Colorado Women Make History on USA Lacrosse Division I All-America List

A year after zero Colorado women earned All-America recognition in 2025, six players from Denver and Colorado made the 2026 USA Lacrosse NCAA Division I list. It is the strongest showing for Colorado women's lacrosse in recent memory and a sign that both programs are closing the gap on the national field.

USA Lacrosse revealed its honorees on Thursday. Thirty-six Division I programs are represented and 101 players received recognition across all teams.

Denver midfielder Olivia Ripple and Colorado defender Jess Peluso both earned Third Team honors. Neither program had a single women's representative on last year's list, making this a notable step forward for Colorado lacrosse at the college level.

Four more players landed on the Honorable Mention list. Colorado midfielders Lily Assini and Maddie Shoup were both recognized, along with goalkeepers Lexi Gwaku of Denver and Elena Oh of Colorado.

On the men's side, Denver goalkeeper Grayson Manning earned Honorable Mention recognition. Denver placed three men on the 2025 list, including Casey Wilson on the Second Team, so Manning's lone nod represents a quieter year for the Pioneers on that side of the ball.

The women's side is the real story. Going from zero to six in one year does not happen by accident. It reflects improved recruiting, better development, and programs that are starting to compete at a different level.