NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion women's lacrosse player Brynn Bowen has been named the Division I recipient of the Individual IWLCA Community Awareness Award, while the Monarchs earned the Division I Team Community Awareness Award, the organization announced Friday.
As a team, the Monarchs recorded 1,605 community service hours during the 2025-26 academic year through a variety of initiatives across the Norfolk area. They assisted with freshman move-in, welcomed local elementary students back to school, mentored youth through the ODU Kids Club, wrote letters to community members through a Pen Pals program, volunteered in the Student-Athlete Success Center, and supported numerous Old Dominion athletics events.
The Monarchs also volunteered at the Larchmont Rat Race 5K, a local children's race that has become one of the program's signature community service events. Bowen coordinated Old Dominion Athletics' volunteer efforts for the event, organizing student-athlete participation across multiple teams. The Monarchs also participated in the American Heart Association Walk to raise awareness for heart disease and helped promote ODU football through game-day and ticket sales initiatives. Their signature service project was the program's eighth annual 9/11 Remembrance Dinner, where the team partnered with Norfolk Fire-Rescue Station 7 for a dinner and game night while raising a program-record $3,582.94 for the Sentara Hospital Burn Unit.
Bowen contributed 340 community service hours during the academic year, the most of any Old Dominion student-athlete. She participated in a wide range of service projects, including Norfolk Public Schools Welcome Back, Monarch Move-In, ODU Kids Club, Read Across America, school supply drives, beach cleanups, and events supporting the American Heart Association, Ronald McDonald House, Mercy Meals, Morgan's Message, and the Out of the Darkness Walk. She also played an integral role in the success of ODU Lacrosse's annual 9/11 Remembrance Dinner, assisting with event preparation, execution, and the presentation of the program's record-setting donation to the Sentara Hospital Burn Unit.
“Honestly, my teammates being so supportive of my ideas and actions, as well as having Amy Lynch to look up to as a role model made giving back an easy part of my life!,” said Bowen.
On the field, Bowen was equally impressive. She started all 17 games in goal for the Monarchs this past season and ranked 16th nationally with 157 saves while posting a 44.4% save percentage.