By Chris Goldberg
Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 8/20/11
Torrey Pines (CA) rising senior defenseman Willie Mort has made a commitment to play Division I lacrosse and begin the admissions process at the University of Pennsylvania.
Mort helped Torrey Pines (18-5) win the San Diego Section CIF Championship and finish ranked at No. 45 by ESPN RISE. The Falcons were ranked first in the state and No. 3 in the West according to WestSideLax.com.
Mort was a First Team all-league pick and played for the West team in the Under Armour Underclassmen Games. He also was a scholar-athlete pick by the San Diego Tribune and the Union Tribune.
He plays club lacrosse for RC Starz.
Last year Penn advanced to the NCAA tournament under second-year coach Mike Murphy.
“I chose Penn because of the location, the coaches, and the prestige of the school,” he said. “I loved how it is right in Philadelphia.
“I really enjoyed going through the recruiting process with Coach Murphy and Coach (Jason) Archbell. I also loved the campus and the tradition at the school. Being one of the oldest universities in America, it had a feel unlike the other schools I visited.”
Mort is confident his team can remain a California power for 2012.
“We only lost two starters from that team and I fully expect us to repeat as section champions,” he said.
Note: Student-athletes committing to Ivy League schools must continue through the admissions process
