American Women’s Lacrosse 2026 Award Winners Announced

04.29.26

IRVING, Texas – Players from South Florida, James Madison, Temple and Vanderbilt earned major individual awards for the 2026 American Conference women’s lacrosse season, as the conference announced its all-conference teams and award winners as voted by the league’s head coaches.
 
USF’s Sofia Chepenik was named the American’s Attack Player of the Year, and teammate Kaitlyn Tartaglione was named the conference Midfielder of the Year. USF’s coaching staff of head coach Mindy McCord, associate head coach Brittney Drashen and assistant coaches Paul McCord and Vincent Lodato were recognized as the league’s Coaching Staff of the Year.
 
Other American women’s lacrosse major award winners included JMU’s Olivia Rongo as Defensive Player of the Year, Temple’s Riley Horoshko as Goalkeeper of the Year and Vanderbilt’s Gabby Putman as Freshman of the Year.
 
Chepenik and Tartaglione were the first USF players to capture major individual awards in the second season of American women’s lacrosse for the Bulls. Putnam was the first Vanderbilt player named American freshman of the year, Horoshko earned the first goalkeeper of the year honor in the American for Temple and Rongo was the second JMU standout to claim conference defensive player of the year in the past four seasons.
 
Chepenik, Tartaglione and Rongo were each unanimous selections to the all-conference first team, where they were joined by Horoshko and Putman. Other returning first-team all-conference players included Charlotte’s Isa Torres, East Carolina’s Emma Magazu and Kayla Wilkes and James Madison’s Reese Cuviello.
 
 
2026 AMERICAN CONFERENCE WOMEN'S LACROSSE AWARDS
 
AMERICAN CONFERENCE ATTACK PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Sofia Chepenik, South Florida 
 
AMERICAN CONFERENCE MIDFIELDER OF THE YEAR
Kaitlyn Tartaglione, South Florida
 
AMERICAN CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Olivia Rongo, James Madison
 
AMERICAN CONFERENCE GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR
Riley Horoshko, Temple
 
AMERICAN CONFERENCE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Gabby Putman, M, Vanderbilt
 
AMERICAN CONFERENCE COACHING STAFF OF THE YEAR
South Florida
(Head Coach Mindy McCord, Associate Head Coach Brittney Orashen, Assistant Coach Paul McCord, Assistant Coach Vincent Lodato)
 
ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
Pos. Player School Cl. Hometown  
A Isa Torres 1 Charlotte Jr. Glenelg, Md.  
A Sarah Goodison East Carolina Jr. Forest Hill, Md.  
A Olivia Matthews 2 James Madison So Bedford, N.H.  
A Payton Root * 2 James Madison So. Guilford, Conn.  
A Sofia Chepenik * 1 South Florida Jr. Jacksonville, Fla.  
A Amelia Wright Temple Gr. Roswell, Ga.  
M Kayla Wilkes 1 East Carolina Sr. Sinking Spring, Pa.  
M Harlowe Healey James Madison So. Beverly Farms, Mass.  
M Kaitlyn Tartaglione * 1 South Florida Sr. Bernardsville, N.J.  
M Sabrina Martin 2 Temple Sr. Montclair, N.J.  
M Gabby Putman Vanderbilt Fr. Cicero, N.Y.  
D Emma Magazu * 1 East Carolina Gr. Newtown, Conn.  
D Reese Cuviello 1 James Madison So. Fairfax, Va.  
D Olivia Rongo * James Madison Sr. Westhampton, N.Y.  
D Kaitlyn Stankavage Temple Sr. Garnett Valley, Pa.  
G Riley Horoshko Temple Sr. Macungie, Pa.  
           
* unanimous selection
           
           
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
Pos. Player School Cl. Hometown  
A Sophia Rakis Charlotte Fr. Ellicott City, Md.  
A Elise Grissett South Florida Sr. Holly Springs, N.C.  
A Maggie Newton South Florida Gr. Skaneateles, N.Y.  
A Lexi Culp Temple Sr. Springfield, Pa.  
A Shea Panzik Vanderbilt So. Manhasset, N.Y.  
M Chloe Bleckley 2 James Madison So. Newtown Square, Pa.  
M Josie Pell James Madison Sr. Catonsville, Md.  
M Kali Cleary 2 South Florida So. Naples, Fla.  
M Brooke Mazzei Temple Fr. Lynbrook, N.Y.  
M Brooke Baker 1 Vanderbilt Gr. Raleigh, N.C.  
M Anna Taraboletti Vanderbilt Jr. Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.  
D Ava Bleckley 1 James Madison Jr. Newtown Square, Pa.  
D Maddie Morris South Florida So. Centerport, N.Y.  
D Madison Moten Temple Sr. Delran, N.J.  
D Alex Gladding 2 Vanderbilt Jr. Pompano Beach, Fla.  
G Jaime Behar 2 East Carolina Sr. Mineola, N.Y.  
                                                                                                                   
1 2 indicates previous selections to first or second team