NOTRE DAME, Ind. — The Notre Dame women’s lacrosse program is set to welcome seven new members as the Class of 2023 this fall. The group features four midfielders and three attackers that hail from four different states, and led their high school programs to a combined seven state championships.
“We are so excited to officially announce the incoming class of 2023 to the University of Notre Dame,” said head coach Christine Halfpenny. “We have long awaited the arrival of this talented group of individuals as we have been recruiting them for quite a while. While their talent, athletic ability and skill is obvious, it was the character with which they carry themselves which set them apart from their peers. Each of these recruited student-athletes have exemplified how important academics are to their future by committing to excellence in the classroom throughout their high school careers.”
“They have committed to their teams by leading their peers as captains. They have committed to their families by representing them in a positive, mature and responsible manner whenever they have been in the spotlight. Further, as the saying goes, They have won with humility, lost with grace, and have done both with dignity. Without a doubt, this group will mesh well and contribute immediately to our current team’s culture due to the above mentioned qualities. We can’t wait to add these first class student-athletes to their new home under the dome.”
Learn more about each member of the Class of 2023 below.
Madison Ahern
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Cohasset, Mass.
High School: Notre Dame Academy
Ahern is the second-ranked recruit in the Class of 2019 by Inside Lacrosse. A three-time US Lacrosse All-American, Ahern helped guide Notre Dame Academy to the Massachusetts Division I State title this spring while collecting 117 goals, 54 assists, 104 draw controls and 57 ground balls. She closed her high school career as her school’s record holder with 631 career points (435G, 196A), which also ranks third in Massachusetts history. Ahern, a two-time team captain, also earned Senior Under Armour All-American honors and was a three-time Boston Globe and Boston Herald All-Academic honoree.
Kasey Choma
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Manorville, N.Y.
High School: Eastport South Manor High School
Choma heads to Notre Dame as Inside Lacrosse’s top-ranked recruit in the Class of 2019 and is set to compete with Team USA this August in the World Lacrosse Women’s U19 Championship. At the club level, Choma helped the Long Island Yellow Jackets capture the 2016 U.S. Lacrosse National Championship and earned All-Tournament Team honors. Choma also guided Eastport to the 2019 New York State and Inside Lacrosse High School titles in addition to four consecutive Suffolk County Championships. This year, Choma earned U.S. Lacrosse All-American, Under Armour Long Island Highlight Division MVP and Inside Lacrosse High School National Championship All-Tournament Team honors, among numerous other accolades.
Olivia Derrico
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Ridgewood, N.J.
High School: Ridgewood High School
Derrico played alongside Jackie Wolak, another Irish Class of 2023 commit, at Ridgewood High School. She helped Ridgewood earn Group and County Championships in 2016, 2018 and 2019. Before an injury this spring, Derrico earned Academic All-American and Second Team All-League honors in 2018. She also earned a pair of varsity letters in basketball.
Jane McAvoy
Position: Attack
Hometown: Potomac, Md.
High School: Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School
A three-time US Lacrosse All-American, McAvoy racked up 104 points (78G, 26A) while serving as team captain at Georgetown in 2019. Her efforts on and-off the field earned her the prestigious US Lacrosse Jackie Pitts Award for the D.C. region. These awards recognize one player from each area who go ‘above and beyond’ in service to his/her team, school, and community. Throughout her high school career, McAvoy scored 251 goals and dished out 153 assists. She was also named to the Inside Lacrosse Senior Watch List in 2019.
Ellie Mooney
Position: Attack
Hometown: Pittsford, N.Y.
High School: Pittsford Mendon
A 2019 team captain at Pittsford, Mooney totaled 75 points (42G, 33A) en route to earning US Lacrosse All-American and All-Greater Rochester Player of the Year honors. Mooney has shown a knack for the big moments, scoring the sectional-winning goal in overtime this year and a double OT game winner in the 2017 state championship game. Mooney was also a four-year letter winner in basketball, and guided Pittsford to the New York State and Federation Championships in 2019.
Jackie Wolak
Position: Attack
Hometown: Ridgewood, N.J.
High School: Ridgewood High School
Wolak was named an Under Armour All-American and NJ.com’s Player of the Year after a 2019 season in which she scored 79 goals, added 42 assists and set the school record in single season draw controls. Wolak was a four-time All-League honoree in addition to earning All-State honors this past season. She helped Ridgewood earn Group and County Championships in 2016, 2018 and 2019 alongside Irish commit Olivia Derrico. Wolak is featured on Inside Lacrosse’s “On The Rise” list for the Class of 2019.
Kayleigh Wolff
Position: Midfield
Hometown: Maplewood, N.J.
High School: Oak Knoll School
Wolff helped Oak Knoll earn four consecutive state titles (2016-19), and her high-school career culminated in the 2019 Tournament of Champions crown. At Oak Knoll, Wolff played alongside current rising juniors Lizzy Doherty and Diana Kelly and rising senior Cassie Ford. Wolff’s efforts in 2019 earned her First Team All-League and Academic All-American honors while her Oak Knoll squad was NJ.com’s Girl’s Lacrosse Team of the Year. Wolff also earned three varsity letters in field hockey, and also led her team to three straight state titles from 2016-18.