by By Dan Ninham (Oneida)
The Tewaaraton Native American Scholarships are presented annually to a male and female high school student of Haudenosaunee/Iroquois heritage who exemplify high character, leadership and academics, both on and off the lacrosse field. Two sisters shared the honor as the 2019 recipients: Jacelyn and Mirabella “Mimi” Lazore. Mimi Lazore is a freshman lacrosse player at Dartmouth College. The sister’s are 13 months apart in age.
Jacelyn Lazore is a 5’6, freshman midfield/attack lacrosse player at Virginia Tech University. She is a member of the wolf clan of the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe on the Akwesasne Reservation that straddles the Canadian borders of Quebec and Ontario. Her Mohawk name is Tsioweron “Ja weh leu”, which means She who brings thunder. “To me, it’s a name that holds so much power and one that I believe translates onto the lacrosse field when I play,” said Jacelyn.
High school and middle school athletic accomplishments
included being awarded the Tewaaraton Student-Athlete Scholarship her senior year, and named to the Under Armor 150 First Team, First Team All-Northern Female Athlete of the Year freshman year, and First Team All-Northern for eighth grade.
The Virginia Tech Hokies are 3-1 with their only loss in overtime to James Madison. Jacelyn has 7 goals and 2 assists with one start in the young season. There are two games before the ACC opener on February 29 against Louisville.
“My tribal values as a student-athlete at Virginia Tech has shown me that I have thick skin, and that I’m going to push through any adversity that comes my way,” said Jacelyn. “If it means mentally, physically, or emotionally, I’m going to get through it. I was raised to be a strong independent woman with roots that stemmed back to my community in Akwesasne. I’ve learned that being away from home has created a bigger appreciation for my family, and a motivation that gets me out of bed everyday. By not only teaching the people around me what it means to be a part of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, but the love and appreciation that we have for each other as people.”
“To play lacrosse at any level you must love the game,” said Jacelyn. “It should be a reason that gets you out of bed everyday, and in some instances it should be the reason that it grounds you. From my own experience, I’ve had both great experiences, and bad ones. Through those experiences I’ve had a lot of growth as not only a lacrosse player, but as a person. I stayed focused and my lacrosse stick is what gave me the confidence to fend for myself, and to speak on the behalf of our people. Most importantly, just remember to work hard even if you think that you’re in a good position to coast.”
“I met Jace when she tried out for our Haudenosaunee U-19 team,” said Tia Schindler, General Manager, Haudensaunee Nation Women’s Lacrosse. “You can count on Jace to always give 100% effort and she leads by that example. Her vision and focus on the field, in my opinion, is her greatest strength. She can see plays and opportunities unfolding, it’s almost seems like it’s a sixth sense for her. Jace vibrates intensity, and she hustles everywhere all the time. During halftime talks, she is always on the spot about her observations about the other team, about what her team needs to do to improve, where they are falling short and is always quick to give words of encouragement to her teammates. If she chooses, I believe she is capable of being a great coach after her playing days. I’m so thankful to her for being such positive role model to my own daughters. It’s been a pleasure to see the growth in Jace, on and off the field.”
Jason Levesque was one of the men’s coaches at IMG Academy. He was also the head women’s coach for the first two years of the program. Jacelyn and Mimi were both on the team he coached. “Jacelyn is a tone setter in every way possible,” said Jason Levesque, one of the men’s coaches at IMG Academy. “She is attentive, coachable, a great teammate, and a phenomenal player herself. I don’t think I ever once saw Jace take a day off, and she always gave 100% every day, every time she set foot on the field. For those around her, it’s not very hard to follow her lead. I wouldn’t say she was the most vocal leader, and she didn’t really need to be necessarily, but she’d know when something needed to be said, and when she did speak up, she commanded the room and the other girls listened. She’s so versatile on the field that she can play in every situation and at any position. Safe to say, every coach would love to have a few Jacelyn’s on their team.”
“I am so excited to have the opportunity to coach Jacelyn here at Virginia Tech,” said head coach John Sung, Virginia Tech Hokies Women’s Lacrosse. “The first time I had ever heard about the Lazore sisters was when I was coaching the Haudenosaunee Senior women’s team at the World Cup in 2013 in Oshawa, Ontario. They were in middle school and I had the opportunity to see them play. At that age you knew that they were going to be very special lacrosse players. Fast forward to 2019 when I got an email from the coach at IMG Academy in Florida that Jacelyn was reopening her recruitment process and looking for a place to play collegiate lacrosse. Once I heard that I made some calls to some of my former players to get me in touch with the Jace. Within a couple days I was on a plane to see her practice and sit down with her at IMG. After meeting with her I realized how truly special she was and how much this game of lacrosse meant to her.”
“Jacelyn has been helping our players here at Virginia Tech understand the origin of game of lacrosse. She helped enlighten our team and has given insight to how the women’s version of the game is frowned upon in some parts of her culture, and that being able to play is truly a gift that some girls may not ever have,” added Coach John.
“Jacelyn has been my role model since I can remember,” said Mimi. “She is one of the most hardworking and genuine people I know. Never has she done something out of spite and if she ever did, she did it on accident. Being siblings who are 13 months apart, we have always competed against each other our entire lives. She has been my biggest competitor but my ‘bestest’ friend my entire life. I would not be the athlete I am today with having her there to push me every day. Jacelyn is currently playing lacrosse at Virginia Tech and she is killing it.”
“The game of lacrosse is growing in all areas around the country, and there’s always someone working twice as hard as you when you’re not,” said Jacelyn. “Lastly, pick up your stick and note that this is the element that makes you strong as a result of our ancestors who were forbidden to play. Therefore the push to change our traditional ways, won’t allow for anything else to stand in your way.”
Photo Credit: Virginia Tech Athletics
