Kraus Named ACC Rookie of the Year

May 2, 2017

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia men’s lacrosse attackman Michael Kraus has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Year, an honor voted on by the league’s five head coaches. He is the 12the Cavalier all-time to be named the ACC’s top freshman.

Kraus (Fr., New Canaan, Conn.) led UVA with 34 goals and 56 points in 2017. He ranks No. 3 in the ACC, No. 14 in the nation and No. 2 among the nation’s freshmen with 34 goals. Kraus’ 56 points rank are tied for No. 2 all-time at UVA among freshmen, sharing the spot with Kevin Pehlke’s 1990 season.

Kraus becomes the first UVA player to win the award since Tanner Scales in 2013. He is the eighth UVA attackman to win the award and the first since Steele Stanwick in 2009.

Last week Kraus was voted to the All-ACC team, the only freshman in the league to be honored on the squad. It marked the seventh time in UVA program history that a freshman earned All-ACC honors since the league started putting together an All-ACC team in 1977. He joins Mike Caravana (A, 1980), Scott Gerham (M, 1981), Larry LeDoyen (M, 1983), Kevin Pehlke (A, 1990), Michael Watson (A, 1994) and John Christmas (A, 2002).

Syracuse’s Sergio Salcido was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year, while North Carolina’s Austin Pfiani earned ACC Defensive Player of the Year accolades. John Desko of Syracuse was named ACC Coach of the Year.