(Photo Courtesy of SweetLax)
With four players currently committed, the Air Force Falcons have one of the fullest boats in the 2022 class thus far. Most recently, head coach Bill Wilson and the Falcons picked up a commitment from Creekside, Fla. attackman Mana Wilhelm on Monday.
Wilhelm’s commitment was announced via his club team’s, SweetLax Fla., Twitter account.
“Committing to the Air Force Academy is not just about lacrosse; it is about the future,” Wilhelm told Lacrosse Bucket. ” I am honored to be a part of it.”
Like many other recruits across the country, Wilhelm hasn’t been able to make it out to Colorado Springs for an official visit yet. However, he has taken a virtual tour and does plan on getting on campus when he can, saying, “The AF has a great virtual tour! I definitely plan to go out to visit, but I’m not in a rush. I want to wait until I can interact with the players and coaches and truly experience the culture.”
Wilhelm said that he has been in contact with the Falcons coaching staff, who along with the other service academies could contact 2022 recruits starting on July 1st, on a weekly basis.
On film, the 5-foot-11 attackman clearly looks the part. An explosive player with great finishing skills, Wilhelm has also shown to possess good vision and feeding ability. He has been an impact player for Creekside, helping to lead them to a 16-3 record and district final appearance in 2019. They were 6-2 when the 2020 season was cancelled.
Following the 2019 season, Wilhelm was named a Second Team All-County selection. He was also named an honorable mention selection in National Lacrosse Federation’s 2022 class rankings in June
When asked about the tradition of great Air Force attackmen and having the opportunity to be a part of it, Wilhelm said, “I am honored to be a part of such a legacy. It’s great to know that the coaches focus heavily on the attack position and I just want to contribute to the team.”
The Sunshine State native said that this summer was “crazy” because of how much more condensed it was than usual. However, he said that he was grateful to just be out there playing lacrosse and gave much credit to SweetLax for keeping them doing so.
Coming into his junior season, Wilhelm said it will be a “bittersweet” one because it will be the last season he gets to play alongside his older brother, Maui, who is committed to play at DII power Le Moyne. Wilhelm also noted multiple areas that he wants to focus on and improve heading into the 2021 season.
“This year, I want to focus on my left hand and leadership skills while reaching for 100 points with a full season.”
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