Bucknell University Athletics
Eve Lukowski Named PL Women's Lax Scholar-Athlete of Year; Richter, Rickels All-Academic
5/4/2016 1:06:00 PM | Women's Lacrosse
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Sophomore Eve Lukowski on Wednesday was named Patriot League Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and she was joined on the Academic All-Patriot League Team by teammates Gretchen Richter and Sam Rickels. All three played key roles in Bucknell's 10-win season while maintaining stellar grade-point averages.
With Lukowski's selection, Bucknell has now claimed six of the last eight Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards for women's lacrosse and 10 total dating back to the league's inception in 1990-91.
Lukowski is majoring in managing for sustainability, and she has a near-perfect 3.97 cumulative GPA. A Dean's List honoree and a member of the Patriot League Academic Honor Roll, Lukowski was Bucknell's leading scorer in 2016 with 65 points on 33 goals and 32 assists.
Lukowski became just the second Bison ever to record 30 goals and 30 assists in the same season, and her 65 points were second-most in team history, six shy of Carol Donohue's school record. Lukowski ranks third in the Patriot League in points per game and fourth in assists per game.
Richter makes the Academic All-Patriot League Team after combining a terrific sophomore year with a 3.80 GPA in accounting and financial management. Richter was a First Team All-Patriot League selection in 2016, when she produced 37 goals, 11 assists, 79 draw controls, 26 caused turnovers and 22 ground balls.
The 79 draw controls are second-most in the Patriot League and second-most in any season in Bucknell history. Richter broke the school record with 84 draw controls as a freshman in 2015, and even though she just completed her sophomore campaign, her 163 career DCs are just one shy of the school record. Bonnie Buechel's all-time mark of 164 will hold up through the offseason.
A two-year team captain, Rickels enjoyed a tremendous senior year as a two-way midfielder. Rickels has maintained a 3.86 GPA in early childhood education, and she has been a part of the Bucknell Bison Leadership Academy. She represented Bucknell at the NCAA Leadership Forum in Providence, Rhode Island, in 2013.
On the field, Rickels accumulated 13 goals, 11 assists, 49 draw controls, 25 ground balls and 12 caused turnovers this season. She ranks ninth in the Patriot League in draw controls, and her 94 career DCs are ninth-most in program history.
To be eligible for Patriot League academic honors, a student-athlete must maintain at least a 3.20 cumulative grade-point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Twelve student-athletes made the Women's Lacrosse Academic All-Patriot League Team, and Bucknell had the most honorees with three. Boston University, Lafayette and Loyola had two each.
Bucknell finished 10-8 in 2016, an eight-win improvement over the previous season. The Bison returned to the postseason after a seven-year absence and fell to third-seeded Boston University in the Patriot League Tournament quarterfinals on Tuesday night.
