Mitchell Whalen

TIFFANY ON WHALEN
2024 – “Mitch has earned the greatest nod of respect a teammate can earn: the title of captain. From walk-on to team captain, Mitch has gone from the proverbial mail room to the C-suite due to a straight-forward approach with the men around him and his with intense training. Stating that Mitch gives his all, and then some, in practice and the weight room only scrapes the surface of his uncompromising approach to all matters UVA Lacrosse. The rest of us are quite fortunate he took a last-minute detour away from investment banking to guide us for a 5th year here in Charlottesville.” 2023 – “The two-time defending FFF (Fast Family Fitness) Ironman champion, Mitch is applying his superior athleticism to the long-stick midfield position more and more each year.  In his final season this upcoming spring, Mitch can draw upon significant game experience earned here.  He is an impactful LSM in the middle of the field, flying in from the faceoff wings in the hunt for loose balls.  He is also an active on-ball disrupter, using his speed to stay step-for-step with the dodger and throwing effective checks without slowing down.” 2022 – “Winner of the individual Iron Man fitness contest last year … Possesses exceptional athleticism and startling strength … At the cusp of earning significantly more playing time as his grasp of our schemes strengthens … Ideal physical attributes and fitness for a defensive midfielder … Hunts ground balls like a mangy mutt.” 2021 – “Killer Whale nickname is well-deserved … all hustle and heart … learning the schemes, and making progress… one of the fastest defensemen … provides us another faceoff wing in the armament.” 2020 – “The walk-on process is complete with daunting odds, uncertainty and little support.  Mitch attacked it with little hesitancy, making an impact thanks to his speed and on-ball aggression.  Serving as a long-stick midfielder, Mitch is embracing the learning process of our schemes.  As his off-ball acumen is enhanced and his voice within in our schemes becomes emboldened, playing time can be realized.”

2024

• Team captain
• Harry Gaver Award for Leadership Recipient at Virginia Men’s Lacrosse Annual Banquet
• Appeared in 17 games as a long-stick midfielder
• Collected three ground balls against Johns Hopkins (March 2)
• Tallied seven caused turnovers and 14 ground balls on the season
• ACC Academic Honor Roll

2023

• All-ACC Academic Team
• ACC Academic Honor Roll

2022

• Appeared in all 16 of UVA’s games as a long-stick midfielder
• Collected 26 ground balls and registered nine caused turnovers
• Finished 7-for-15 at the faceoff-X
• Scored his first career goal against Lafayette (April 28)

2021

• Appeared in eight of UVA’s 18 games
• Picked up two ground balls and caused two turnovers
• Had one ground ball and caused one turnover at Syracuse and against Richmond

2020

• Appeared in two of UVA’s six games
• Made collegiate debut against Lehigh
• Also saw time against Air Force, picking up a ground ball

HIGH SCHOOL

• Was a long-stick midfielder and defenseman at Buford High School
• Earned three letters in lacrosse, four in swimming & diving and one in cross country
• First-team all-state at LSM with 105 ground balls, 32 caused turnovers and 14 points in 2018
• Gwinnett County Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2019
• Picked up 75 ground balls, caused 32 turnovers and scored nine points in 2019 as a senior
• Two-time scholar-athlete
• Three-time Georgia state qualifier in swimming and a state finalist in 2019 in relay events
• Ran the 5K in cross country during the 2017 season

PERSONAL

• Son of Brenda and Brian Whalen
• Has two brothers, Max and Fritz, and one sister, Cyrena
• Was high school salutatorian in 2019
• Earned AP Scholar with Distinction honors and was a STAR Student
• Was part of the Principal’s Honor Roll every semester of high school
• Enjoys hiking and backpacking with friends and family
• Enjoys playing pickup basketball
• Pursuing a master’s degree in Systems Engineering