Women's Lacrosse | 12/9/2022 7:30:56 AM
Kristin St. Hilaire is in her 16th season as head women's lacrosse coach at Utica University. In addition, she also serves as an Assistant Athletic Director.
St. Hilaire is the program's all-time winningest coach with a 129-91 overall record. She has coached nine IWLCA All-Region selections, and has had a winning record in each of the last eleven seasons with the program. Her players consistently receive Academic Honor Roll honors from the IWLCA as well.
A native of Cicero, NY, St. Hilaire played Division I lacrosse at the University of Massachusetts. She earned Atlantic 10 All Conference First Team honors all four years. St. Hilaire set school records for ground balls, forced turnovers, and draw controls. In 2004 she was named Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year. She also earned a master's degree from Utica in 2015.
Kristin St. Hilaire - Empire 8 Pioneer
Year at Current Institution/Total in College Athletics: 16th Year at Utica; 23rd Year overall as either a player or coach
College Attended/Class Year: UMass-Amherst ’05
Playing Career:
Four-year member of the women's lacrosse team at UMass (2001-2005)
Favorite Professional Athlete/Pro Team: Josh Allen/ New Orleans Saints
Favorite Movie: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation
Last TV Show You Binge Watched: Dead to Me
What Do You Enjoy Doing When Away From College Athletics? Hanging out with my family and friends, especially my wife and three children.
Favorite or Dream Vacation Spot: I absolutely love Lake George! We take a family vacation there every summer.
Favorite Athletic Memory from Your Time as a Player in College (if applicable): The 2003 Atlantic-10 Semifinals versus Richmond. We were down eight goals with seven minutes left to go in the game and came back to tie and force overtime. We won in overtime, advancing to the championship game. I will never forget that feeling of never giving up and totally believing in each other.
Favorite Athletic Memory as a Coach/Administrator? In 2019 when we got our first win over Stevens in program history. It was our third game in seven days and our conference opener. Stevens was coming into the game ranked, and had beaten us in playoffs the previous season. It was a great team effort and win.
Who Was Your Greatest Mentor(s) and Why: I have had so many great mentors over the years that taught me so many valuable lessons about the coach and person I desire to be. I learned so much from my high school coaches, Cindi Wetmore and Bob Wehinger. But the greatest mentor in my career has to be Karen Hollands, who I had the honor of working under at Ithaca College. She taught me so much about being a college coach, investing in your program, and the importance of work-life balance.
Most Rewarding Aspect of Being a Coach/Administrator: The most rewarding part of this job is knowing you are making a difference in the lives of young adults. College is such a formidable time for our student-athletes. Having a positive impact and being a strong support system when they need it the most is more rewarding than any number of wins or championships.
What Have You Learned About Yourself as a Leader and In Your Role: One of the greatest things I have learned in my role as a coach is that you have to show your players how much you care. Let down your guard and allow yourself to be venerable. Be human, own your mistakes. As my late, great friend, Mike Parnell always said “They don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care”.
Recent Community Service Projects Your Teams or Departments Have Worked On: Community service is an integral part of our department and our team goals. We take part in multiple service projects each semester. Most recently we have participated in the Intergenerational Fall Clean-Up, Yards for Yeardley, and volunteered at a local elementary school for their Halloween parade.
How Does The Empire 8 Stand Out Among Other Conferences? The Empire 8 stands out amongst other conferences in the way we care about the people, not just their athletic ability.
How Did Title IX Play a Role For You as a Student-Athlete? Without Title IX, I likely wouldn’t have had the chance to earn an athletic scholarship.
How Has Title IX Impacted You After Your Collegiate Career? Ironically, my graduate thesis was on Title IX and all the work that still needs to be done. While I think we have made progress in the last 50 years, I still think there is opportunity to close the gap and shift the mindset surrounding women in athletics.
What Do You Think Is the Greatest Impact of Title IX/How Has it Changed Your Life? One of the biggest ways it has impacted my life is the opportunity for my career to grow into an administrative role.
How Has Title IX Changed the Collegiate Sports World? Although I think there is still room for improvement, one of the biggest changes is the visibility of women’s sports. It is critical for young female athletes to see women’s sports being highlighted and promoted, especially in primetime.
What Can Be Done to Continue the Growth of Women’s Sports? We must continue to improve visibility and promotion of women’s sports.
Advice for Aspiring Student-Athletes (Youth/High School and Incoming Collegians): Work through the hard. See your commitments through. In today’s world, it’s all too easy to jump ship when things get tough. Fight through it, you will be better for it.
Advice for Graduating Student-Athletes: Time management is everything. Plan ahead to keep from getting overwhelmed. But most importantly, do not be afraid to ask for help or admit when you are struggling.
The Empire 8 Pioneers series celebrates 50 years of Title IX and highlights the growth of women's sports, while featuring a standout women's coach of administrator from each of the league's 10 institutions.
ABOUT THE EMPIRE 8 CONFERENCE
The members of the Empire 8 Conference are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and the league is regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership has distinguished itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the E8. For more on the Empire 8 visit
www.empire8.com.
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