Photo Courtesy of Megan McIntosh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThe cruelest irony for Ava Class is that lightning can, in fact, strike twice.<\/p>\n
She knew this nightmare well. After a grueling year of rebuilding her body from a freshman ACL tear, she was finally standing on the precipice of her junior season. Then, in an instant, the floor fell out again. Another injury. Another season stolen before it even began. To anyone else, it would have been a signal to walk away\u2014a clear sign that the game was finished with them.<\/p>\n
But Class was just getting started.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t just recover \u2014 she transformed. She came back stronger than ever before, and while she may not have fully expected the result, she earned her place in the Women\u2019s Lacrosse League supplemental draft and heard her name called as 12th overall. The girl who couldn\u2019t stay healthy had become the woman the professional ranks couldn\u2019t ignore.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n***<\/p>\n
Class, a graduate midfielder and captain for the Michigan women\u2019s lacrosse team, has spent six years developing into a remarkable athlete and leader. And even with the odds stacked against her, Class earned a spot at the next level \u2014 a testament to the determination exhibited throughout her time with the Wolverines.<\/p>\n
Growing up in Baltimore, Md., a lacrosse hotspot, Class made lacrosse her life. As the youngest of four siblings who all played lacrosse, it was a \u2018no-brainer\u2019 for Class to follow in those footsteps. She was especially drawn to the dynamic blend lacrosse has, fusing many different sports such as hockey, soccer, basketball and football. Despite her growing devotion, she frequently wrestled with whether a career in the sport was a legitimate pursuit. But her passion continued to win out.\u00a0<\/p>\nPhoto Courtesy of Megan McIntosh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201cThere were some times that I was like, \u2018Oh, do I really want to do this?\u2019 \u201d Class told The Michigan Daily. \u201cBut once I made it to high school and started playing with my high school team at McDonough, I really knew that I loved lacrosse and it was something I wanted to pursue.\u201d<\/p>\n
With that assuredness, she started the college recruiting process. Upon entering high school, Class put feelers out for many colleges \u2014 one being Michigan. In her freshman year, she visited Ann Arbor and met with former coach and founder of Michigan\u2019s D1 women\u2019s lacrosse program, Jenny Ulehla.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nThat introduction was an important driving factor in Class\u2019s transition to college. But before she could commit, a rule change put a brief pause on the recruitment process. The NCAA approved a proposal to combat early recruiting, shutting off all contact with collegiate lacrosse teams until a prospect\u2019s junior year of high school.\u00a0<\/p>\n
So Class held out until then, when she was able to commit to Michigan \u2014 the selling point being current coach Hannah Nielsen\u2019s plan to build off the foundation Uhlehla\u2019s set. They made the decision easy for her, and for the past six years, she has brought grit and dedication. Despite all the obstacles in the way, she could endure.<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n
Class\u2019 time at Michigan was filled with distinctions and triumphs, but her journey to the record books was anything but linear. Her freshman season ended before it even began with a torn ACL, and while she recovered in time for her sophomore season, she was limited to a reserve role.\u00a0<\/p>\n
She was eager to come back stronger the next season and prove herself among the ranks. But she wasn\u2019t able to, instead facing another injury \u2014 being sidelined for her entire junior year. Two major injuries in three years is often a career-ender for an athlete, but Class used the time away from the field to sharpen a different weapon \u2014 her mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\u201cI was sitting out, watching every game, every practice, and trying to just absorb as much as I could,\u201d Class said. \u201cSo that really grew my IQ, and when I came back from each injury, yes, there\u2019s a learning curve, but it wasn\u2019t as steep, which was really awesome and a relief, because it is stressful coming back.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n
Photo Courtesy of Megan McIntosh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nThat mental preparation fueled a massive 2024 turnaround. Class went from the sidelines to starting all 20 games and recording 20 points, 18 ground balls and six caused turnovers. She was a key piece behind the record-breaking 16-4 season that saw the Wolverines reach the NCAA quarterfinals and achieve a program-high No. 5 ranking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhile you never want (injuries) to happen, they have shaped me so much, building resiliency and persistence, and sports are a grind, and working to get to the skill level to be a collegiate athlete, that\u2019s a grind,\u201d Class said. \u201cBut going through the rehab process is almost even tougher, because it\u2019s so tough mentally. So I just learned so much about myself and what I was able to handle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Class achieved a career-best 31 points in her senior year, further advancing her name in the world of women\u2019s lacrosse. By the time she reached her graduate years, Class had proven that her injuries didn\u2019t just bring setbacks \u2014 they provided crucial lessons.\u00a0<\/p>\n
***<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nClass continued to establish her place within the program, earning a graduate degree and continuing collegiate lacrosse. Her senior year wasn\u2019t the end, but rather a sign that she was ready for more. Not only was Class a stellar athlete, but she was a star student \u2014 adding four-time Academic All-Big Ten, three-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and two-time IWLCA Academic Honor Roll accolades to her name.<\/p>\n
In her graduate years, Class continued to evolve into an all-around standout \u2014 a \u2018next-level\u2019 athlete in every sense of the word. While dominating on the field, she was equally formidable in the classroom, earning a Graduate Certificate from the Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning. This dual-threat excellence solidified her presence in the locker room as well. She became a seasoned veteran and a steady anchor for the program, earning the \u2018C\u2019 on her jersey for the 2025 and 2026 seasons. And with the success, Class still made sure to credit the time she spent away from the turf.<\/p>\n
\u201cThrough those experiences, I learned different ways that I could impact the team without even being on the field,\u201d Class said. \u201cSo my leadership grew under that, too. And as I\u2019ve gotten older on the team, finding my voice with it, not just leading with action or example, but having to add voice behind it, being older on the team, but then I was also able to learn a ton by watching.\u201d<\/p>\n
This growth as a leader helped Class overcome the mental barriers and harsh realities female athletes often face, specifically the quietly approaching expiration date. A forced retirement looms over many women, forcing them to trade in their craft for a career. This planning was something Class understood, which was part of the drive in pursuing a graduate degree \u2014 to extend the opportunity to continue playing lacrosse before her time ran out.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor a long time, especially in high school, when there weren\u2019t really any leagues, it was thinking, \u2018Okay, you go play lacrosse in college. Have an amazing four years, and then that\u2019s it,\u201d Class said. \u201c\u2026 There\u2019s so many amazing girls that would get probably chosen for that opportunity over me. So I definitely was prepared to move on.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\nLuckily for Class and all female lacrosse players, better opportunities have arisen for a career in lacrosse post-college since Class started out. As she\u2019s grown through an evolving time in lacrosse, she has learned to be a role model for future women in the same position as she once was.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think back to how I felt when I was a high schooler or elementary schooler and watching these athletes and being in such awe of them,\u201d Class said. \u201cIt\u2019s a good reminder of making sure that I\u2019m continuing to be the person I am and being a good role model and setting a good example, whether it\u2019s on the field and how I act and how I play against opponents, or how I treat referees and other coaches. Just like all those little things help guide who I am and what I\u2019m doing, because I know it has an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
By embodying those values, Class is a role model showing more women the possibility of finding relief and joy in the potential of playing lacrosse professionally.<\/p>\n
During Class\u2019s career, lacrosse became the fastest-growing team sport in the U.S., but international and professional recognition remained lopsided. Even the Olympics \u2014 the pinnacle of sports \u2014 only featured lacrosse five times in the early 1900s, and only for men. That climate finally shifted with the announcement that the 2028 Games will include both men\u2019s and women\u2019s lacrosse for the first time ever.<\/p>\nPhoto Courtesy of Megan McIntosh.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThis global momentum mirrored a domestic breakthrough. After years of women\u2019s leagues struggling for business stability, the Women\u2019s Lacrosse League launched in 2024 to finally provide a sustainable professional platform. Following an inaugural championship series in February, the WLL held its draft in April to finalize its 23-player rosters. To her own surprise, Class heard her name called in the third round as the 12th-overall pick to the New York Charging.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n\u201cI honestly was pretty shocked,\u201d Class said. \u201cI didn\u2019t know that that was coming, and since it is still a newer League, and there\u2019s only four teams, a smaller pool, I just felt really honored to be included with a lot of the amazing girls that were drafted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Class will be joining former Wolverines Maddie Burns and Jill Smith in the WLL to carry on Michigan\u2019s legacy and represent the block \u2018M\u2019 in this momentous period of the sport. Class has grown with the team and is taking the next step in her career, carrying invaluable lessons with her.<\/p>\n
\u201c(It really showcases) the grit, the heart, the culture of who we are as Michigan Women\u2019s Lacrosse, and playing with a lot of passion for the game, showcasing our toughness like we always pride ourselves on, and just being a tough Midwest program,\u201d Class said.<\/p>\n
For now, Class will continue focusing on Michigan and finishing off its highly successful season with the NCAA tournament. But then, she will take her lacrosse journey to New York to sit in the professional ranks.<\/p>\n
Class\u2019 journey was far from ideal. Yet, she proved throughout that what matters most isn\u2019t the hand you\u2019re dealt, but how you play the cards. Class demonstrated a relentless resilience in the face of adversity, moving on as a professional athlete who turned years of setbacks into the ultimate competitive edge.<\/p>\n\n\t\t<\/aside>\n
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