Six Yellowjackets from the University of Rochester field hockey, women's lacrosse and women's rowing teams were selected to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Women's At-Large Academic All-District Team, as announced by the CSC on Tuesday.
 
Graduate student Mara Heppard and sophomore Grayson Honig earned Academic All-District honors from the field hockey program; seniors Erin Esposito and Gracie Giannettino, as well as junior Alyssa Gorny, were selected from the women's lacrosse team, and senior Aviva Bock received recognition from the women's rowing program.
 
The 2023-24 CSC Academic All-District® Men's and Women's At-Large Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes. To be nominated, a student-athlete must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically, have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average, and meet a set of athletic participation criteria for their given sport.
 
Field hockey and lacrosse nominees must have competed in at least 90 percent of a team's total games or have started at least 66 percent, while in women's rowing, nominees must have competed in a minimum of four competitions or as a member of an NCAA boat (1V8, 2V8, 1V4) at a conference championship.
 
In addition to field hockey, lacrosse (both men's and women's) and women's rowing, the sports included in the At-Large program are golf (both men's and women's), ice hockey (men's & women's), water polo (men's & women's), bowling (women's), fencing (men's & women's), rifle (men's & women's), rowing (women's), skiing (men's & women's), gymnastics (men's & women's), volleyball (men's), wrestling (men's) and beach volleyball (women's).
 
Bock competed on Rochester's Varsity 8 boat at all three Championship events this spring, helping the Yellowjackets to a fourth-place finish at the 2025 Liberty League Rowing Championships, 14th at the New York State Championships and 18th at the National Invitational Rowing Championships. A two-year member of the 'Jackets' rowing team, Bock also competed in the fall on UR's Varsity 4 boat, as well as the V8 at the Head of the Fish.
 
A violin performance major, Bock earned praise for her academic prowess, being recognized on the Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association's Scholar-Athlete Team, and has received numerous scholarships for her efforts. Additionally, Bock was a winner of the 2021 All-City Orchestra Concerto Competition and has participated in several ensembles both for her degree and outside Eastman. During her free time, Bock volunteers at Friendly Senior Living in Brighton, NY, as well as the Head of the Genesee and Rochester Community Bikes.
 
Esposito appeared and started all 17 games for the Yellowjackets on defense this season, dishing out one assist, picking up 25 ground balls and forcing 10 turnovers. The Cranford, NJ native has been a key member of Rochester's back line since her first year, with 79 career ground balls and 31 caused turnovers across 66 games played, tied for the most games played in program history.
 
Off the field, Esposito is a biological science: cell and developmental biology major with a minor in epidemiology. The senior is a three-time Liberty League All-Academic honoree, was named to the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division III Academic Honor Roll this past year, and graduated magna cum laude. Fresh off her graduation this spring from UR, Esposito will enroll at the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, while previously, Esposito volunteered back home in New Jersey with the Cranford First Aid Squad.
 
Appearing in and starting 16 games for the 'Jackets this season, Giannettino scored 38 goals and dished out 17 assists for a total of 55 points, scoring three game-winning goals and adding 10 ground balls and five caused turnovers. The senior attacker has been one of UR's top offensive threats each of the past four years and became just the third student-athlete in program history to reach 200 career points this year. Giannettino also graduates tied for the program record in career assists with 76, and ranks second in program history with 220 points.
 
Giannettino graduates with a double major in political science and environmental studies, having been named to the Liberty League All-Academic Team three times and the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll last year. The Auburn, NY native is also a two-time CSC Academic All-District honoree, was one of UR's Lysle 'Spike' Garnish Scholar-Athletes this past fall, and received the Laurin Taylor Frisina '06 Ventura Award for her work in the political science department. During her time on the River Campus, Giannettino worked for Professor Gerald Gamm in the political science department and also helped found UR's Morgan's Message Chapter, raising awareness for student-athlete mental health advocacy.
 
Following a record-breaking 2025 campaign, Gorny nets her second All-District honor. The junior earned Second-Team All-Liberty League honors as UR's top offensive performer this season, tallying 58 goals and 14 assists for a total of 72 points over 17 games played. Gorny also added a team-high 129 shots (95 on goal) and 82 draw controls, as well as 20 ground balls and 14 caused turnovers. The Ellicott City, MD native set new UR single-season records for goals, shots, shots on goal and draw controls this season, and became just the fourth student-athlete in program history to reach the 200-career point mark.
 
A business finance major, Gorny is a two-time Liberty League All-Academic selection and earned Honorable Mention for the National ACTR Post-Secondary Russian Essay Content. On campus, Gorny is a member of the Keidaeans Honor Society, Dobro Slovo, the University's Meliora Finance and Investment Group, TAMID, where she is the Director of Consulting, and Morgan's Message, which she helped co-found with Giannettino and currently serves as President. This summer, Gorny is interning with J.P. Morgan Private Bank, while back home in Maryland, Gorny volunteers at her local community garden.
 
Heppard capped off a stellar, five-year career with the Yellowjackets with First-Team All-Liberty League and National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) First-Team All-Region honors, appearing in and starting all 21 games for the 'Jackets. Heppard tallied one goal and a team-high seven assists, while contributing three defensive saves on defense and playing 1,312 minutes, the most among UR field players. The Rochester, NY native was a one-time Liberty League Defensive Performer of the Week this season, and was named to the NFHCA Division III Senior Team following the conclusion of the 2024 season.
 
A four-time Liberty League All-Academic and NFHCA National Academic Squad selection, a three-time CSC Academic All-District honoree and NFHCA Scholar of Distinction, Heppard earned her bachelor's degree in business and digital media studies, and her master's in marketing analytics. Last year, Heppard was named a Lysle 'Spike' Garnish Scholar-Athlete, received UR's Sylvia Fabricant Award, as well as the University's Student Life Athletic Leadership Award, the Ayman Amin-Salem Memorial Prize, and the Fred Sarkis Yes Pa Student-Athlete Award. and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. While this year at Simon, Heppard earned the Simon Dean's Leadership Award and served as President of the Simon Master's Advisory Council, in addition to working as the social media director and manager for UR baseball and field hockey, and was awarded a prestigious NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
 
Honig had a breakout campaign in 2024, culminating in NFHCA Second-Team All-Region and First-Team All-Liberty League honors. The sophomore started all 21 of UR's contests, playing 1,228 minutes, totaling 14 goals and three assists for a total of 31 points, taking 109 shots (68 on goal) and scoring six game-winning goals. A two-time Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Week, Honig led the conference in shots, shots on goal and game-winners, and ranked in the top 10 in single-season program history in all three categories as well.
 
Off the field, Honig is a data science major with a concentration in business and economics, and earned both Liberty League All-Academic honors and NFHCA National Academic Squad recognition both this year and last for her efforts in the classroom this year. On campus, Honig is a member of Sigma Delta Tau and has done several community service projects with them, as well as volunteering back home for the National Council for Jewish Women. In addition to working for Techstra Solutions this summer, Honig will also travel to Israel to compete for Team USA in the Maccabi Games.
 
Academic All-District selections will be evaluated by a subcommittee and advanced to the national All-America ballot, to be voted on by CSC members within their respective divisions.
 
The CSC Academic All-America® program separately recognizes At-Large honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA.