Angela Palmer, of Okemos, accepts the award for Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year at the Lansing State Journal’s Greater Lansing Sports Awards Show show Tuesday, June 7, 2016 at the Lansing Center.
Okemos senior Angela Palmer heads to the net against Haslett June 3, 2016, during the Div. 2 Regional final at Okemos.
OKEMOS – For the first three seasons of her high school career, Angela Palmer was a contributor for multiple Okemos girls lacrosse teams that made deep runs in the postseason.
This year, however, she was the focal point. And in her senior season, Palmer gathered 60-plus points (goals and assists) and helped guide the Chiefs to the state tournament for the fifth straight year.
“When you walk into a program and you have a girl like Angela Palmer that’s a complete athlete – she’s probably the most athletic girl on the field at any given time – (it helps),” Okemos first-year coach Brandon Schwind said. “You could count on Angela when you need the ball, when you need a possession or when you need a goal.”
Palmer, the State Journal girls lacrosse player of the year, helped the Chiefs capture the CAAC title and a Division 2 regional title on her way to being named a first team all-state selection.
The senior attacker entered her final year hoping to finally get Okemos over the hump, which meant knocking off East Grand Rapids at some point in the state tournament. The Pioneers eliminated the Chiefs from the postseason each of Palmer’s first three years.
Senior looking to get Okemos girls lacrosse over hump
The two teams once again met up in the state semifinals last week, and, once again, it was the Pioneers that came out victorious.
“When the tournament started, we played every game like it was our last,” Palmer said. “You never know what can happen.
“Playing against EGR (East Grand Rapids) in our last game felt like it was the state championship. We played well against them, but they got a run and kept it going.”
Schwind, who became the program’s fourth coach in as many years, said Palmer’s senior leadership was helpful to his transition. The Chiefs, who finished the year with an 18-6 record, lost multiple starters from last season’s team to graduation and ushered in a heap of underclassmen that ended up playing key roles in the team’s success.
“She did a good job of leading the girls, especially in practice,” Schwind said. “She kept them positive.”
Palmer will continue her career next season at Central Michigan University, which she said was an opportunity she had to act on.
“To be able to have the opportunity to play at the next level is something you can’t let go,” she said. “Central is a good pick both athletically and academically for me.”
Contact James L. Edwards III at jledwards@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @JLEdwardsIII.