GREENVILLE, Pa. – Thiel College senior
Ashlyn Wightman (Pittsburgh, Pa./Shaler) was honored Wednesday as the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Midfielder of the Year.
Wightman and senior defender
Mary Cassano (Fairview, Pa./McDowell) also earned All-PAC First Team recognition. Senior goalkeeper
Madison Liggett (Baltimore, Md./Catholic) garnered All-PAC Second Team accolades.
A four-time All-PAC First Team honoree, Wightman led the league in points (109) and goals (96) in 2024. She currently ranks second in goals and 13
th in points in Division III.
Wightman became Thiel's career leader in points (305) and goals (274) in 2024, surpassing Cassy Mahdi's records which stood since 2015. Wightman was named a USA Lacrosse Magazine Division III Preseason All-American (third team) in February. She ranked second in Division III in 2023 in goals (102) and tied for 11
th in points (110), both of which were program single-season records. She also set a new PAC single-season record in goals.
An All-PAC Second Team pick in 2023, Cassano tallied 10 points this season (8G, 2A). She led the Tomcats in caused turnovers (38) and tied for second in ground balls (55). She ranked third in the conference in caused turnovers per game (2.53) and fourth in ground balls per game (3.67).
Liggett, who was the PAC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-PAC First Team selection following her sophomore season in 2022, led the league in 2024 in save percentage (.558). A three-time All-PAC honoree, Liggett currently ranks second in Division III in save percentage.
Liggett ranked second in the conference in goals-against average (7.89) and third in saves per game (9.94) this season. Her 3.69 ground balls per game also tied her for the second most in the conference.
Senior defender
Bailey Fritz (Mineral Ridge, Ohio/Austintown Fitch) represented Thiel on the PAC Sportsmanship Team. She caused 18 turnovers, picked up 11 ground balls and scored her first career goal in 2024.
The league's 10 head coaches determined, by vote, the All-PAC Teams and annual award winners.
Thiel went 9-7 overall and 5-4 in league play in 2024. The Tomcats also made their first appearance in the PAC Championship Tournament since 2021. Wightman scored eight goals in a tournament quarterfinal game and went on to be named to the PAC All-Tournament Team.
