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Kyle Simensky
Kyle Simensky enters his 12th year at the helm of the USMMA women's lacrosse program in 2023-24 and is the first women's lacrosse head coach in the history of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. Since 2018, Simensky's teams have a combined record of 64-15 (.810) with four NCAA DIII tournament appearances. Simensky has also served on the Athletic Department's senior staff as the Assistant Athletic Director for Physical Education since 2020
In 2023, Simensky and his coaching staff guided the Mariners to an overall record of 14-3, en route to capturing its fourth Conference Championship. Simensky coached senior Jaqui Sheedy '23 to the Defensive Player of the Year honors, as well as six First Team and one Second Team All-Conference selections including three attack, two midfield, and two defense. Along with the conference selections, the team also had two All-ECAC selections, including Sheedy being named the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year. Simensky produced the program's second consecutive First Team IWLCA All-Region selection in Sheedy.
In 2022, Simensky and his coaching staff guided the Mariners to an overall record of 14-3, in route to capturing its 3rd Conference Championship. The Mariners made program and academy history as they defeated Springfield College in the first round of the NCAA Tournament advancing to the Round of 32. Simensky was named the Skyline Conference Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2022, as well as the Merchant Marine Academy’s Sue Peterson Lubow Trophy for the second straight year and fourth time overall. Simensky coached seniors Jessie Wohner and Madison Schmidt to the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year honors, respectively as well as a program best eight First Team and one Second Team All-Conference selections including three attack, two midfield, three defense and a goaltender. Along with the conference selections, the team also had three All-ECAC selections including ECAC Offensive Player of the year winner Jessie Wohner. Simensky produced the program's Third Second Team IWLCA All-Region selection in Schmidt and the programs first ever First Team IWLCA All-Region selection in Wohner. Wohner also received the Merchant Marine Academy’s Julie A. Berke Trophy as the Senior Female Athlete of the Year.
In 2021, the Mariners, competed in a modified schedule due to COVID-19 and went 3-3 in the regular season finishing 4-4 overall and making it to its 3rd straight Conference Championship game. The Mariners upset the #2 seed St. Joe’s L.I. in the semifinals of the skyline tournament on their way to the Championship game. Simensky was awarded the Merchant Marine Academy’s Sue Peterson Lubow trophy as the Coach of the Year of a women’s team.
In 2019, Simensky and his Mariners boasted a program-best 17-1 overall record surpassing their 2018 success, including a perfect 15-0 regular season. Simensky’s squad went undefeated (7-0) in Skyline Conference action for the second season in a row and captured its second straight Conference Championship title and another trip back to the NCAA Tournament. The 2019 team finished 19th in the Nike/US Lacrosse Division III Women’s Top 20 national rankings. Simensky was named the Skyline Conference Women’s Lacrosse Co-Coach of the Year in 2019. Simensky and his staff coached seniors Meredith Willard and Hannah Gizzi to the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors, respectively, and freshman Jessie Wohner received the Rookie of the Year award. These highlighted the seven First Team and two Second Team All-Conference selections including three attack, three midfield, two defense and a goaltender. Along with the conference selections, the team also had two First Team All-ECAC selections in Willard and Gizzi and an ECAC Rookie of the year winner in Wohner. Simensky produced the program's second Second Team IWLCA All-Region selection in Gizzi, who also finished the season as the NCAA DIII Statistical Champion for Goals Against Average, and was the Merchant Marine Academy’s Julie A. Berke Trophy winner as the Senior Female Athlete of the Year.
In 2018, Simensky and his Mariners boasted a program-best 14-3 overall record and went a perfect 7-0 in Skyline Conference action, earning the programs first postseason appearance and went on to claim their first-ever Conference Championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Simensky was named the Skyline Conference Women’s Lacrosse Coach of the Year in 2018 and took home the Academy’s Sue Petersen Lubow Trophy as the Coach of the Year of a women’s team for the second time in the past three seasons. Simensky and his staff coached juniors Meredith Willard and Jessica Reilly to the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year honors, respectively, to highlight the six First Team All-Conference selections including one attack, two midfield, two defense and a goaltender. Along with the conference selections, the team also had three All-ECAC selections in Willard, Reilly and senior Rebecca Bessler and one Second Team IWLCA All-Region selection in Reilly.
In 2016, Simensky led the Mariners to its first ever winning season with an overall record of 8-6 and was named the Landmark Conference Women's Lacrosse Coach of the Year and was also the recipient of the Academy's Sue Petersen Lubow Trophy for being selected as the Coach of the Year of a women's team. The program also had its first two players earn Landmark postseason honors as freshman Meredith Willard was named the Rookie of the Year and to the Second Team All-Conference at attack and classmate Hannah Gizzi earned a spot on the First Team All-Landmark as a goalie.
In 2014, Simensky coached the Mariners to their first win in program history with a 12-7 home victory over Bryn Athyn College.
He previously spent two seasons as an assistant coach for the Mariners' men's team from 2009-10 and was part of the 2009 squad that captured a Landmark Conference Championship.
Simensky is also a decorated NCAA Division III athlete, competing for the men’s lacrosse team at Cortland State. His teams made three consecutive appearances in the national championship game from 2006-08 and won a DIII National Championship in 2006. Simensky and the Red Dragons captured three SUNYAC Conference Championships and Simensky was named a SUNYAC All-Conference performer his senior season when he finished the season with 54 points on 40 goals and 14 assists.
Simensky graduated from SUNY Cortland in Spring 2008 with a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and earned a Master’s degree in Health Education from Adelphi University in 2014.
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