parolin plans to obtain a business degree.
Jackson Ryan – Defense – Gainesville, Fla. – Oak Hall School/Sweetlax Florida
Ryan participated in varsity lacrosse at the Oak Hall School starting in the eighth grade and led the Eagles to three district titles. During his sophomore season, Ryan helped Oak Hall reach the Elite
Eight of state tournament for the first time in school history. He earned accolades as early as his freshman year when was named all-region honorable mention. He earned his first all-area nod as a sophomore (second team) and followed that with back-to-back first team selections. Ryan earned a spot on the all-state team as a senior and was also named to the North Florida Lacrosse "24" watchlist for defenders.
He collected 64 groundballs and caused 28 turnovers during his final two seasons while winning seven faceoffs and scoring twice.
Ryan helped his club team, which was led by coach Matt Kunkle, achieve a No. 4 ranking in the country. He was named an all-star at the 2018 NTX Philly Showcase and the 2019 UNC Team Camp while also receiving an invitation to the 2019 STX Rising Division I showcase.
He plans to pursue a degree in business.
Matthew Schnetzka – Defense – Alpharetta, Ga. – Cambridge HS/LB3 Thunder
Schnetzka played four years of varsity lacrosse at Cambridge High School and was a captain during his senior season. Twice he was named the program's Defensive Player of the Year. Following his senior campaign, he was selected to participate in the Georgia Great 88 All-Star Game.
Academically, Schnetzka was a Cambridge Scholar Athlete. In his spare time, he served as a CLAWS mentor.
He played five years of club lacrosse for LB3 Thunder and led them to a 2018 Naptown Championship and the 2019 Naptown Final Four.
Schnetzka comes from an athletic family as his father Mark ran track for the Clemson Tigers while his sister, Ally, plays lacrosse for fellow Southern Conference member Furman.
He plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Logan Tucker – Long Stick Midfielder/Defense – Buford, Ga. – Mill Creek HS/Thunder LB3
A Super Six Defender honoree and two-time All-Gwinnett County selection, Tucker will arrive in Macon from Buford, Ga. He was a team captain for two seasons for the Hawks of Mill Creek and was named a 2020 LaxRecords Player to Watch in Georgia. Tucker was coached by Alan Tallman at MCHS and led the Hawks to a region championship and GHSA Final Four.
Academically, Tucker received the Zell Miller scholarship recipient. He was also a member of Mill Creek's student advisory board.
On the club level, Tucker played for Thunder LB3, the same club as signee Garrett Meuninck. Tucker spent four seasons with the Thunder and helped them to the championship at the Naptown Challenge and helped the squad achieve a top-10 ranking in the national polls.
Despite missing 12 games due to injury, the standout long stick midfielder and close defender scored five goals and added one assist while collecting 25 ground balls and causing 18 turnovers.
Tucker plans to pursue a degree in business.
Cameron Welch – Attack – Ponte Vedra, Fla. – Ponte Vedra HS/Sweetlax FL
Welch, a 6-foot attack from Florida played three years of varsity lacrosse for Ponte Vedra High School and helped the Sharks capture a state championship in 2019. Welch also led his squad to a pair of region and district championships (2018 and 2019) and to the state semifinals in 2018.
He received numerous honors following the end of senior season this past spring, including: The JM Strong Award, an award given by the PVHS coaches, FSLCA All-State honors and an all-star game invitation, as well as a spot on the North Florida All-Star Northeast squad.
Welch intends to pursue a degree in finance and boasts an impressive GPA. He received the Academic Excellence Award and was a member of Ponte Vedra's International Business and Marketing Academy.
The Florida native becomes the second member of his family to play lacrosse at Mercer, joining his brother Clay. His father Bill was a two-sport athlete at Guilford College, while his mother Kim played tennis at Appalachian State University.
Matt Winegardner – Attack/Midfield – Tallahassee, Fla. – Maclay School/Sweetlax FL
Winegardner, a Tallahassee native, led the Maclay School to four district championships during his five years on head coach Justin Van Tassel's squad. He racked up numerous accolades including All-Big Bend honors (four times) all-county (twice) and all-state (once). He played club lacrosse for Sweetlax FL.
Winegardner is the second member of his family to pursue collegiate athletics. His father Mark was a swimmer at Miami (Ohio) University. Winegardner plans to major in business.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter), /MercerMensLAX(Facebook) and @MercerMensLacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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The 16 players represent both the United States and Canada. From the United States, the team added four players from Georgia followed by three from Florida and two each from North Carolina and Maryland. Mercer inked one student-athlete from New Hampshire, Ohio and Pennsylvania. In Canada, a pair of student-athletes come from Ontario.
"We had an excellent start to the 2020 season," said Surman. "Our staff is confident that this group of student-athletes will continue to build on the culture we've established and will represent Mercer with excellence on the field and in the classroom."
Kellan Arthur – Midfield – Cockeysville, Md. – Calvert Hall HS/FCA Lacrosse MD
Arthur spent two years on the varsity squad at Calvert Hall High School for coach Bryan Kelley as a midfielder. Arthur also played for Kelley on the club circuit, spending eight seasons with FCA Lacrosse MD. He is the youngest son of Alex and Tina Arthur. Arthur plans to pursue a degree in business.
Brian Barlotta – Midfield – Bedford, N.H. – The Governor's Academy/NH Tomahawks
Barlotta is the lone student-athlete making the trek to Macon from New Hampshire. He played two years of varsity lacrosse at The Governor's Academy in neighboring Massachusetts while competing for four years with the NH Tomahawks on the club level. He led the Tomahawks to four tournament titles and was named to the Under Armour New England Team.
Barlotta is an Eagle Scout and decorated student. He graduated with high honors and received the school's Presidential Award for Community Service. Additionally, he participated in the NHIAA Leadership Conference and was a huddle leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Barlotta plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Dominic DeRiso – Attack/Midfield – Greensburg, Pa. – Hempfield Area HS/IMG Academy/412 Elite & Shred Thread National
DeRiso played four seasons at Hempfield Area HS before embarking on a postgraduate year at the renowned IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla. The Greensburg, Pa. native was a four-year letter winner and a team captain for three seasons. He left Hempfield Area as the highest scorer in program history and was a 2018 and 2019 Academic All-America nominee. During his time at Hempfield he played for coaches Jake Bow and Spencer Wright. At IMG, he spent a year under the direction of head coach Mike Foderarro.
In addition to lacrosse, DeRiso also participated in cross country, wrestling and golf. He was named to the honor roll during each of his for years at Hempfield High and was a member of the Future Business Leaders of America, Interact Club and Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
DeRiso played club lacrosse for 412 Elite and Shred Thread National, both out of Pittsburg, Pa. He spent two seasons with each organization.
At Mercer, he plans to major in criminal justice with the goal of becoming a criminal defense attorney.
Taylor Dooley – Midfield – Lindsay, Ontario Canada – Everest Academy/Toronto Beaches Jr A
Dooley played three years at Everest Academy for head coach Clem D'Orazio. During his time with Everest, the program appeared in the finals of the Southern Retreat and the semifinals of the Midwest Lacrosse Championship. The Ontario product earned a variety of awards including: Team MVP, Coaches Choice Award, Midwest Lacrosse All-Tournament Team Honorable Mention and all-star selections from Cam-Am and the Southern Retreat.
Dooley was four-year honor student and won the social science award in 2018. He participated in three additional sports – hockey, basketball and soccer.
He participated in two seasons of club lacrosse with Toronto Beaches Jr. A.
At Mercer, Dooley plans to major in business.Â
Zach Dubois – Defense – Dublin, Ohio – Dublin Jerome HS/Haymakers
Dubois left his mark on Ohio's Dublin Jerome High School, leading the squad to three OCC championships. He earned a pair of all-state, All-Midwest, All-OCC and Defensive Player of the Year awards while also being a team captain for two seasons.
In the classroom, Dubois was member of the honor roll all four years and earned the President's Award in addition to being inducted into DJHS' chapter of the National Honor Society.
Dubois played club lacrosse for the Columbus, Ohio based Haymakers and coach Jason Pritchard.
He plans to pursue a degree in biology.
Wyatt Jones – Attack/Midfield – Hillsborough, N.C. – Orange HS/Carolina Hilltoppers
Jones played four seasons of varsity lacrosse for head coach Chandler Zirkle at Orange High School where he helped the Panthers reach a No. 3 ranking in the 3A state rankings. Jones was named all-state, all-conference and all-region during his tenure with the team. He led the Panthers in goals as a junior while leading both the Panthers and the conference in goals as a senior en route to Orange High School Athlete of the Year honors.
Jones spent five seasons with the Carolina Hilltoppers lacrosse club, based out of Chapel Hill, N.C. His high school coach also coached him during his tenure with the Hilltoppers.
The Hillsborough native graduated summa cum laude and volunteered in the community as a football camp counselor at Pathways and Hillsborough Elementary schools.Â
At Mercer, he plans to focus on engineering and is currently deciding between a mechanical or biomedical engineering pathway.
Ben Lever – Defense – Apex, N.C. – Middle Creek HS/Madlax Capital Lacrosse
Lever was a dual-sport athlete at Middle Creek HS, playing both football and lacrosse. He was a four-year starter for head coach Nick Holota and led the Mustangs to three SWAC Championships (2017-2019) and a state championship (2017). Middle Creek finished as the state runner-up in 2018 and had the highest team GPA in North Carolina. During Lever's four years with the Mustangs, they did not lose a conference match.
Lever was named an all-freshman member in 2017 and earned his first all-state honor in 2018 (third team). He earned first team selections to the all-state, all-region and all-county teams in 2019. Off the field, he was a three-time Academic All-Conference selection (2017-2019) in lacrosse and four-time selection (2016-2019) in football.
The Apex, N.C. native played two years of club lacrosse for Washington D.C. based Madlax Capital and head coach Cabell Maddux.
At Mercer, he plans to major in business.
Sam Matusek – Goalie – Derwood, Md. – Our Lady of Good Counsel HS/Eastside Lacrosse Club
Matusek spent three seasons as a varsity lacrosse student-athlete at Our Lady of Good Counsel and served as team captain during his junior and senior seasons. He was a two-time WCAC All-Conference selection and was voted Team MVP by his teammates and coaches. The Derwood, Md. product was named to the Maryland Free State team in 2017 was twice selected to the Under Armour Underclassmen team.
Matusek was also a varsity swim team member and made the honor roll while also participating in a service trip to El Salvador.
He played six seasons for the East Side Lacrosse Club and head coach Darren Murray.
He plans to pursue a degree in finance.
Garrett Meuninck – Face off – Fayetteville, Ga. – Starr's Mill HS/Thunder LB3
Meuninck, a US Lacrosse All-American and Georgia High School Association (GHSA) record holder for career face off wins (891) and win percentage (81.67%) will come to Mercer from Starr's Mill High School. The Fayetteville native played four years of varsity lacrosse for coaches Alex Haskins and Jeff Schmidlkofer. He led the team to a pair of region championships (2017, 2018) and four GHSA Class 6A Elite Eight appearances (2017-2019).
Meuninck was named a first team all-state selection in 2019 and earned a third team nod in 2018. He was twice selected to the All-South Metro First Team and was both the Fayette County and All-Metro County Player of the Year in 2019. Additionally, he was a two-time All-Fayette County First Team selection and a Third Team All-LaxRecords member in 2019.
He played four years of club lacrosse with the Atlanta, Ga. based ThunderLB3 team and coach Andy Pons.
Meuninck is the second member of his family to participate in intercollegiate athletics, joining sister Haleigh who played soccer at Armstrong Atlantic State. He plans to pursue a degree in business.Â
Yosef Ngowe – Midfield – Milton, Ga. – Milton HS/Homegrown Lacrosse Massachusetts
A three-sport athlete, Ngowe split time between Marblehead (Mass.) High School and Milton (Ga.) High School. He participated in football track and field and lacrosse. Ngowe won a conference championship during each of his three seasons of varsity lacrosse and was named a Great 88 All-Star. He was a two-time indoor track & field state qualifier, making state in three events – the 300-meter dash, 4x400-meter relay and high jump.
He played club lacrosse for Homegrown Lacrosse Massachusetts and coach John Pynchon, leading the squad to a Bulldog Bash tournament title.
Ngowe will become the second member of his family to participate in intercollegiate athletics, joining his father Charles who was a four-year letter winner at Wabash College. Ngowe will pursue a degree in business.
Jack Parolin – Attack – Toronto, Ontario Canada – Malvern Collegiate Institute/Edge LacrosseÂ
Parolin will come to Macon from the Malvern Collegiate Institute in Toronto where he played four years of varsity lacrosse for head coach Carter Livingstone. During Parolin's tenure with the squad,
Malvern was a city finalist on two occasions. Parolin earned a starting role in each of his four seasons on the team and led the squad in goals and points for three of four seasons while receiving the 2019 Team Most Valuable Player award. He also participated in golf and squash.
The Ontario native was in the top-25 percent in the Canada World Math contest during his freshman and sophomore years and also made the senior honor roll.
He played club lacrosse for Edge Lacrosse, a team ranked in the top-10 in the United States and member of the National Lacrosse Federation (NLF). Parolin was named an Inside Lacrosse Invitational All-Star.
Parolin plans to obtain a business degree.
Jackson Ryan – Defense – Gainesville, Fla. – Oak Hall School/Sweetlax Florida
Ryan participated in varsity lacrosse at the Oak Hall School starting in the eighth grade and led the Eagles to three district titles. During his sophomore season, Ryan helped Oak Hall reach the Elite
Eight of state tournament for the first time in school history. He earned accolades as early as his freshman year when was named all-region honorable mention. He earned his first all-area nod as a sophomore (second team) and followed that with back-to-back first team selections. Ryan earned a spot on the all-state team as a senior and was also named to the North Florida Lacrosse "24" watchlist for defenders.
He collected 64 groundballs and caused 28 turnovers during his final two seasons while winning seven faceoffs and scoring twice.
Ryan helped his club team, which was led by coach Matt Kunkle, achieve a No. 4 ranking in the country. He was named an all-star at the 2018 NTX Philly Showcase and the 2019 UNC Team Camp while also receiving an invitation to the 2019 STX Rising Division I showcase.
He plans to pursue a degree in business.
Matthew Schnetzka – Defense – Alpharetta, Ga. – Cambridge HS/LB3 Thunder
Schnetzka played four years of varsity lacrosse at Cambridge High School and was a captain during his senior season. Twice he was named the program's Defensive Player of the Year. Following his senior campaign, he was selected to participate in the Georgia Great 88 All-Star Game.
Academically, Schnetzka was a Cambridge Scholar Athlete. In his spare time, he served as a CLAWS mentor.
He played five years of club lacrosse for LB3 Thunder and led them to a 2018 Naptown Championship and the 2019 Naptown Final Four.
Schnetzka comes from an athletic family as his father Mark ran track for the Clemson Tigers while his sister, Ally, plays lacrosse for fellow Southern Conference member Furman.
He plans to major in mechanical engineering.
Logan Tucker – Long Stick Midfielder/Defense – Buford, Ga. – Mill Creek HS/Thunder LB3
A Super Six Defender honoree and two-time All-Gwinnett County selection, Tucker will arrive in Macon from Buford, Ga. He was a team captain for two seasons for the Hawks of Mill Creek and was named a 2020 LaxRecords Player to Watch in Georgia. Tucker was coached by Alan Tallman at MCHS and led the Hawks to a region championship and GHSA Final Four.
Academically, Tucker received the Zell Miller scholarship recipient. He was also a member of Mill Creek's student advisory board.
On the club level, Tucker played for Thunder LB3, the same club as signee Garrett Meuninck. Tucker spent four seasons with the Thunder and helped them to the championship at the Naptown Challenge and helped the squad achieve a top-10 ranking in the national polls.
Despite missing 12 games due to injury, the standout long stick midfielder and close defender scored five goals and added one assist while collecting 25 ground balls and causing 18 turnovers.
Tucker plans to pursue a degree in business.
Cameron Welch – Attack – Ponte Vedra, Fla. – Ponte Vedra HS/Sweetlax FL
Welch, a 6-foot attack from Florida played three years of varsity lacrosse for Ponte Vedra High School and helped the Sharks capture a state championship in 2019. Welch also led his squad to a pair of region and district championships (2018 and 2019) and to the state semifinals in 2018.
He received numerous honors following the end of senior season this past spring, including: The JM Strong Award, an award given by the PVHS coaches, FSLCA All-State honors and an all-star game invitation, as well as a spot on the North Florida All-Star Northeast squad.
Welch intends to pursue a degree in finance and boasts an impressive GPA. He received the Academic Excellence Award and was a member of Ponte Vedra's International Business and Marketing Academy.
The Florida native becomes the second member of his family to play lacrosse at Mercer, joining his brother Clay. His father Bill was a two-sport athlete at Guilford College, while his mother Kim played tennis at Appalachian State University.
Matt Winegardner – Attack/Midfield – Tallahassee, Fla. – Maclay School/Sweetlax FL
Winegardner, a Tallahassee native, led the Maclay School to four district championships during his five years on head coach Justin Van Tassel's squad. He racked up numerous accolades including All-Big Bend honors (four times) all-county (twice) and all-state (once). He played club lacrosse for Sweetlax FL.
Winegardner is the second member of his family to pursue collegiate athletics. His father Mark was a swimmer at Miami (Ohio) University. Winegardner plans to major in business.
FOLLOW THE BEARS
For complete coverage of Mercer Men's Lacrosse, please follow the Bears on social media at @MercerLacrosse (Twitter), /MercerMensLAX(Facebook) and @MercerMensLacrosse (Instagram) or visit the official home of Mercer Athletics at MercerBears.com.
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