Welcome to #BestOfLax. Help us celebrate the past year of lacrosse by voting in 15 polls spread over the course of December. All voting will be conducted on Twitter (@usalacrossemag), and fans will have 24 hours to let their voices be heard.
For more information — including upcoming categories, rules and more — check out our introductory post to #BestOfLax.
Not only will 2021 be remembered for its triumphant return to the field. It will be remembered for the sheer volume of records — big records, mind you — that fell. And they fell at all levels.
All athletes who achieve career milestones deserve to be celebrated, but which one of these four stands above the rest?
Here are the nominees for Best Milestone.
— USA Lacrosse Magazine (@USALacrosseMag) December 16, 2021
For the individual whose career-best moment prompted celebration and praise.
VOTE NOW in our #BestOfLax poll to determine the athlete who achieved the top milestone in 2021.
NOMINEES: https://t.co/BI0h4eLjkO
BEST MILESTONE
For the individual whose career-best moment prompted celebration and praise.
JARED NELSON
NCAA CAREER POINTS RECORD
Jared Nelson became the NCAA’s all-time career points leader while playing for his brother, Pfeiffer head coach Tucker Nelson. Their father, Scott, coached Jared his first three years at the school. At around 9 a.m. each Saturday, Lynne Nelson texts Tucker and Jared, their middle brother Jake and her husband Scott the same thing: “Let’s make it a good day for the Nelsons.”
CHARLOTTE NORTH
D-I WOMEN SINGLE-SEASON GOALS RECORD
North scored 102 goals in 2021, breaking the single-season record previously held by Courtney Murphy of Stony Brook. Better yet, North achieved the milestone in the NCAA championship game against Syracuse. Can she top her own record in 2022?
MAC O'KEEFE
NCAA D-I MEN CAREER GOALS RECORD
One of the most exciting shooters in the history of NCAA lacrosse, O'Keefe broke the all-time Division I men goals record held by Justin Guterding. With 221 career goals, O'Keefe could stand atop the leaderboard for awhile.
PAUL RABIL
OUTDOOR PRO CAREER POINTS RECORD
Rabil retired after a resurgent season in the PLL. Before he hung up his cleats, he penciled his name atop the record book for most career points in outdoor professional lacrosse. His 644th career point put him ahead of John Grant Jr.