POUGHKEEPSIE, NY (August 26, 2010) – Once again, the Vassar College women's lacrosse team has established itself as one of the best and brightest in all of Division III.

The Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) has announced that Vassar is one of only three schools in Division III to earn academic merit honors in the 2010 season. In total, the IWLCA honored 61 schools.

Institutions were named Merit Squads by virtue of having one of the top three team GPAs for the season; every school with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher earned Academic Squad honors. Bates College ranked first with a 3.470 GPA, just edging Washington & Lee University, which posted a 3.458 GPA, and Vassar, which had a 3.410.

“I'm as proud of the team for their academic achievements as for their athletic honors,” says head coach Judy Finerghty. “They are both hard working and dedicated lacrosse players as well as serious students. They manage to balance all of this while also being active in various organizations on campus and performing community service. We are fortunate to have outstanding athletes that are also socially conscious and academically driven.”