Girls' Lacrosse

Blair’s girls’ lacrosse team is focused on bettering each player as an athlete and as a teammate while working together to build the program and compete for Mid-Atlantic Prep League (MAPL) titles. Head coach Sarah O'Neil’s daily goal is to balance a focus on individual skills with practices geared toward team play. Every player works toward strong fundamentals—stick skills, game sense, speed and agility—which helps build self-confidence and teaches the value of hard work. Individual strengths are woven together during practice, creating a team that is greater than the sum of its parts. The team’s success relies on a positive team dynamic, strong communication and devotion to hard work.

Blair lacrosse has been improving continually over the past decade. Over the last 15 years, many of our athletes have gone on to play lacrosse at schools such as Columbia University, Cornell University, Colgate University, William Smith College, Bates College and Bowdoin College.

If you have any questions, please contact Coach O'Neil at oneils@blair.edu or at 845-430-9130.

Meet Coach O'Neil

Head coach Sarah O’Neil is a graduate of Wesleyan University and Middlebury College. She played field hockey and lacrosse during her undergraduate years at Wesleyan. Coach O'Neil was appointed varsity head coach of the Blair girls' lacrosse program in 2018.

Ms. O’Neil’s coaching philosophy is straightforward: Self-discipline, hard work and hustle set the foundation for a player’s individual success and, in turn, for the team’s success. Her goal is to help each player reach her fullest potential through personal attention, constant communication and intense motivation. She strives to create a team of confident individuals who believe in themselves, trust each other and play for each other; ultimately, this is a team that will excel and persevere.

Coach O’Neil invites prospective players who aspire to be part of Blair’s great girls' lacrosse tradition to contact her via email or cell phone at (845) 430-9130 with any questions they may have about the program.

About Coach Standfast

Math department chair Caren Standfast ’95 came to the School in 2018 from Culver Academies in Culver, Indiana, where she was a math and computer science teacher for five years. During her tenure at Culver, she developed a successful leadership model to use in classrooms, served on a variety of faculty committees and was recognized for her contributions to the school with several awards. Caren earned her bachelor of science in oceanography at the U.S. Naval Academy (2000) and was a member of Navy’s women’s lacrosse team. She served as an adjutant in the U.S. Marine Corps and subsequently earned her MA Ed at the University of Phoenix (2008) and taught math and physics at St. Paul’s School in Covington, Louisiana. In addition to her math department duties at Blair, Caren serves as housemaster of Mason Hall and coaches field hockey and lacrosse. She and her husband, Geoff, have five children: Annie, Jack, Brady, Geoff and Tommy.

Meet Coach Solms

Alexandrea (Allie) Solms joined Blair’s faculty in 2018, following her graduation from Bates College with a bachelor’s degree in sociology. She played varsity field hockey and lacrosse at Bates for two and four years, respectively, and she coaches girls’ lacrosse at Blair. Allie is a graduate of the Holderness School in Plymouth, New Hampshire.

View directions to athletic events. To read recaps about past events, go to the "Team News" tab above.

View more photos from the 2020 season on Blair's Photoshelter or past years on Blair's Flickr.

Blair's girls' lacrosse team has steadily improved over the past decade. In the last 15 years, many of our athletes have gone on to play lacrosse at schools such as Columbia University, Cornell University, Colgate University, William Smith College, Bates College and Bowdoin College.

A team is successful when each member of the group is willing to see beyond the boundaries of possibility and aim further. It is a phenomenon that occurs when individuals accomplish something they thought was beyond their capabilities. This sort of achievement is attained through hard work, commitment, belief in self and belief in others.

Meet Coach Wilson

Caroline Wilson joined the admission office in 2013 after receiving her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. At Williams, Caroline was a member of the varsity swim team, where in addition to being named the NCAA Division III swimmer of the year in 2013, she was a 13-time Division III National Champion and a seven-time Division III NCAA national record holder. In addition to working in the admission office and teaching Advanced Placement Psychology at Blair, Caroline coaches the varsity swim team in the winter and the girls' JV lacrosse team in the spring. She lives in Insley Hall, where she also does dorm duty.

Meet Coach Durkee

The Rev. Lisa J. Durkee was appointed Blair’s chaplain and chair of the religion and philosophy department in 2017. Ordained a minister in the United Church of Christ in 2007, she holds a bachelor’s degree in English and religion from Wellesley College (1987), a master’s in English from Middlebury College’s Bread Loaf School of English (1996) and a master’s in divinity from Andover Newton Theological School (2007). Lisa is an experienced independent school educator, having taught and coached for 15 years at schools in New York, Connecticut and Massachusetts. Following her ordination, she served as pastor of the First Congregational Church of West Brookfield, Massachusetts, from 2007 to 2016, and pastor of the Congregational Church of Weston, Massachusetts, from 2016 to 2017. Lisa’s duties at Blair include developing and teaching religion and philosophy courses, facilitating weekly Vespers and Chapel, and coaching girls’ JV lacrosse. The mother of two daughters (Keira and Emma ’20) is a writer and musician who has performed as part of a band and as a guitar and vocal soloist. In coming to Blair, Lisa returns to her New Jersey roots; she resides in the apartment above the J. Brooks Hoffman ’36 Health Center and serves dorm duty in Mason Hall.

View directions to athletic events.

View more photos from the 2020 season on Photoshelter or past years on Blair's Flickr.