BALTIMORE, MD – Johns Hopkins women's lacrosse coach Janine Tucker announced today that senior Keegan Barger has been selected in a vote by her teammates to serve as the Blue Jays' captain for the 2021 season. In addition, a member of each class was selected to serve in a "captain's cohort" to assist Barger this season.
 
"I am thrilled to announce that Keegan was selected by her peers to be our team captain for the 2021 spring season," Tucker commented. "Keegan is one of the most driven, dedicated and selfless players I have ever coached. She leads by example and is incredibly committed to her teammates and this program. 
 
This marks just the fourth time in the 46-year history of the program, and the first time since 1996, that the Blue Jays will have a lone captain. Barger, who has started every game of her career, was one of three Blue Jays named to the Big Ten's Preseason Players to Watch list. She ranked second on the team in draws a year ago (17) and as a freshman in 2018 (54), and ranked third as a sophomore (61). Barger enters her senior campaign ranked eighth in school history with 132 career draws. In addition, she ranks 16^th with 50 caused turnovers.
 
Graduate student Lexi Souder, senior Jeanne Kachris, junior Annika Meyer, sophomore Bailey Cheetham and freshman Abbey Hurlbrink were selected for the captain's cohort.
 
"Keegan will be supported by a captain's cohort of leaders, one from each class, to assist her as she guides her Blue Jays," noted Tucker. "We are thrilled with this leadership model and consistently encourage leaders from every class to step up and make an impact in our program. The players who were chosen by their teammates to support Keegan in our captain's cohort will complement her with their tremendous leadership qualities and skill sets."
 
Souder returns for a fifth year after the 2020 season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. She has totaled 34 goals and six assists, to go along with 87 draws, 49 ground balls and 21 caused turnovers in 58 career games. Souder is 16^th in school Division I history in career draws.
 
Kachris is a two-time All-Big Ten and three-time Big Ten Player to Watch selection. A three-year starter, she returns to anchor the Blue Jays' defense and counts 72 ground balls and 45 draws to her credit. Meyer earned a starting role a year ago and made an immediate impact. She led the Blue Jays and the Big Ten with 1.86 caused turnovers per game. In addition, she led the team and was second in the league with 3.14 ground balls per game.
 
Cheetham played in all seven games as a rookie and tallied five points (2g, 3a), four ground balls and four draws. Her five points were second on the team among all freshmen a year ago. Hurlbrink was a four-year starter and two-year captain at Bryn Mawr, where she also played basketball and tennis. She was named a Baltimore Sun and IAAM Conference Player to Watch as a junior and senior.