There’s so much more to Maryland athletics than simply football and men’s basketball.

I take great pride in the achievements of Maryland athletics. Why would this be, you might rightly wonder. In an earlier post, I noted that when the men’s lacrosse team claimed at least a share of the B1G championship with their 10-8 win over Ohio State Sunday night, it marked the 14th conference or conference tournament championship in slightly less than the two full years that Maryland has been in the Big Ten. Nine of these have been conference championships and the Terrapins can claim five tournament titles. To provide some perspective, Nebraska joined the B1G for the 2011-2012 season. Approaching the end of their fifth season in the conference, the Cornhuskers have eight conference championships and have won four conference tournaments – one less than Maryland in each category over three more seasons.

Now that you have discovered the prowess of Maryland’s teams, let’s take a look at a pair of Terrapins who earned some conference accolades this week starting with women’s lacrosse defender Alice Mercer who the conference honored as its Defensive Player if the Week. In a pair of Terrapin wins over Virginia and Michigan last week, the senior from Woodbine scooped up four ground balls, caused three turnovers and added a draw control.

At first glance, Mercer’s stats might appear rather pedestrian. However, she anchors a defense that allows just 6.44 goals per game and typically marks the opponent’s best defender. Her presence in the middle of Maryland’s defense often leaves opposition offenses befuddled. But she also plays another critical role in Maryland’s success.

Mercer is frequently responsible for clearing the ball following a turnover or a save. Her long efficient stride propels her past opponents and teammates with the grace and speed of a gazelle sprinting across an African plain. The award is Mercer’s second.

Stepping off the lacrosse field and onto the links, Maryland sophomore golfer David Kocher earned a spot as a member of the first team All-Big Ten squad. Kocher finished sixth individually with a three under par score of 213 and led the Terps team to a third place finish in the recent B1G Championship Tournament.

In Maryland’s 11 tournaments this season, the sophomore from Charlotte, NC has finished in the top 10 seven times. This is the second time Kocher has earned all conference honors notching a spot on the second team after his freshman year.