| Born | June 2, 1994 United States |
|---|---|
| Position | Midfielder (field), Forward (box) |
| NCAA team | University of Maryland's women's lacrosse |
Taylor Cummings is a lacrosse midfielder, formerly for the University of Maryland's women's lacrosse team.[1] Winning the Tewaaraton Trophy in 2014, 2015, and 2016, Cummings was once regarded as the best female collegiate lacrosse player in the country. She helped the Maryland Terrapins win two National Championships in 2014 and in 2015.
In 2015, Cummings was nominated for the Best Female College Athlete ESPY Award. She is also a 2015–2016 U.S. National team member.[1] Cummings finished her collegiate lacrosse career for Maryland in the spring of 2016 as a senior captain. While Cummings pushed through the season with an undefeated record, the Maryland Terrapins fell short on May 29, 2016 in the NCAA National Championship to the Carolina Tar Heels. While at Maryland, Cummings was the first ever three-time recipient of the Honda Sports Award for women's lacrosse, awarded to the top player in a Division I school.[2][3]
Cummings grew up in Ellicott City, Maryland. She was born to Carol Cummings and Michael Cummings, who played soccer at the College of William and Mary.[1] She has a younger sister, Kelsey Cummings, who also plays on the women's lacrosse team for the University of Maryland.[4]
Cummings attended the McDonogh School, a private, K-12 prep school, in Owing Mills, Maryland. While there, she helped the school's lacrosse team win four state championships. In her sophomore, junior and senior years the lacrosse team went undefeated. Although lacrosse was her focus, Cummings was a three-sport athlete, winning two state championships with soccer and one state championship with basketball. At McDonogh she was an honor roll student and made the dean's list.[1]
In high school, Cummings won the following awards:[1]
Cummings studies finance in the Robert H. Smith School of Business at the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland.[5]
In the fall of her senior year at McDonogh, Cummings committed to play for the University of Maryland's women's lacrosse team as the nation's top recruit.[6] She plays the position of midfield.
In Cummings's freshman year she scored 43 goals and had 14 assists. She posted a team-high of 94 draw controls, registered 28 ground balls and caused 21 turnovers.[1]
Cummings won the Tewaaraton Trophy her sophomore year, becoming the youngest woman to win the award and earn the distinction as the most outstanding female collegiate lacrosse player.[7] She started in all 24 games, posted a team-high of 128 draw controls and scored 63 goals. Cummings tied for second on the team in assists (24) and points (87). She also had 37 ground balls and 30 caused turnovers. Cummings scored a hat trick (3 goals) and had 1 assist in Maryland's National Championship win against Syracuse University on May 25, 2014.[1]
Cummings won the Tewaaraton Trophy for the second time in 2015. She led the nation with 100 points, ranked fifth in the nation with 6.50 draw controls per game, ranked eighth in the nation with 63 goals, and ranked fifth in the nation with 4.55 points per game. Cummings also led her team in assists (37), points (100), ground balls (41), draw controls (143), caused turnovers (36) and started in all 22 games. She scored a hat trick (3 goals), had 2 assists, and posted 7 draw controls in Maryland's National Championship win against the University of North Carolina on May 24, 2015.[1]
In the aftermath of graduating from Maryland, Cummings joined the Baltimore Ride during the 2016 UWLX season. She made her debut on June 10, 2016 as the Ride lost to the Boston Storm by a 17–16 margin at Richard F. Garber Field in Amherst, Mass. After the UWLX she was a member of New York Fight of Women's Professional Lacrosse League. Cummings also played in the inaugural season of Athletes Unlimited lacrosse and took home the title of inaugural Athletes Unlimited lacrosse champion, earning 1,943 points.[8]
As a member of the U.S. team in the 2022 World Lacrosse Women's World Championship Cummings helped guide her squad to an 11-8 win over Canada for a gold medal, winning Tournament MVP and being named to the All-World Team.[9]