Five Girls’ Lacrosse Players Selected for All-State Honors; Jen McGowan named Delaware Coach of the Year
Posted June 26, 2012
The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association has announced that Nina Labovich, Grace Saliba, Molly Belk, Helen Cammerzell, and Joanie Oates earned All-State recognition in girls’ lacrosse this spring. Coach Jen McGowan was selected as Delaware’s Coach of the Year. The Saints began the regular season with a brand new starting defense and suffered two straight losses before turning their season around and finishing 12-3. They stormed into the state tournament outscoring their opponents 83-24 over their last five games.
The team’s momentum continued into the first two rounds of the state tournament where they toppled Sussex Tech 18-7 and then avenged a regular season loss to Archmere Academy with another 18-7 win to earn a spot in the final against eventual winner Cape Henlopen High School.
All three All-State seniors were recruited to play in college next year. Nina "No-No" Labovich is a three-time first team All-State selection and was again a rock in goal for the Saints. She will play at Wesleyan University next spring. Grace Saliba finished her senior season with 44 goals, 23 assists, 38 draw controls and a team-leading 47 ground balls. She is headed to perennial NCAA championship contender Franklin & Marshall College. Molly Belk finished her senior season with 55 goals, 16 assists, 17 draw controls and 34 ground balls. She will don the purple and gold at Williams College.
Coach of the Year Jen McGowan finished her second season as Head Coach of the Saints with an overall record of 24-8, two conference championships and two appearances in the state championship game. Her intensity, sportsmanship and passion for the game impacted not only her team, but also lacrosse throughout the region.
Grace Saliba offered the following analysis of McGowan's coaching: "Ms. McGowan's constant positive energy and her deep passion for the game of lacrosse transfers to her players when coaching. There is never a dull moment with Coach. If we're having an off warmup or just an overall off day, McGowan ALWAYS finds a way to get us back into it! We started this season 0-2. McGowan never allowed us to slow down or give up. Each practice was another challenge as she continued to push us and prove to ourselves that we were a better team. She always put the team first. Everything we did was together as we pushed one another harder and harder each day in order to get better. Her consistent resilience, positivity, toughness and passion allowed us to achieve great heights this season. We love you!"