Posted on April 5, 2007
When Annie Wagner decided to reunite with her sister Janice at JMU, she didn’t know what to expect in joining an already well-established program. Now, as the leading goal-scorer for the Dukes (30), she leads all Colonial Athletic Association players in goals per game with 3.4 and is ranked 8th in all of NCAA Division I in the same category (games through April 2).
“I’m very lucky, because I am playing behind the All-American,” junior attacker Annie Wagner said. “I am supporting Kelly Berger … Switching leagues, I’m sure some of the coaches might have known my name, but they weren’t gunning for me in the beginning. I was completely slipping in the back door, and Kelly was getting a lot of the pressure.”
Wagner decided to transfer out of Johns Hopkins, a college known for its lacrosse program, after spending two years there. Her sister was a big reason why.
“She’s my best friend in this world and I love her to death,” Annie said of her sister Janice. “And she’s here. And she’s on the team. She and I are very close. So not being with her those first two years was really hard, and I just knew something was missing.”
So, to fill that void, Annie left behind Johns Hopkins – even though she led the team in goals, scoring and free position goals (10).
Though Annie sees much more playing time than Janice, who is a sophomore on the team, there is no love lost between the sisters.
“When she’s on the field, I feel like I’m on the field,” Janice said. “I mean – you can ask any athlete – it’s always hard to sit on the bench. But when she’s on the field and when she scores, I feel like it’s me.”
Annie knew it was the perfect fit she envisioned early on in coming to JMU.
“I just remember the first meeting that we had,” Wagner said. “We went around in a group and everybody was saying things they wanted to add to the team. This was the first time I had met the girls and I just remember being blown away by the amazing women in that room and just thinking [that] I just want to be present to watch what goes on. Whatever I add on and off the field, that’s a bonus. To be present and to be part of what’s going on in this circle and to be part of what they’ve previously done in year’s past, just to be able to participate was a blessing.”
Annie was blessed with the game of lacrosse at an early age. While most kids weren’t even being offered lacrosse 15 years ago, she got to play two years earlier than most kids when she was six-years-old.
“I actually coached the girls up through middle school,” Annie’s mother Becky Wagner said. “And it was a great thing that the family did together. Our son plays as well. He’s at UNC and is a senior now.”
Ironically enough, Becky, who resided in Washington, came all the way to the east coast to attend school and also play lacrosse (one of three sports) just down the street at Bridgewater. Her father was also a multiple-sport athlete.
In her early years, Annie’s competitive blood was crystal clear.
“My first year, my coach actually approached my mom and said, ‘Annie’s a little too rough for the women’s sport,’” Annie said smiling, “‘Maybe she should consider playing on a men’s team.’ I didn’t, but I had to tone it down a little bit.”
Equal to her passion for lacrosse is her love for art. Annie, like her sister Janice, is an art major. When she’s not utilizing brute force on an inside run at the cage, she’s often drawing, sewing or designing.
“She has created these lines of purses that she’s been selling since she was in high school,” Becky said. “It started with a pencil bag and progressed from there.”
According to Becky, Annie and Janice teamed up this past summer and made a business out of it, selling over 200 purses from anywhere between $40 and $65. Since they don’t have time to make the purses during the fall and the lacrosse season, they produce them during the summer and sell them throughout the year.
JMU’s faith on campus was also a big selling point for Annie. Once here, she became actively involved in the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) on the leadership team.
However, finding her fit at JMU included finding her fit in the JMU lacrosse program. Despite all of her individual success thus far this season, Annie Wagner put her stock in the team’s success as a whole.
“There comes a point where it doesn’t matter who is putting up the stats, because I just want to win,” Annie said. “And I just want the team to do well. And I would be as happy if any other girl on the team was putting up those stats.
“If I put the ball in the goal, it just means that I touch the ball last.”
