A number of members of the Gilmour Academy varsity boys lacrosse program have garnered awards after the team's banner 2021 season recently concluded.
Three Lancers led the way by earning All-Ohio honors.
Captain Kessel Richards '21 claimed All-Ohio Second Team accolades at the goaltender position. Brothers Cam Bajzer '22 and Tanyon Bajzer '21 were both tabbed All-Ohio Third Team at attack and midfield, respectively.
Richards, who was also named Region XI Goaltender of the Year, was a rock in between the posts for the Lancers. He accumulated 251 saves during the season, averaging nearly 14 per game, and tallied a fantastic .634 save percentage. Richards also tallied 67 ground balls on the season and was not fearful of meandering upfield to help the Lancers clear. He posted an astonishing 28 saves in an 8-7 postseason victory at archrival University School and was also named as the team's MVP.
Cam Bajzer was an offensive force for Gilmour and was also a First Team All-Region selection. He posted 85 points in 17 games played, averaging exactly five per outing. Bajzer notched 49 goals and 36 assists while shooting 38 percent on the year. He grabbed 51 ground balls and was named as the team's Offensive MVP.
Tanyon Bajzer was a force to be reckoned with on the field and was a First Team All-Region honoree as well. He posted 37 goals and 15 assists on the year while shooting 31 percent. Bajzer scored four goals in three of the team's four playoff games and also had the game-tying goal in the final two minutes in the comeback win over US. He grabbed 81 ground balls on the season and earned the team's Lancer Award.
While those three Lancers earned statewide recognition, a number of others were honored at the regional level.
Gilmour head coach Jim Scully was named as the Region XI Coach of the Year. Additionally, James McElroy was named as the region's Assistant Coach of the Year.
Scully and McElroy helped lead the Lancers to 11 wins on the season, including the first-ever win over University School. The win over the Preppers was the first of consecutive road upsets in the OHSAA Tournament as the Lancers took down two of the top three seeded teams in their region. Gilmour advanced to the OHSAA Regional Finals—the state's "Elite Eight"—for the first time since the organization began sponsoring the sport. Gilmour scored 208 goals on the season, averaging more than 11 per contest.
With his award, Scully becomes the first coach to earn Region XI Coach of the Year honors at two different schools.
Tate Simpson '21, Nick Kolar '21 and Nick Larrabee '21 were also recognized at the regional level.
Simpson was named All-Region Second Team at attack. The team captain tallied 50 points in 17 games, averaging nearly three per game. He posted 31 goals, 19 assists and 44 ground balls on the season.
Kolar was named All-Region Honorable Mention on defense. He posted 42 ground balls and 37 caused turnovers while playing in every game. Kolar was named as Gilmour's Defensive MVP this season.
Larrabee was tabbed All-Region Honorable Mention at the faceoff/midfield spot. He won 91 of the 157 faceoffs he took this year, posting a 58 percent success rate. He claimed 73 ground balls while adding 12 goals and two assists. Larrabee earned GA's Hustle Award this season.
Finally, Dylan Dekoe '21 collected Gilmour's Newcomer Award this season. He tallied 15 goals, nine assists and 49 ground balls on the season.
While the varsity team's success was certainly noteworthy, the junior varsity squad had a lot to be proud of as well. The Lancer JV team went 10-3 on the year, one of the finer seasons in recent memory.
The Lancers scored more than twice as many goals as they allowed over the course of the season - tallying 99 goals during the campaign while only allowing 46.
The following Lancers earned JV team awards at the conclusion of the season.
Team MVP – Rocco Hice '23
Defensive MVP – Evan Underwood '23
Offensive MVP – Johnny Maruna '24
Most Improved – Sam Luan '24
Hustle Award – Paul Dean '24
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