by (Atlanta) – The Georgia Swarm today announced that it has signed 2015 first-round pick Randy Staats (No. 6 overall) to a two-year contract.
Staats, (Mohawk/Six Nations Reserver), completed his career at Syracuse University this past spring and ranked third on the team with 53 points, second with 24 assists and fourth with 29 goals. In 2014, the 6-foot-3, 200-pound attackman was a Tewaaraton Trophy finalist after posting a career-high 33 goals to go along with 23 assists. Prior to his time at Syracuse, Staats posted gaudy numbers at Onondaga C.C. as the two-time NJCAA Player of the Year: 139 points (57G, 82A) in 2012 and 156 points (73G, 83A) in 2013.
Staats was teammates with the Thompson Brothers and Johnny Powless on the Iroquois Nationals during the 2015 World Indoor Lacrosse Championships. His 32 points (10G, 22A) in the WILC ranked second on Iroquois and his four points (2G, 2A) in the Gold Medal game tied a team-high.
“Randy played outstanding at the World Championships this fall and proved that he can score against the game’s best,” Arlotta said. “The chemistry he was also able to build with the Thompson Brothers and Johnny Powless over that stretch will be valuable during his rookie season. This year’s draft was very deep and we were fortunate to be able to select a player of his skillset with the sixth overall selection.”
