June 11, 2016
Matt Landis, already recognized as the best Division I men’s lacrosse defenseman in the country in both 2015 and 2016 by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association, has added another academic honor to his list of credits.
Landis is one of 43 Division I men’s lacrosse players named a Scholar All-American by the USILA.
In 1989 the USILA Scholar All-America Program was established to recognize student-athletes from USILA member institutions who have distinguished themselves academically and athletically and as citizens of their communities. The USILA selection committee selects an overall team representing Division I, II and III.
The criteria are:
— A Scholar All-American must be nominated by his coach and be a student with 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.
Landis was one of four captains of the 2016 Irish squad that finished 11-4, shared the regular-season Atlantic Coast Conference title, advanced to the NCAA Championship quarterfinals for a best-in-the-nation seventh straight year and finished fifth in all three final polls. He also received an honorary postgraduate scholarship from the ACC and was an Academic All-America nominee. Landis graduated last month with a degree in finance from the Mendoza College of Business.
From Pelham, New York, Landis was the only defenseman among the five 2016 finalists for the Tewaaraton Award. He’s a two-time ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time USILA first-team All-American.
A first-round Major League Lacrosse draft pick (and the third overall selection) by Florida, Landis is expected to make his MLL debut tonight in Boca Raton, Florida, against Denver.
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In other Irish men’s lacrosse news, Lacrosse magazine issued its early top 25 for 2017 and listed Notre Dame fifth-behind Maryland, Denver, North Carolina and Johns Hopkins.
Lacrosse magazine also announced its Year-End All-America team and included Landis as one of three defensemen.
Inside Lacrosse published its list of the top freshmen in the country in 2016 and included Notre Dame attack and ACC Freshman of the Year Ryder Garnsey 10th and midfielder Drew Schantz 12th.