Hopefully Autumn McHenry (Branford, Conn.) has room for one more piece of hardware on her mantle after being named the Northeast Conference (NEC) Co-Scholar-Athlete of the Year for women's lacrosse announced by the league on Thursday. It marks the third major award for the Saint Francis University graduate student, who was also named the NEC Midfielder of the Year and earned a spot on the All-NEC first team in her final season with the red and black in 2023.  
 
McHenry becomes the second Red Flash women's lacrosse player to be named NEC Scholar-Athlete of the Year after Danielle Conwell received the honor in 2014. 
 
McHenry paced the NEC in goals per game (3.31) and ranked second in points per game (4.38), second in draw controls per game (5.12), fourth in shots per game (6.06), sixth in caused turnovers per game (1.50) and eighth in assists per game (1.06). She also finished tied for the NCAA Division I lead for free positions goals per game (1.44), 16th in free position percentage (.622), 19th in goals per game, 19th in shots on goal per game (5.25), 24th in points, 24th in shot percentage (.546), 38th in draw controls per game, 43rd in goals (53), 44th in free position goals per game (0.75), 57th in caused turnovers per game (1.56), 59th in shots per game and 78th in goals per game. 
 
The graduate student had a record-breaking season for the Red Flash, breaking the program record for goals in a season with 53 and producing the second-most points in a single season with 70 points. McHenry also posted the third-most draw controls (82) and the fourth most caused turnovers (25) in a single season. In addition, she tied the team record for points in a game against FDU on April 15 with 10 points (six goals, four assists) and then tied the goals mark with nine against CCSU on April 18 in the same week. The graduate student already had a share of the top mark for assists with six after turning the trick twice in the previous two seasons. She was named the NEC Player of the Week three times to become the fifth player in NEC history dating back to the 2004 season to have three top player honors in the same season, and she was also named the NEC Defensive Player of the Week once in 2023. 
 
McHenry was able to represent Saint Francis one more time when she played in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Senior All-Star Game on June 3 in Sparks, Md. She registered a goal, two draw controls and a ground ball in an 11-9 win for the North team. The graduate student was the second-ever Red Flash player to play in the event after Samantha Morgan participated in the 2007 exhibition. 
 
McHenry is the second three-time All-NEC performer in program history, joining former teammate Peyton LeConte, after taking home All-NEC second-team honors in 2021 and first team recognition in the last two campaigns. Along with freshman Bella Fisher (NEC Rookie of the Year), the duo are the first players in team history to earn an NEC end of the year major award, and along with her NEC All-Rookie selection in 2019 McHenry leaves as the most decorated women's lacrosse player in program history. She finished her career ranked second in program history in assists (75), second in draw controls (237), second in points (206), second in caused turnovers (64), fourth in goals (131) and sixth in ground balls (105). 
 
In the classroom, McHenry graduated in 2022 with a degree in nursing with a 3.775 grade point average, while she started her master's in business administration and had a 3.861 grade point average this year. She has been named to the Dean's List at Saint Francis and both the NEC Academic Honor Roll and Commissioner's Honor Roll in her time in Loretto. McHenry was also awarded the Wallace Award at the Saint Francis Athletics banquet.  
 
McHenry helped Saint Francis to its best season in program history and its first-ever appearance in the NEC Tournament. The Red Flash finished 10-6 overall and 5-3 in league play. 
 
McHenry will head to Catholic University of America to serve as graduate assistant for the Cardinals women's lacrosse team.