Few other universities in the country have the same athletic prestige as Clemson University, recognized nationwide for its bright orange color and renowned Tiger Paw logo.
As part of a new series with The Tiger’s sports department, each month during the academic year, the desk will vote on an athlete of the month, highlighting a Clemson athlete who made waves in their respective sport. For the month of March, as the first member of this award, freshman Teagan Scott emerged as the most notable among an impressive list for her resume on the women’s lacrosse field in the past month.
A freshman starter on the No. 19 team in the nation, Scott instantly became one of the most recognized players in the country. Aside from a three-goal loss at the outset of March against the now No. 9 team in the country, the University of North Carolina, the Tigers went unbeaten during the month, winning seven games in a row to close it out. Their hot streak included wins over Virginia and Notre Dame — two highly touted programs.
Although many players contributed, few stood out as dominant as the freshman defender. In the eight-game stretch, Scott caused 28 turnovers and gathered another 28 ground balls while starting every single game. Along with her defensive effort, Scott dipped into the offensive charge as well, finding the back of the net in a 21-5 win against Davidson on March 31.
The freshman prodigy came into Clemson with high expectations. Coming out of the Oceanside Collegiate Academy in Charleston, South Carolina, Scott was a four-star recruit who was a four-time USA Lacrosse All-American and a two-time South Carolina Player of the Year.
Through her efforts, Scott won ACC Defensive Player of the Week on March 17, just a month after receiving that same accolade in February. The recognition came after the Tigers picked up key wins against Notre Dame and Virginia, two ACC powerhouse programs. Scott snagged 11 ground balls and had nine caused turnovers in the effort for Clemson.
Both games were decided by narrow margins, with the Tigers beating Notre Dame by four and Virginia by two.
Recently, Scott was named to the Tewaaraton Watch List, making her a candidate for the Tewaaraton Award, which honors the best male and female collegiate lacrosse players in the country.
Scott’s statistics speak for themselves with this honor, as she is currently ranked the No. 4 player in the country in caused turnovers and is the only freshman in the top 50 of that statistic.
Most freshmen, even highly sought recruits, simply hope to start a few games and earn playing time in their first year at the collegiate level. Scott’s performance, however, is one of domination and leadership. Her goal at Clemson this year was not to merely be one of the best freshmen in the country, but one of the best players overall. And that’s where she finds herself now: one of the best players in the country on one of the hottest teams in the NCAA.
In a month full of competition on the tennis courts, baseball and softball diamonds and the hardwood of March Madness, Scott stands alone as the most deserving athlete of the month for the Clemson Tigers.
