Riley Baumgartner '16 Recruiting Profile

    My name is Riley Baumgartner and I’m a 6'2, 175lb attackman from Anoka, Minnesota. I feel my strengths are agility, the ability to see the field well, and my leadership skills.  I believe my ability to maintain a 3.9 GPA in high school will assist me in achieving my academic goals of excelling in college, majoring in biology, and moving on to graduate school.

    Lacrosse has been a part of my life for the past 7 years.  I started off just playing with the local Anoka youth program. After 2 years, I realized my talents could allow me to compete at a more competitive level.  Being a very determined and competitive person, I wanted something that would challenge and push me to get better. In the summer of 2013, I was selected to play for an elite lacrosse team, the MN Select Loons.  I was on the U15 black team my first year, traveling to Notre Dame and Chicago for tournaments. In the summer of 2014, I played on the U17 red team, traveling to Chicago, Delaware, and Colorado Springs. In the summer of 2015, I played for the U17 gold team (which is the highest team the Loons have).  That team traveled to Chicago, Colorado Springs, and Delaware. Unfortunately, due to my obligations as a football captain, I was unable to attend 2 of those events.  Now that my football season has ended, I have been asked to rejoin the Loons this fall and attend a tournament with them in Colorado this November.  Playing with the Loons has motivated me to work hard, and helped me realize how much I love the game.  Competing against players from other states has also shown me a lot of the diversity within the game itself.  I am grateful to have had an opportunity that most do not have.

    As a freshman at Anoka, I was pulled up to start on the JV lacrosse team.  By the end of the season, I was dressing for varsity. As a sophomore, I was one of the starting attackmen on Varsity.  I was selected as captain my junior year, and played attack.  I also took most of the face-offs for our team. My senior year is right ahead of me and I am fully prepared to take our team far this year.  Returning as a 3 year starter and two-time captain, I’m committed to assuring that our team succeeds. We are a close-bonded team and play in all the off-season leagues together.  We are treating this winter’s league as preparation for the spring season.  I intend to continue leading by example and pushing my teammates to their limits.  It has always been my dream to win a state championship, and through hard work and dedication, this could potentially be the year.  I have already begun planning with my fellow captains to ensure that captain's practice this year will be fun, productive, and intense. While playing at Anoka, I have received all-section and all-conference awards for both my sophomore and junior year.  My goal for senior year is to be all-state.

    Throughout my years of playing lacrosse, I was usually viewed as a confident player with a hunger to succeed.  I like having people look up to me and rely upon me as I tend to thrive under pressure.  Being a leader in lacrosse has taught me a lot about myself, and has instilled characteristics that will stay with me for the rest of my life. Every time I step onto that field, 100% of my effort is put forth and I am always trying to get better each day, each pass, each shot, and each game. I tend to have a nice outside shot that I am completely confident in taking every time I get the ball.  I also like to view the field, looking for holes in the defense, and coming up with ways to exploit them before I even get the ball. Scoring is a great feeling, but assisting a teammate is just as important.  I take great pride in being a team player, and putting the team and others before myself.

    Lacrosse is in my blood and I would love the opportunity to take my skills to the next level. I have always planned on going to college, but the opportunity to play lacrosse at the collegiate level has me even more excited about my future. As I look for colleges, I am looking for a strong academic school, medium sized and willing to help their students prepare for the realities of life.

    I thank you for taking the time to look at my profile and am hopeful that I may be the right fit for your program.

-Riley Baumgartner