Even as his pro lacrosse career with the Boston Cannons in the Premier Lacrosse League lifts off, former Irish lacrosse All-American Pat Kavanagh continues to make history in the name of Notre Dame.
On Wednesday, Rockville Centre, N.Y., product became the first-ever athlete from ND to win the Anthony J. McKevlin Award, which is given to the ACC's top male athlete of the year.
The award has been around since 1954, with Notre Dame first competing in ACC sports in the 2013-14 school year.
Two Irish standouts have earned the ACC women’s athlete of the year honor — the Mary Garber Award — distance runner Molly Seidel in 2016 and basketball star Arike Ogunbowale in 2018.
Virginia swim standout and Olympic swimmer Gretchen Walsh is this year’s Garber Award recipient.
“Gretchen and Pat are truly exceptional representatives of the ACC and have dominated in their respective sports,” said ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips.
“Their outstanding athletic and academic achievements stand out not only in the ACC but nationally, and they are extremely deserving of this prestigious honor. This past year has been another phenomenal one for the ACC and we remain incredibly proud of our student-athletes, coaches and programs.”
Kavanagh — the 2024 Tewaaraton Award winner, lacrosse’s Heisman Trophy — led the McKevlin Award balloting with 27 votes, followed by Clemson’s Ousmane Syllia (men’s soccer) with 15 votes, and NC State’s Payton Wilson (football) with nine votes.
Walsh received 31 votes to lead the Garber Award balloting, followed by Virginia Tech’s Elizabeth Kitley (women’s basketball) with 13 votes and Boston College’s Sydney Scales (women’s lacrosse) with six votes.
Kavanagh is also a nominee for the ESPYS Male Collegiate Athlete of the Year award which will be announced on July 11 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. To vote for Pat click here.
Kavanagh has three goals and two assists in his first four games for the Cannons, who have the second-best record in the eight-team PLL so far (3-1).
Kavanagh is also a three-time Tewaaraton finalist and the 2024 ACC Offensive Player of the Year. The attackman was one of the driving forces behind Notre Dame’s back-to-back national titles in 2023 and 2024, the first two in program history.
His intangibles, including playing through pain, were legendary. But he had plenty of tangibles as well.
Among them he’s the all-time career leader at Notre Dame in points (301) and assists (184). He also holds the top four spots on the program’s record list for assists in a season as well as two of the top three spots for points in a season.
Twenty of Kavanagh’s 80 points came in ND’s four-game march to the 2024 NCAA Tournament title, including a six-assist performance in the 15-5 NCAA National Championship win over No. 7 Maryland on May 27.
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