Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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BLUEGOLDONLINE.COM MAY 2024 41 ND SPORTS BY TODD D. BURLAGE W ith multiple All-America honors already in the bank and plenty more to come after this season, gradu- ate student Jackie Wolak has cataloged many memorable moments during her stellar lacrosse career at Notre Dame. But if you ask Wolak to single out one highlight during her five years on cam- pus, the star Irish attacker immediately jumps to Feb. 16 of this year when then- No. 8 Notre Dame knocked off reigning national champion and No. 1-ranked Northwestern 14-10, only three games into what's becoming a magical season. The upset victory snapped a 22-game winning streak for Northwestern, and it marked the first time in program history that Notre Dame beat the top-ranked team in the country. "Northwestern is a team that we al- ways have a great battle with every year, and just being able to come up on top was something that was truly special," Wolak said. "I think that was definitely a big confidence boost, and we've car- ried that with us each game." Wolak was the best player on the field that day, posting an impressive 6-point performance with 4 goals and 2 assists. The win became part of a stretch of seven victories in nine games for the Fighting Irish, which lifted them to a No. 5 national ranking through March 19 and kept all their preseason plans intact. "We want to be the best team that has ever come through Notre Dame in women's lacrosse," Wolak said. "And I think starting out our season pretty strong is something that shows how committed we are to reaching that goal." A multiple-time All-ACC Academic honoree, Wolak is completing her mas- ter's program in management and busi- ness with plans to work in New York City upon graduation this spring. While balancing lacrosse and academ- ics has been challenging, the Ridgewood, N.J., native wouldn't change a thing. "Notre Dame has fulfilled everything I could've hoped. This place is truly spe- cial," said Wolak, who became familiar with the university because of her love for Fighting Irish women's basketball. "The people make this place. And I've found such a great group of friends, professors and my coaches. And being able to see all of the things I have accomplished at Notre Dame, I'm so grateful for my time here." A well-rounded player, Wolak was the only ACC player that ranked in the league's top 10 in goals per game (ninth, 2.71), assists per game (fifth, 2.29) and points per game (second, 5.00) as of late March. Up next is helping to lead the Irish to only their second final four ap- pearance in program history (2006). "This is a special team, and we feel like we can play with anyone in the country," Wolak said. "And there is no reason to be- lieve we can't reach the goals and dreams we set at the start of the season." ✦ Wolak was the only ACC player that ranked in the league's top 10 in goals per game (ninth, 2.71), assists per game (fifth, 2.29) and points per game (second, 5.00) as of late March. PHOTO COURTESY NOTRE DAME BASEBALL (14-12 OVERALL, 2-10 ACC) Won a pair of games at Radford March 12-13 … Lost all three contests at Florida State March 15-17 … Defeated Western Michigan March 19 … Won two of three against Miami in South Bend March 22-24 … Suffered a three-game sweep at NC State March 28-30. FENCING Finished second in the NCAA Championships March 21-24 at Columbus, Ohio, tallying 161 points while finishing behind only Harvard (169). MEN'S GOLF Finished first in the Johnnie-O At Sea Island March 11-12 at St. Simons Islands, Ga. … Placed second at the Schenkel Invitational March 15-17 in Statesboro, Ga. WOMEN'S GOLF Came in fourth at the Tulane Classic March 10-12 In New Orleans … Finished second in The Bruzzy March 30-31 at Ardmore, Okla. MEN'S LACROSSE (6-1 OVERALL, 1-0 ACC) Defeated Michigan 19-9 March 16 in South Bend … Notched a 14-12 home win over Syra- cuse March 30 in South Bend. WOMEN'S LACROSSE (10-2 OVERALL, 4-2 ACC) Picked up one-goal victories at Brown (16-15) March 13, at Boston College (15-14) March 16 and at Clemson (14-13 in overtime) March 22 … Notched a 20-6 win at Mercer March 24 … No. 6 Notre Dame crushed Pitt 26-5 March 30. SOFTBALL (21-12 OVERALL, 6-6 ACC) Swept a doubleheader against Bowling Green March 12 … Took two of three at Georgia Tech March 15-17 … Defeated Michigan State 4-2 March 19 … Won three straight at home versus NC State March 22-24 … Lost two of three at North Carolina March 28-30. MEN'S SWIMMING Placed 10th in the NCAA Championships March 27-30 at Indianapolis. WOMEN'S SWIMMING Finished 32nd at the NCAA Championships March 20-23 at Athens, Ga. MEN'S TENNIS (10-12 OVERALL, 1-7 ACC) Fell 4-3 at Virginia Tech March 15 and 6-1 at Virginia March 17 … Suffered a pair of 4-0 defeats at the hands of NC State March 22 and Wake Forest March 24 … Defeated Xavier 4-0 March 24 … Lost 4-0 at North Carolina March 29 and 5-2 at Duke March 31. WOMEN'S TENNIS (13-7 OVERALL, 4-5 ACC) Edged Florida State 4-3 March 15 … Lost to Miami 4-3 March 17 … Lost 4-3 at Georgia Tech March 28 and bounced back for a 4-1 triumph at Clemson March 30. Irish Roundup Through March 31 Lacrosse Standout Jackie Wolak Is Chasing Big Dreams