Photo by Steve Buchanan Photography
It would be hard to find a three-sport high school student-athlete who manages to devote as much time to community service as Mia Putzi. The Indian Creek Senior participates in six service organizations. She helps organize donations for a local food bank through Severna Park’s Woods Memorial Presbyterian Church; collects, organizes, and delivers household goods to low-income senior citizens at Glen Burnie’s Pinewood Village; cooks and serves meals to individuals from the Winter Relief for Homeless program; builds tables for Habitat for Humanity; helps with the Severna Park Assistance Network’s canned food drive; and serves meals to homeless veterans through the Baltimore Station program.
“I really enjoy helping people,” explains Putzi, who will play lacrosse at Lafayette College in 2022 and major in economics. “I am fortunate enough that I am able to give back. I was able to share my time with the homeless and senior citizens and I am thrilled to do it.”
Of all her volunteer work, serving meals to homeless veterans means the most to Putzi, who transferred from Severna Park High to Indian Creek after her sophomore year.
“They were pretty incredible,” Putzi says of conversations with the veterans.
Putzi also stays busy with her studies and other organizations and clubs at school. She carries a weighted 4.23 grade-point average, is a member of the Green Club, and of the One Love Club, which educates students on healthy relationships. Putzi assisted in planning, publicizing, and implementing two large-scale community Love Club events for parents and teenagers.
“She does more activities than most students,” Indian Creek Interim Athletic Director Jason Werner says. “She sets the standard for us. She proves you can do multiple things well. She is a real leader. A lot of her classmates and teammates gravitate toward her.”
On the field, it’s tough to defend Putzi (5-foot-11) because of her height. She has several inches on most players she goes up against. “With my size, I am able to catch higher passes and be open in different scenarios,” Putzi says. “It gives me an advantage in matchups. It’s like I have an added bonus against a defender.”
The midfielder also thrives because of her grit and intensity. “I am aggressive in a good way,” she says. “I am not pushing people over. I am aggressive in going after the ball and looking for my teammates.”
Putzi, who also had played volleyball and basketball all through high school, elevated the Indian Creek Girls Lacrosse team last spring. She led the team to a Maryland Interscholastic Athletic Association C Conference championship. She ranked second on the team in goals (47) and assists.
“She is one of the best players in the county,” Indian Creek Girls Lacrosse Coach Steve Willett says. “We had a pretty good team, but when she showed up, she was like the final piece of the puzzle to help lead to the championship. She is a scoring machine.”
Willett also praises Putzi for her impact off the field. “She is such a great leader,” the coach says. “She was new to the school last year, but from day one, she earned her teammates’ respect.”
Putzi developed her lacrosse skills mostly by playing nine years for the Maryland United Lacrosse Club. She said it was a key to her getting noticed by Division I schools. Butler and American universities aggressively recruited her.
“She makes some beautiful assists,” Maryland United Coach Paul Billingsley says of the Severna Park resident. “Her field vision is so good and she always finds the open player.”
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