GREENWOOD, Ind. – Junior Sammy Ahmad (Clifton, N.J.), junior Joseph Alberti (Nutley, N.J.), senior Angelo Drake (Manville, N.J.), sophomore James McCarthy (Middletown, N.J.), senior Owen Tarnowski (Roxbury, N.J.) and junior Gavin Starr (Montgomery, N.J.) have been named to the 2025 Collegiate Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team for men's lacrosse, the organization announced today.

The six are part of the At-Large division, which incorporates a multitude of NCAA sports not included in other individual nomination programs (e.g. basketball, soccer, softball, etc.). Bowling and lacrosse are two sports sponsored by Caldwell Athletics that are eligible for the at-large selections, with a maximum of six per gender per school.

For Alberti, Starr, Tarnowski, the selection marks their second appearances, respectively, on the CSC Academic All-District At-Large team for men's lacrosse, as they were all on the 2024 team as well. 

Ahmad, in his first year at Caldwell after transferring from Felician, where he was a CACC All-Academic performer, collected five ground balls and a two caused turnovers on defense for the Cougars. The criminal justice major with a 3.83 GPA was also a member of the CACC Academic Honor Roll in Fall 2024.

Alberti, an education major with a 3.66 GPA, competed in all 12 games for the Cougars, grabbing nine ground balls and causing five turnovers. He added an assist at Molloy on March 6. He also earned CACC All-Academic honors in 2024 and 2025.

Drake, an exercise science major with a 3.66 GPA, started all 12 games for Caldwell on defense, nabbing 24 ground balls and causing eight turnovers, both career bests. He has twice earned CACC All-Academic honors and is also a member of the Cougars sprint football team, where he is a three-time CSFL All-Academic selection and this year was named to the National Football Foundation Hampshire Honor Society. He was twice named All-CSFL Second Team as well.

McCarthy started all 12 games for Caldwell, gobbling up a team-best 65 ground balls, including a career-high 12 vs. Chestnut Hill on April 12, and causing a team-high 25 turnovers. He added an assist at Holy Family on March 15. He was named to the CACC All-Academic team and in the fall was selected to the league's Academic Honor Roll.

Starr notched seven goals and four assists, increasing his career totals to 33 goals and 48 points, both sixth in school history. He also collected a career-best 23 ground balls. He was named to the CACC All-Academic Team and is a member of the CACC Academic Honor Roll.

Tarnowski switched unselfishly from attack to long stick defender part-way through 2025, shoring up the Cougars' back line. After recording 29 goals in 2024, his move to the defense earned him 14 caused turnovers, third on the team, and 21 ground balls. He is a CACC Academic Honor Roll and CACC All-Academic Team member as well.

The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes At-Large honors in four divisions- NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA. The six Cougars, along with the other Academic All-District honorees, are now considered for advancement to the CSC Academic All-America ballot. The First, Second, and Third-team Academic All-America Honorees will be announced next month. 

The full release with Academic All-District selections nationwide can be found here.