Victoria Tomonto Named South Girls' Player of the Year

Despite growing up in a more traditional lacrosse hotbed like Connecticut, it was not until years after Victoria Tomonto’s family moved to Florida before she picked up the sport.

Good thing she did.

Tomonto’s prowess on both sides of the ball helped American Heritage-Delray (Fla.) defend its state title in 2024. Her 55-goal, 11-assist campaign helped her become one of the team’s leaders offensively, but it was her riding ability on defense that helped set her apart.

Given that she helped Florida’s state champs continue their winning tradition, Tomonto was named this year’s USA Lacrosse High School Girls’ South Player of the Year. USA Lacrosse writers select the regional and national players of the year with input from coaches in their respective regions of coverage.

Although Tomonto did not begin playing lacrosse as young as some of her peers, coach John McClain credited her ability on the basketball court with helping make her a star in lacrosse.

“She grew up in the basketball realm,” McClain said. “She played a lot of hoops growing up, so she understands picks and off-ball stuff and where seams and spaces are. It’s interesting to see the basketball skills apply to lacrosse. Basketball is the greatest transitional sport.”

Tomonto compared her role on the lacrosse field to that of a point guard on the hardwood.

“It definitely helped with, ‘Should I pass the ball or not,’ because in basketball, it is just so much faster movement,” she said. “I feel like I was back and forth, back and forth. My cutting was a really big part of basketball, like the fast motion. So, I feel like that definitely helped.”

Not long after entering lacrosse, she realized that it was lacrosse, and not basketball, that was a more natural fit.

“I was like, ‘I just need to stick to lacrosse and just work hard on that,’” she said. 

While Tomonto statistically became one of AHD’s most prolific scorers, it was her ability to win the ball back and cause turnovers during her senior season that made 2024 her best yet. This year, she had 15 caused turnovers after having just four a year before.

“She would just run them down and do great things there and cause those turnovers,” McClain said. “I mean, just relentless on that side. She didn’t give up.”

It’s a role Tomonto embraced.

“I would just go to the field and practice 1-v-1s,” she said. “I used to be a middie, like I am for my travel team, but for my high school, they put me on attack. When I was given my chance on the rides, I just wanted to take full advantage of that and just try to get the ball back to prove that I still am a middie and still able to be a middie.”

It’s that competitive spirit that Tomonto will need at the next level. She joins a Penn State program that has not won an NCAA tournament game since 2017.

Tomonto said there were numerous factors in choosing Penn State when picking where to attend college. Playing time, location, program history and other Stallions in the program and playing collegiately all played a role.  

“There was not one bad thing I could say about Penn State,” she said. “The team environment was amazing. The players made me feel so welcomed already.”

She’ll regroup with Payton Wainman, who made 12 starts with the Nittany Lions this year. Wainman was a player that Tomonto looked up to at AHD, she said.

“She was injured, and then she just worked hard to get back,” Tomonto said. “She always played fast and fearless. She would just go after the ball.”

Another player Tomonto said she tries to emulate is Ainsley Huizenga, who has started in 45 games at William and Mary in three seasons.

Tomonto is among a very talented senior class headed to the collegiate ranks next year. Other Stallions headed to major Division I programs include Brooke Goldstein (Clemson), Caroline Byrd (Michigan), Harper Throop (Bucknell), Riley Uy (Davidson), Olivia Scroggie (Louisville) and Chiara Scichilone (Florida).