Wingate's Knowles Named 2024 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate's Leah Knowles was voted the 2024 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today.

The South Atlantic Conference Scholar-Athlete of the Year award is presented annually to one student-athlete in each of the Conference's championship sports and is voted on by the SAC's Faculty Athletic Representatives Committee. The winners are selected based on their achievements in academics, athletics, service, and leadership.

Knowles, a graduate student from Hickory, N.C., holds a 3.909 grade point average while earning her master's degree and had a 3.736 grade point average as an undergrad. Knowles became the first women's lacrosse student-athlete at Wingate to earn CSC Academic All-American honors and graduated with Latin honors magna cum laude in 2023. She was named to the Wingate University President's List all four years as an undergrad and was twice named to the Dean's List. She presented an Aboriginal-based artwork piece and walked attendees through the history of Aboriginal Art at the Wellspring Symposium in the Spring of 2022. She also earned the Student Art Award that same semester and is a four-time recipient of the SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll.  

Knowles is one of the most decorated players in SAC women's lacrosse history and was just named IWLCA All-American for the third straight year. She was twice named SAC Offensive Player of the Year and earned the SAC Midfielder of the Year this season. She won back-to-back Wingate University Female Athlete of the Year accolades and led the team to be ranked in the top 25 in each of the past three years. She led the Bulldogs to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history in 2022 and was the first Wingate women's lacrosse player to ever earn All-American accolades. She is the program's all-time leader in career goals, points, draw controls and caused turnovers.

Off the field, she was a student teacher at Marshville Elementary School where she worked with kindergarten students and was a UCPS substitute teacher. She was a graduate assistant for the Wingate Education Department's new Orton-Gillingham Reading Clinic in the spring of 2023 and was a club coach for Ultimate Lacrosse CLT for four seasons. She also worked with teammates to volunteer for the Common Heart Food Pantry. She was also a move-in volunteer at Wingate in the fall of 2022.   

"Leah Knowles is one of the most humble and hard-working players who I have ever coached," said Wingate Head Coach Abby Wiley. "She is our 'go to' player whenever we are in a tight game and need to come up with a caused turnover or to score a goal. She puts in so many extra hours on the field to perfect her game and it shows. Leah is also our player on the team who everyone can go to when they need something, she always puts others before herself. She is also a tremendous student athlete, maintaining a high GPA. Her success in the classroom is a huge testament to what she is also able to do on the field."

SAC Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete Finalists

Leah Knowles, Wingate

Haley Stallings, Mars Hill

Lucy Brewer, Tusculum

Madalyn Messersmith, Newberry