Bridgewater, N.J. – Le Moyne College senior defender Jane Austenfeld (Lisle, N.Y./Whitney Point) has been named the NEC women's lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year, as announced by the conference office on Tuesday afternoon.

Austenfeld joins Sydney Lusher (women's basketball, 2024) as the only Dolphins to be tabbed their sport's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in Le Moyne's three years in the conference. Scholar-Athlete of the Year award winners must have completed two years of college, maintained a minimum cumulative grade point average of 3.20 and participated with distinction as a member of a varsity team sponsored by the conference.

The NEC Defensive Player of the Year and an All-NEC First Team selection, Austenfeld completed her time on the Heights with a 3.93 grade point average as an Environmental Science Systems major.

On the field, she led the Dolphins to a share of the NEC Regular Season title and the top seed in the NEC Championship. She anchored a defense that allowed just 8.31 goals per game, the top mark in the NEC and the 14th-best nationally. A starter in all 18 games, Austenfeld tied for the team lead amongst defenders with a career-best 16 caused turnovers and ranked third on the team with a career-best 25 ground balls. She caused multiple turnovers in five games and scooped up multiple ground balls in six games, including three in a pair of contests.

The Dolphins finished their third season back at the Division I level with a 14-4 overall record and advanced to the NEC Championship game for the first time.