NORTHBOROUGH, Mass. – For the third consecutive season, head coach
Jim Nestor and his staff –
Allie Ryan,
Liz Marr,
Caroline Daly and
Julianna Fohner – were recognized by the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) as the top staff in the Chesapeake Region,
as announced by the association on Wednesday afternoon.
The Sea Gulls advanced to the final weekend in 2026, with Nestor and his staff steering the squad to a 20-1 record, a fifth undefeated regular season in program history, a sixth consecutive and 24th overall conference championship and a 23rd consecutive NCAA Tournament bid. The team reached its third final four appearance in the past six years before falling 6-5 to the eventual runners-up in Wesleyan (Conn.).
The program featured the league's Offensive Player and Scholar Athlete (
Audrey Harrington), Defensive Player (
Abby Fleishell) and Coach of the Year honors in the C2C while securing eight all-conference selections. Seven were selected for All-Chesapeake Region teams (Harrington, Fleishell,
Miranda Mears,
Reagan Davis,
Regan McDonnell,
Paige Ellis and
Sydney Block), three earned IWLCA All-Americans laurels (Harrington, Fleishell and McDonnell) and three were recognized as senior all-stars (Ellis, Mears and
Lauren Hackett). The Sea Gulls finished the year ranked fourth in the final IWLCA DIII Coaches Poll.
The honor marks the 18th time in Nestor's IWLCA Hall of Fame career that either he or his staff were crowned the best of the Chesapeake Region.
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, 26 individual national championships, and 211 conference championships, and have produced 54 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.
