Numbers tell the story best when it comes to the 2019 Colorado Academy Girls Lacrosse Championship-winning game:
By the Numbers
- It was a 9-5 score, beating Cherry Creek to win CA’s fifth consecutive State Championship in Girls Lacrosse.
- All five times, CA played against the same opponent.
- The Lacrosse Team is one of two nationally ranked squads at CA (the Girls Lacrosse Team is ranked in the top 20 nationally, and the Girls Soccer Team is ranked nationally at No. 24 and ranked No. 5 in the West).
- It marked the third CA State Championship in as many days (right behind 3A Girls Golf, which won a State Championship on Monday and Girls Soccer, which won a 3A State Championship on Tuesday).
- And there is still one CA team in post-season contention, as Boys Baseball heads to the State Tournament on Friday.
The chilly Wednesday night game brought out a huge CA crowd at the Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium at DU, including students of all ages, parents, teachers, and many alumni, including players from previous championship teams. CA players did not disappoint.
Three for Three
“Championships are hard to come by, and it’s a testament to our students, coaches, and community that we have won three this week, says Colorado Academy Director of Athletics Bill Hall. “The fact that Coach Steph Sanders and her program have strung together five consecutive championships is significant. These contests are the culmination of a lot of work and effort. Congrats, CA; well done.”
Sanders and Team Captain Sloane Murphy both praise the efforts of the Bruins players. “They just have this spark, said Sanders. “And they don’t stop. They just keep coming at you, and they want to win.”
Looking Ahead
The CA squad will lose just five Seniors this year. Part of what makes the team special, Sanders says, is that CA’s starting defense is all Sophomores. “They are a young team, and they are incredible, disciplined, smart girls. They care just as much about school as they do about sports, and I love that about them,” she says.
The night was bittersweet for Sanders, who is ending her CA coaching career and moving out of state. She says it will be tough to let go of this team. “I don’t want to leave them. They are amazing, and they are going to be good for a long time,” she says.
Players with Staying Power
CA’s Girls Lacrosse program breeds players with staying power. As the 2019 NCAA Women’s Lacrosse Tournament gets underway on Friday, May 24, in Baltimore, four graduates of CA’s Girls Lacrosse program will compete: Claire Wright ‘17, now at Tufts University; Henley Hall ’17, now playing for Middlebury College; and Emma Richards ‘16 and Sydney Prokupek ‘17, both playing for Wesleyan University. Current CA Senior team members Cleo Smith and Sloane Murphy will play at their respective colleges next year, Sewanee: the University of the South and the University of Southern California.
Wrapping up the Season
Colorado Academy’s spring sports season wraps up with the 3A State Baseball Tournament beginning at 9:30 a.m. at Butch Butler Field in Greeley, as the CA team takes on University High School. The tournament is an eight-team double-elimination bracket, with games this Friday and Saturday. Four teams will advance to the next weekend, with games on May 31 and June 1.
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