Five Titans Reel in All-CCIW Honors for Women’s Lacrosse

Fiandaca named CCIW Defensive Player of the Year

4/29/2025 12:00:00 PM

CCIW Release

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's lacrosse team saw five student-athletes named to the All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin teams, announced by the league Tuesday, April 29,. Senior Mia Fiandaca (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) headlined the list with a specialty award, as she was named the CCIW Defensive Player of the Year after a phenomenal senior season.

Fiandaca and junior Sarah Riepe (Aurora, Ill.-St. Francis) were named to the first team, while senior Lizzie Rymarcsuk (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Saint Viator), junior Sadie Newton (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community), and freshman Maddie Gibson (Fenton, Mo.-Rockwood Summit) earned second team honors. Fiandaca and Riepe both earn first team honors for the second time, as Fiandaca garnered it in 2023, while Riepe repeats after being named First Team All-CCIW in 2024. Rymarcsuk, Newton, and Gibson all reel in their first all-conference honor. The five All-CCIW awards marks the most in a season for the Titans since they reeled in six in 2021.

Breaking the program's single-season caused turnovers record, and inching closer to the career mark, Fiandaca earned CCIW Defensive Player of the Year honors behind 21 points on 19 goals and two assists, 24 draw controls, 23 caused turnovers, and 16 ground balls. Fiandaca led the league in caused turnovers, and held a league-best 4.60 per game average. She also ranks third in draw controls per game (4.80), third in goals per game (3.80), fifth in points per game (4.30), and sixth in ground balls per game (3.20). She becomes the third Titan to earn the league's top defensive honor, joining Janaye Godfrey (2021) and Mariah Smith (2018).

Riepe collects her second all-conference honor behind another strong defensive season. The junior recorded 20 ground balls, an average of four per game, both of which rank third in the CCIW this season, as well as 11 draw controls, eight caused turnovers, and eight points off six goals and two assists. Her average of 1.60 caused turnovers per game ranked seventh in the league.

Logging the most minutes in between the posts in the CCIW, Rymarcsuk went to work in her senior season, as she defended the goal for 285 minutes, playing all but one quarter in conference action. Rymarcsuk led the league in saves with 55, and saves per game, averaging 11 per contest. The senior also sits third in the CCIW in save percentage (.539), and fourth with a goals allowed average of 9.89. She enters Wednesday's game needing 10 saves to break the program's single-season save record, set by Claire Quist with 161 in 2016.

Newton snags her first all-conference honor after being a big asset on both sides of the ball all season. The midfielder raked in 12 points, composed of 10 goals and two helpers, 16 caused turnovers, 15 ground balls, and 15 draw controls. Her caused turnover mark ranks second in the CCIW, only trailing Fiandaca, and the second-best average, notching 3.20 forced miscues per game. The Bloomington, Ill. native also ranked eighth in ground balls per game and draw controls per game, holding an average of 3.00 in both categories.

Putting on a strong freshman campaign, Gibson garners Second Team All-CCIW honors in her first year donning the Green and White. Playing a key role in orchestrating the IWU offense, Gibson finished with 16 points on 10 goals and six assists, as well as recording six ground balls and five caused turnovers. She ranked top-10 in the CCIW in goals per game (ninth, 2.00), assists per game (fifth, 1.20), and points per game (sixth, 3.20).

Senior Mallory Mills (Schaumburg, Ill.-James B. Conant), a three-year captain for Illinois Wesleyan, was the team's recipient of the CCIW RESPECT Award.

Head Coach Abby Kushina and the Titans look to avenge their 10-8 loss to Carthage Wednesday, April 30, in the CCIW Tournament Semifinals. Action is set to begin at Art Keller Field in Kenosha, Wis., at 7 p.m.

CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Elizabeth Wang, Carroll

CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Mia Fiandaca, Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year
Abby Tubbs, Carroll

CCIW Coach of the Year
Michael Hodge, Carroll

All-CCIW First Team
Madison Langewisch, A, Augustana
Abby Tubbs, A, Carroll
Elizabeth Wang, A, Carroll
Annelise Oster, A, North Central
Grace Tumilty, D, Carroll
Hannah Kim, D, Carthage
Sydney Kuyava, D, Carthage
Sarah Riepe, D, Illinois Wesleyan
Lauren Fricke, MF, Carroll
Samantha Hurd, MF, Carroll
Piper LeFevre, MF, Carthage
Mia Fiandaca, MF, Illinois Wesleyan
Abby MacKenzie, MF, North Central
Devon Duym, GK, Carroll

All-CCIW Second Team
Grace Brockman, A Carroll
Shannon Heitschmidt, A, Carthage
Gracie Eastman, A, Elmhurst
Maddie Gibson, A, Illinois Wesleyan
Teah Rupp, D, Carroll
Mikaela Armstrong, D, Elmhurst
Tori Leonard, D, North Central
Becca Lacina, MF, Augustana
Kaitlyn Goff, MF, Carthage
Sadie Newton, MF, Illinois Wesleyan
Lucy Culig, MF, North Central
Jacq Vanoni, GF, Elmhurst
Lizzie Rymarcsuk, GK, Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW RESPECT Award
Kritika Chitnis, Augustana
Abby Stas, Carroll
Taylor Ruf, Carthage
MC Brown, Elmhurst
Mallory Mills, Illinois Wesleyan
Ellie Gosselin, North Central

Print Friendly Version