UNC Tar Heels: Keeping It Heel’s 2016 UNC Sportsmen of the Year Awards
![Apr 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brice Johnson (11) walks to the court before the game against the Villanova Wildcats in the championship game of the 2016 NCAA Men Apr 4, 2016; Houston, TX, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brice Johnson (11) walks to the court before the game against the Villanova Wildcats in the championship game of the 2016 NCAA Men](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/01a2c68663fe10ed172703fdb1c8faf2f47de80a9208c6ee7652380901d52762.jpg)
UNC Female Sportsman Of The Year – Aly Messinger (UNC women’s Lacrosse)
Honorable Mentions: Stephanie Watts, Hayley Carter
Aly Messinger is one of the top attackers in the nation. She led the Lady Tar Heels lacrosse team to a national championship in 2016.
In four tournament games, Messinger led North Carolina with 10 goals and 13 points. On May 29, 2016, the Tar Heels defeated the Maryland Terrapins 13-7 to win the national title. For Maryland, the loss was its only of the season.
UNC won their second national championship in the past four years. Their first championship came in 2013. The Lady Tar Heels lost the national title game in 2015. Messinger was the Most Outstanding Player of the national championship game with two goals and four assists.
Likewise, Messinger was a third-team all-American as voted by the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA). She was also a member of the all-ACC Academic Team.