The Westminster College athletic department appointed Kristi Crowley, a four-year NCAA Division I athlete, as the inaugural head women's lacrosse coach.
Crowley served as graduate assistant lacrosse coach at St. Lawrence University in Canton, N.Y. during 2014-15 with a focus on recruiting and game preparation, while also assisting the athletic department with compliance and game management. Crowley's first collegiate coaching experience came in the 2013-14 season as she was selected as assistant coach at Hartwick College in Oneonta, N.Y. Her coaching responsibilities included recruiting and coaching the goalies, one of whom achieved honorable mention in the Empire 8 Conference that season. Her athletic department responsibilities included assistance in compliance, game management, and serving as the SAAC faculty advisor. In the summer of 2014, Crowley was selected to work camps at Princeton and Syracuse Universities.
In 2012-13, Crowley served as the junior varsity lacrosse coach at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Va. and worked in the compliance office of the Liberty University Athletic Department. She graduated from Liberty in May 2013 with a Bachelor's of Science in health and physical education.
Crowley played her freshman campaign at St. Bonaventure University, and she transferred to Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va. for her final three seasons of competition. Crowley made an immediate impact with the Flames as she led them in points, goals, draws, free-position goals, and was named a National Lacrosse Conference Player of the Week in her sophomore campaign. During her junior season, she ranked second on the team in both goals and points, registering career highs in both categories, and helped the Flames to the NLC Playoffs. In her final season, she tallied 40 goals to pace the team once again. She ended her three-year stint at Liberty as the career leader in points (114), goals scored (98), free-position goals (23), and was selected twice as co-captain of the team.
Crowley will be in charge of scheduling 10 to 12 games for Westminster, including home games, away contests and tournaments. She will also be responsible for recruiting 15 women to Westminster this fall to play for the inaugural Blue Jays lacrosse team. If interested in lacrosse at Westminster, email Kristi at Kristin.Crowley@westminster-mo.edu.
Westminster College's lacrosse team will begin as a club sport with the goal of becoming an intercollegiate NCAA Division III sport over the next few years. This was the process successfully used to evolve cross country and track and field at Westminster.
Founded in 1851, Westminster College is one of the top liberal arts colleges in America, according to all major educational ranking firms, including U.S. News & World Report, Forbes magazine, The Princeton Review and Washington Monthly. The selective coeducational college is located on an 86-acre residential campus in Fulton, Mo. Westminster offers a challenging academic environment, where students are educated to lead and inspired to achieve. Ninety-six percent of Westminster graduates start their first job or enroll in graduate or professional schools within six months of graduation. For more information, visit westminster-mo.edu.
