EVOLUTION OF THE GOLDEN BEAR GIRLS LACROSSE PROGRAM
In 1983, faculty member Pete Corey sponsored the creation of the UAHS Girls Lacrosse Team. At the time, only two local programs were fielding girls lacrosse teams: Worthington and CSG. From 1983-1986, UA alumnus, Dan Paoletti, served as coach. In 1987 Tom Stout, the former Jones boys coach, was appointed to head the team. He led the Golden Bears to a 3rd place finish in the Midwest Schoolgirls Lacrosse Tournament. in 1991. Shortly after, the MSLA grew from 16 teams to over 70 teams. This rapid growth precipitated the development of the Ohio Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association (OSLA) in 1998, in which UA was a member until lacrosse was designated a sanctioned sport by the Ohio High School Athletic Association in 2017.

In 1991, Wendy Pinta began her coaching career at Upper Arlington High School at the junior varsity level. Coach Pinta started playing lacrosse in 1983 as a defender on Thomas Worthington High School's team. In 1985 she helped Worthington to a title when they won the MSLA. She continued to play lacrosse at The Ohio State University from 1987-1992. While there, she was selected to the Collegiate Midwest Team #1 that competed at the National Tournament in 1989. Between 1987 and 1990 she coached the junior varsity team at Thomas Worthington under the direction of John Galipault. In 1992, she assumed the head coach position at UAHS, where she served 16 consecutive seasons as the head coach of the Golden Bears. During that time, she coached the Bears to a 213-78-12 record leading them to OSLA State Championships in 2002, 2004, and 2005. UA was nationally ranked in the top 25 by US Lacrosse Magazine and Lax Power: the same years it garnered state titles. She took a hiatus from high school coaching from 2008-2011 and served as the Hastings Middle School coach.

UA's 2008 state championship was coached by Lynda (McCandlish) Phlipot. Coach Phlipot made history by being the first person in Ohio to win a state titles as both a player and as a coach. Phlipot entered the 2008 season as head coach of the Golden Bears after a long, successful career as a player in Upper Arlington, helping lead UA to its first state championship in 2002. In 2018 she was part of the 2nd group of inductees to the Upper Arlington Athletic Hall of Fame.

In 2009, former Ohio Wesleyan head coach, Kim Rocheleau, took over the reins as head coach of the Upper Arlington Girls Lacrosse program. During her tenure at UAHS, she led the Bears to 3 Regional titles and to three state championship title games. Unfortunately for the Golden Bears, they came up short of being crowned state champions each time. In 2011 the Bears lost in overtime to three-time state champions, the Medina Bees.

In 2012, Coach Pinta returned to her long-held position, this time joining forces with veteran Sue Stimmel, the 12-year head lacrosse coach of The Ohio State Buckeyes. The coaching duo led the Bears to their fifth state championship in 2013 by a decisive victory against Sycamore, winning 14 to 8. In 2015 they once more beat the Aviators 12-8 to clench their sixth state championship.

In both 2016 and 2017, the Golden Bears faced a previously undefeated Jackson Massillon team, beating the Polar Bears 9-6 and 15-6 to win their seventh and eighth titles respectively. In 2018, Upper Arlington defeated New Albany 11-5 to bring home their 4th consecutive and 9th overall state championship.

In 2019, UA defeated New Albany 12-10 to capture their 10th state championship, and their fifth consecutive state title. Additionally, 2019 marked the Golden Bears' 15th consecutive Regional Championship win.

During her high school coaching tenure at UAHS, Coach Pinta amassed a record of 441-107-17, having earned the first-ever OCC Coach of the Year Award in lacrosse for the 2007 season. The Golden Bears have garnered OCC titles each year since. In 2007 she was also honored by the Ohio Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association for 16+ years of service. During her career she has served on the National Scholastic All-American and Academic All-Academic Selection Committees and on the Board of the Ohio Schoolgirls Lacrosse Coaches Association. In 2009 Coach Pinta was inducted into US Lacrosse's "Century Club" which was established to recognize high school coaches of girls lacrosse who have achieved significant levels of varsity wins in their coaching careers. In the same year, she was also inducted into the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame for her many contributions to the game. In 2017, Coach Pinta was named the National Coach of the Year in girls lacrosse by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) Coaches Association.

In addition to her high school coaching, Coach Pinta also was instrumental in founding and organizing both the Jones and Hastings middle school lacrosse programs as well as the Upper Arlington Lacrosse Association, which provides youth lacrosse programs and clinics for elementary students. Coach Pinta also co-founded the Ohio Middle School Girls Lacrosse Association with Laurie Johnson in 1994.

Coach Pinta is currently the director of the Lady Bears Lacrosse, which provides instruction to kindergarten through high school players during the summer and off-season. Many alumni and current players are enlisted as LBL coaches to help continue to grow the game in UA. The thread that connects the players throughout the history of UA GLAX is to leave a place better than when you arrived. LBL provides players, past and present, the opportunity to make a positive impact on the youth in our community and continue the traditions that make UAHS Girls Lacrosse a premier sport in Ohio.

Morgan Fee Maldovan was hired as head coach of the 2022 Golden Bears. She helped lead New Albany to the Division II state championship in 2013 before playing at Ohio State and serving as an assistant coach at OSU as well as Kent State in that program’s first two seasons of 2018 and 2019. UA went 22-1 for the season, losing to New Albany 13-12 in overtime in the state final.

   
HONORS AND AWARDS

Since 1993, twenty-nine UA players have earned All-American distinction, and many others have been honored with All-Ohio and All-League awards.

Currently eleven former Golden Bears play for college programs. The class of 2020 currently has 4 that have signed National Letters of Intent to play in college. The class of 2021 has 3 verbal commitments at the Division I and II level.
    

2002 State Champs
2004 State Champs
2005 State Champs    
2008 State Champs
    
  2013 State Champs
2015 State Champs
2016 State Champs
2017 State Champs
    
2018 State Champs
2019 State Champs
   
UPPER ARLINGTON MIDDLE SCHOOL LACROSSE PROGRAM

In 1993, the Jones and Hastings programs were created by Wendy Pinta and Tom Stout. The first season at Jones was coached by Laura Montgomery and Gretchen Reithmiller (former UA players), and Hastings was coached by Beth Damonte and Lori Ronto (OSU graduates).

In 1995, Pinta and Laurie Johnson (former Wellington coach) organized the state-wide Ohio Middle School Girl's Lacrosse Association. The Jones and Hastings teams have seen their fair share of successes over the years.

In 2008, the Hastings team, coached by Pinta, captured their first undefeated season by beating Jones in the final game 14-13. In 2013, Caroline Chao led the Jones squad to a Middle School State Championship.

The UAHS coaching staff looks forward to helping these young players develop into scholar-athletes in the high school arena.

      
FORMER GOLDEN BEARS CURRENTLY PLAYING IN COLLEGE
Rian Adkins University of Louisville
Camryn Callaghan University of Cincinnati
Elizabeth Goth Lindenwood University
Ella Devine East Carolina University
Paris Alexander University of Cincinnati
Clara Gallapoo Lindenwood University
Annie Hargraves The Ohio State University
Joey Fowler University of Indianapolis
Molly Kershner College of Wooster
Ava Keethler The Ohio State University
Kylie Casey Mercer University
Brenna Smith West Chester University
UPPER ARLINGTON ALL-AMERICANS
Kampbell Stone 2023  
Camryn Callaghan 2022 University of Cincinnati (2022-present)
2021
Ellena Schildmeyer 2019 University of Virgina (2020-present)
Lauren Farber 2018 Furman University (2018-2022)
Megan Kozar 2018 Kent State University (2018-2022)
Olivia Schildmeyer 2017 University of Virginia (2017 - 2021)
2016
Molly Plasket 2015 1st Team
Stanford (2015-2019)
Sam Farwick 2013 1st Team
Kennesaw State (2013-2017)
Syd Farwick 2013 1st Team
Kennesaw State (2013-2017)
2012 Honorable Mention
Sally Holbert 2012 Jacksonville (2012 - 2016)
Honorable Mention
Adriane Ghidotti 2011 1st Team
UConn (2011 - 2012)
OSU (2012 - 2015)
2010 Honorable Mention
Erin Williams 2011 1st Team (2010)
Princeton (2010 - 2014)
Kelly Mason 2009 1st Team
Colgate University (2009 - 2013)
2008 1st Team
Lindsay Godard 2008 1st Team
UPenn (2008 - 2012)
Nancy Baker 2008 Honorable Mention
Brown (2008 - 2012) Team Captain
Katie Fisher 2007 1st Team
Molly Everett 2007 Honorable Mention
University of Virginia (2007 - 2008)
Cal Berkley (2008)
Maggie Bremer 2006 1st Team
Northwestern (2006 - 2010) Team Captain
Laura Burke 2006 1st Team
OSU (2006 - 2010) Team Captain
2005 1st Team
Abbey Goodwin 2005 Honorable-Mention
Fairfield (2005 - 2009)
Jacquelyn Bradley 2005 1st Team
Maryland (2005 - 2006)
Kristin McCandlish 2005 1st Team
Northwestern (2005 - 2009)
2004 1st Team
Kirby Slager 2003 Honorable-Mention
Colby Szlag 2003 Honorable-Mention
OSU (2003 - 2005)
Lynda McCandlish 2002 1st Team
Northwestern (2002 - 2006)
2001 Honorable-Mention
Johanna Schisler 2000 Honorable-Mention
Maggie Bellows 1999 Honorable Mention
Stephanie Pratzner 1999 Honorable Mention
Denison (1999 - 2000)
Sarah Straka 1999 1st Team
James Madison (1999 - 2000)
1998 Honorable Mention
Courtney Webb 1998 1st Team
George Mason (1998 - 1999)
1997 Honorable Mention
Ashley Burkart 1994 Honorable Mention
1993 1st Team
UPPER ARLINGTON RECORD HOLDERS
CATEGORY PLAYER RECORD YEAR
Highest Shot Percentage Camryn Callaghan 81% 2022
Goals in a Single Game Molly Plasket 9 2015
Goals in a Single Season Kampbell Stone 106 2023
Assists in a Season Molly Plasket 62 2015
Points in a Season Camryn Callaghan 130 2022
Career Points Kristin McCandlish 313 2005
Takeaways in a Season Maggie Bremer 48 2005
Saves in a Season Jodie Anderson 236 2004
Draw Controls in a Season Molly Plasket 252 2015
     
 
 
 
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