Sticking to it
Prep lacrosse: Viking recognized for athletic, academic achievements by U.S. Lacrosse
Valencia’s Tyler Thorne has always been balanced between athletic and academic. So it was only fitting that Thorne was recognized by US Lacrosse as an Academic AllAmerican for the 2017-18 season.
“It feels pretty good,” Thorne said. “It’s a nice little reward to get after working through all four years of high school.
Thorne, a midfielder, was one of 11 players from the greater Los Angeles area to be selected to the list. He was nominated by the Valencia coaching staff, then selected by U.S. Lacrosse.
Although Thorne only played half the season for the Vikings due to an
ACL tear, he was still able to help his team to an 8-9 overall record and secure a bid to the playoffs. St. John Bosco put an end to Valencia’s season, beating them 12-7 in early May.
“I didn’t get on field as much as I wanted to, but I still got to be a part of all of that,” Thorne said.
Thorne picked up the sport after he broke his femur playing football in seventh grade. He started lacrosse the following year and stuck with it throughout high school.
And he’s still going, too. Thorne will be playing lacrosse for George Washington University in Washington, D.C. while pursuing a degree in political science.
While he’s still deciding what career route he wants to take – whether it’s a job in government or law school – he’ll always have lacrosse as a way to let go of college tension.
“They’re part of a league called the MCLA and so it’s a little less stressful and demanding, but they still play tough competition across the country so its kind of a balance I was looking for,” Thorne said.
“A lot of my other top schools didn’t really have the same caliber of lacrosse I was looking for.”
Valencia lacrosse’s graduating class was in the double-digits this season, but Throne is confident that next year’s returners can help the program grow even more.
“It’s been (growing) exponentially the past four years … from where we started when I was a freshman its just been a huge difference.
“…We graduated a lot of seniors so it’ll probably be tough without them but as long as they stay with it, I don’t see why they couldn’t make it back to the postseason next year.”