Wesleyan to reinstate women’s lacrosse, add women’s golf

Rocky Mount, NC - The North Carolina Wesleyan Department of Athletics is pleased to officially announce the reinstatement of its women’s lacrosse program, as well as the addition of a women’s golf program.  Both moves show a devoted effort by the College and its Athletics Department to increase its opportunities for female student-athletes, thereby increasing overall campus enrollment. Implementing the two programs will raise the Battling Bishops’ number of athletic offerings in 2009-2010 to 14 intercollegiate sports, eight of which are for women.

After a brief one-year hiatus, Wesleyan is pleased to bring the women’s lacrosse program back into the fold. The College supported the program’s inaugural season during the 2006-2007 academic year and continued its support through 2007-2008.  The Battling Bishops posted three wins in each of those seasons.

“We are excited to revive our women’s lacrosse program after a one-year absence,” said North Carolina Wesleyan Director of Athletics John Thompson. “The nucleus of the previous team has remained on campus, and we look forward to bringing in a head coach to recruit for the program as quickly as possible.”

Wesleyan’s lacrosse program will compete at club status during the spring of 2009, while full reinstatement to varsity status is planned for the 2009-2010 athletic season.  The search for a head coach will begin immediately.

Thompson, however, will not be charged with the task of searching for a women’s golf head coach. The job has already been awarded to current men’s coach Mark Cole, who has shown a knack for recruiting quality athletes to the College during his short tenure with the Bishops.

Added Thompson, “We are equally excited to add a new and promising program like women’s golf to our list of athletic offerings. With an outstanding facility in Ford’s Colony and a devoted head coach in Mark Cole, it makes sense to go in this direction. I think that the development of our golf program as a whole will benefit from this addition.”

Coach Cole has already been in contact will several potential recruits. Like lacrosse, the women’s golf program will also be awarded varsity status during the 2009-2010 athletic season.

North Carolina Wesleyan is a member of the NCAA Division III and USA South Athletic Conference. For more information on the Battling Bishop Department of Athletics or any of its 14 varsity sports, please contact NCWC Sports Information Director Rikki Rich at rcrich@ncwc.edu or 252-985-5251.