Beth Hemminger
Photo by Erin Pence
Wittenberg Director of Athletics and Recreation Garnett Purnell has announced the hiring of Beth Hemminger as the university's new women's lacrosse head coach. Hemminger replaces Nichole Johnson, who resigned in May and has since accepted the same position at Savannah College of Art & Design.
A 2004 graduate of Wittenberg's North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) rival Wooster, Hemminger has experience as an assistant women's soccer and women's lacrosse coach at the University of New Haven, in addition to one year as head women's lacrosse coach at St. Anne's School in Annapolis, Md. Most recently, Hemminger worked as a manager at SARAH Tuxis Residential and Community Resources, Inc., in Guilford, Conn.
"I would like to thank Garnett and (Assistant Director of Athletics) Becky Hall for this fantastic opportunity," Hemminger said. "Wittenberg has so much to offer it's student-athletes. Along with having great academics, a beautiful campus and athletics programs with a winning reputation, I truly believe we are going to attract the high-caliber student-athlete that wants to be a part of the Wittenberg community."
Hemminger was a two-sport standout at Wooster, earning four letters each in soccer and lacrosse. In soccer, she earned All-NCAC honors four straight years and third-team All-Great Lakes Region honors in 2000 as a starting forward. In lacrosse, Hemminger re-wrote both the program and NCAC record books, finishing with 300 career points, including 85 in a record-breaking senior season in 2003. The 2003 NCAC Player of the Year, Hemminger earned three All-America designations during her collegiate lacrosse career.
She started her coaching career as an assistant for the lacrosse team at her alma mater during the 2003-04 school year, helping the Scots to their third straight league championship. From there, she went to the University of New Haven, and in five seasons helped turn the Chargers into an NCAA Division II Tournament qualifier. In 2009, New Haven qualified for the national tournament for the first time after winning the Northeast-10 regular season and tournament titles for the first time.
In 2010, Hemminger got her first head coaching experience at St. Anne's School. After the season, she was selected to serve as an assistant in the Under Armour High School All-American Showcase in Upper Arlington. She returned to the New Haven sidelines as an assistant in 2011, helping the Chargers to a 10-8 overall record.
"Beth has prepared herself well for coming in and taking charge of our women's lacrosse program," Purnell said. "She is a driven individual who will get the best of the scholar athletes in our programs and continue to move it forward. I'm pleased that Beth will be leading our team."
Hemminger inherits a Wittenberg program that has posted back-to-back winning records for the first time in nearly two decades and qualified for the NCAC Tournament in 2011. While the Tigers lost their top two scorers off last year's 9-6 team, 21 letterwinners are expected to return to the roster in 2012, including first-team All-NCAC selections Kellen Morrissey, class of 2013 from Aurora, Colo., and Jenny Schaafsma, class of 2012 from Grand Rapids, Mich., and second-team honoree Erin Guiliano, class of 2013 from Loveland, Ohio.
Written By: Ryan Maurer
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