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Michael Watson to be Inducted into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame
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May 22, 2013
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Former Virginia men’s lacrosse attackman Michael Watson is a member of the 2013 US Lacrosse Hall of Fame class, as announced by the US Lacrosse Board of Directors. Watson will be the 11th overall Cavalier to be inducted and the first since Dom Starsia in 2008.
This year’s eight-person class will be officially inducted in a ceremony sponsored by Bollinger Sports Insurance and the Markel Insurance Company on Saturday, October 26, at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md.
“I am truly humbled by this honor and owe a great deal to the University of Virginia,” said Watson. “It was a special time in my life and I want to thank my coaches and most of all my teammates who made it all possible. We accomplished some amazing things in Charlottesville and played in such a way that we changed the game. I am proud of that and together we all share a piece of this honor.”
A four-time All-American at UVa, Watson earned first team honors in 1996 and 1997, second team honors in 1995, and third team honors in 1994. He was also named the USILA’s attackman of the year in 1996 and won the ACC’s Rookie of the Year Award as a freshman in 1994. The four-time all-conference honoree was named the ACC Player of the Year as a senior in 1997.
“What a special honor for everyone associated with Virginia Lacrosse to have Michael selected for induction in to the Hall of Fame,” said Starsia. “Michael was the centerpiece of my first recruiting class and his decision and performance had much to do with our subsequent success. Along with Tim Whiteley and Doug Knight, this trio formed one of the most exciting attack units in our sport’s history. Michael was a skilled, explosive athlete who dominated at both the collegiate and professional level. He played his best lacrosse on the big stage and remains as one of the University of Virginia’s all-time greats.”
As team captain, Watson helped lead the Cavaliers to the NCAA finals in 1996 and was named the NCAA Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player. He finished his career ranked second on UVa’s all-time goal scoring list with 142 goals. Watson was a member of the 1998 U.S. Men’s National Team, and a five-time all-star in Major League Lacrosse.
Watson is the second lacrosse player under Starsia to be inducted into the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame. Attackman Darren Lowe, who played for Starsia at Brown, was inducted in 2007. To be eligible for the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a player must have had at least 10 years pass from their scheduled graduation year and be retired from the game.
Tickets for the 2013 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be available to the public for purchase beginning August 1. Tickets will be sold online at www.uslacrosse.org/HOF.
The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of US Lacrosse, was established in 1957 to honor men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life. More than 380 lacrosse greats are honored in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is located with the Lacrosse Museum at US Lacrosse Headquarters in Baltimore.