MILWAUKEE – Senior Francesca Whitehurst (Baltimore, Md. / Roland Park Country School) was named the 2019 Co-BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year as nine Georgetown University women's lacrosse players were named All-BIG EAST which was announced by the league office on Wednesday. Four Hoyas were named to the first team and five earned a spot on the second team. The third-seeded Blue & Gray will open BIG EAST Championship presented by Jeep play on Thursday evening against the second-seeded Marquette University Golden Eagles at Valley Fields in Milwaukee, Wis.
 
This is the second time in Whitehurst's career that she has won the honor after earning it following her sophomore campaign.  This is the first time a Hoya has ever won the award twice in their career.  She was also a unanimous selection to the first team marking the third All-BIG EAST honor of her time on the Hilltop.
 
Whitehurst, GU's 2019 team MVP, is currently leading the Hoyas in scoring with 32 goals and a team-high 26 assists for 58 points.  She is also first in draw controls with 61.  The senior has been named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week three times this season and earned four nods to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.  She is among the top 20 in career points and goals and sits at third all-time in assists in program history.
 
Senior attacker Taylor Gebhardt (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) was another unanimous selection to the first team marking the third All-BIG EAST award of her career and the second unanimous nod to the first team.  Gebhardt is second on the squad in scoring with 37 goals and 16 assists for 53 points to her credit.  She is among the top 10 in both career goals (153) and points (200).  She earned two nods to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this season.
 
Defender Katie Hudson (Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y. / Cold Spring Harbor) was a unanimous first team honoree after a solid season on the backline.  The junior moved into the starting lineup midway through the year and is currently tied for second on the team in caused turnovers with 19 to her credit.  Following some big performances, she was named the BIG EAST Defender of the Week on April 16 after scoring her first-career goal in a win at Villanova.
 
Senior attacker Morgan Ryan (Maplewood, N.J. / Oak Knoll School) was GU's fourth first team selection. Ryan is Georgetown's third-leading scorer but leads the team in goals with 40 to go along with three assists for 43 points on the year.  She has started all 17 games for the Blue & Gray and was named BIG EAST Attacker of the Week on April 16 after earning a nod to the honor roll earlier in the season.  Ryan is among the top 20 on the all-time lists for goals (101) and points (130).
 
Junior attacker Michaela Bruno (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) earned her second-career nod to the second team.  Bruno is fourth in scoring with 26 goals and 13 assists for 39 points after starting all 17 contests this year.  She is about to move onto the career lists in goals, assists and points for the Blue & Gray.  She was named the BIG EAST Attacker of the Week on March 26.
 
Senior goalkeeper Haelle Chomo (Naples, Fla./Barron Collier) was also named to the second team for the first time in her career.  Chomo has started all 17 games with 884 minutes in the cage this season.  She has 107 saves on the year and 298 in her career on the Hilltop.  Chomo was selected as the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on February 19.
 
Junior midfielder Natalia Lynch (Smithtown, N.Y./Smithtown West) was named to the second team marking the second All-BIG EAST honor of her career.  Despite missing four games with an injury, she is sixth on the team in scoring with 22 goals, nine assists and 31 points.  She is second in draw controls (47) and third in caused turnovers (18).  Lynch has earned BIG EAST Midfielder of the Week honors once this year as well as one nod to the honor roll.
 
Sophomore defender Mollie Miller (Alexandria, Va./Saint Stephens & Saint Agnes) earned her second-consecutive All-BIG EAST award being placed on the second team.  Miller has started all 17 games for the Blue & Gray on defense and has nine caused turnovers to her credit this year.
 
Junior defender Noelle Peragine (Northport, N.Y. / Northport) rounded out the second team honorees marking her first-career award.  Peragine leads the squad in caused turnovers with 20 on the season.  She has started all 16 games she has appeared in.
 
The BIG EAST Championship slated for May 2 and 4 in Milwaukee.  The third-seeded Hoyas will face second-seeded Marquette on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET.  The game will be broadcast live on the BIG EAST Digital Network with Patrick Reed and Eric Simon calling the action.  Live stats will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.  This marks GU's 13th-consecutive appearance in the postseason tournament making the Blue & Gray the only team in the league to appear in every tournament since its inception.
 
The winner of Thursday's game will move on to the championship, which is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. It will be broadcast on FS2.