Skyhawks Begin Women's Lacrosse Program 

by Andrew Beardsley, Fort Lewis Sports Information Director 

DURANGO, CO - November 16, 2007 - The Fort Lewis College athletic department announced earlier today the beginning of a new sport, women's lacrosse.

The announcement comes as the Skyhawks begin a national search for a head women's lacrosse coach.

Women's lacrosse, played in the spring, has 43 other NCAA Division II varsity programs across the country which are split into two regions, north and south. Fort Lewis becomes the second Division II school in Colorado to sponsor women's lacrosse. Most of the women's lacrosse sponsored schools are on the east coast in New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and the Carolina's.

Regis University, a member of the south region, is the only other Colorado Division II school that has a varsity women's lacrosse team, while Colorado College (Division III) and Denver University (Division I) are the only other NCAA schools in Colorado to sponsor women's lacrosse at the varsity level. Many other school, including Colorado University, sponsor the sport at a club level.

Women's lacrosse is a growing sport in the NCAA with 85 NCAA Division I schools and now over 200 Division III programs.

"We believe this is a perfect fit for us at Fort Lewis as we fill a unique niche," said Director of Athletic Kent Stanley. "Lacrosse is a sport typical of the type of selective institution FLC is becoming. Historically it is a native American sport which allows athletics to connect to that vital piece of the institutional mission," Stanley added. "We hope to be nationally competitive immediately."

The official job announcement can be found on GoSkyhawks.com under job opportunities or on the Fort Lewis College website under human resource employment opportunities.

Interested student-athletes should fill out the recruit questionnaire on GoSkyhawks.com.