Editor's Note: The Marist Athletics Department is continuing to highlight its Senior Awards finalists. From April 20-May 15, a feature story will be presented on each finalist for Sportsperson of the Year.
Female Sportsperson Finalists: Megan Fergus (Volleyball) | Sydney Ford (Women's Rowing) | Alana Gilmer (Women's Basketball) | Denise Grohn (Women's Cross Country/Track) | Rebekah Hand (Women's Basketball) | Samantha Mehalick (Women's Lacrosse) | Anais Mathes (Water Polo) | Ali Milam (Softball) | Juliet Nowak (Swimming & Diving) | Claire Oberdorf (Softball/Women's Basketball) | Alexa Svensson (Women's Soccer)
Male Sportsperson Finalists: Raislan Aiken (Swimming & Diving) | Matthew Blaszczyk (Men's Rowing) | Samad Bounthong (Men's Soccer) | Grant Dixon (Football) | Tyler Kapuscinski (Baseball) | Christopher Rivas (Men's Cross Country/Track) | Lars Schouten (Men's Tennis)
POUGHKEEPSIE, New York –
Peyton Smith of the Marist men's lacrosse team has been named a finalist for the athletics department's Male Sportsperson of the Year award.
When you think of lacrosse positions, you'd most often think of attackmen like
Jojo Pirreca, who rack up goal after goal. Maybe, you'd think of goalkeepers like
Jake MacGregor, who are putting their bodies on the line making incredible saves. Some of you might even think of defenders like
Sam Ahlgrim, who play a pivotal role in trying to prevent other team's top scorers from scoring. A lot of times people forget the unsung hero of the team: the face-off specialist.
The face-off specialist is in charge of one thing, winning face-offs. Face-offs are taken to start the game, and after every goal scored. Unlike in basketball when a team scores the other team takes possession, a dominant face-off specialist can help a team dominate possession. That is what makes the position so vital, as greater time of possession usually correlates with team success on the offensive end.
Smith did an excellent job of helping the Red Fox offense gain possession after face-offs. In fact, 59% of the time Smith took to the face-off circle, he would win the face-off. His .589 career face-off percentage stands second all-time in the program record book. Specifically, he played a key role in leading the Red Foxes to the 2019 MAAC Championship, finishing the year with a .630 face-off percentage which ranked first in the conference and 11th in the entire NCAA. This led to him winning three Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week Awards, along with being named to the All-MAAC First Team and being named the MAAC Face-off specialist of the Year.
In 2020, before the season got prematurely cut short due to COVID-19, Smith was on his way to another record-setting year. He began it by being named Preseason All-MAAC along with receiving MAAC Preseason Co-Player of the Year recognition. He had already won two MAAC Defensive Player of the Year Awards after just six games, and was leading the MAAC yet again in face-off percentage at .638 (11th in the NCAA). He was also leading the team in ground balls with 54 on the young season, all of which moved him into a tie for third place on the program's all-time ground balls list. Smith was also a Senior CLASS Award candidate in 2020, after three years of being on the MAAC All-Academic Team.
"Peyton has been a tremendous member of our program during his time at Marist," Head Coach
Keegan Wilkinson said. "He has consistently displayed his relentless work ethic and competitive attitude, that paired with his dedication to his craft as a face off specialist has helped him develop into one of the nation's best at the position. More importantly, during his development he had a very humble attitude and great communication skills that empowered his teammates to take great pride in the face off battle each time he stepped on the field."
Smith's work ethic and attitude, as Wilkinson described, played a big part in what allowed him to become so successful at his position. In the end, Smith's name will forever be entrenched in Marist's record books, and he will be regarded as one of the best face-off specialists in the history of the program.
Smith would be the first to tell you that his journey that brought him to Marist college wasn't easy. It was filled with ups and downs, as is the case for many student-athletes' recruitment processes. But when his career was all said and done, Smith wouldn't change a thing. He couldn't have felt more fortunate about having been able to play all four years of his career at Marist.
The first time Wilkinson saw Smith play was at a tournament at St Joe's. It was an all-star game, and as Wilkinson sat down for the opening face-off of the game, he saw Smith head out to the circle to take the draw. Smith won the opening face-off, and ignited a fast break for his squad. Wilkinson described the moment as though "it looked like Peyton was shot out of a cannon." At that moment, Wilkinson needed to know where he was from. It turns out, he was from Raleigh, North Carolina. This was the same town as current Marist players, at the time, Gannon Morrison and
Kevin McKendry.
It turns out they weren't just from the same area. They actually played for the same club lacrosse team, which was coached by Morrison's father, Danny. Danny was a Long Island transplant in North Carolina with great lacrosse knowledge that had done an amazing job coaching high school players. The reports from Danny about Peyton were really strong, both as a player and young man, so this only enticed the coaching staff more.
It helped that Smith already had a relationship with Gannon Morrison back at home. Speaking to Gannon, Smith got a great understanding of why Marist was such a special place. This helped make his decision in the end much easier, and he decided to commit to Marist.
"Peyton would be the first to tell you that after his commitment to Marist, his worst games on the recruiting circuit would come when I was in attendance," Wilkinson said. "He would put so much pressure on himself to perform with our staff there that he would often become so nervous and could not perform to his usual standards. He was playing too hard. I would always find him after the game to reassure him and to tell him to just relax and play his game, and not to worry about us being there. I absolutely loved this about him, the pressure he would put on himself to perform was so intense and so emotional. While some players get burnt out in the summer recruiting cycle and go through the motions, our recruit was pouring every ounce of his body into a meaningless game that no one would ever remember. I knew we had something truly special in Peyton because of this desire to be the best."
He was right.
When Smith takes the field, it is not entirely for himself. Smith dedicated his 2019 season, the best season of his career, to Julian Rogers. Smith dawned a JR-41 on his uniform in order to honor the memory of Julian, who wore number 41 at New Bern High School in North Carolina. Julian passed away at the age of 16, and it was news that hit Smith very hard.
Smith coached Julian Rogers with the 919 Lacrosse Club in North Carolina. Smith was always drawn to Rogers, stating he had a great personality and love for the game. Rogers had an immediate impact on Smith when they first met, and when he passed away, Smith felt the immediate need to help Julian's family. "I felt the need to try and support his family in any way I could," Smith said. "Julian was hilarious and always came to practice with a small on his face even though he lived an hour away from the field. Julian's parents are the best and we have a special bond that will last forever."
Julian will always hold a special place in Smith's heart. Whenever he takes the field, he is partly playing in Julian's memory. Wherever Smith's career takes him, a part of Julian will always be with him.
"Peyton's ability to connect with others is genuine and compassionate," Wilkinson said. "When he came to meet with the staff to express his desire to wear something on game days to honor Julian we were blown away by his maturity. We were unaware of this undeniable bond he had built with the Rogers family following the loss of Julian and as he shared the story we were so proud to know we had men like Peyton in our locker room. He is a young man that wears his heart on his sleeve and to see the Rogers family with all of their friends at our game at UNC was a truly special moment in the 2019 season."
To read InsideLacrosse.com's full feature on
Peyton Smith and Julian Rogers, click
HERE.
Smith's favorite memories: "Oh man there are way too many to count, but I have two favorites. I think my absolute favorite is the bus ride back to Marist after we beat Canisius to win the regular season title in 2019. I don't think a single person wasn't laughing the entire way home. The second is the locker room after we beat Army this season. The feeling of taking down a top 10 team like that was the ultimate satisfaction. I also need to give a shoutout to
Jake Weinman for the best behind-the-back goal of the century. I'll never forget that"
Wilkinson's favorite memory of Smith: "When our team met to discuss the decision by the NCAA to cancel the remainder of the 2020 season it was really difficult to see the pain on everyone's face as we told them this could ultimately be the last time we were ever together as a team. In those situations, it is so easy for a player to get wrapped up on what that means for them as an individual, especially as a senior, that may never put on the Marist uniform again. As we asked the players if they had anything to say, many shared their love for each other and sadness for the seniors who would be moving on. After a few players talked, Peyton spoke to echo many of the same sentiments of his teammates and then locked eyes with one of his teammates straight across the locker room,
Andrew Evans, his teammate and fellow face off specialist that he trains with every single day, to let him know it was now his turn and how proud and excited he was to watch him take over. It was really special for everyone in that room to see someone who had just had everything he had worked for stripped away from him, shift his thought process in a matter of minutes back to his team, back to his friend, to let him know he would be there to watch him and would take great pride in seeing Andrew strive for his own success."
Who knows where Smith's future will take him next. After becoming just the second Red Fox in program history to be selected in the MLL (Major League Lacrosse) draft last Monday, he was just one of 14 players that were drafted into the PLL (Premier Lacrosse League) late last night. Smith is the first Marist student-athlete to be drafted into the PLL which debuted in 2019. For more on his MLL selection, click
HERE. For more on his PLL selection, click
HERE.
Being drafted not once, but twice, is an incredible honor for Smith. But even after being drafted into two professional sports leagues he is incredibly humble. He always thanks his teammates for his success. "Being drafted is very exciting and it feels great to reach the highest level of the sport," Smith said. "Being drafted twice only doubles that excitement. My development over the past few years is a product of battling with
Andrew Evans every day. Andrew is a great athlete who makes me work the second the whistle is blown. I guarantee there will be more Marist players playing professionally for years to come."
While his future may be uncertain, one thing is certain about Smith, and that is the legacy he will be leaving behind on the Marist lacrosse program. "Peyton, along with his fellow senior's, have left a legacy that is built on resiliency and commitment to the program," Wilkinson said. "Peyton put in the work and no one will ever be able to deny that. He came in as a decorated recruit and like each of our players he was asked to earn everything. When it was difficult early in his career he put his head down and got to work, he never complained and never pointed fingers, and that's why it is so satisfying to see him achieve such great success. We are all so proud of Peyton, he did it the right way, he put together a plan each year on how to improve his game and it worked. He will be remembered as one of the most successful players ever to come through our program."
