2025 Men's Lacrosse Roster
Paul Barton
- Position:
- Defenseman/Longstick Midfielder
- Height:
- 6-4
- Weight:
- 210
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Palo Alto, Calif.
- High School:
- Sacred Heart Prep
Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-America (2023)
USILA Scholar All-America (2025)
Carolina Top-Ten Scholar-Athlete (2025)
Three-time All-ACC Academic Team (2023, 2024, 2025)
Three-time ACC Academic Honor Roll (2022, 2023, 2024)
College Sport Communicators Academic All-District (2024)
2025 (Senior): Appeared in all 15 contests during the 2025 campaign • Finished the year with 25 ground balls and 11 caused turnovers • Had multiple ground balls in eight contests, highlighted by a season best four ground balls in the victory over Hofstra (3/8) • Recorded a caused turnover in seven games • Had two-or-more caused turnovers against No. 14 Michigan (2/8), High Point (3/21) and No. 9 Notre Dame (4/19) • Dished out an assist in the road victory at No. 4 Johns Hopkins (2/22) • Scored lone goal of the season in the victory against No. 14 Penn (2/28) • Named a top-10 Scholar-Athlete by the Carolina Athletic Department
2024 (Junior): Appeared and started in 11 games at close defense during the 2024 campaign • Had 14 caused turnovers on the year, second best on the team • Recorded a caused turnover in 10 games during the season • Had a season best two caused turnovers on four occasions • Finished the season with 14 ground balls • Had at least one ground ball in nine games • Registered a season-high three ground balls against Hofstra (3/9) and Virginia (4/6) • Had three ground balls and two caused turnovers in the ACC opener at Virginia (4/6) • Scored a goal against Mercer (2/10) and Army (3/30) • Named to the Preseason All-ACC Team • Recognized with Inside Lacrosse Preseason All-America honors • Named to the USA Lacrosse Preseason All-America list • Earned a spot on the All-ACC Academic Team • College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors • Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
2023 (Sophomore): Started in all 14 games at close defense for the Tar Heels • Led UNC with 17 caused turnovers on the year, while adding 32 ground balls • Scored a goal in four contests • Collected multiple ground balls in 11-straight contests during the season • Caused two-or-more turnovers on seven occasions • Picked up a season best four ground balls against Denver (3/4) • Had a career best three caused turnovers against Mercer (2/10) and Syracuse (2/25) • Dished out an assist in the win against Dartmouth (3/19) • Named to the Inside Lacrosse Midseason All-America List • Inside Lacrosse Honorable Mention All-America • College Sports Communicators Academic All-District honors • Named to the All-ACC Academic Team • Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
2022 (Freshman): Appeared in all 14 games and started six as a true freshman for the Tar Heels • Scored two goals and dished out one assist while leading all freshman with 21 ground balls • Was third on the team in caused turnovers with seven • Collected a ground ball and caused two turnovers in his Tar Heel debut versus Richmond (2/11) • Picked up three ground balls in back to back games versus Denver (3/5) and Virginia (3/10) • Scored his first collegiate goal versus High Point (3/20) • Dished out his first career assist against Bellarmine • At Virginia (4/9) he collected a season-high five ground balls • Named to the ACC Academic Honor Roll
Prep: Inside Lacrosse Top 100 recruit, ranked 19th in the class • Top five ranked defensemen in the class by Inside Lacrosse • 2021 Under Armor All-America • Played four years of lacrosse, three years of basketball, and one year of football at Sacred Heart Prep • Was a part of the Young Men’s Service League in high school • Played club lacrosse for ADVNC and West Coast Starz
Personal: Son of Harris and Megan Barton • Dad Harris played football at UNC then went on to play in the NFL for the San Francisco 49ers • Sister, Anna, was a member of the UNC women’s lacrosse team • Majoring in business with a minor in Spanish
