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