The former UVa All-American will be the 12th Cavalier to be inducted
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Former Virginia men’s lacrosse attackman and midfielder Jay Jalbert is a member of the 2014 US Lacrosse Hall of Fame class, as announced by the US Lacrosse Board of Directors. Jalbert will be the 12th overall Cavalier to be inducted. Last year Michael Watson became the first Cavalier to be inducted since Dom Starsia in 2008.
This year’s eight-person class will be officially inducted in a ceremony sponsored by Bollinger Sports Insurance and the Markel Insurance Company on Saturday, October 25, at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md.
“This is sincerely the greatest honor I could imagine,” said Jalbert. “Taking a look at the list of inductees and I am awfully proud to be amongst them. Lacrosse was and is such a great part of my life and I am just very thankful I had the opportunity to play the game.”
A three-time All-American as an attackman and midfielder at UVa, Jalbert earned first-team honors in 1999 and 2000 and honorable mention status in 1998. Jalbert helped lead the Cavaliers to the 1999 NCAA title, and was named the recipient of the USILA’s McLaughlin Award that season as the national midfielder of the year. He earned All-ACC honors in both 1999 and 2000, and was named to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Team in 2003. Jalbert graduated with the third-most goals among UVa midfielders all-time with 78 and his 112 career goals ranked No. 5 in program history at the time of his graduation. Currently Jalbert is No. 7 and No. 12 on each of those lists, respectively.
“I was so unbelievable lucky to have the opportunity to play for the University of Virginia,” reflected Jalbert. “It was pure joy to spend four years in Charlottesville playing lacrosse with some of the most amazing teammates and friends. I owe so much to them, the program and of course Coach Starsia, who was instrumental in my development as a player and person.”
As a professional, Jalbert was a four-time all-star in Major League Lacrosse and three-time all-star in the National Lacrosse League. He also was named to the 2006 All-World Team and received the Best Midfielder Award as a member of Team USA.
“Jay is simply one of the most talented and dynamic players I have had the great pleasure to work with in my 40 years of coaching college lacrosse,” said Virginia men’s lacrosse head coach Dom Starsia. “He was that rare combination of size, quickness and superb skills. An All-American attackman in his second year, Jay made the move to midfield and became the USILA Midfielder of the Year while leading the 1999 University of Virginia team to its first NCAA title in 27 years. We have remained in close contact through the years and everyone associated with Virginia Lacrosse stands a little taller while considering Jay's induction in to the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame. This is a fitting recognition of a remarkable career.”
Jalbert currently is the vice president of production services and director of Jalbert Productions International. Jalbert created and produced the ESPN opening that is currently being used for the 2014 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships. His group also produced a two-part documentary, titled “There and Back: All-Access with Virginia Lacrosse,” in 2012 on UVa’s quest to repeat as national champions. The two episodes aired on ESPNU in the month of May 2012, leading up to the NCAA Tournament.
Virginia Connections in 2014 Hall of Fame Class
Also being inducted along with Jalbert is Stan Cockerton, the father of 2014 UVa senior Mark Cockerton. Stan Cockerton’s two sons, Matt (2010-13) and Mark (2011-14) graduated from the University of Virginia and were four-year letterwinners for the Cavaliers, and members of UVa’s 2011 NCAA title team. Stan Cockerton (193) finished his college career at NC State with more goals than anyone in the history of college lacrosse and his 4.39 goals per game is still an NCAA record. Mark Cockerton concluded his UVa career with 125 career goals, good for No. 8 all-time in the Cavalier record books. He passed Jalbert during UVa’s April 5 game at North Carolina. With 318 career goals, Stan and Mark Cockerton are the highest goal-scoring father/son duo in NCAA history.
To be eligible for the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a player must have had at least 10 years pass from their scheduled graduation year and be retired from the game.
Tickets for the 2014 National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be available to the public for purchase beginningAugust 1.
Tickets will be sold online at www.uslacrosse.org/HOF.
The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of US Lacrosse, was established in 1957 to honor men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life. More than 380 lacrosse greats are honored in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is located with the Lacrosse Museum at US Lacrosse Headquarters in Baltimore.
The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of US Lacrosse, was established in 1957 to honor men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life. More than 380 lacrosse greats are honored in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is located with the Lacrosse Museum at US Lacrosse Headquarters in Baltimore.