May 22, 2001
Notre Dame, Ind. – Notre Dame lacrosse standout Mike Adams (Sr., Wilton, Conn.) is one of four Irish student athletes selected to the Verizon/CoSIDA Academic All-District Five At-Large Team for spring sports.
Adams was selected along with Notre Dame golfer Steve Ratay (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill.) to the 10 member men’s team. They were joined by women’s rowing standout Leah Ashe (Sr., Orchard Park, N.Y.) and All-American sprinter Liz Grow (Jr., New Braunfels, Texas) who were selected to the 10 member District Five women’s squad. All four athletes will now go on their respective national ballots for Verizon Academic All-American honors. The men’s team will be announced on June 12 and the women’s team on June 14.
One of his team’s four co-captains, Adams has played a key role in leading Notre Dame’s nationally-ranked lacrosse team to the NCAA semifinals for the first time in the program’s history versus Syracuse (May 26). He graduated on May 20 cum laude (with honors) with a degree in accounting, where he had a 3.439 grade-point average. Adams has been a three-year starter and anchors one of the best defenses in the nation. The Irish head into the final weekend of the season ranked third in the nation in defense giving up just 6.60 goals per game and have held six opponents to five goals or less this season. Notre Dame has won a school-record 14 games (14-1) and is ranked fifth in the nation. Adams has scored three goals with one assist from his defensive spot during his career.
The Academic All-America Spring At-Large teams are chosen from student-athletes participating in seven spring sports – rowing (women), lacrosse, indoor/outdoor track, water polo (women), golf, tennis and volleyball (men). The teams are then selected in voting by the College Sports Information Directors of America.