As Seen on InsideLacrosse.com's Recruiting Blog

Chris Meade, co-founder of LacrosseRecruits.com, reports on this past weekend’s Nike SPARQ lacrosse combine from Long Island

The first run through of The Lacrosse Combine featuring Nike SPARQ testing was a great success. Thirty-one participants from Long Island’s top high school and travel programs congregated at Fast Edge’s Training Facility in Hauppauge, N.Y. to see how they compare to elite players and their peers in lacrosse specific training events and to learn more about the recruiting process.

The testing consisted of four Nike SPARQ tests: a 20-yard sprint, a vertical jump, a 5-10-10-5 shuttle run with a stick and a rotational powerball throw. These tests were developed by Nike SPARQ to accurately gauge the athletic ability of lacrosse players in lacrosse specific movements. The times and scores were collected and sent to SPARQ headquarters in Beaverton, Ore. and will eventually produce a SPARQ score that will allow each player to see how he or she stacks up against players in their age group. The group was impressive as a whole, with results in the range of top Division I recruits who have completed the tests.

As the game of lacrosse grows, more combine events are popping up on the recruiting calendar and should become more and more important as college coaches look for new ways to gauge talent. An integral part of The Lacrosse Combine was a seminar ran by LacrosseRecruits.com’s founders, Matt Wheeler and me. The seminar focused on how to use the LacrosseRecruits.com tools and Combine results to differentiate you from other recruits. The Lacrosse Combine provided players and their parents with a unique experience that blended a “Combine event” with recruiting insight.

Below are the top results for boys and girls in the four different events.

Boys Participants

20-Yard Sprint
1. Kevin Nasionski, Ward Melville 2.56
2. Brian Fischer, Garden City 2.63
3. Matt Xirinachs, St. Anthony’s 2.66

Vertical Jump
1. Brian Fischer, Garden City 30”
2. Brett Miller, SWR 28”
2.. Charlie Raffa, St. Anthony’s 25”

30-Yard Shuttle
Leftside
1. Sean Mahon, Chaminade 6.44
2. Christian Bernardo, St. Anthony’s 6.47
2. Greg Danseglio, St. Anthony’s 6.48

Rightside
1. Joe LoCascio, St. Anthony’s 6.42
2. Brett Miller, SWR 6.44
3. Christian Bernardo, St. Anthony’s 6.50

Rotational Powerball Throw
1. Charlie Raffa, St. Anthony’s 42’7”
2. Joey Leonard, Hicksville 42’7”
3. Ryan DeSimone, Smithtown East 39’

Girls Participants

20-Yard Sprint
1. Makenzie Hommel, Ward Melville 2.94
1. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 2.94
2. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 2.97

Vertical Jump
1. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 17”
2. Alyssa Handel, Patchogue-Medford 16”
2. Betsy Holland, St. Anthony’s 16”
2. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 16”

30-Yard Shuttle
Leftside
1. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 6.95
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 7.20
3. Kerrin Mauren, St. Anthony’s 7.22
3. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony’s 7.22

Rightside
1. Alyssa Handel, Patchogue-Medford 7.21
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 7.32
2. Lauren Schwalje, St. Anthony 7.32

Rotational Powerball Throw
1. Betsy Holland, St. Anthony’s 33’4”
2. Lauren Engelke, Garden City 29’10”
3. Kelly Nasionski, Ward Melville 29’6”

Meade is Co-Founder of LacrosseRecruits.com, an innovative online application developed to help streamline the recruiting process for high school players, their parents and college coaches.