September 18, 2003

Woods Hired as W. Lax Assistant

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New women’s lacrosse assistant coach Katie Woods remembers her college lacrosse coaches as important influences in her life. She hopes to follow in their footsteps in her new position with Cornell.

“The reason why I coach is my experiences in college with my coaches,” Woods said. “I want to give [players] what I was given. I want to be a mentor and an influence in their lives.”

When asked about how she sees her position at Cornell, Woods replied, “I want to help the team develop into a strong team. We’re a young team, but we’re looking to compete.”

Cornell is well positioned for success after a powerful showing last year. The team finished with a record of 11-5. The Red beat Massachusetts, 14-8, in the ECAC championship game. Several players earned national recognition. The team returns six starters, 10 letter winners, and brings in a strong freshman class of 13 recruits.

“I chose Cornell because it’s a very well-respected program, established in Division I lacrosse,” Woods said. “Cornell seemed like a place where I could develop and grow as a coach.”

Head coach Jenny Graap ’86 has nothing but praise for the new addition to her program.

“I am thrilled to have Katie join our Big Red coaching staff. She brings enthusiasm and energy to our program along with excellent organizational and interpersonal skills. Katie is a wonderful addition to Cornell lacrosse.”

Given her background, Woods should have no problem achieving all of these goals, both in her hopes for the team and on a personal level. She spent four years as a college lacrosse and soccer player at Drew University in Madison, New Jersey, where she earned many awards and set school records.

Among her awards for lacrosse are New Jersey Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Local Woman of the Year Award, Drew University Female Athlete of the Year, USLacrosse National All-American, Brine/IWLCA All-American, ECAC Metro Player of the Year, two Regional All-America mentions, and a four-time Middle Atlantic Conference All-Star.

Her dedication to excellence in lacrosse carried through all four years of college, and she is presently tied for first with most games played in a career for women’s lacrosse at Drew. She is also tied for first on the list of most career games started, with 73. Other mentions in the Drew record book include all-time career leader of caused turnovers, and top-10 mentions in the categories of career assists, career points, ground balls in a career, and caused turnovers in a season.

Woods is also an exemplary role model in terms of academics. She holds a degree in psychology from Drew University, and earned her Master’s of Science in Exercise and Sports Sciences at Ithaca College.

Also at Ithaca, she was the graduate assistant coach to both the women’s lacrosse and soccer teams. With her help, the lacrosse team finished with a 14-5 record and won the ECAC title. The soccer team also turned in a strong performance, posting a 12-6 record and earning a spot in the ECAC playoffs. After her year of experience at Ithaca, Woods moved to an assistant coaching position for the Davidson College women’s lacrosse team. There she gained quality experience in areas of recruiting, fundraising, player development, and team travel.

Archived article by Olivia Dwyer