Gabriel becomes first All-American in MU women’s lax history

Marquette rising senior Grace Gabriel made program history this season with 56 goals, 67 points and 107 draw controls, all of which are single-season program records. 

Thursday, Gabriel added first All-American to her list of accolades. She is the first player in Marquette’s women’s lacrosse program to earn the title. 

As a junior midfielder, she received Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association All-America Second Team honors after leading Marquette to its best season in program history, which included its first trip to the BIG EAST Tournament.

“Grace has worked so hard to get to this point and I can’t think of anyone more deserving,” head coach Meredith Black said in a team release. “I’m so proud of what she’s been able to accomplish this season.”

Marquette was one of three BIG EAST schools to have at least one player earn second team honors. No BIG EAST school had an athlete appear on the IWLCA All-America First Team.

Gabriel was also the first women’s lacrosse player to earn unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team honors in 2017.

Men’s basketball staff reaches out to Abdur-Rahim

The men’s basketball coaching staff did not wait long to contact Jabri Abdur-Rahim, reaching out less than two hours after calls and texts were allowed for 2020 recruits, per Jake Weingarten of stockrisers.com.

247Sports, a prominent recruiting news and ranking site, ranks Abdur-Rahim 20th in the class of 2020 and fifth among small forwards in his class.

National Collegiate Athletic Association rules restrict calls and texts from coaches to recruits until June 15 after the recruit’s junior year.

Coaches cannot publicly comment on who they have reached out to per NCAA rules, but assistant coach Dwayne Killings followed 2020 prospects Andre Jackson and Dahmir Bishop on Twitter since recruiting contact opened.

Other 2020 prospects to previously receive interest from Marquette include Isaiah Cottrell, Nico Mannion and Isaiah Jackson. Mannion heard from Marquette last night as well, per Weingarten.

Melillo joins MLL’s Denver Outlaws

Former Marquette men’s lacrosse face-off specialist Zachary Melillo signed with the Denver Outlaws of Major League Lacrosse last week after going undrafted.

Melillo grabbed All-BIG EAST Second Team honors during his three seasons at Marquette after transferring from New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The Warren, New Jersey native is the second Marquette alumnus to play for the Outlaws. B.J. Grill, who suited up as a defenseman for Marquette from 2013-‘16, played with the Outlaws in 2016 and 2017.

Six players from Marquette’s 2016 BIG EAST Championship team have played at least one season in the MLL. Five of the six are still on MLL rosters.

Quick shots

• Former men’s lacrosse goalie Cole Blazer earned United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association Scholar All-America honors Monday, marking the fourth consecutive season a Marquette men’s lacrosse athlete has received the award.
• Marquette and Good Karma Broadcasting reached an agreement to extend ESPN Milwaukee’s radio rights to Marquette men’s basketball through the 2020-‘21 season.