Senior Abby Brackett cradles the ball while playing in a game last season.
A National Collegiate Athletic Association study found that out of the hundreds of thousands of female high school athletes that participate in lacrosse, only 3.7% of them make it to a Division 1 (D1) program in college. San Marin’s own Abigail (Abby) Brackett became a part of this statistic after she committed to Marquette University in June 2023. She is the first female lacrosse athlete from San Marin to receive a D1 scholarship.
Brackett started playing lacrosse in sixth grade and shares the reasons why she’s stayed with the sport.
“I love how fast-paced it is. You’re constantly scoring goals and constantly working together as a team,” Brackett said.
Brackett has played varsity lacrosse at San Marin since her freshman year. She has been captain for the last two years, and has enjoyed her time as a part of the team.
“We are so fun. Everyone brings it every practice,” Brackett said.
Unlike most high school students who start their college process senior year Brackett had to start much earlier.
“Having to decide where to go to college so early was very, very difficult,” Brackett said.
During her college search process, she visited many schools. After visiting Marquette in Wisconsin, she made her decision.
“Marquette is my home. That is where I’m supposed to be,” Brackett said.
Brackett shares that this opportunity wouldn’t be possible without her parents and the work they have put in to ensure her success.
“My mom is like my biggest supporter. She has sacrificed so much for me to travel to the East Coast each summer,” Brackett said. “They just support me fully and are so excited for me.”
Her teammates and friends are supportive and ecstatic for Brackett to experience this incredible opportunity.
“Oh, I’m so excited,” senior Catherine Contreras said.
“They don’t fully understand it, but they support everything that I do. My friends are the best people in the entire world and they are so happy for me,” Brackett said.
With one of her current high school coaches being a part of her journey since she began lacrosse, he sees this as the culmination of the hard work she’s put in for years.
“I have been coaching Abby since she was a youngster in elementary school. She has always had the drive to be the best on the field.”
– Sam Contreras
Varsity Girls Lacrosse Coach
“I have been coaching Abby since she was a youngster in elementary school. She has always had the drive to be the best on the field. I am very proud of achievements on and off the field! I am looking forward to cheering her on at Marquette University,” Girls Varsity Lacrosse Coach Sam Contreras said.
Above all, her teammates and coaches hard work and dedication to the sport is what makes her an outstanding player on the field.
“The qualities I admire most about Abby is her willingness and determination to put in the work to get what she wanted,” Girls Varsity Lacrosse Coach Dave Berry said.
S. Contreras also shares the same sentiment. “[I admire] her self-efficacy and desire to be the best at her craft.”
Her teammates have many qualities they admire about Brackett on the field.
“She’s a very good teacher. [She is] very patient, especially [to] me because I don’t know how to play offense,” C. Contreras said.
This year, the varsity girls lacrosse team hopes to win the North Coast Sectional Championship, and the coaches believe that Brackett will play a great role in this potential success.
“Her understanding of the game on both the offensive and defensive side of the field stands out for me,” Berry said. “Our goal is to compete for an NCS title and Abby will be a huge part of that success.”
