Manhattanville University Athletics

As he burst on the scene as a freshman and continued through a record-setting four-year career with the Valiant men’s lacrosse team from 1990-93, Anthony Persico took Manhattanville College – and Division III as a whole – by storm with a career that still ranks as one of the greatest in NCAA history.
 
Persico made his name immediately known on a national level as a freshman in 1990, smashing Division III records for single-season goals and points with 94 goals and 37 assists for 131 points – surpassing the previous records by 24 goals and 19 points, respectively. His rookie season still ranks second in D-III history in goals per game (6.27 gpg), third in goals and sixth in both points and points per game (8.73 ppg).
 
It was not until his senior year of 1993 that Persico was recognized nationally as the program’s first USILA All-America selection, but by that point he had graduated as Division III’s all-time leader in both career and single-season goals, goals per game, points and points per game. In 54 games over four seasons, Persico scored an incredible 256 goals with 100 assists for 356 points. He still is the NCAA All-Divisions leader in career goals per game (4.74 gpg) and is second in NCAA history in career goals, while also ranking fourth in Division III annals in career points and points per game (6.59 ppg).
 
With Persico leading one of the country’s most potent offenses, Manhattanville posted the only three double-digit win totals in program history and a 37-21 record overall during his four seasons, including three ECAC Metro/South Tournament appearances and one berth in the ECAC finals.