The third annual USA Lacrosse Foundation Gala returns to New York City on June 5 and will honor two of the sport’s all-time great coaches – Kevin Corrigan and Cindy Timchal.
It’s also a return to the city where the Elevate28 initiative – a group of eight major lacrosse organizations in the United States pledging to work together to double the sport’s participation by the end of the decade – made its public debut with a ceremony at the New York Stock Exchange last October.
Funding is critical in order to achieve that goal and last year’s gala raised $760,000 for USA Lacrosse, bringing the two-year total to over $1.3 million. The year’s gala will be held at Gotham Hall for the second straight year and will be hosted by National Lacrosse Hall of Fame member and current television broadcaster Sheehan Stanwick Burch.
Corrigan, the Baumer Family Head Men’s Lacrosse Coach at Notre Dame, led the Irish to their first national championship last season with a 13-9 victory over Duke. Corrigan has built the Midwest school into one of the sport’s premier programs since taking over following the 1988 season. Now in his 36th season, Corrigan has 348 wins entering the NCAA quarterfinal round, giving him the most wins of any NCAA Division I men’s coach at a single school.
His teams have qualified for the NCAA Division I tournament 27 times with six trips to NCAA Championship Weekend, including three appearances in the national championship game.
A graduate of the University of Virginia, lacrosse is in Corrigan’s blood. His father, Gene, is an inductee into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame and several other family members have played the sport. He’s fully-invested in the sport’s growth.
“To be recognized by USA Lacrosse would be an honor at any time. To be recognized at this pivotal time for our sport – both collegiately and within the Olympic movement – provides a unique platform to help grow our game,” Corrigan said.
“I accept this honor on behalf of the Notre Dame lacrosse community, and look forward to our opportunity to partner with the world lacrosse community to promote and encourage the audacious goal of doubling lacrosse participation in the next four to five years.”
Timchal is the winningest coach in NCAA Division I lacrosse history with 578 career wins following the 2024 season.
Timchal was hired to start Navy’s varsity program in 2006 and has won 242 games while leading the Mids to seven NCAA tournaments, including the 2017 national semifinals.
Before starting Navy’s varsity program, she won eight national championships as the head coach at Maryland, including seven straight from 1995 to 2001. The Terps reached the NCAA tournament all 16 seasons she was the head coach and completed four undefeated seasons. She also coached at Northwestern in the 1980s and led the Wildcats to five NCAA tournament berths.
Timchal has also paved a path to greatness for the next generation of coaches. Nine of her former players are currently NCAA Division I head coaches, including three national championship coaches: Kelly Amonte Hiller (Northwestern), Cathy Reese (Maryland) and Acacia Walker-Weinstein (Boston College).
“As a passionate advocate for the sport and a dedicated contributor to its growth and development, this invitation fills me with immense joy and gratitude,” Timchal said. “Lacrosse holds a special place in my heart, not just as a game, but as a platform for fostering camaraderie, teamwork, and leadership. Being recognized in such a manner is a testament to the collective efforts of everyone who shares a love for this beautiful sport. I am truly honored to be counted among the distinguished guests and am committed to continuing my efforts to further elevate and promote the sport of lacrosse.”
If You Go
Date: June 5, 2024
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Gotham Hall, New York City
Tickets/Donations: https://www.usalacrosse.com/gala
