Hall of Fame
A transformation in the Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse program took place in the late 1990s/early 2000s as the Blue Jays made the jump from Division III to Division I in 1999. Many of the early Division I honors – and much of the team's success – revolved around the Blue Jay offense.
That all changed in 2002, when Lacey-Leigh Hentz arrived and established herself as one of the top defenders in the nation and helped Johns Hopkins make another transformation, this one from a competitive Division I program to one that made noise at that national level.
Hentz became the Blue Jays' top defender the day she arrived on campus. She earned First Team All-American Lacrosse Conference honors in each of her four seasons. JHU competed in the ALC from 2002-14 and Hentz was one of just two Blue Jays to earn First Team All-ALC as a freshman and one of just two to earn First Team All-ALC four times. In fact, she was the first player in school history – regardless of conference or Division – to earn first team all-conference honors four times.
A Third Team IWLCA All-American and a First Team IWLCA All-Mid-Atlantic selection as a senior, Hentz also earned Johns Hopkins' Catherine P. Cramer Award as the University's top senior female athlete.
Nearly 15 years after graduating, Hentz's name is still prominent throughout the program record book. She still holds Johns Hopkins' single-season (54) and career (146) records for caused turnovers and she ranks fifth in school Division I history in ground balls (174).
Hentz helped lead Johns Hopkins to a 44-24 record and back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2004 and 2005. The NCAA Tournament berth in 2004 was the first for Johns Hopkins at the Division I level.
