Williston lacrosse alumna Francesca Gionfriddo ’26 capped off a monumental summer by helping Team Italy take home gold at the World Lacrosse Women’s Championship Division II in July in Poland.
Gionfriddo and her Italian teammates won gold after defeating Mexico 11-4 in the championship game. The win not only gave the Italian team gold but served as a bit of revenge after Mexico beat Italy in pool play during the eight-day tournament.
“Each part of the experience was incredible,” Francesca said. “I am so grateful for everyone who has supported me along the way and contributed to my lacrosse journey. It’s very special to be able to play lacrosse with people from around the world, all with such different experiences and perspectives. I feel like I learned a lot just from being surrounded by different styles of play.”
The chance to play for Italy started through an Instagram ad. Francesca, who is Italian-American and has family in Italy, saw an ad for a tryout and took a chance to try.
“I knew I was eligible for citizenship but had never really looked into doing the paperwork until it became a possibility to play for Italy,” Francesca said. “After the initial tryout (September 2023), my sister [Catherine] and I attended annual training camps in Italy and a few more as selections were being made for the world championship roster. Once I learned that it existed, this certainly became something that I wanted to do.”
During the championship game, Gionfriddo won 7 of the 11 draws she took for Team Italy, serving as the main draw taker for the team. For the tournament, she finished with three goals and two assists. In addition to the success on the field, Francesca noted the experience of being in Wroclaw, Poland, with a group of teammates was amazing.
“I had never been to Poland so it was fun to try all types of new food. We were there on National Pierogi day so the tournament organizers set up a tasting for the players.
“The team dynamic is also very unique because we all have a lot in common but also many differences. Everyone was focused on working their hardest and making everyone around them better.”
Being able to showcase the sport to her family in Italy meant a lot to Francesca, as well. During her time at Williston, Francesca would make her grandmother’s tiramisu for the Community Connections fair to showcase her heritage. With lacrosse, she’s able to share her passions back with her Italian family.
“It’s not super popular there yet so they were a little confused at first,” Francesca said. “It was also very special because some players have been involved with Italy lacrosse since it was started in Italy so winning gold was especially powerful in showing all that they have achieved. The team is very hardworking and fun, both components which I believe led to our success.”
The gold is a fitting finale for a busy summer and spring of lacrosse for Francesca. At Williston, she was named a U.S. Lacrosse Academic All-American and earned the school’s “White Blazer” award at Convocation, given to the top female student in the graduating class. She will continue her athletic and academic career at Colby College.
