Second-year captain Owen Dingman will be joined by seniors Miles Davis and Will Gatens in leading the University of Mary Washington men's lacrosse team during the 2016-17 season head coach Drew Delaney announced Monday afternoon.
"I am proud to announce Owen [Dingman], Miles [Davis], and Will [Gatens] as our captains for the 2016-17 season. We are fortunate to have three men of character that have proven to their teammates and coaches that they hold themselves to a high standard and have the qualities necessary to lead our program. Each compliments the other's strengths and I expect them to be very successful in their role as captains."
Dingman, a junior midfielder from Baltimore, Md., was second on the team in assists and ground balls, while also recording the fourth highest point total in the 2016 season. The two-year starter's 30-point effort was a new career-high, averaging 1.76 points and 3.05 groundballs per game. Dingman also chipped in for 5 caused turnovers on the defensive end.
Davis returns for his senior campaign as the leading scorer from the 2016 season. The Earlysville, Va. native led the team in goals (31), assists (19), points (50), and shooting percentage (39.2%), while also recording 38 groundballs and 4 caused turnovers. Davis ranked among the most well rounded scorers (12th overall in points) in the Capital Athletic Conference, as well as efficiency (10th among those with 30+ shots).
Gatens, a fourth-year defender from Yorktown, Va., has appeared in nearly every game since arriving at UMW and has developed into a versatile weapon for the Eagles. Gatens junior campaign shattered his previous career highs in groundballs (4th overall with 45) and led the team with 18 caused turnovers.
Delaney, the newly appointed head coach and 2015 Landmark Coach of the Year, takes over a UMW program coming off a 7-10 season after which longtime head coach, Kurt Glaeser, retired. The 2016 season included a 4-4 record in conference play and the program earned a fifth seed in the CAC tournament.
The 2017 season will get underway on Saturday, Feb. 11, when the Eagles travel to Farmville, VA to take on Hampden-Sydney College at 1:00 PM.