Women's Lacrosse National Championship Page

The Lindenwood women's lacrosse team had a busy day in Salem, Va. on Friday at the NCAA Division II National Championships.
 
The highlight of the day was the Women's Lacrosse Championship Banquet held at the Salem Civic Center. One of the Lady Lions, Melissa Menchella, walked away with the biggest award of the evening as she was given the Elite 89 award.
 
The Elite 89, an award founded by the NCAA, recognizes the true essence of the student-athlete by honoring the individual who has reached the pinnacle of competition at the national championship level in his or her sport, while also achieving the highest academic standard among his or her peers. The Elite 89 is presented to the student-athlete with the highest cumulative grade-point average participating at the finals site for each of the NCAA's championships.
 
Menchella, who was also named an All-American earlier in the day, is a junior physical education major.
 
The Lady Lions started the day with a practice at Kerr Stadium, the host site of the national championship event.
 
After practice, Lindenwood had one of its most enjoyable experiences during its trip when it visited South Salem Elementary School and spent over an hour with the kids at the school. The Lady Lions visited two classrooms and also hung out with kids during their lunch breaks. It was a toss-up on whether the players or kids were having more fun as the Lindenwood players interacted with the kids and signed autographs on everything from posters to napkins.
 
After having fun on Friday, the team is now ready for the business portion of its trip. Lindenwood will face Lock Haven on Saturday at 10 a.m. (CDT) in the first NCAA Semifinal contest. Links for the complete coverage of the game can be found at www.lindenwoodlions.com. 

Friday's Photos: