Wingate's McCabe Earns SAC Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Wingate's Kathryn McCabe has been named the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the Conference office announced today. The award recognizes excellence in academics, athletics, leadership and community service.
A mathematics major with a perfect 4.000 GPA, McCabe has excelled both in the classroom and on the field throughout her collegiate career. She earned SAC Commissioner's Honor Roll recognition, was named to the Wingate President's List, and was inducted into the Alpha Chi National Honor Society in April 2026.
McCabe anchored one of the top defensive units in the region while helping lead the Bulldogs to back-to-back SAC championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. During the 2026 season, she was named the SAC Defensive Player of the Year after recording 85 draw controls, 58 ground balls and 48 caused turnovers while starting all 19 games for Wingate. She also earned first-team All-SAC honors.
As a sophomore in 2025, McCabe also claimed SAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades after leading the conference with 128 draw controls and 51 caused turnovers, while adding 66 ground balls. She finished her career as one of the premier defenders in program history and set the program record for most draw controls in a single game with 18.
Away from competition, McCabe dedicated significant time to leadership and community service initiatives. She volunteered with organizations including Common Heart, Project FOCUS, Julia's Learning Community and the Rocky River Nature Park Project, while also serving as historian for the W'Infinity Math Club. Her volunteer work focused on supporting individuals with developmental disabilities, environmental sustainability efforts and community outreach programs.
McCabe becomes the latest Wingate student-athlete to earn SAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors, recognizing the Conference's top student-athletes for their achievements in academics, athletics, leadership and service.
2026 SAC Women's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year Finalists
- Josie Tinnerello (LMU)
- Justyce Jones (EHU)
- Kathryn McCabe (Wingate)
- Kirra Olson (LRU) - Winner
- Nevaeh Louden (MHU)


