University of Richmond Athletics
Curro, Montgomery Recognized with Westhampton College Senior Awards
04/22/2021 | Women's Lacrosse
RICHMOND, Va. – University of Richmond women's lacrosse seniors Becca Curro and Mekenzie Montgomery were recognized as 2021 Westhampton College Senior Award honorees late Wednesday. Curro received the La-Sane-Malone Award while Montgomery was selected as a Westhampton College Distinguished Leadership Award honoree.
The Westhampton College Senior Awards celebrate many different parts of student life, work, and achievements, representing our student community in its fullness. A full list of the awards with their descriptions is found here.
The Senior Awards embody the true spirit of Westhampton: a celebration of community, gender equity, and inclusion; the importance of activism, advocacy, allyship, and care for each other; the joys and mutual benefits of leadership, mentorship, and friendship; and our dedication to helping each other become the best versions of ourselves. Nominations come from peers, faculty, staff, and other community members. Thank you to everyone who nominated so many of our amazing students – they are outstanding scholars, leaders, citizens, mentors, and human beings.
Curro, a native of Niskayuna, N.Y., has earned the LeSane-Malone Award as she has "faced significant challenges, yet ultimately persevered, and found her path," and has continually looked for ways to help our community. As one nominator writes: "the strength, perseverance, and courage that Becca has shown during her time at Richmond has been felt throughout the entire campus." In the fall of her sophomore year Becca suffered the loss of a very dear friend at UR. The next year she also experienced a painful injury that ended her athletic career as a division I lacrosse student-athlete.
Faced with these challenges, she chose to dedicate herself to mental health awareness initiatives, both across campus, including specifically for student-athletes, and nationally. Becca has organized two walks on campus to draw attention to and help remove the stigma often associated with mental health issues, as well as served as a Morgan's Message Ambassador and a Student Ambassador for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, helping raise funds, lead mental health awareness initiatives, and host monthly conversations. She has also continued to serve as the lacrosse team manager, providing support to her teammates in mind, body, and spirit, bringing, in the words of a nominator, "grace and strength" to all she does.
Battling injuries during her playing career, Curro only appeared in eight games for the Spiders, all in the 2019 season. She tallied four goals and two assists, with two ground balls.
Montgomery, a native of Hainesport, N.J., is being recognized for her dedication to working on issues of sexual misconduct and violence, most notably through the One Love initiative within Athletics. For the past two years, the women's lacrosse team has been involved with the One Love Foundation, an organization created in memory of Yardley Love, a former UVA lacrosse player, who was a victim of relationship violence. The foundation was created in an effort to teach people the healthy and unhealthy signs of relationship to try to prevent what happened to Yardley from happening to another life. Mekenzie was instrumental is spearheading conversations on this critical topic in collaboration with Dr. Rachel Turk, even through the challenges of the pandemic. As one nominator notes: "in spite of the obstacles of COVID, this past year, Mekenzie coordinated the ONE LOVE event with our entire athletic department creating a challenge over winter break to further the awareness of the foundation and this critical cause. She has been instrumental in creating education and awareness in this critical area."
Montgomery has made three starts in the 33 games she's appeared in during her Spider career. She has four goals and two assists for six total points, as well as seven draw controls, two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
The Westhampton College Senior Awards celebrate many different parts of student life, work, and achievements, representing our student community in its fullness. A full list of the awards with their descriptions is found here.
The Senior Awards embody the true spirit of Westhampton: a celebration of community, gender equity, and inclusion; the importance of activism, advocacy, allyship, and care for each other; the joys and mutual benefits of leadership, mentorship, and friendship; and our dedication to helping each other become the best versions of ourselves. Nominations come from peers, faculty, staff, and other community members. Thank you to everyone who nominated so many of our amazing students – they are outstanding scholars, leaders, citizens, mentors, and human beings.
Curro, a native of Niskayuna, N.Y., has earned the LeSane-Malone Award as she has "faced significant challenges, yet ultimately persevered, and found her path," and has continually looked for ways to help our community. As one nominator writes: "the strength, perseverance, and courage that Becca has shown during her time at Richmond has been felt throughout the entire campus." In the fall of her sophomore year Becca suffered the loss of a very dear friend at UR. The next year she also experienced a painful injury that ended her athletic career as a division I lacrosse student-athlete.
Faced with these challenges, she chose to dedicate herself to mental health awareness initiatives, both across campus, including specifically for student-athletes, and nationally. Becca has organized two walks on campus to draw attention to and help remove the stigma often associated with mental health issues, as well as served as a Morgan's Message Ambassador and a Student Ambassador for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, helping raise funds, lead mental health awareness initiatives, and host monthly conversations. She has also continued to serve as the lacrosse team manager, providing support to her teammates in mind, body, and spirit, bringing, in the words of a nominator, "grace and strength" to all she does.
Battling injuries during her playing career, Curro only appeared in eight games for the Spiders, all in the 2019 season. She tallied four goals and two assists, with two ground balls.
Montgomery, a native of Hainesport, N.J., is being recognized for her dedication to working on issues of sexual misconduct and violence, most notably through the One Love initiative within Athletics. For the past two years, the women's lacrosse team has been involved with the One Love Foundation, an organization created in memory of Yardley Love, a former UVA lacrosse player, who was a victim of relationship violence. The foundation was created in an effort to teach people the healthy and unhealthy signs of relationship to try to prevent what happened to Yardley from happening to another life. Mekenzie was instrumental is spearheading conversations on this critical topic in collaboration with Dr. Rachel Turk, even through the challenges of the pandemic. As one nominator notes: "in spite of the obstacles of COVID, this past year, Mekenzie coordinated the ONE LOVE event with our entire athletic department creating a challenge over winter break to further the awareness of the foundation and this critical cause. She has been instrumental in creating education and awareness in this critical area."
Montgomery has made three starts in the 33 games she's appeared in during her Spider career. She has four goals and two assists for six total points, as well as seven draw controls, two ground balls and two caused turnovers.
Players Mentioned
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