McLean County Times

Awards were announced for the Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team on July 9, as two players were recognized by the College Sports Communicators Academic All-America At-Large teams. Junior Billy McHugh and senior Sam Weinberg received this honor, marking the first time teammates from the program have been awarded in the same season.

Both McHugh and Weinberg were voted to the CSC Academic All-America Third Team. They join previous honorees J.C. Grabarek and Ethan Hart as part of the program's all-time selections.

Illinois Wesleyan's total of Academic All-America awards now stands at 172, placing it among the top-25 across NCAA Division I, II, and III, and within the top-10 in Division III. This academic year alone has seen 12 Titans receive CSC Academic All-America honors, surpassing last year's record of 10.

In his debut season with Illinois Wesleyan, McHugh was a key player for the Titans. He earned First Team All-CCIW honors and was named United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Blatant Division III All-American Honorable Mention. He achieved 22 caused turnovers and added 40 ground balls while maintaining a perfect GPA in economics.

Weinberg concluded his collegiate career playing in 14 games for Illinois Wesleyan. He scored 29 goals with 11 assists for a total of 40 points. His six man-up goals led the team this season. Weinberg graduated with a degree in neuroscience with a GPA of 3.83.

The Titans finished their season after reaching the second round of the NCAA Tournament with an overall record of 14-3. They claimed their seventh consecutive undefeated CCIW schedule title and won their seventh CCIW Tournament Championship against Elmhurst University. Nine student-athletes from IWU earned All-CCIW honors this year under Coach Zach Iannucci who was named CCIW Coach of the Year for his fourth time.

Illinois Wesleyan has participated in seven NCAA postseason appearances over its twelve seasons, reaching as far as the Elite Eight in 2021.