The PAC is thrilled to participate in the NCAA's seventh annual Division III Week – a celebration of the division's unique philosophy that equally values academics, athletics and student-athletes' involvement in a full and rich campus life. Division III Week provides an opportunity for all individuals associated with a Division III institution or conference to recognize the powerful impact of athletics and student-athletes on the campus and surrounding community.
Follow all of the DIII Week stories being told across the country by checking out the Twitter hashtag #d3week. Want to tell a Division III story of your own? Use the Twitter hashtag #whyd3.
Maggie Nelson
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Maggie helped the Bearcats claim the inaugural
Ohio River Women's Lacrosse Championship
during her freshman season in 2015 |
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Maggie has been a four-year lacrosse standout,
shattering numerous school records |
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A two-sport athlete at Saint Vincent,
Maggie also earned All-PAC Soccer honors as a sophomore |
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Saint Vincent College
Maggie, a senior two-sport athlete at Saint Vincent, has starred for both the lacrosse and soccer programs. She has earned All-Ohio River Lacrosse Conference (ORLC) honors in each of her first three seasons. Maggie was named Offensive Player of the Year by both the ORLC and the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) as a junior after she led all of Division III and ranked second among all NCAA players with 134 points during the 2017 season. As of April 3, Maggie has racked up 269 goals and 99 assists during her time with the program. Maggie is a secondary education mathematics major and upon graduation she plans to stay at Saint Vincent to serve as a graduate assistant for the women's lacrosse program.
Deciding to become a Division III student-athlete has become one of the best decisions of my life. I can remember in high school when everyone began to get offers from colleges and deciding where they were going to attend college. Being a two-sport athlete (lacrosse and soccer), I knew I didn’t want to give either of them up. I had such a passion for both sports I couldn’t pick just one. It was then I knew Division III was the right place for me. As I started to look for colleges and coaches willing to let me be a two-sport athlete, once I found Saint Vincent, my decision became crystal clear.
A lot of times people think it must be crazy to play two sports and maintain acceptable grades in the classroom as well. But the truth is, one drives the other. I know that practice at 4 p.m. means the homework needs to get done by 3 p.m. Having a group of 25 girls right there to back you up is like nothing I can explain. As a team we are all on the same page. Division III means we care about our careers and about the classroom just as much as we care about our workouts.
Don’t get me wrong — it’s hard work. It takes commitment, time management and getting ahead, but it’s all worth it for that time on the field with the team. My teammates have pushed me further than I ever thought I could go, on and off the field. Their support is what drives me to the finish line. You aren’t just playing for yourself and that can train your perspective for life after college. Being a Division III student-athlete has taught me a lot about hard work. Succeeding in both hasn’t been easy, but I can honestly say being named to the PAC Academic Honor Roll is every bit as rewarding as being named ORLC Offensive Player of the Year.
I really can’t put words to all of the memories I have made as an athlete at Saint Vincent. There are definitely memories that stand out, like winning the inaugural ORLC Women’s Lacrosse Championship back in 2015 as a freshman, and breaking the goals per season record in lacrosse each season, and scoring a hat trick on our home turf against Bethany in soccer my junior season. But the memories that I hold close to me are those ones in the locker room, the ones on the six-hour bus rides we thought would never end, the gameday rituals, and that feeling of total calmness right as I stepped out onto the field for game time. Those are memories I know will last a lifetime. That’s what makes Division III special.