Cornell University

Cornell University Athletics
Teagle Hall Campus Road Ithaca, NY 14853

Division 1 New York Northeast

Private Large National competitor

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Coaches

Email coach

Jenny Graap

Honors & Accomplishments

• 2002 IWLCA National Coach of the Year.

• Three-time IWLCA Northeast Coach of the Year (2002, 2006, 2016).

• All-time winningest coach in Cornell women’s lacrosse history.

• Has guided the program to two Ivy League regular season (2006, 2017) and one Ivy League Tournament (2016) championships as well as five NCAA Tournament appearances (2000, 2001, 2006, 2016, 2017).

• Coached 103 All-Ivy, 56 IWLCA All-Region, 19 IWLCA All-America, five Ivy League Players of the Year, three CoSIDA Academic All-America and one national Player of the Year finalist selections.

• Her 2002 NCAA Tournament semifinal team was the first women’s squad to reach an NCAA Final Four in any sport in school history.

Coaching Experience

• Head Coach, Cornell University (1998-present)

• Head Coach, George Mason University (1994-98)

• Graduate Assistant Coach, Penn State University (1990-93)

Playing Experience

• Cornell University (1982-86)

• Two-sport athlete (field hockey, lacrosse)

• Earned eight varsity letters

• Brine Regional All-American in lacrosse (1986)

• Second-team All-Ivy League in field hockey

• Philadelphia Club (USWLA) – 1991-93

• Team Ripple (Vail Lacrosse Shootout) – 1992-97, ’99, 2004

Education

• B.A., Apparel Design and Textiles, Cornell University (1986)

• M.S., Exercise and Sport Science, Penn State University (1993)

At Cornell

Jenny Graap returned to Cornell in 1997 with one goal in mind: to build the Big Red women’s lacrosse team into a championship contender. With the only two Ivy League regular titles in school history, an appearance in the NCAA Final Four, five NCAA appearances, nine Ivy Tournament appearances and a title in 2016, and two ECAC crowns, she only continues to build on a legacy of more than two decades on the sideline at her alma mater. In April 2021, she became the first Karin Bain Kukral '82 Head Coach of Women’s Lacrosse when the position was endowed.

Now entering her 28th year at the helm in 2023-24, Graap has been honored as the 2002 Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association Coach of the Year, the 2006 Inside Lacrosse Magazine Northeast Coach of the Year, the 2017 Ivy League Coach of the Year and a three-time IWLCA Northeast Coach of the Year (2002, 2006, 2016), while developing the Big Red women’s lacrosse program into one of the most successful in the nation.

Graap, who accumulated 21 wins in four years at George Mason before taking the reigns at Cornell, has built an Ivy League and national title contender in her first two decades. She has posted a 227-160 record at Cornell and a 248-204 mark in 29 years as a head coach. She reached her 200th career win in dramatic fashion, defeating Penn, 11-10, on May 8, 2016, to win the Big Red's first-ever Ivy League Tournament Championship and earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.

In her tenure at Cornell, Graap has had 103 All-Ivy selections, 56 IWLCA All-Region selections, 19 IWLCA national All-Americans, three CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, five Ivy League Players of the Year and one national player of the year finalist. Her teams have reached postseason play 12 times since she returned to Cornell and have won at least 10 games nine times as well.

Email coach

Sarah Burlingame

Coaching Experience

Assistant Coach, Cornell University (2023-Present)

Playing Experience

Cornell University (1998-01)

Four-year varsity letter winner

Named captain twice (2000-01)

Helped lead 2001 team to first NCAA Tournament appearance in program history

Education

B.A., Sociology, Cornell University (2001)

Prior to Cornell

Before returning to Cornell, Burlingame spent 17 years as coach, director, and owner of the Lax Maniax Lacrosse Club in Florida, elevating the club to national prominence. Under her leadership, more than 450 athletes were successfully recruited to the NCAA ranks representing NCAA Divisions I, II, and III.

Burlingame was inducted into the USA Lacrosse South Florida Hall of Fame in 2019 for her efforts as a head coach at Jupiter HS and the Benjamin School. As a high school coach, her teams won nine district championships and five regional titles combined at Jupiter HS (2002-11) and The Benjamin School (2013-19). Burlingame led the Buccaneers to a 16-5 record in 2019 and its first state championship game appearance in program history.

Playing Career

During her undergrad, Burlingame captained the women’s lacrosse team as a junior and senior. A four-year letter winner, Burlingame appeared in 51 games and helped the Big Red to its first NCAA Tournament in program history in 2001. She is also a proud alum of the Canadian National team having played in the U19 World Cup for Team Canada.

Personal

Burlingame is a USA Lacrosse Board Member and has been a part of the All-American Selection Committee and Woman’s Division National Tournament Committee. She also coached the Under Armour/New Balance team five times.