Repetition & Refinement: More Than a D3 Lacrosse All-American
On a spring afternoon in Ann Arbor, Mich., between anatomy labs and lecture halls, Julia Jardina (‘25) found herself chasing a familiar rhythm: repetition and refinement. That same cadence carried her from a D3 lacrosse upbringing far from the sport’s hotbed to Colby College.
It didn’t begin as a Division III journey. Growing up in Louisville, Ky., Jardina had one vision: Division I athletics.
When I first started getting recruited, I didn’t even know what the NESCAC [New England Small College Athletic Conference] was.
Jardina initially pursued Division I opportunities, including preferred walk-on offers at several schools. Nevertheless, one element was missing from their recruiting pitch: belief.
That changed during her junior year at Sacred Heart Academy, with Colby assistant Amy Patten introducing her to a different path, one built on balance.
D3 Lacrosse: A Possession Game
From her first visit to Waterville, Maine, the 5-foot-6 midfielder knew she wasn’t the most polished recruit in the room.
I came in kind of an underdeveloped [D3 lacrosse] player. I didn’t have the same resources or coaching that a lot of other student-athletes did in high school.
So Jardina took action. The work was mechanical, almost obsessive at times: thousands of wall-ball reps each week, extra shooting drills and constantly polishing her footwork.
The Mules’ coaching staff helped round out her approach. Assistant Kelsey Howard emphasized balance and team culture. Head coach Karen Henning pushed her to sharpen her decision-making, lacrosse IQ and competitive edge.
“At the beginning of Julia’s sophomore year, two of our freshmen beat her in a conditioning test … and she responded, ‘If they can do this, then I can definitely do more,’” Henning recalled in an interview with YD3.
Adversity Through Academics
Away from the sticks, the same pattern defined her schoolwork.
Jardina studied Spanish and spent the fall 2023 semester abroad in Seville, Spain, an opportunity she said isn’t attainable in Division I athletics. But upon returning to Colby, her junior year brought a new level of pressure: a full course load, lacrosse commitments and preparation for the Dental Admission Test (DAT).
However, her support system held up. Coaches accommodated her class schedule. Her teammates, now best friends, showed up to champion Jardina’s dream.
After she completed the DAT, the team brought her cupcakes to a film session that very same day.
It wasn’t a big deal that I missed a practice [preparing for the exam]. That meant everything.
Learn more about her mission to help current D3 lacrosse student-athletes and recruits through YD3’s mentorship program.
A Program-Defining Breakthrough
Over four seasons, Jardina cemented her legacy as one of the program’s most accomplished players, setting the school record in draw controls (307). Year after year, she was an elite attacker who consistently elevated the Mules’ offense as both a creator and a finisher.
She also maintained a 3.94 GPA as a neuroscience and Spanish double major, earning multiple CSC Academic All-America honors, repeated NESCAC All-Academic recognition and a conference nomination for the 2025 NCAA Woman of the Year award.
Jardina’s relentless work ethic helped carry fourth-ranked Colby through her senior campaign and back to the Elite Eight, a year after the Mules fell at that stage. In May 2025, they made history.
After the final whistle on a 7-5 win over No. 7 Wesleyan, she turned to her co-captains and shared the significance of the program’s first-ever Final Four berth.
We just looked at each other like, ‘We did it.’ It was all because we loved lacrosse and put in the work. That’s what made it special.
jardina’s d3 lacrosse accolades | colby college
- Four-time Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) All-American
- Three-time IWLCA All-Region
- Three-time All-NESCAC: First Team (2024-25) | Second Team (2023)
- Three-time NESCAC All-Academic (2023-25)
- Two-time College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-American: Second Team (2025) | Third Team (2024)
- CSC Academic All-District (2025)
- NESCAC nominee for NCAA Woman of the Year (2025)
- Colby Patty Valavanis ‘80 Award (2025)
D3 Lacrosse: Carrying the Process Forward
Jardina said the lessons of D3 lacrosse are cyclical: seasons of life and effort, with each challenge building toward the next.
Now at Michigan, she faces a different kind of test. An 80 on her first head and neck anatomy exam was jarring. For the first time in years, she wasn’t near the top of the curve.
But her response was familiar: no panic, just a plan. She assessed what went wrong, met with professors, adjusted her study habits and set out to improve.
Her next test score: an A.
It’s the same thing [with whatever you’re pursuing]. You evaluate, and you adjust.
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Repetition & Refinement: More Than a D3 Lacrosse All-American
Julia Jardina’s D3 lacrosse experience at Colby College highlights academic achievement, athletic development, personal growth and mentorship.