[March 24, 2015]

Lake Erie College Men's Lacrosse Ranked #1 in the Country

The 2014-2015 athletic seasons at Lake Erie College have brought unprecedented success to the Storm.

Most recently, the Lake Erie College men's lacrosse team ascended to the top of the two major NCAA Division-II rankings following their 14-12 win over former number one team and defending national champion Limestone College on March 21.

This accomplishment marks the first time that a Lake Erie team has been ranked first in the country.

"Earning the number one ranking is big for our program and for the institution as a whole," said first-year head coach Steve Gartelman. "The guys knew what they wanted to accomplish and we are well on our way to reaching our team goals for this year."

The men's lacrosse team has defeated second-ranked Le Moyne College, 11^th-ranked University of Mount Olive, 14^th-ranked Belmont Abbey College and top-ranked Limestone College, all while on the road. The team has nine games remaining this season, including three more match-ups against top-15 teams.

In addition to the success of the men's lacrosse team, student-athletes on the track and field, wrestling and football tams have also achieved national recognition this academic year for their athletic prowess.

In track and field, senior Joe Postwaite captured the 2015 NCAA Division-II Indoor Track and Field title in the triple jump. Postwaite is the second national champion from the program, joining alumnus Jamil Dudley. Dudley won the 2012 Outdoor High Jump Championship as well as the 2014 Indoor High Jump Championship.

The Storm wrestling team has also been in the national spotlight this year. A program record of five wrestlers qualified for nationals this season after finishing second in the Region-II Championships. Junior Matt Vandermeer finished second in the country in the 165-pound bracket. Storm wrestling also captured their second straight Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Championship.

In the fall, the LEC football team was in the national spotlight when junior running back Anthony Bilal finished third in the running for the Harlon Hill Trophy, awarded to the top player in Division-II football. Bilal was named to several All-American lists.

For more information on the athletics programs at Lake Erie College, visit the Storm's website at www.lakeeriestorm.com or www.lec.edu.

Lake Erie College, founded in 1856, provides distinctive undergraduate and graduate programs grounded in the liberal arts. We empower students to deal with the diversity, complexity and change necessary to excel in the 21^st century. We offer 32 undergraduate majors and master's programs in business administration, education and physician assistant studies. Our students compete in 21 NCAA Division-II varsity sports.

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