PITTSBURGH, Pa. - La Roche University dual sport student-athlete Julianna Hornikel has been named the AMCC Woman of the Year, marking the first time someone from La Roche has received the honor.

Hornikel graduated in May with a 3.5 GPA, majoring in Criminal Justice with a minor in Pre-Law. She was a three-time member of the AMCC Academic All-Conference Team and was named to the 2026 IWLCA Academic Honor Roll in 2026.

Athletically, Hornikel was a member of both the women's soccer and lacrosse teams for the Redhawks.

In lacrosse, she was a two-time USA Lacrosse All-American Honorable Mention and an IWLCA North/South All-Star Participant. Hornikel was a three-time AMCC Women's Lacrosse First Team All-Conference goaltender (2023, 2025, 2026) and was named the 2025 AMCC Women's Lacrosse Defensive Player of the Year. She was a member of the 2025 AMCC Women's Lacrosse Regular Season and Tournament Championship Team. 

During her fall soccer career, Hornikel was a two-time Third Team All-AMCC selection, finishig her career with 13 clean sheets and a program record five straight shutouts in 2023, where she didn't reliquish a goal for 479:21 of game time.

On campus, Hornikel was Vice President of the Criminal Justice Club. She hosted events related to the field and created outreach events to benefit the community. She receceived the 2026 Criminal Justice Outstanding Leadership Award and the 2026 Harlan Fiske Stone Award, which goes to the graduating senior who demonstrates superior academic performance and excellence in the study of justice, law, and security. 

In February 2025, Hornikel helped introduce the game of lacrosse to elementary students visiting La Roche. Additionally, her soccer and lacrosse teams participated in a campus wide campaign to gather necessary items for the homeless. In April 2023, she helped organize the Out of the Darkness Walk, a campus event to bring awareness to suicide prevention. 

Hornikel plans to attend the Pittsburgh Police Academy to pursue a career in law enforcement.