Dukes Rank 15th in Final Polls by Both Coaches and Media

GRAND LAKE, Colo. – Following its run to the second round of the NCAA Championship, James Madison finished 2017 with a No. 15 ranking in both the IWLCA Division I Coaches Poll and the Inside Lacrosse/Cascade Women's Division I Media Poll, organizations announced Tuesday.

The Dukes completed the year with a 14-7 overall record and won their 10th Colonial Athletic Association championship to earn a berth in the NCAA Championship for the third straight season.

JMU averaged 12.9 goals per game while limiting foes to 8.95 goals per outing, which ranked 10th nationally. The Dukes were also 14th in caused turnovers (10.95), 16th in shooting percentage (.459), 20th in scoring margin (+3.95) and 26th in save percentage (.466).

JMU led the CAA in fewest turnovers per game (15.95) while also ranking second in nine categories, including scoring offense, scoring defense, scoring margin, assists (5.29), ground balls (18.71) and draw controls (12.76).

Junior midfielder Haley Warden was voted CAA Player of the Year and later honored as an IWLCA Third Team All-American and Inside Lacrosse Second Team All-American. Head Coach Shelley Klaes-Bawcombe was named CAA Coach of the Year for the second straight season and for the fourth time in her career.

Warden was one of seven Dukes honored on All-CAA teams, as she was joined by junior attacker Kristen Gaudian and junior midfielder Elena Romesburg on the First Team. Junior attacker Katie Kerrigan and junior defender Rebecca Tooker were Second Team All-CAA members, while freshman defender Emma Johnson and freshman midfielder Maddie McDaniel were All-Rookie honorees.

JMU was one of three CAA programs to be ranked in the final polls. It was joined Elon, which was ranked 19th by the coaches and 20th by the media, and Towson, which garnered a No. 19 ranking by the media and received votes in the coaches poll.

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