Phillylacrosse.com, Posted 7/6/20 – From Press Release
A group of seven newcomers is set to join the Princeton Women’s Lacrosse program as announced by head coach Chris Sailer (Haverford High).
The Class of 2024 hails from a total of four states — Maryland, New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania — with three new Tigers calling New York home. As a group, they combined to earn 12 high school All-American honors and three Academic All-American honors.
“We are thrilled to welcome the Class of 2024 to Princeton Lacrosse,” said Sailer. “As their bios reveal, they are an exceptional group who show tremendous promise to positively impact our program over the coming years. All seven of them arrive at Princeton having played big roles on highly successful high school programs, and they’re well-prepared for the challenge of top-level Division I lacrosse. As a group, they are athletic, skilled, confident and eager to learn and compete. We’re excited to see them don the Orange and Black and to help them grow as players, teammates and leaders during their time as Tigers.”
Samantha DeVito | Midfield
5-8
Ballston Spa, N.Y./Ballston Spa
ADK Lacrosse
High School: US Lacrosse All-American … US Lacrosse Academic All-American … Graduated with 109 career goals, 85 assists and 194 points … Also registered 263 career draw controls, 271 ground balls and 159 caused turnovers … Twice served as team captain … Three-time Under Armour All-American Underclass selection (2017, 2018, 2019) … Named IL Women Young Gun in 2017 … Two-time Section 2 Suburban Council Grey Division champion (2018, 2019) … Two-time first-team Suburban Council All-Star (2018, 2019) … 2019 Times-Union All-Star … 2019 fifth-team All-State … Named 2020 Ballston Spa Female Athlete of the Year … 2020 Suburban Council Excellence in Athletics and Academics Award recipient … Four-year starter on the women’s basketball team … Three-year starter on the women’s soccer team … National Honor Society president … Student Council secretary …
Personal: Daughter of Amy and John DeVito … Father played baseball and rugby at Kansas State … Older brother, Jake, played golf at St. Lawrence … Intends to study economics.
Sammy Filippi | Midfield/Attack
5-4
Manorville, N.Y./Eastport-South Manor
Long Island Yellow Jackets
High School: US Lacrosse Academic All-American … Two-time Committed Academy selection (2018, 2019) … Graduated with 36 goals, 49 points and 27 draw controls … Team was 48-6 over her three seasons … Played on 2019 New York Class B state championship team … Three-time Suffolk County champion (2017, 2018, 2019) … 2019 Long Island Class B champion … 2020 Newsday Top-100 selection … 2019 Back of the Cage All-Long Island selection … Class valedictorian … National Honor Society member … AP Scholar with Distinction Named Most Outstanding Senior Scholar-Athlete at Eastport-South Manor
Personal: Daughter of Renee and Kevin Filippi … Older brother, Jake, plays club lacrosse at Albany … Intends to study economics.
Olivia Koch | Attack
5-9
Skillman, N.J./The Lawrenceville School
Ultimate Lacrosse
High School: US Lacrosse All-American … Under Armour All-American … Graduated with 126 career goals and 148 career points over three seasons … Twice named ILWomen Young Gun … Three-time N.J. Prep A Tournament finalist (2017, 2018, 2019) … Three-time Mercer County champion (2017, 2018, 2019) … Three-time Mid-Atlantic Prep League champion (2017, 2018, 2019) … 2019 SEAL Cup champion … Served as team captain … WPLL N.J. Futures selection … 2019 N.J. All-Prep Attacker of the Year … Two-time first-team N.J. All-Prep (2018, 2019) … 2019 Times of Trenton All-Area selection … Earned U.S. Lacrosse Player of the Week honors in 2018 … Also competed on field hockey and indoor track teams … High Honors student … Dean’s List student.
Personal: Daughter of Michele and Michael Koch.
Elise Mueller | Attack
5-10
Villanova, Pa./Radnor
NXT Girls Lacrosse
High School: Two-time US Lacrosse All-American … US Lacrosse Academic All-American … PASLA National Tournament team selection … Graduated with over 230 career points and 250 career draw controls through three high school seasons … Twice served as team captain … Played on 2017 PIAA Class AA state championship team … Team advanced to state semifinals in 2018 and state quarterfinals in 2019 … Named Radnor High School Most Outstanding Female Athlete in 2020 … Twice named first-team All-Central League (2018, 2019) … Twice named first-team All-Main Line (2018, 2019) … 2018 first-team All-Delco selection … Four-year starter in basketball … Graduated as Radnor’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder … National Honor Society member … National Merit Commended Scholar … Distinguished Honor Roll student … Class Senator … Pennsylvania Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame selection for Delaware County.
Personal: Daughter of Kristine and Christopher “Kit” Mueller … Father graduated from Princeton in 1991 and played men’s basketball before embarking on a professional career in Switzerland … Grandfather, Douglas Kowert, played football at Purdue … Intends to study economics.
Natalie Pansini | Midfield
5-6
Villanova, Pa./The Agnes Irwin School
Phantastix Lacrosse
High School: Two-time US Lacrosse All-American … Four-time Under Armour Underclass All-American … Ranked No. 17 in Inside Lacrosse Class of 2020 rankings … IL Women Young Gun selection … Twice selected to Philadelphia’s US Lacrosse National Tournament team … 2018 Epoch IL Women Committed Academy selection … Represented Puerto Rico in 2019 U19 World Lacrosse Games … US Lacrosse Academic All-American … Graduated with 189 goals, 91 assists, 280 points, 311 draw controls, 170 ground balls and 100 caused turnovers … Played on 2017 and 2018 state championship teams … Reached state finals in 2016 and 2019 … Twice won Inter-Ac title (2016, 2018) … Team was a combined 60-19 over her three seasons … Served as team captain … Three-time first-team All-Inter-Ac (2017, 2018, 2019) … Twice named first-team All-Delco (2018, 2019) … Twice named first-team All-Main Line (2018, 2019) … Twice named first-team All-PhillyLacrosse.com (2018, 2019) … Also played soccer and squash … Inter-Ac Athletic Directors Award recipient … Earned White Blazer Award as outstanding senior athlete … National Latin Exam Summa Cum Laude recipient
Personal: Daughter of Elisa and Michael Pansini … Father played basketball at Johns Hopkins … Older sister, Maria, is a member of the Princeton lacrosse team … Older sister, Laura, graduated from Princeton in 2020 and spent three seasons on the lacrosse team … Cousin, Melissa Bourdon, played hockey at New Hampshire … Cousin, Robert Bourdon, played hockey at Colgate.
Paige Vegna | Defense
5-5
Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y./Cold Spring Harbor
Long Island Yellow Jackets
High School: Two-time state champion, claiming 2018 and 2019 New York Class C championships … Team went 19-2 in 2018 and 2019 … Played on 2017 Nassau County runner-up … Over 60 career high school games, registered 89 ground balls, 77 caused turnovers and 40 draw controls … Twice named honorable mention All-Nassau County (2018, 2019) … Named to Newsday’s Top-100 in 2020 … Received Cold Spring Harbor’s 2020 George Topolian Award for academic and athletic achievement … National Honor Society member … National AP Scholar … National Merit finalist … FIRST Robotics Team co-president … Also played club ice hockey, winning 2012 state championship
Personal: Daughter of Pamella and Lance Vegna … Mother played soccer at Dartmouth and father played Rugby at Fairfield … Had an uncle (Bryan Niddrie) and grandfather (Donald Niddrie) play men’s lacrosse at Bucknell … Intends to study computer science.
Sophie Whiteway | Midfield
5-8
Potomac, Md./Holton-Arms School
M&D Lacrosse
High School: US Lacrosse All-American … Graduated with 211 career goals, 31 assists and 242 points … Added 235 draw controls and 96 caused turnovers … Twice set school record for draw controls in a season, most recently in 2019 with 109 … Led ISL in goals in 2019 with 105 … Had school-record nine goals in one game against Agnes Irwin … Served as team captain … Twice played on DC Metro team in US Lacrosse Schoolgirls Tournament … 2018 ISL runner-up … Twice named honorable mention Washington Post All-Met (2018, 2019) … Two-time All-ISL selection (2018, 2019) … Four-year letterwinner in field hockey, leading the team in scoring three times … Named second-team Washington Post All-Met in field hockey … Also was on the basketball and swimming teams … Managing editor of the school newspaper … Volunteers with One Love Foundation and the Wetlands Institute.
Personal: Daughter of Andrea and Jeffrey Whiteway … Father was a member of the sailing team at Navy.
Related News
Princeton Athletics Announces Art Lane ’34 Award Finalists
May 20
Princeton Athletics Announces C. Otto Von Kienbusch Award Finalists
M