Growing up in Manhasset, New York, Shea Panzik learned that lacrosse isn’t just a sport — it’s a lifestyle. 

“My whole town played lacrosse,” Panzik told The Hustler. “It was kind of a rite of passage that [if] you [lived] in Manhasset, you were playing lacrosse. There’s no other option.”

The Panzik family was no different. Both of Panzik’s brothers played lacrosse at the Air Force Academy, one on club and the other for the varsity program. Panzik’s mother played lacrosse collegiately, as well. While her father didn’t play lacrosse, he rowed crew in college. No matter the sport, the Panziks were a family of athletes.

Shea, specifically, was an eager competitor. The youngest in the family, she always found opportunities to hop in with her brothers.

“My brothers would do this lacrosse camp every summer at the local Catholic school,” Panzik said. “I would just hop in with [them] and [their] friends. I would try to do the stick work, [and] my mom would have to pull me out because [they] would start to be contact drills. I’d get really upset about it.”

Panzik acted as a crosse-wielding shadow to her brothers. If they were playing, she was too. It didn’t matter if it was workouts or casual one-on-ones using portable nets in the family basement; Panzik was playing alongside her brothers. 

Panzik’s oldest brother, Hunter, was the first to have college dreams. He was the workhorse of the family, getting up for early-morning workouts starting all the way in elementary school, not only embracing the grind but enjoying it. Panzik watched her brother sacrifice his mornings to better his craft, and she had one thought: She wanted to be like him. 

Panzik naturally hopped into her brother’s workouts, strengthening her game but also sharpening her mind. Despite always knowing she wanted to play lacrosse in college, Panzik saw her entire mentality change after these morning workouts.

“[Hunter] would really push me,” Panzik said. “[He would] kind of change my mentality to be like, ‘All right, you had a good game? Well, now what? What are you going to do outside this to make yourself better and have an even better game the next time?’”

The mentality change paid dividends, as Panzik made the uber-competitive Manhasset High School varsity team as a first-year, getting named to the 2021 Under Armour 150 All-Star Team along the way. Then, in 2022, her sophomore year, she dominated, ranking second on her team in scoring. Manhasset High School’s lacrosse team didn’t just win that year’s Long Island championship; they won the championship for the entire state of New York. New York is a hotbed for lacrosse, yet Panzik had already hoisted a trophy less than halfway through her high school career.

Coming off the championship, Panzik missed much of her junior season with an ankle injury, but the pitfall only served as a speed bump that led to a monstrous senior season. In 2024, Panzik earned USA Lacrosse High School All-American honors, the pinnacle of high school recognition, especially for those in Long Island. 

“That’s the peak [in] high school [for] the things you can achieve,” Panzik said. “To know that people, players and coaches who have crazy experience playing lacrosse on Long Island can just recognize me in that way, it really just feels like, ‘Man, I did it.’”

Panzik not only influenced award voters in high school; she influenced the next generation of women’s lacrosse players. Starting in the ninth grade, Panzik coached youth lacrosse anywhere that she could, whether it was recreational teams, clinics or private workouts. In these positions, Panzik formed strong relationships with younger players, acting as a mentor and as a friend.

“It’s really rewarding to have those relationships and feel like I’m really making an impact on someone’s life or how they feel in the sport or when they play,” Panzik said. “I’ve always really loved lacrosse, [so] to be able to influence that for someone else is just a really rewarding feeling.”

Panzik saw her mentees reciprocate that support when she played. Her players came to many games throughout her high school career. Whether they were screaming, “Put Shea in!” during her first year or celebrating her game-winning goals in her senior season, Panzik’s players proved that she was a caring and effective leader.

Panzik showed her leadership immediately upon entering Vanderbilt. After confidently committing to the Commodores after her visit, Panzik emerged as the leading point-scorer for the team’s fall campaign. She even scored in the team’s home opener against Clemson, with fellow first-year Anna Szporn assisting the goal — just as Panzik assisted Szporn’s first goal a few plays earlier.

Despite the quick start, though, Panzik realized she’d have to wait her turn. On a team that was graduating nine seniors and six graduate students — many of whom also played offense — there wasn’t much room for her in the consistent rotation. This season, Panzik appeared in 14 of the team’s 17 games, none of which were starts. She logged five goals — including a brace against Mercer — and four assists in her limited playing time.

Of course, a lack of burn is a frustrating experience for any athlete. But if Panzik has learned anything in her lifelong experience with lacrosse, it’s that true leadership is contributing where you can.

“I think that I have started to make a name for myself,” Panzik said. “I work hard and will put 110% into every single thing I do. I feel that I can be a leader for the team and just do the small things. Whether it’s grabbing the water or having an extra conversation or just being a practice player, [that] can make my teammates better.”

Panzik has also used her platform as a college athlete to expand her passion towards inspiring the next generation. She has paired up with Athlete to Athlete, which connects young athletes with a college-level mentor for their respective sport. Panzik sees it as an opportunity to help younger athletes navigate the mental tolls that come with playing at a high level, including roadblocks in self-confidence or burnout, which are setbacks that she experienced herself. 

With playoffs fast approaching and the offseason lurking near, Panzik has one massive goal in mind: to influence a winning culture. 

“I definitely have set — have always set — high standards for myself,” Panzik said. “I want to break records here [at Vanderbilt]. I want to be a lead contributor. I want to be a big leader on this team and do everything I can to bring — or help bring — our program to the top 20s and top 10s.”

But most importantly, Panzik wants to make the most of her time.

“My lacrosse career is going to end,” Panzik said. “I don’t want to have any regrets. I want to be a winner. I want to have all these awesome things and be able to enjoy it alongside all my best friends here.”

Four years ago, Panzik waited her turn at Manhasset High School before making a massive impact on her team, and the town as a whole. Expect her to do it all over again in Nashville.