Womens’ lacrosse is becoming a popular sport at WHHS, drawing crowds and inspiring future athletes.

The womens’ lacrosse program started in 2013. By 2017, it was officially sanctioned by the OHSAA (Ohio High School Athletic Association) and the ECC (Eastern Cincinnati Conference). Fast forward to 2025 and there are two high school teams and 36 total players.

Head coach of the varsity team, Katherine Bowers, has been a part of the program ever since its beginning.

“Nine years ago I started coaching youth lacrosse with my older daughter and moved up with her. First to junior high and then varsity,” Bowers said.

In addition to the school teams, the program also added Eagles Youth lacrosse teams, which allow elementary girls from all different schools and grades to play the game. This gives young girls an opportunity to play the game even before they get to WHHS.

“This year we have a SENIOR, Amelia Cline, who has been playing with us since she was in fourth grade,” Bowers said.

As a way to better the team, upperclassmen have the opportunity to coach the youth teams. 

“I loved coaching youth over the past few years; I’ve been coaching since freshman year,” Grace Barnes, ‘26, a player on the varsity team, said.

The first impression when a player joins a team is crucial, and can impact their attitude towards the team. Madison Coyne, ‘26, a player on the varsity team, had a positive first impression of the lacrosse program.

“When I first joined, I noticed the teamwork was really strong… It was fun to be a part of a team [that] cared about everyone and wanted everyone to do good,” Coyne said.

Another aspect that sets the program apart is their success. In 2022, they became the ECC runners-up and the regional semi-finalists. In 2023, they became the ECC champions.

“Last year in the Regional Semifinals against Springboro, it [the game] was tied 11 to 11 and I scored the winning buzzer beater to take us to the finals,” Lauren Christy, ‘26, a player on the varsity team, said.

To prepare for this year’s season, which starts in March, the team got together on Feb. 28 to clean the field.

“We have our annual spring field cleanup day where we go down to South and clean the field and do a bunch of work down there to get ready for our season,” Christy said.

The team practices five to six days a week and will play many games this season.

“We have three scrimmages and 18 scheduled games, which is the max we’re allowed to have,” Bo

wers said.

Due to their hard work, the team accomplished a record-breaking season last year. They became back-to-back ECC champions and the regional finalists.

One of the main contributions to the team’s success is the passion of the players.

“We have very committed players who love the game and want to be their best at it,” Bowers said.

One issue that the team has faced is a lack of recognition in comparison to larger programs such as football and basketball.

“I think that lacrosse can be such a fun game to watch and it is very engaging… I would love if we had some more recognition,” Christy said.

However, this lack of recognition doesn’t deter the team from doing their best.

“I don’t think any of us play or coach for the recognition,” Bowers said. “I can also say that, despite a lack of recognition from above, we have some amazing supporters within the student body of Walnut.”

As the team prepares for their season, Barnes is excited to learn how to play with a younger team since there are many SENIORS leaving the team after this year. 

“We have a lot of younger players on our team this year,” Barnes said. “That’s gon[ing to] be really exciting, not only for this year but for the upcoming years to see how we grow together.” 

The team’s SENIORS are also planning for their future and some have chosen to continue their lacrosse journey at the collegiate level. Even though Christy and Barnes are just juniors, they have both committed to playing college lacrosse, with Barnes at Lewis and Clark College and Christy at Butler University.

The back-to-back champions’ expect to experience pressure due to their previous success, but remain optimistic for another successful season.

“We are the team to beat in the conference and that’s a difficult position to be in,” Bowers said. “Every team is gunning for us. We’ll have to address that challenge game by game.”