Louisville, KY - Boasting a cumulative team grade point average of 3.313 for the 2023-24 school year, the National Champion men's lacrosse program has earned the Team Academic Award, presented by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association on Thursday. 

Additionally, four student-athletes were honored as Scholar All-Americans - Aidan Fitzgerald, Jack Hipchen, Kyle Steinbach, and Dylan Renner. A Scholar All-American must be a student with a senior year academic standing and a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (4.0 scale). He will have behaved in a manner that has brought credit to himself, his institution, and to college lacrosse both on and off the field. He must also be an All-American, a member of a North/South team, or an outstanding league or conference player.

Fitzgerald, a two-year player for the Panthers, caps his graduate season as a Scholar All-American with a 3.975 in sports management. The LSM was recognized as an All-American Honorable Mention by the USILA this season while also earning a spot on the conference All-Championship team, for his 24 caused turnovers and 50 ground balls in 2024. 

A First Team All-American this spring, Hipchen graduates with a 3.7 in business management to earn the academic honor. A four-year letterwinner for the Cats, not a semester as passed that he has not appeared on the NE10 Academic Honor Roll while also being a mainstay on the Panther midfield. 

Steinbach started his collegiate lacrosse career at nearby Hofstra but excelled on the Division II stage, scoring a hat trick in this year's National Championship game while boasting a graduate gpa of 3.6. A three-time USILA All-American selection, the Garden City native adds Scholar All-American to his resume following his final season. 

Lastly, Renner rounds out the group with 3.11 as he earned a degree in history last month. Winner of the two highest honors from USILA this season, he led all of NCAA Division II with a 64.7 save percentage between the pipes to help Adelphi also rank second in scoring defense. He stopped 15 shots in the National Championship game, including eight in the first quarter alone. 

Adelphi closed out the season at the top spot in the USILA Poll following the program's eighth national title.