Phillylacrosse.con, Posted 8/26/17
From Press Release
Colorado head lacrosse coach Ann Elliott has announced the addition of 10 student-athletes to the 2018 roster.
“I am so excited to welcome in our class of 2021 to Colorado,” Elliott said. “This class replaces our first ever recruiting class and I think they are extremely fit to do so. Their competitiveness, athleticism, speed and passion for Colorado Lacrosse as a whole is something that continued to impress me over the recruiting process.
“I am excited about the versatility and depth our 2021 class will add to our program. After losing 14 seniors last season, trying to replace our depth will be a major factor in the success we can have this season as a team. I believe this class will be able to make a huge impact on our program from the start and I am really excited to start working with them.”
The group consists of five east coast natives, a pair from California and one from Texas, Illinois and Colorado.
Name Pos. Ht. Hometown (High School/Club)
Devon Bayer M 5-9 Merrick, N.Y. (Sanford H. Calhoun/Long Island Top Guns)
Caitlin Burnham M 5-5 San Rafael, Calif. (Marin Catholic/Stick With It!)
Eliza Cahill M 5-9 The Woodlands, Texas (The Woodlands/Tenacity Houston)
Haley Farella M 5-3 Westfield, N.J. (Westfield/Steps Elite Lacrosse Academy)
Grace Gallagher M 5-6 Radnor, Pa. (Radnor/STEPS Elite Philadelphia)
Sadie Grozier M 5-6 Pleasanton, Calif. (Amador Valley/Tenacity 10)
Zoe Lawless M 5-11 Elmhurst, Ill. (York/Denver Summit)
Macaul Mellor M 5-4 Philadelphia, Pa. (William Penn/Quaker City)
Madison Wifall M 5-7 Englewood, Colo. (Kent Denver/Team 180)
Aine Williams M 5-4 Hingham, Mass. (Notre Dame/Mass Elite)
Complete bios for student-athlete are below:
Grace Gallagher
ELLIOTT ON GALLAGHER: We are excited about Grace. Grace comes from a great family with a solid lacrosse history. Grace has had a tough high school career with a couple of injuries but she has shown her strength in every challenge and her hard work ethic. Her toughness and positive attitude is something we admire. We are really excited for Grace to be here at Colorado and we are looking forward to coaching her and her potential.
HIGH SCHOOL: Grace Gallagher graduated from Radnor High School in 2017 where she lettered in lacrosse, basketball and soccer. Her lacrosse team won the state championship in 2017, as well as the district championship her junior and senior seasons. RHS won the 2017 state title 20-8, which was the largest goal differential in Pennsylvania state championship game history. A member of the honor roll all four years of high school, Gallagher was also an AP Scholar her junior and senior years.
CLUB TEAM: She played for STEPS Elite Philadelphia.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Gallagher intends to major in engineering.
PERSONAL: Grace Gallagher was born on June 11, 1999 in Wayne, Pa. She is the daughter of Martin and Colleen Gallagher. Her sister, Leah, played lacrosse at Notre Dame, while her brother, Marty, was a member of the lacrosse team at Navy. Both served as team captains. Gallagher enjoys reading and cooking and lists James Harden as her favorite professional athlete. She was also recruited by California, Southern California and Notre Dame.
Macaul Mellor
ELLIOTT ON MELLOR: We are excited Macaul chose to come to Colorado. Macaul is a true competitor and great athlete. Her toughness is one of her greatest strengths and something we were drawn too. Despite not playing lacrosse that long she has the potential to have a strong impact in the midfield and on both ends of the field with her work ethic, toughness and gritty play all over the field. We look forward to coaching her!
HIGH SCHOOL: Macaul Mellor graduated from William Penn Charter School in 2017, lettering in lacrosse, soccer, swimming and track. Mellor played the last two lacrosse seasons under Colleen Magarity, who coached at CU for two seasons. She was named the team’s mvp following her senior season and in the span of her four year career, tallied over 100 goals. Mellor was named a first-team All-Inter-Ac in 2017 and was a second team honoree as a junior. She also earned the Girls Inter-Ac Outstanding Athletic Award as a senior. Mellor also excelled academically as she was an honor student.
CLUB TEAM: Mellor played club for Quaker City from 2014-16.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Mellor intends to major in psychology and would like to be a sports psychologist after graduation.
PERSONAL: Macaul Elizabeth Mellor was born on September 18, 1998 in Philadelphia, Pa., to Rich and Mary Mellor. Her father, Rich, played football at Penn and was the inspiration for the ‘Coach Mellor’ character on the ABC comedy ‘The Goldbergs.’ Mellor’s grandfather, Ira, was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles and also played for the N.Y. Giants. Her favorite professional team is the Atlanta Falcons as Matt Ryan, the 2016 NFL’s Most Valuable Player, is a family friend. Mellor enjoys baking, pottery and boxing. She was also recruited by Temple, Hofstra and Mt. Saint Mary’s.
Devon Bayer
ELLIOTT ON BAYER: We are really excited about Devon and what she will add to our program. Devon has great speed and quickness that will help us out in the midfield and on both ends of the field. She is a strong dodger and has the capability of putting a lot of pressure on the defense out of the midfield. However, the thing we are most looking forward to is Devon’s extreme competitiveness and drive to win!
HIGH SCHOOL: Devon Bayer is a 2017 graduate of Sanford H. Calhoun High School, where she lettered in lacrosse. Bayer played midfielder and defense in four years for the Colts. In that time, she recorded 152 goals and 86 assists, which included a 45 goal and 25 assist performance as a senior. Bayer was named to the News12 Long Island Top 50 Long Island Girls Lacrosse Players to Watch and was one of the Newsday Long Island Top 100 Players as a senior. She was a three-time all-county player (sophomore, junior and senior seasons) and was an all-conference selection her freshman year. Bayer earned a varsity starting position for the Colts as an eighth grader. She was also on the track and field team where she competed in the sprints and jumps. Bayer was a member of the school record setting 4×200-meter relay team (1:53.59) and earned all-conference honors in the long and triple jumps.
CLUB TEAM: She played for the Long Island Top Guns for five years and was a member of the U.S. Lacrosse U15 National Championship semifinalist team.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Bayer intends to major in education but is also interested in business.
PERSONAL: Devon Bayer was born on July 3, 1999 in Mineola, N.Y. to Robert and Susan Bayer. Her father played football at Hofstra University and her brother, Colin, played lacrosse at Florida Southern. She enjoys comic and superhero movies, documentaries and volleyball. Bayer lists gummy worms as her favorite food and her favorite professional team is the New York Islanders. She was also recruited by Johns Hopkins, Drexel, Hofstra and UMass.
Caitlin Burnham
ELLIOTT ON BURNHAM: We are excited to welcome Caitlin to Colorado. Although not the biggest player on the field, Caitlin is aggressive, has great speed and goes hard all the time. We are excited about her versatility; she is capable of being a strong attacker as well as a midfielder with her athleticism and speed. We look forward to watching Caitlin continue to grow here at CU.
HIGH SCHOOL: Caitlin Burnham graduated from Marin Catholic High School in 2017, earning four letters as a midfielder for the Wildcats. A team captain and MVP her senior season, Burnham led MCHS in goals (49), ground balls (29) and caused turnovers. During her four years with the Wildcats, she tallied 141 goals. Burnham was a second team All-Marin County Athletic League selection her sophomore, junior and senior years. Academically, she was named a U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American following her junior year. Burnham was also a member of the Dean’s List, National Honors Society and a North Coast Section Scholar Athlete.
CLUB TEAM: She was a member of Stick With It! Lacrosse for seven years. During her sophomore year, Burnham played for the U.S. Lacrosse Women’s National Tournament NORCAL 1 Team.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Burnham intends to major in communication.
PERSONAL: Caitlyn Burnham was born on January 22, 1999 in Boston, Massachusetts, to Jay and Shannon Burnham. She lists pasta as her favorite food and completed over 200 hours of community service in high school. Burnham was also recruited by Southern California and Villanova.
Eliza Cahill
ELLIOTT ON CAHILL: We are excited to welcome our first player from Texas to Colorado! We were instantly drawn to Eliza’s speed and aggressiveness on the field. These are two big staples for our program and we are excited about Eliza’s ability to add depth and speed to our team in the midfield and on defensive end. We are excited about Eliza’s potential here at Colorado.
HIGH SCHOOL: Eliza Cahill is a 2017 graduate of The Woodlands High School, where she was named a U.S. Lacrosse All-American as a senior. Cahill earned four letters as a midfielder, recording 36 goals, 19 draw controls and 27 ground balls her senior year as her team garnered a 20-2 mark. Cahill was named the District MVP, all-state first team and TWHS MVP her senior season. A captain her junior and senior years, Cahill was selected her team’s Midfielder of the Year as a junior. As a sophomore in 2015, she was named to the all-district first team and Highlanders’ Most Impactful Player of the Year. An excellent student, Cahill earned several awards, including the Distinguished Graduate Award, summa cum laude and the Highlander Excellence Award her senior year.
CLUB TEAM: She played for Massachusetts Elite from 2009-12 and Tenacity Houston from 2013-17.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Cahill intends to major in business but is interested in international affairs.
PERSONAL: Eliza Cahill was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November, 10, 1998. She is the daughter of Kevin Cahill and Erica and Mike Coleman. Athletics run in her family as her mother played lacrosse at Trinity College and her sister, Gretchen, was a soccer player at Rice University. Cahill enjoys running, hiking, horseback riding and traveling. She lists the New England Patriots as her favorite professional team and her favorite player is Julian Edelman. Cahill was also recruited by Cornell, UC Davis and Villanova.
Haley Farella
ELLIOTT ON FARELLA: We recruited Haley earlier in the process when she was just starting to play lacrosse, coming from a strong soccer background. Haley is a competitor who goes 100% all the time. She isn’t afraid of anything and it shows in her play. We are excited to continue to watch Haley grow here at the University of Colorado!
HIGH SCHOOL: Haley Farella graduated from Westfield High School in 2017 where she earned three letters as an attacker/midfielder on the lacrosse team. She led the midfield in goals, assists and ground balls as a senior and her team recorded a 10-8 overall mark. Farella also earned four letters on the soccer team. She was one of a select few girls who earned a starting role for the WHS varsity soccer team as a freshman. Academically, Farella excelled as well. She was a member of the National Honors Society and was a recipient of the Presidential Academic Award.
CLUB TEAM: She played for Steps Elite Lacrosse Academy from 2012-16 and was a Brine Lacrosse All-American (2015-16). Farella was also named an Inside Lacrosse Most Notable Player to Watch as well as an IL Committed Academy Finalist.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Farella is interested in studying advertising, marketing and media at Colorado.
PERSONAL: Haley Farella was born on January 9, 1999 in Plainfield, New Jersey, to Joe and Dawn Farella. Her father played soccer at Virgina Commonwealth University. She enjoys snowboarding and writing, and lists Rhianna as her favorite musical artist. Farella chose CU over Stanford and California.
Sadie Grozier
ELLIOTT ON GROZIER: Sadie is a versatile player. She has the speed and athleticism for the midfield. Sadie has been a very fun player for us to watch as she continues to get better every time we see her and add to her skill set. She has potential to make an impact in the midfield and offensive end. We are really excited to coach Sadie!
HIGH SCHOOL: Sadie Grozier is a 2017 graduate of Amador Valley High School where she earned four letters as a midfielder. During her career, she recorded 271 goals, 55 assists, 233 ground balls, 150 caused turnovers and 327 draw controls. AVHS won the North Coast Section (NCS) Championship her freshman season in 2014 and was the runner-up the following season. A two-time All-American, she was named the Amador Valley Co-Female Athlete of the Year after being awarded the U.S. Lacrosse Jackie Pitts Award that goes to the top player in Northern California. Grozier was also awarded the NCS Scholar Player of the Year by Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area. She topped off her high school career by being named an NCS-CIF Scholar Athlete all four of her high school years and was an Academic All-American (2016 and 17).
CLUB TEAM: From 2011-17, she played club for Bearlax and Tenacity 10.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Grozier intends to major in business.
PERSONAL: Sadie Grozier was born on July 25, 1999 in Derry, New Hampshire. She is the daughter of John and Liza Grozier of Pleasanton, Calif. Her father ran cross country and track at Boston College and her sister, Molly, plays lacrosse at Marquette. Grozier enjoys hiking and concerts. She lists her favorite foods as tacos and Oreos and her favorite professional team is the New England Patriots. Brown, Marquette and Oregon also recruited Grozier.
Zoe Lawless
ELLIOTT ON LAWLESS: We are looking forward to coaching Zoe. We were fortunate enough to get Zoe later in the recruiting process. She is a strong athlete, with great size and good instincts on the field. Zoe has so much potential offensively and through the midfield given her athleticism and ability to run. We are excited to welcome her to Colorado!
HIGH SCHOOL: Zoe Lawless graduated from York High School in 2017, where she lettered in lacrosse. An all-state honorable mention selection her junior and senior seasons, Lawless also earned first team all-conference honors those same years. As a senior, she was named the team’s MVP. Lawless ranked seventh in the state in assists and points and was 14th in goals in 2017. YHS advanced to the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history in 2015 and did it again the following two years. Academically, Lawless earned High-Honor Roll accolades all four seasons.
CLUB TEAM: Lawless played for Lakeshore Lacrosse for four years and Summit Elite/Denver Summit for another two years.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Lawless intends to major in biology.
PERSONAL: Zoe Lawless was born on August 7, 1999 in Chicago, Ill., to Thomas and Veronica. She enjoys hiking and lists her favorite foods as deep dish pizza and ice cream. She was also recruited by Butler and Central Michigan.
Madison Wifall
ELLIOTT ON WIFALL: Living in Colorado, we have had the pleasure to get to know Madi and her family very well over the last few years. Madi is such a strong athlete and is eager to learn and get better every day. I remember watching Madi in her high school playoff games and being impressed with all the small things she does on the field to help her team. Madi plays extremely hard all over the field and every play, whether big or small. We believe she will fit right into our program!
HIGH SCHOOL: Madison Wifall is a 2017 graduate of Kent Denver School. She lettered in field hockey, lacrosse and swimming. During her senior year, Wifall was named the team’s MVP and earned second team all-state honors. She also earned first team all-conference accolades as a junior and was a member of the second team as a sophomore. Wifall’s team earned an 11-5 record in 2017 and was 12-4 in 2016. Wifall was a captain for the KDS field hockey team that won the 2016 state field hockey championship, finishing with an undefeated record.
CLUB TEAM: Wifall played club for Denver Summit (2011-15) and Team 180 (2015-17).
IN THE CLASSROOM: Wifall intends to major in integrative physiology but is also interested in business and Spanish.
PERSONAL: Madison Renee Davis Wifall was born on May 18, 1999 in Denver, Colo., to Scott Wifall and Tracey Davis-Wifall. Her brother, Zach, played football at Grinnell College. She competes in triathlons and lists Beyonce as her favorite musical artist. After college, she would like to be a nurse. Brown, Denver and San Diego State also recruited Wifall.
Aine Williams
ELLIOTT ON WILLIAMS: We are excited to welcome Aine into our program. Aine is a versatile player who is athletic and has a solid game IQ. We have seen her play both defense and midfield throughout high school and club. Her versatility and ability to be a strong defensive player but also an impact player through the midfield is something we are really excited about.
HIGH SCHOOL: Aine Williams graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 2017, where she earned four letters on the lacrosse team and three as a member of the field hockey team. As a senior, Williams was named a U.S. Lacrosse All-American as well as a first team EMGLCA All-Star. During her junior year, she was named an Under Armour All-American and selected to the MARI U.S. Lacrosse National Tournament Team 2. Williams was also a member of the National Honors Society.
CLUB TEAM: Williams played club for Mass Elite from 2013-17.
IN THE CLASSROOM: Williams intends to major in business.
PERSONAL: Aine Catheine Williams was born on March 12, 1999 in Boston, Mass., to Michael and Erin Williams. Her favorite food is steak and she lists the New England Patriots as her favorite professional sports team. Williams was also recruited by Yale, Boston College and Southern California.