NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – For the second consecutive season, head coach
Jim Nestor and his staff –
Allie Hynson,
Liz Marr,
Kellan McAleer,
Mary Hanzsche and
Katelin Talbert – were recognized by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) as the best in the Chesapeake Region,
as announced by the association on Wednesday afternoon.
The Sea Gulls embarked on yet another deep postseason run in 2025, with Nestor and his staff guiding the squad to a 16-5 record, a fifth consecutive and 23rd overall conference championship and a 22nd consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The team advanced to the regional final for the eighth time in the last 10 years, knocking off then-unbeaten St. John Fisher in the regional semifinal before bowing out against Tufts, the eventual runners-up.
The program boasted the league's Offensive Player (
Audrey Harrington), Defensive Player (
Abby Fleishell) and Coach of the Year honors in the C2C while carving out nine all-conference selections. Six were picked for All-Chesapeake Region teams (Harrington, Fleishell,
Miranda Mears,
Julianna Ott,
Paige Ellis and
Regan McDonnell), two were crowned IWLCA All-Americans (Harrington, Fleishell) and two were recognized as senior all-stars (
Alexandra Parker,
Natalie Held). The Sea Gulls finished the year ranked fifth in the final IWLCA DIII Coaches Poll.
The honor marks the 17th time in Nestor's IWLCA Hall of Fame career that either he or his staff were crowned the best of the Chesapeake Region. He became the third coach in the sport's history to eclipse 500 career wins in 2025's Big Dance, bringing his career record to 501-101-1. His win total ranks second all-time in Division III women's lacrosse history.
Salisbury University is a proud member of NCAA Division III with primary membership in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference, along with affiliate membership in the New Jersey Athletic Conference (football, men's & women's swimming), Coastal Lacrosse Conference (men's lacrosse), State University of New York Athletic Conference (field hockey), and Colonial Women's Golf Conference (women's golf). With over 500 student-athletes in 23 varsity sports, SU is recognized as one of the nation's most competitive intercollegiate athletics programs regardless of division, featuring dedicated coaches and staff that foster excellence on and off the field. The Sea Gulls have won a combined 23 team national championships, 24 individual national championships, and 205 conference championships, and have produced 51 Academic All-Americans.
To Make Tomorrow Yours at Salisbury University, and learn more about Sea Gull Athletics' tradition of excellence, visit SUSeaGulls.com or follow on social media @SUSeaGulls.
