Former Gettysburg College lacrosse All-American Mitch Wykoff '20 (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) has made the most of his extra year of eligibility to extend his collegiate career and attain his graduate degree, and he didn't even have to change his uniform colors to do it.
 
Wykoff is currently playing at perennial NCAA Division I powerhouse Syracuse University, while working on a master's in entrepreneurship and emerging enterprises at the Martin J. Whitman School of Management. The transition from playing Division III lacrosse to Division I has been seamless for the three-time All-American thanks in large part to the tutelage and experience he gained at Gettysburg.
 
"I felt ready," stated Wykoff. "Gettysburg is a special place and it sets you up like no other place in D3, especially having Coach Janczyk with such a wealth of knowledge to give you in your four years. I really wasn't worried transitioning from Division III to Division I just because of the people that I came across in D3."
 
Wykoff had no qualms about making the jump after seeing the 2020 campaign at Gettysburg cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With all spring student-athletes awarded an extra year of eligibility by the NCAA, he entered the transfer portal soon after and with some help from Head Coach Hank Janczyk's lacrosse network, he connected with the Orange.
 
"I jumped at the chance to play at Syracuse when they first called me because I know that Division III lacrosse doesn't get the respect that it deserves," stated Wykoff. "I was so excited to experience what the transfer portal process was going to be and how that was going to go for me. I didn't ever picture I'd end up at Syracuse."
 
At Gettysburg, the defenseman was arguably one of the top performers throughout all of Division III and guarded the opposing team's No. 1 offensive player on a weekly basis. He started every game of his career in the defensive backfield and was an integral part of face-offs, out-dueling opponents for a bevy of ground balls. In 64 games, Wykoff posted 274 ground balls and 57 caused turnovers, finishing his career fourth in program history in the former category.
 
Wykoff's contributions weren't limited to the defensive end. In 2019, he set a program standard for defenseman by scoring nine goals, often racing from behind his own cage down the entire length of the field and firing a rocket past the opposing keeper. He scored a pair of goals in a 16-9 win over No. 16 Stevenson University in 2019.
 
While his offense might not be part of the overall game scheme for No. 5 Syracuse right now, his defensive skillset is as solid as ever and has become a major component of the team's strategy. After sitting out the first game due to injury, Wykoff has started two of the last three games. He's totaled seven ground balls and four caused turnovers in leading the Orange to three straight wins.
 
In his first game on the turf against third-ranked University of Virginia inside the Carrier Dome, the former Bullet shut down UVA attacker Matt Moore. Moore, a two-time All-American, had scored a goal in 29 consecutive games before Wykoff held him off the scoreboard on Feb. 27. The 'Cuse defenseman was named to the USILA Division I Team of the Week, a feat he accomplished twice at Gettysburg.
 
"The game went well for me and the accolade was cool to get, but I never really let it get to me too much," noted Wykoff. "I needed to get ready for the next game and keep proving my worth."
 
When Wykoff isn't on the field or in the weight room with his Syracuse teammates, he's heading to classes and engaging classmates in group projects. His schedule is a bit busier than normal since he's trying to complete a two-year program in just one year.
 
"The schedule for me in particular is pretty insane especially right now in season," said Wykoff. "I'm definitely in a unique situation because of the amount of classes and obligations I have outside of lacrosse, but it's great being here. It's a versatile degree and applicable to a lot of jobs."
 
Syracuse has given Wykoff a new lease on lacrosse and helped him focus on a potential future in medical technology. However, his roots will forever be linked with the first orange and blue jersey he donned five years ago. His mother, Brigid, is a 1986 graduate of Gettysburg, while his older sister, Alex, competed in track and field for the Bullets before graduating in 2018. Wykoff's younger brother, Aidan, is currently a sophomore on the men's lacrosse team.
 
"I miss everything," said Wykoff. "I miss the people. I missed the battlefield so much. I miss the town, the campus. It's just such a special place and people don't realize it until it's gone. Being at a different school is strange. It's great and I love it, but Gettysburg is really special and people need to understand that."