May 12, 2008
What are the top recruiting colleges/universities for women's lax?
Thanks,
T. Harvie
Mason Neck, Va.
Virtually all NCAA Division I, II, and III colleges and universities actively recruit players for their programs. As the fastest growing sport in the country, it's an exciting time to be a part of the game, because the competition to make the top 20 has become increasingly intense, let alone to make the top 10.
There are several perennial D-I powerhouses that seem to return to the top of the polls every year: Duke, Georgetown, Maryland, North Carolina, Princeton, and Virginia have consistently been in the top 20. Currently, Maryland, Virginia, Princeton and Georgetown rank in the top 10 of the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll, along with three-time defending national champions Northwestern, Penn, Syracuse, Boston University, Vanderbilt and Notre Dame. Other teams that have held on to top rankings the past few years include Dartmouth, Johns Hopkins, James Madison, Penn State, and Yale, though the top 20 mix is continually changing due to program growth.
New programs are also popping up all over the country and climbing the ranks. Northwestern is one that seems to have become a mainstay. It reinstated its women's program in 2002 after a 10-year hiatus, and in just three years, became the first team outside of the Eastern Time Zone to win a national championship in 2005. Fast-forward to the present, and Northwestern is on track this year for its fourth consecutive championship, decisively interrupting the streak held by UVA, Princeton, and Maryland. Other young programs, like Stanford and Oregon, have edged out typical suspects for a top 20 seating over the past two seasons.
While there are steadfast programs that I expect to consistently remain in the top tier, I predict we will continually see new teams enter the top-20 mix in the future. It's already happening. And this growth is not relegated to Division I - D-II and D-III programs are also expanding. Lacrosse Magazine Online provides weekly polls throughout the season so that you yourself can keep track of these top programs.
- Lindsey
