LAKELAND — All Florida Southern head women’s lacrosse coach Maddy Mills could think about was how much of an honor it was to accept all the awards for the Florida Southern women’s lacrosse team at the 2026 PCASA (Polk County All-Sports Awards) banquet Tuesday night at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland.
After all, the entire night was absolutely sensational and so well put together, as the entire Polk County staff put on an absolute spectacle filled with folks in breathtaking attire, good food, a seminal setup for folks to reminisce about good times and a phenomenal production that put on an exceptional display for the hundreds in attendance. And this was deservingly so, as the Florida Southern women’s lacrosse team (21-1) created history, capturing its first national title since 2016 thanks to a 9-7 win over Maryville University on May 23. At the banquet, the team was recognized as the Female Collegiate Team of the Year alongside Warner’s flag football, which also won a national championship.
Mills, who is also the head coach of Lakeland Christian’s girls lacrosse team that won a district title for the first time in school history this past year, hearkened back to the time amid the Kodak moment.
“As soon as the buzzer went off to end the game at the national championship in Rochester, it all became real. All … the hard work, early morning practices (and) late night studying finally paid off. Watching our players run to each other with tears of joy in their eyes even though it was pouring rain and 30 degrees, (and) nothing could beat that moment,” Mills said.
And the moment happened in just her third year as the assistant coach, as the final piece of the puzzle finally came together. The offense had eight different goal scorers, the defense held Maryville’s goal scorers to just two goals the first three quarters and the local program was able to show everyone that they came to play and nothing was going to get in the way of getting that trophy.
The national championship trophy was well within grasp ahead of the 2026 campaign thanks to the program returning almost every starter. One major contributor in this national championship game and really all year was defensive captain Charlie Laye, who received the Collegiate Player of the Year award at the banquet thanks to being the best player on the best team, but because of her 44 ground balls and 18 draw controls, too.
“Charlie not only is an incredible athlete and hard working student graduating with a 4.0, she is one of the best leaders we have ever seen. She is the glue for our defense and a voice when people get lost. Although we are excited for the next year to come, we will definitely miss Charlie so greatly,” Mills said.
Laye, who is from Edgewater, Maryland, will likely miss the Polk County community showing the team so much love and support.
“We would not be as successful as we are without all of the support we have received, especially from our athletic department, our president Dr. Martin and his wife Tia, as well as all of our donors,” Mills said. “We are also so incredibly grateful to our players’ families. They are nothing short of amazing. No matter where we travel, they are always there to support. We like to say, ‘No matter where we are, we always have home field advantage.’”
Next year, Florida women’s lacrosse will return a lot of key contributors and All-Americans including, Audrey and Brayden Cannelli, Julia and Izzy Lucas, Kolby Cohen, and Jenna Vetter. All these players bring a ton of athletic talent back to the team, and they are also big pieces to the team’s culture.
“…Our team’s culture is far greater than our incredible winning record,” Florida Southern head women’s lacrosse coach Kara Reber said. “Earning the awards at the Polk County banquet is a testament to our team’s dedication and work they have put in all year. Winning the program’s second title, and the department’s 32nd overall is truly remarkable. It’s never an easy feat and a tough road for the South teams with wins over Flagler, Tampa (three times), and then Pace and Maryville in Rochester. The team is deserving of the recognition, and I’m happy that Charlie Laye was named Female Collegiate Athlete of the Year. She was a true captain and led this team all season long.”
Florida Southern men’s golf team recognized
The Florida Southern men’s golf team was also recognized as the Male Collegiate Team of the Year thanks to winning the NCAA Division II men’s golf national championship. The local program won 3-2 over Wingate University on May 22 in Boulder City, Nevada, which racked up Florida Southern’s 14 th national title in men’s golf.
Helping this team win was former Winter Haven golfer Anthony Monteleone, who earned The Ledger’s Player of the Year three times and Mr. Golf.
In this magical carpet ride for the program, Monteleone tied for fourth in stroke play, a -10 right behind fifth-year player Tyler Mistretta at -11. In the quarterfinal match, he executed a 20-footer for birdie on 17, which moved his match to help the team advance through the semifinals.
Monteleone was on stage at the banquet for a picture shot, experiencing the magnificence with his team.
“It was a great feeling knowing that we were representing a national championship team,” Monteleone said. “It’s a blessing to be able to receive the Collegiate Team of the Year. That team deserved every bit of it and worked so hard all fall and spring for the moment.”
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Florida Southern lacrosse, men’s golf named Teams of Year
Reporting by Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Robert Magobet, Lakeland Ledger | USA TODAY Network
