Times All-North girls lacrosse MVP: Shultz's constant drive, all-around ability paced South Jefferson

Jun. 18—ADAMS — South Jefferson's Macy Shultz's drive to compete has been described as relentless by her lacrosse coach Jen Williams.

Whether playing soccer in the fall or basketball in the winter months, Shultz has been just that, leading the Spartans to the cusp of a sectional championship in lacrosse.

As a versatile midfielder, Shultz generated her share of offensive production as well as playing a crucial role in the possession en route to logging an All-American-caliber campaign.

For her efforts, Shultz has been selected as the Times All-North Most Valuable Player in girls lacrosse.

"Macy was a true warrior for us this season, her game grew and matured as the season progressed and was a direct result of our team's success," Williams said.

"This program is like no other," Shultz said. "The coaches and the players are amazing, it's been great."

Shultz is also the latest Spartan to be honored as an All-American in the sport. Last year, teammate Karsyn Burnash, the Times All-North MVP in 2021, garnered the honor as a junior forward.

"Honestly, just being an all-around leader," Shultz said of her role as a midfielder. "Having a voice because I'm on both ends of the field is really important."

This season, Shultz, who will attend the University of Massachusetts at Lowell in the fall, generated 61 goals and 41 assists to total 102 points.

"She was just head and shoulders above everyone else this season," Williams said of Shultz. "She's a great competitor."

She also recorded 106 draw controls to pace the Spartans as well as collecting 37 ground balls, both vital statistics in the possession game.

"I love doing draws, if I could keep doing draws with Ireland (Morgia), it would be amazing," Shultz said. "It's so much fun."

Shultz teamed up with Morgia, who recorded 241 draw wins and 90 draw controls and Burnash, who totaled 48 draw controls of her own, around the draw circle.

"Definitely without ground balls, the draw and defense, you're not going to win games," Shultz said. "Offense is a huge part in scoring and assisting, but it's not the only aspect of the game."

As a junior, Shultz scored 51 goals and assisted on 27 others while totaling 78 draw controls.

"Macy showed her leadership through her actions," Williams said. "She's not much of a talker, but with her actions she displays the work ethic, the toughness and she performs, she performs under pressure and I think that's a testament to her drive and her will to refuse to lose, to refuse to push back."

"I just like how intense the game is, it can change at any moment," Shultz said. "And I just loved growing up playing with the girls I played with."

Shultz, who also started for South Jefferson's basketball team, was selected an All-North first teamer in soccer.

"Her athleticism, she's a natural athlete," Williams said. "She's the leading scorer in program history for our soccer team, she played basketball for me as a seventh grader on the JV team and she was one of the best players. So she has this natural gift of athleticism and her competitiveness."

Shultz helped guide the Spartans to their fifth consecutive Frontier League championship and another unbeaten campaign in the circuit at a perfect 10-0. South Jefferson has now won 49 straight games in the league, a streak that dates back to the 2018 season.

"I would say we really improved on communication and grit," Shultz said. "I think every single day at practice we just got more and more intense and gave our best effort every day."

The Spartans went on to reach the Section 3 final in Class D, where they were edged by traditional foe, Skaneateles, 8-7, at SUNY Cortland.

"Skaneateles was a great team," Shultz said. "I thought we didn't have our best game, but we gave our best effort and we just didn't come out on top."

South Jefferson finished at 17-2, with their only other loss a 7-6 decision to West Genesee on April 2.

The Spartans also recorded nonleague wins against IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., Cicero-North Syracuse, Ithaca, Canandaigua and Liverpool, before besting Jordan-Elbridge and Marcellus in sectional play.

"It's amazing how well we've done," Shultz said. "But it's all because of our coaches, they put in the time and the results show on the field."

Shultz is part of a senior class that didn't even play a lacrosse season when they were sophomores in 2020 because of COVID and one which reached the sectional semifinals last season.

"Beginning as a young adult and future women's lacrosse player, she brought it every day in practice," Williams said of Shultz. "You couldn't rattle her. I get on her pretty good because I know her capabilities and her potential of where she wants to be when she does reach the college level and she responds."

Shultz and Burnash are among a group of eight seniors on South Jefferson's lacrosse team who will graduate this month.

"We've all played together since we were little," Shultz said. "We play all year round together and we're just so connected, I've never met a group as strong as ours. We're really close."

Among this group, Burnash will be attending UConn, while forward Julia Garvin and Morgia are headed to Division II Wingate in North Carolina, and goalie Jennaca McGill will attend Clarkson.

"Without Julia, I wouldn't have scored half as many goals as I have," Shultz said. "And just so many other players, Karsyn Burnash, Ireland Morgia, great players, I can say something about every girl on this team, they're just all great athletes and I've been lucky to be able to play with them, they've definitely led to my success."

Shultz, who played varsity lacrosse since she was a freshman and soccer since eighth grade, plans on studying exercise science at UMass-Lowell with the goal of pursuing physical therapy as a career.

"Just honestly, I'm so grateful for the coaches and the players," Shultz said of South Jefferson. "Every single one of them are so driven and determined and they've taught me so much going into my future."