This week’s Athlete of the Week is one of the best athletes to ever play at Villanova. Katie Comerford has made a name for herself and created a legacy that will last forever. Not only has she been a great leader for the women’s lacrosse team throughout her time here, but she has turned herself into one of the greatest players in school history. She wins Athlete of the Week not only for her great career, but also for how she continues to play at a high level and grow so close to breaking major records. 

Last week, the team started its season and played its first game in over a year, beating Wagner College 19-18 in overtime. Comerford had three goals and seven assists for a total of 10 points, a total that continues to grow her record-breaking stat. Last year, before COVID-19 cancelled the season, Comerford had done something incredible, breaking the record for most career points in Villanova history. On Feb. 22, 2020, Comerford passed previous record holder Shannon O’Neill, who had 181 points, finishing the season with 197 career points. 

Comerford has the chance to break other records by the time the season is over, such as the assist record of 102, but she’s not focused on that. When asked what her goals for this year are and if she wants to break that record, she said, “Of course breaking records is awesome, but my real goal is I want to get 10 wins. That’s been my goal for a while.” 

Unfortunately, the Wildcats have lost their last three games after the Wagner win and will have to get back on track to keep Comerford’s goal alive. 

Comerford’s senior season was cut short by the pandemic, but she used her extra year of eligibility to come back for one more year. 

“So we got sent home, my senior season was cut shorter than I wanted it to,” Comerford said. “I had a job lined up already that I was excited to get going on, but I thought about it and I decided to make the last-minute decision to come back for one more year.” 

Comerford’s decision was a hard one, but it is good having her back on the field, and she hopes to finish her career off in a better way than what it looked like it was going to be. 

Comerford was a captain her senior year, and she discussed her interactions with the freshmen team members. 

“I love it, it’s one of my favorite parts of being on the team, they actually get involved very fast and most of the time they fit in right away,” Comerford said. 

Comerford discussed her feelings about her last season as a Wildcat.

“I want to leave a legacy behind and be remembered for not just what I did on the field, but off the field,” Comerford  said, discussing her time at Villanova.

She is already known as one of the best to be a Wildcat.