2021 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans
GREENWOOD, Ind. -- Placing his name on a list of the most accomplished student-athletes in school history,
Dylan Rice secured CoSIDA Academic All-American honors for the second straight year after piecing together another tremendous season with the Christopher Newport men's lacrosse team.
The senior standout hauled in second-team Academic All-American accolades from the College Sports Information Directors of America after securing third-team nods for his work as a junior. With his second award, he became the first male athlete in school history to earn a pair of Academic All-American citations. Overall, he is just the third student-athlete to accomplish the feat, joining women's track & field legend Casey Taylor (1999, 2000) and women's soccer star Carson Pokorny (2017, 2018, 2019).
Adding even more luster to his accomplishment, Rice was one of only seven men's lacrosse players in the nation to receive Academic All-American honors in 2021 and one of only two to earn the award for a second time.
Once again, Rice was honored in the highly competitive "At-Large" category, which includes student-athletes from every sport outside of baseball, basketball, football, soccer, and track & field. This year, the At-Large team included representatives from nine different sports ranging from lacrosse, golf, and tennis to wrestling, skiing, and water polo.
Overall, 45 men from around the nation earned a spot on one of the three CoSIDA Academic All-American squads. Of those, only nine were repeat selections.
The CoSIDA Academic All-American honor caps off an incredible year for Rice, who earned nearly every conceivable award that a student-athlete can receive. During the 2021 campaign, he was also celebrated as an Academic All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region performer while garnering Scholar All-American nods from the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association. He was also named the Coast-to-Coast Conference Men's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
A finance major, Rice graduated in the spring as a four-time Academic All-Conference selection. He was also a two-time Academic All-State and All-Region honoree to go along with his two All-American awards.
In addition to his standout work in the classroom, Rice has been equally dominant on the lacrosse field. During the 2021 season, he hauled in All-American nods for the third straight year while also securing first-team All-Conference and All-State accolades. He was also named to the IMLCA All-Region squad for his efforts on the attack.
Picking apart the competition throughout the year, Rice deposited 49 goals, which led the team and ranked fourth in program history. His 68 points also placed him fifth on the school's all-time charts. Among his finest moments, he set a new single-game record with 10 points against St. Mary's (Md.) on May 1. That showcase earned him the Coast-to-Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Week Award and a spot on the USILA National Team of the Week.
Consistently effective, Rice had at least one point in all 19 games while leading the program to its first appearance in the NCAA Final Four. Over the final month of the season, he had at least three points in each of his last seven appearances, including a four-goal eruption in a win over No. 4 Lynchburg in the national quarterfinals on May 22.
Overall, Rice wrapped up the year with 14 multi-goal efforts, including 10 hat-tricks.
The 2021 campaign simply added another chapter to Rice's legendary career. During his four years with the program, the Mechanicsville, Virginia native has established new school standards with 234 career points and 172 goals. His 21 man-up tallies and nine game-winning strikes also rank first in program lore.
For his performance on the field, Rice is a four-time All-State selection and a three-time All-Conference honoree. He has also been celebrated as a USILA All-American in 2019 and 2021 after notching national plaudits from Inside Lacrosse in 2020.
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