TOWSON, Md. -The Landmark Conference selects 23 senior scholar-athletes each year to recognize the top student-athlete in each sport based on academics and athletics.
The honorees must have a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.20 and are selected by a committee of Landmark Conference officers, athletics directors, senior woman administrators, faculty athletic representatives, athletic communications, and diversity, ethnicity, and inclusion designee.
Lauren Franco, a senior defender for the University of Scranton, has been named the 2024 Landmark Conference Field Hockey Senior Scholar-Athlete. Franco is the fifth member of the Royals' field hockey program to earn this recognition.
A nursing major, Franco has maintained a 3.52 GPA while excelling in both academics and athletics. She was named to the College Sports Communicators (CSC) All-District Team in 2023 and earned selection to the NFHCA National Academic Squad in 2021, 2022, and 2023. Additionally, she was recognized on the Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll in both 2022 and 2023.
On the field, Franco has been a cornerstone of the Royals’ success. She was part of the 2021 Landmark Conference Championship team and earned All-Landmark Conference Second Team honors that same year. She followed with All-Landmark First Team selections in 2022, 2023, and 2024. Her outstanding play also earned her NFHCA Second Team All-Region honors in 2022 and 2023, and she was named to the NFHCA Senior Team in 2024. A two-time Landmark Conference Defensive Athlete of the Week, Franco helped anchor a defense that allowed the fewest goals in the Landmark Conference in 2024 (22) and posted a league-best goals-against average of 1.00. Offensively, she achieved a career-high 16 points on five goals and six assists while starting all 22 games for the Royals.
Franco’s contributions extend beyond the field. She volunteered at the Saint Francis of Assisi Soup Kitchen, assisting in meal preparation, and participated in the ALS Walk at PNC Field to raise awareness for ALS. Additionally, she provided individualized support to students at a Montessori Preschool and helped shop for homebound elderly couples during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her professional pursuits, Franco serves as a surgical assistant with the Oral Surgery Associates of the Main Line in Paoli, Pennsylvania. In this role, she prepares rooms for oral surgery procedures, assists surgeons during operations, and cares for patients recovering from general anesthesia. She has also gained hands-on experience through clinical rotations in obstetrics, medical-surgical, mental health, and geriatrics.
Complete Senior Scholar-Athlete History