Joe Sheridan’s Richmond Lacrosse Honours and Medical School Plans
Joe Sheridan is a former American college lacrosse player who represented the University of Richmond Spiders as a midfielder from 2023 to 2026. During his final season, he served as a team captain, earned the Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year award, and received Second Team All-America recognition from three major lacrosse organisations.
His achievements extended beyond competition. Sheridan completed his Biochemistry and Molecular Biology degree in May 2026. Beyond his sporting achievements, Sheridan secured postgraduate funding from the Atlantic 10 and earned national recognition for his academic performance. The university identified medical school as his intended next academic step.
| Category | Details |
|---|---|
| Full name | Joe Sheridan |
| Hometown | West Chester, Pennsylvania, USA |
| High school | Malvern Prep |
| University | University of Richmond |
| Sport | Lacrosse |
| Playing position | Midfielder |
| College team | Richmond Spiders |
| Degree | Biochemistry and Molecular Biology |
Who Is Joe Sheridan in College Lacrosse?
Joe Sheridan played NCAA Division I men’s lacrosse for the University of Richmond, competing in the Atlantic 10 Conference. Originally from West Chester, Pennsylvania, he attended Malvern Prep before beginning his collegiate career in 2023.
He played as a midfielder, wearing jersey number 7 during his senior season. His Richmond record spans 65 appearances, including 59 starts. He began with All-Rookie recognition from the Atlantic 10 before earning national honours later in college.
By 2026, Sheridan had become one of Richmond’s four senior captains, alongside Aidan O’Neil, Jack Pilling and Hunter Smith. That season brought some of his most significant individual honours, including the conference’s Midfielder of the Year award.
His college career included Richmond’s 2025 Atlantic 10 championship victory over High Point and a 2026 season that ended with a first-round NCAA tournament defeat to Duke.
How Sheridan Developed Across Four Seasons at Richmond
Sheridan made an immediate contribution during his freshman season in 2023. He appeared in all 16 Richmond games, starting 11, and finished with 20 goals and four assists for 24 points.
His first collegiate goal came against Maryland on February 4, 2023. Two successive weekly awards came his way in April 2023, and his first year at Richmond also earned him a place among the Atlantic 10’s All-Rookie selections.
His sophomore season brought a different statistical record. Although he started all 15 games in 2024, his offensive totals fell to seven goals and four assists. He also collected eight ground balls and recorded one caused turnover.
The following year marked a substantial increase in his scoring. In 2025, he played every Richmond game from the starting lineup, contributing 30 goals and setting up another 10 across 18 appearances. Those contributions gave him 40 points. His performances earned First Team All-Atlantic 10 recognition and All-America honourable mentions from USILA and Inside Lacrosse.
One of his most important appearances came on 3 May 2025, when Richmond faced High Point in the Atlantic 10 championship game.
The Spiders secured a 16–10 victory, with Sheridan scoring three goals. He was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Performer, adding an individual award to Richmond’s conference title.
After the match, Sheridan spoke to USA Lacrosse about the team’s disappointment from the previous season and its desire to progress further in the NCAA tournament. His comments made clear that Richmond’s ambitions extended beyond winning the conference championship.
A season-by-season breakdown of his Richmond performances appears below:
| Season | Games | Goals | Assists | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 16 | 20 | 4 | 24 |
| 2024 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 11 |
| 2025 | 18 | 30 | 10 | 40 |
| 2026 | 16 | 31 | 10 | 41 |
The figures are drawn from Richmond’s season-by-season records. The university’s career summary lists 84 goals, although the individual season totals add up to 88, leaving a discrepancy in the published career record.
His 2026 Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year Award and National Honours
Sheridan entered his final collegiate season as a Richmond captain and remained a regular contributor in midfield.
On 14 February 2026, he recorded four goals and one assist in an 18–12 victory over Virginia. Another important performance followed against Cornell on 28 February, when he scored twice and supplied two assists in Richmond’s 8–7 win.
His early-season performances brought national attention. On 5 March, Richmond announced that he had been added to the Tewaaraton Watch List, placing him among the players being considered for one of college lacrosse’s major individual awards. He had also received USILA Team of the Week recognition.
The season’s principal conference distinction followed on 29 April 2026, when the Atlantic 10 named Sheridan its Men’s Lacrosse Midfielder of the Year.
He was also selected for the First Team All-Conference and All-Academic Team. The conference’s major playing awards were determined through voting by its six men’s lacrosse head coaches.
His last season at Richmond ended with 41 points from 31 goals and 10 assists. He featured in the starting lineup for each of the team’s 16 games. His final statistics also included 94 shots, 13 ground balls, and five caused turnovers.
Richmond finished with a 14–2 record. Its season ended on May 9, when Duke defeated the Spiders 14–12 in the NCAA tournament’s first round. Sheridan scored two goals in that final appearance.
National recognition continued after the season.
Inside Lacrosse named him a Second Team All-American in May 2026. He also received Second Team All-America honours from USA Lacrosse and the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA).
His 2026 Second Team selections represented a step beyond the honourable mentions he had received from Inside Lacrosse and USILA the previous year.
Sheridan’s Biochemistry Degree and Academic All-America Recognition
Biochemistry and Molecular Biology formed the focus of Sheridan’s undergraduate studies at Richmond while he was representing the university in Division I lacrosse.
He completed his degree in May 2026, finishing his undergraduate education in the same year as his Atlantic 10 Midfielder of the Year award.
His academic record had already earned recognition within the conference. In April 2026, he was selected for the Atlantic 10 Men’s Lacrosse All-Academic Team, an honour separate from his First Team All-Conference selection.
Further recognition arrived on 10 July 2026, when Richmond announced that Sheridan had been selected for the College Sports Communicators Division I Men’s At-Large Academic All-America First Team.
He was one of 17 first-team recipients and one of two men’s lacrosse players included in that group.
Richmond’s announcement described his grade point average as 3.9, while the accompanying Academic All-America table listed a more precise figure of 3.95.
The First Team Academic All-America selection added a national academic distinction to his record, alongside the athletic All-America honours he had earned earlier that year.
His Atlantic 10 Postgraduate Scholarship and Medical School Plans
On 27 May 2026, the University of Richmond announced that Sheridan had been selected as its recipient of the Atlantic 10 Postgraduate Scholarship.
He was the only men’s lacrosse player among the Atlantic 10 Conference’s 14 scholarship recipients in 2026. The award provided support for postgraduate education.
Richmond also reported that Sheridan intended to use the scholarship towards medical school.
That direction followed his graduation with a degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, providing a documented connection between his undergraduate studies and his postgraduate ambitions.
The university did not identify a medical school to which Sheridan had been admitted or enrolled. His postgraduate plans followed a senior season in which he received national recognition for both his lacrosse performances and academic achievements.