Gavin Creo is a college lacrosse midfielder for the University of Richmond. After arriving as a highly regarded attackman from Chaminade High School, he spent his freshman season competing for opportunities within an experienced Richmond offense.
His role changed around the end of February 2025 when Richmond moved him from attack to midfield. That adjustment preceded important postseason contributions, a major increase in production, and Third-Team All-America recognition from two national selectors in 2026.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Current team | University of Richmond |
| Jersey number | 10 |
| Position | Midfield |
| Academic year in 2026 | Junior |
| Hometown | Rockville Center, New York |
| High school | Chaminade High School |
| Major honors | 2026 First-Team All-Atlantic 10; USA Lacrosse and USILA Third-Team All-American |
Chaminade Prepared Creo for Division I Lacrosse
Creo developed at Chaminade High School, where he captained the varsity lacrosse team and was named its 2023 season MVP. His other recorded honors included CHSAA All-League and Newsday First Team All-Long Island recognition.
USA Lacrosse also selected him as a 2023 High School Boys’ All-American for the New York Nassau/Suffolk Catholic region. He was listed as an attackman at the time, the position he initially carried into college.
In an April 2023 interview with Chaminade’s student publication, Tarmac, Creo said his parents had introduced him to a lacrosse stick when he was very young. He did not give a precise age, but described his connection to the sport as something that grew stronger as he got older.
He also spoke about the importance of teammates working toward a common objective. Beyond the physical element of lacrosse, he particularly enjoyed operating from behind the goal, where he could challenge a defender, score, or find an open teammate.
Richmond appealed to him for both academic and athletic reasons. Creo said visiting the campus and meeting the coaches strengthened his feeling that the university would be a suitable next step after Chaminade.
An Experienced Richmond Attack Limited His Freshman Role
Playing time was not guaranteed when Creo joined Richmond. The Spiders already had an established attack with several accomplished scorers, leaving little room for a first-year student to enter the starting group.
He nevertheless appeared in 15 games during the 2024 season. The official Richmond record credits him with eight goals and four assists, for 12 points in his first college campaign.
His contributions brought regular recognition from the Atlantic 10. Creo was named the conference’s Rookie of the Week three times and later secured a place on the 2024 Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team.
The final numbers represented a solid introduction rather than an immediate starring role. He learned in a deep offensive unit while showing enough efficiency to remain in Richmond’s plans.
Richmond’s Personnel Needs Moved Him to Midfield
Creo entered his sophomore season expecting an opportunity to compete for a larger role at attack. Richmond’s offense, however, encountered difficulties early in the campaign, prompting the coaching staff to adjust its personnel.
Around the end of February 2025, he moved from attack to midfield. Speaking to USA Lacrosse Magazine that May, Creo explained that the change stemmed from the team’s available personnel and the need to find a combination that worked collectively. Creo said he did not believe the move meant he had been playing badly; he described it as a personnel-based adjustment.
The switch altered the angles from which he initiated offense. At attack, he had been accustomed to working behind the goal. Midfield required him to approach defenders and shooting opportunities from different areas.
There was an adjustment period, but Creo said he felt increasingly comfortable by the beginning of Atlantic 10 competition in late March. His ability to contribute from another position subsequently became an important part of Richmond’s postseason rotation.
His New Role Contributed to a Historic Postseason
Creo played in all 18 of Richmond’s games in 2025 and made five starts. He finished the season with 19 goals and eight assists for 27 points, more than doubling his freshman production.
His influence became particularly visible during the Atlantic 10 tournament. In the championship game against High Point on 3 May 2025, he scored twice and added an assist as Richmond won 16–10.
One of his goals came during the closing seconds of the first half. After controlling possession near midfield, he attacked the goal and scored with approximately six seconds remaining. His second restored a two-goal margin after High Point had moved within one during the third quarter.
The result sent Richmond into the NCAA tournament, where the Spiders faced eighth-seeded North Carolina on 10 May. Creo again recorded two goals and one assist as Richmond recovered from a difficult first half to win 13–10.
His assist helped put the Spiders ahead 11–10, while his late empty-net goal completed the scoring. The victory was the first NCAA tournament win in Richmond men’s lacrosse history.
USA Lacrosse Magazine published Creo’s comments about that objective shortly before the game. He said he had joined Richmond wanting to help the program reach another level and secure an NCAA tournament victory. His postseason performance allowed him to contribute directly when the team achieved it.
Creo Became a Leading Richmond Scorer in 2026
The progress continued during his junior season. Instead of moving between the starting lineup and supporting roles, Creo became a full-time starting midfielder and one of Richmond’s leading scorers.
By the end of the 2026 regular season, he had accumulated 30 goals and 10 assists across 13 games. His 45.5 percent shooting rate led the Atlantic 10 and ranked 12th nationally at the time the conference awards were announced.
A defining moment arrived at Cornell on 28 February 2026. Richmond trailed the defending national champion at halftime but recovered after the break. Creo scored during the third quarter and then delivered the decisive goal with 64 seconds remaining, giving the Spiders an 8–7 road victory and a 5–0 start.
He produced another career-best performance against High Point on 24 April, recording four goals and an assist. Atlantic 10 coaches subsequently selected him as a First-Team All-Conference midfielder.
Richmond’s final roster credits Creo with 37 goals, 11 assists, 48 points and 19 ground balls across 16 starts. Some external statistical pages display different game and point totals, but these are the completed-season figures recorded by the university.
The Spiders also maintained their conference success. An 8–6 victory over Saint Joseph’s on 2 May secured their second consecutive Atlantic 10 tournament championship and another automatic NCAA tournament berth.
National Honors Confirmed His Breakout
Creo’s increased production earned recognition beyond the Atlantic 10. On 7 May, USA Lacrosse named him a 2026 Third-Team Division I All-American at midfield.
The United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association announced its selections later that month. Creo again appeared on the Third Team, giving him matching national recognition from two separate selectors.
Richmond entered the NCAA tournament with a 14–1 record and hosted a tournament game for the first time. Duke visited Robins Stadium on 9 May and defeated the Spiders 14–12 in front of 6,805 spectators.
Creo led Richmond’s scoring with four goals. Two of those arrived consecutively during the fourth quarter, temporarily extending the Spiders’ advantage to three before Duke recovered.
The loss ended Richmond’s season at 14–2. For Creo, it completed a junior campaign in which he developed from a promising contributor into a starting midfielder with conference and national honors.
Adaptability Defined Creo’s Richmond Development
Creo’s Richmond career has followed a clear progression. He began as an attackman competing for minutes, earned All-Rookie recognition as a freshman, and then accepted a personnel-driven move to midfield during his sophomore season.
That role brought different tactical responsibilities, but it also placed him in a position to influence Richmond’s most important games. He contributed three points to the program’s first NCAA tournament victory, scored a late winner against Cornell, and helped the Spiders claim consecutive Atlantic 10 championships.
By the end of 2026, his 37-goal season and Third-Team selections from USA Lacrosse and USILA had established the midfield switch as the defining development of his college career to that point.