Tampa earns the No. 1 spot in the USA Lacrosse Magazine’s initial rankings. After earning the program’s highest final ranking in 2024 following a National Championship title, the team garners its highest-ever preseason ranking in any poll at No. 1 surpassing the previous mark at No. 4. 

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Tampa is the No. 1 team in the USA Lacrosse Division II Women’s Preseason Top 20, USA Lacrosse Magazine announced Tuesday.

When Tampa put the final touches on its 13-8 win over Adelphi in the 2024 NCAA championship game, the Spartans became the fourth straight first-time champion in Division II. And they were certainly deserving.

The defending national champs are the popular choice among Division II coaches as the preseason No. 1, with returning talent throughout the lineup. Peyton Howell and Sophi Wrisk return to lead the offense, with Lexi Waters and Delaney Stahrr back as the defensive anchors.

While it’s still to be seen how the changes for 2025 ‑ an expanded NCAA tournament field of 24 teams and automatic berths for conference champions ‑ will impact the parity, what is known is that Tampa begins the new season right where it left off last year, sitting at the top of the national rankings.

Led by midfielders Maggie Schipfer and Megan Bunker, No. 2 Regis has a strong group returning from last year’s final-four team. A sixth straight RMAC title and another deep NCAA run won’t be surprising in 2025.

No. 3 Florida Southern battled Tampa three times last year, with those games decided by a combined four goals. The margin between these two Sunshine State Conference foes is usually razor-thin, and that’s likely to be the case again this spring.

No. 4 Pace, which was undefeated until the NCAA regional final in 2024, must replace national player of the year Angelina Porcello in the midfield as well as first-team All-America defender Alexandra Quinn, but the Setters welcome back All-America goalie Sami Tanguay.

Rounding out the top five, West Chester has some key losses from last year’s regional final squad, most notably midfielder Hannah Stanislawczyk, the program’s all-time scoring leader. The return of midfielder Keri Barnett, who missed all of 2024 due to an injury, should help.

Preseason rankings are compiled by USA Lacrosse Magazine staff and contributors with consultation from college coaches. 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida State coach Mike Norvell saw enough in two games against quarterback Thomas Castellanos that he knew what to expect from the Boston College transfer.

At least on the field.

“I’ve had to defend him here the last couple years, and I think he added a bunch of these gray hairs,” Norvell joked. “He’s an absolute talent and a wonderful young man. I think he’s one of the more dynamic players in all of college football.”

Castellanos, who accounted for five touchdowns the last two years against FSU, signed with the Seminoles in mid-December and held his first news conference Tuesday.

“I would say 2023 and 2024 helped me prove that I can play quarterback and play quarterback here,” Castellanos said. “God does everything for a reason. I can’t complain. That’s the path he chose for me. And now I’m here. It all worked out the way I wanted it to work out. I’m super excited to be here now.”

Castellanos and the Seminoles seem to be a perfect pairing — both looking for fresh starts after disappointing seasons.

Castellanos abruptly left Boston College in mid-November after losing his starting job to Grayson James.

“I would just say unfortunately things didn’t happen the way I wanted them to happen,” Castellanos said. “Unfortunately, a lot of the things that were out there are not true. But that’s past me now.

“I’m here now. I’m a part of something special.”

The Seminoles, meanwhile, finished 2-10 last season — their worst record in 50 years — and have undergone significant changes on both sides of the ball. Norvell replaced both coordinators, four more assistants and hit the transfer portal hard signing 16 tranfers in hopes of improving his roster.

Castellanos could be the most important one. He grew up about three hours northeast of Tallahassee in Waycross, Georgia, and called Florida State his “dream school.” And the move included a reunion with former UCF coach Gus Malzahn.

Castellanos played sparingly for Malzahn in 2022 in Orlando, throwing 16 passes in five games before jumping to Boston College for a chance to start. In two up-and-down seasons with the Eagles, he showed flashes — first as a runner and then as a passer.

In 2023, Castellanos had nearly as many interceptions (14) as touchdown passes (15) while running for 1,113 yards. A year later, with Bill O’Brien as his head coach, Castellanos developed into a pocket passer and ran for just 194 yards while improving his completion percentage by four percentage points. He accounted for 18 touchdowns and just five interceptions in eight games.

Three of those TDs came in a victory against the Seminoles last September.

Castellanos is viewed as an ideal fit for Malzahn’s offense. And despite spending just one year at UCF, Castellanos has fond memories of working with Malzahn.

“A great leader, great coach,” Castellanos said. “We had a great bond when I was there. I’m excited to be back with him. … It’s an offense that is going to be explosive, going to be high tempo.”

Castellanos also insisted he had no doubts about joining — and potentially leading — FSU’s rebuild.

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“I know what kind of excitement this fan base and this community brings just by even playing here or watching,” Castellanos said. “This is an exciting place that loves football and really cares about their guys and their players.

“I just wanted to be a part of that. I just wanted to come back, down south, closer to home and be a part of something special.”

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