Matthew McCleary '21 Recruiting Profile

My goal has always been to succeed on and off the field. Academically, I have always achieved high honor roll, with past scholastic accolades including National Junior honor Society in middle school, and being an honoree of the 2017-2018 and 2018-2019 Academic Recognition Program in my freshman and sophomore years in high school.  As far as athletics, I have been playing lacrosse since the 3rd grade.  Playing with a long pole as a defenseman came naturally.  I always stood out for my size, skill, speed and leadership.  I was selected to play on my high school varsity team while I was an 8th grader in middle school.  The following year my family and I relocated to Marvin, NC, where the varsity high school team already had 10 poles on the roster.  So I played on the junior varsity team my freshman year, but was recognized for my abilities and leadership and was named co captain.  In 2017, I was selected to play in the inaugural  Warrior All-America games (tri-state region).  Also, I was chosen to play with Team 91 National Fall 2021 team.  Coaches have always felt I am an asset to the team for my coachability, eagerness to grow and learn, leadership abilities, as well as being a team player.  My goal is to take my passion for learning and love of lacrosse to the next level and find the perfect fit where I can excel and continue to be an asset at the college level.