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Aurora adds women’s lacrosse

Aurora announced it will sponsor women’s lacrosse beginning with the 2013 season.

Aurora Athletics Director Mark Walsh said the school made its decision after analyzing how lacrosse has emerged in high schools and at the club level in the Midwest.

“We believe there is sufficient interest both on campus and from prospective students to support women’s lacrosse,” Walsh said. “We felt this sport would be a good fit and compliment for our current athletics offerings and facilities.”

Women’s lacrosse becomes the Division III school’s 20th varsity sport. Aurora also sponsors men’s lacrosse, as well as men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s cross country, men’s and women’s indoor and outdoor track and field, men’s and women’s soccer, men’s and women’s golf, men’s and women’s tennis, baseball, softball, football, and women’s volleyball.

Walsh said the school will begin the search process for a new coach immediately. The program will begin with current student-athletes who have expressed an interest in the sport, along with incoming student-athletes. 

Aurora is a member of the Northern Athletics Conference, which began its first season of competition in 2006. The NAC consists of 13 colleges and universities from the shared-border states of Illinois and Wisconsin. Other members are Alverno College, Benedictine University (Illinois), Concordia University Chicago, Concordia University (Wisconsin), Dominican University (Illinois), Edgewood College, Lakeland College, Maranatha Baptist Bible College, Marian College, Milwaukee School of Engineering, Rockford College and Wisconsin Lutheran College.