Caitlyn Wurzburger, She’s One Of Them

May 15, 2024 | Women’s Lacrosse

When Caitlyn Wurzburger scored the final goal of the Tar Heels’ season with 12 seconds remaining in her last college game – assisted, fittingly, by her best friend – a wave of visible emotion washed over her.

“Knowing that was my last play in a Carolina jersey really hit me hard,” Wurzburger said. “It was a flood of happy, bittersweet and sad emotions. It just shows how much love I have for this program, and for the sport in general.”

A Record-Breaking Career

What makes UNC special, and what makes Caitlyn special, is the desire to come into our program, put yourself on the line and rise up to the occasion, all in the pursuit to be great,” head coach Jenny Levy said. “And she did that.”

Rise to the occasion, Wurzburger sure did. Be great? She did that, too. A product of Delray Beach, Florida, Wurzburger boasts the most decorated resume in girls’ lacrosse history. She finished her storied prep career at American Heritage School Boca-Delray as the nation’s all-time leading scorer with 1,027 points behind 503 goals and 524 assists, a record that still stands today.

Success on the Field

Having served as team captain since the seventh grade, she went on to become a four-time All-American and the 2018 High School Player of the Year. Wurzburger continued to make waves when she became the youngest recruit in girls’ lacrosse history to commit to a Division I team, selecting Syracuse as an eighth grader in 2016.

However, she reopened her recruitment two years later and ultimately chose North Carolina, citing the people and winning culture as the deciding factors. “When you’re being recruited, you need to look at the people you’re going to be around every day,” Wurzburger said. “I really clicked with the team and was drawn to them. They were great people to be around, and the winning culture here at Carolina is contagious.”

Impressive Collegiate Career

Her high school success translated seamlessly onto a bigger stage. One of just three players in the Class of 2020 to represent the United States U-19 National Team, Wurzburger led the stars and stripes to gold at the 2019 World Cup after a team-leading 40 points. Her 19 assists set a U-19 tournament record and she earned a spot on the All-World Team.

Quite an accomplished resume at such a young age, all before stepping foot in Chapel Hill in Fall 2020. “She came in with such high expectations, and that comes with a lot of pressure,” Levy said. “Considering the level of scrutiny and pressure she had coming in, once we worked through that with her and she settled in, she was great. She had a great career here.”

Transition to UNC

A great career, indeed. Her prolific success on the high school and national stage, combined with her unique recruiting path, had steadily established her as a must-watch name in lacrosse. It was no surprise she was the nation’s top-ranked incoming freshman ahead of the 2021 season, her first donning Carolina blue.

She pieced together a formidable rookie campaign, culminating in a trip to the national semifinals where she tied Katie Hoeg for a team-leading four points.

Impactful Years

The 2021 season saw her rank fourth on a deep Tar Heel squad with 53 points behind Scottie Rose Growney, Jamie Ortega and Hoeg, the latter two who were the reigning Co-National Players of the Year. Even with her accomplishments, Wurzburger’s role her freshman year still looked different than what she was used to.

As she stated bluntly, she was playing behind what was essentially “an entire starting lineup of All-Americans.” That starting lineup of All-Americans was composed of some of the best players the sport has ever seen; players who stamped their names into the NCAA, ACC and UNC record books, players who continue to leave their mark on the professional and international stage.

A True Leader

“It was a very unique experience, but it was a lot of fun playing with that crew. We did a lot of great things on the field together,” Wurzburger said,