Milton High School Lacrosse Player Maeve Simonds Voted 2023 ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Year
The ITG Next Georgia Female Athlete of the Year, presented by Georgia Farm Bureau Insurance, is Milton lacrosse midfielder Maeve Simonds. Maeve was one of four nominees who ITG Next Georgia followers could vote for, and in the end, she received the highest percentage of votes.
Simonds has just wrapped up her senior season at Milton, where she was a major contributor to the Lady Eagles’ third consecutive state championship. She finished the 2023 season with 61 goals, 21 caused turnovers, and 112 draw controls.
She was recognized as the 2023 GHSA Class 7A Female Lacrosse Player of the Year and the AJC 2023 Female Lacrosse Player of the Year in Georgia. This was Maeve’s third straight year as a First-Team All-State team selection. She also was honored – for the second straight year –as a member of the 2023 USA Lacrosse All-American team, and she was recognized as a 2023 Under Armour lacrosse All-American.
USA Lacrosse Magazine has named Simonds as one of the top 25 players to watch nationally in 2023. In addition to the many honors she received this year, she led her Milton lacrosse team to the state championship in 2021 and 2022. Including her 2023 stats, Simonds’ career stats include 154 career goals, 30 assists, 90 ground balls, 345 draw controls, and 90 caused turnovers.
Simonds classroom accomplishments have not gone unnoticed, either. She is a three-year Scholar Athlete, having been recognized in 2021, 2022, and again this year.
Milton lacrosse head coach Tim Godby, who has been in that role for 19 years, recalls seeing Simonds play for the first time as a youngster. He said says you could tell then that she was a special type of player.
“I saw Maeve playing in elementary school, and she was always standing out,” Godby said. “We’ve had a lot of great players come through our program, and Maeve has been one of the players who has made a big impact.”
Milton Athletic Director Gary “Sly” Sylvestri has had a unique perspective on Simonds’ drive and will to succeed from not only his position of AD, but also in his role as one of the lacrosse team’s conditioning coaches.
“I have seen Maeve battle through various injuries and ailments without making an excuse or skipping a beat,” Sylvestri said. “Her work ethic is an example to everyone on her team.”
Maeve will now get ready for the next stage of her career, which will be as a member of the Ohio State University lacrosse team. The Buckeyes’ lacrosse coaches recognized her talents in 2021 and offered her a scholarship then. Simonds accepted, and she has remained committed to Ohio State throughout high school, despite receiving numerous offers from other schools.
“Maeve had several schools interested, but she chose the school that met her academic needs,” Godby said.
Sylvestri said Simonds’ shoes will be big ones to fill: “Maeve will definitely be missed.”
The great ones always are!
