Pictured above is the first high school girls lacrosse team in Ohio. The 1974 Worthington High School Cardinals.  Wow, everybody had a "woody" back in the day.......

[March 13, 2007 – Worthington, Ohio] The Thomas Worthington High School Girls Lacrosse Team announced plans marking the team’s 35^th anniversary. In 1974, John Galipault asked Cardinal Boosters (now Worthington Youth Boosters) to sponsor and fund a girls lacrosse team at Worthington High School. The boosters agreed. Galipault convinced Greg West, a 1968 WHS graduate, to coach the team, and history was made: the 12-player squad was Ohio’s first girls lacrosse team.

During its first year, the team played many 6-on-6 half-field scrimmages, along with a few regular games against junior varsity or club teams from area universities. The team also gained experience outside the state, contesting teams from Sewickley Academy (Pennsylvania) and Buffalo Seminary and Nichols School (New York). Since there were apparently no other high school girls lacrosse programs in Ohio in 1974, West said that “Worthington was the self-proclaimed state champs” that year.

Coaching the team became difficult for West, who played for the Columbus Lacrosse Club, and Galipault, who still coached the WHS boys team. When they learned that a local woman, Ginny Seeley, had once played lacrosse, they recruited her to coach the girls. Seeley coached the team for four years; her only compensation was babysitting services from team members and their sisters. During her tenure, the team went from upstart to Midwest powerhouse, winning the Midwest Scholastic Lacrosse Association (MSLA) Tournament in 1976 and sharing the championship in 1977.

Since 1979, Worthington High School (later Thomas Worthington High School) has had ten head coaches. Ally McCarthy (WHS ’94) was an assistant coach from 1997 – 2004 before becoming head coach in 2005. The team has notched many notable achievements over the years, including additional MSLA championships, “Coach of the Year” awards, and All-OCC, All-District, All-American and Academic All-American honors for individual players. The team is especially proud of the way many former players have contributed to the sport after graduating from high school, from playing at the collegiate level to coaching, officiating or starting programs elsewhere in the country.

A Brief History of Girls Lacrosse in Ohio

1974 – 1999    

            1974 -  John Galipault starts girls lacrosse team at Worthington High School.  Private schools Columbus School for Girls, Hathaway Brown, Andrews School,  & WRA  start play soon after.  With few  teams in the state of Ohio, teams play less than ten games per year and must travel great distances to play teams in western Penn and New York, or play college JV & Club teams.

            Late 70’s through the 1980’s, sport grows in the Columbus and Cleveland area at both public and private high schools, but growth is slow.  Post season tournament is the MSLA (Midwest Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association) with teams from Ohio, western Pennsylvania, western New York, and Michigan.

            1990’s  growth in the Cleveland and Columbus area and Cincinnati area fields teams from Indian Hill, St. Ursula, and Ursuline Academy.   

              Teams are governed by OSLA By-laws and fall under the rules and guide lines of an OHSAA “non-recognized sport” for those teams that are school sponsored.

2000   State Champions: Div I Columbus Academy, Div II Wellington School

          First OSLA State Tournament with top 16 teams from across the state.  There are 29 girls teams.

Columbus 13, Cleveland 10, Cincinnati 4, Toledo 2.  All but three teams are “school sponsored” teams.

2001-2005

             Very rapid growth, especially in the Cincinnati area. In 2002 the sport grows to 60 teams.  Cleveland/Akron 21, Columbus 19, Cincinnati 15, Toledo 5.  Of these 49 are “school sponsored” and 11 are clubs.  Tournament format changed to two divisions, with Division I being older established programs and all school teams, and Division II being newer, less experienced teams mixing both school and club teams.  Greater Cincinnati Girls League has league play and league champion, first conference in Ohio to do so.

2001 State Champion: Shaker Heights  2002: Upper Arlington 2003: Shaker Heights, 2004 Upper Arlington

          State Tournament format changed to include all teams in tournament play.  Two regions are created, North which includes Cleveland, Akron, and Toledo, and South which includes Columbus and Cincinnati.  Coaches agree that two teams from north and two teams from South will advance to the Final Four.

2005  State Champions:  Div I  Upper Arlington, Div II Olentangy

        With 63 teams OSLA Coaches approve split into two divisions for tournament play.  Two regions are maintained, North & South, with two teams from each region advancing to final four in each division, despite the fact there are 37 teams in the south and 26 teams in the north.

2006  State Champions Div I Cleveland Heights, Div II Walsh Jesuit

         There are now 72 teams, 54 school sponsored and 18 clubs.  OHSAA rescinds “non-recognized sports” by-law, with the effect that OHSAA has no authority over lacrosse, since it is a non-recognized sport. OSLA establishes position of Commissioner to oversee rules enforcement and administration of the game.

2007 State Champions: Div I, Sycamore, Div II New Albany, Club Revere

         OSLA separates school and club teams.  School teams will play Division I & II.  Criteria remains subjective with older, established, and more talented programs in Division I, others in Division II.  Ohio Capital Conference recognizes lacrosse and awards league championships and honors in both boys and girls lacrosse. 

2008 – Projected 82 teams.  There will be 64 school teams, 18 club.  North/Northwest  32, South/Central 50