ITHACA, N.Y. - The Cornell women's lacrosse program will get an infusion of new talent for the 2009 season with the addition of 11 incoming freshmen that make up the Class of 2012. Head coach Jenny Graap '86 will add three U.S. Lacrosse high school All-Americans and seven Scholastic All-Americans to the roster to replace seven decorated seniors.

"Our Big Red lacrosse family is thrilled to welcome the new members of the Class of 2012," Graap said. "We anticipate a few great walk-ons as well to round out what is already a very talented group of scholar-athletes. My assistants and I are looking forward to the challenge of shaping such talented individuals into a strong Cornell team over the next four years."

The balanced recruiting class includes one primary attacker, three primary midfielders, four attack/midfielder combo players, two defenders and a goalkeeper.

The Big Red closed out the season with a 10-6 record and placed second in the Ivy League with a 5-2 record. Head coach Jenny Graap, the 2002 IWLCA National Coach of the Year, led her team to four wins over teams that were ranked at some point during the season. Cornell returns six starters and 12 letter winners for the upcoming 2009 season.

GK Kyla Dambach - 5-5 - Chester, N.J. (Mendham HS)
Dambach was a four-year starter in goal for Mendham HS, helping her team to an 86-7 record. A first-team All-American and Scholastic All-American as a senior captain, Dambach posted a 5.00 goals against average and a .690 save percentage in her final season en route to first-team all-state honors. She was a two-time first-team all-conference, all-North Jersey and all-Morris County pick while helping her team to a pair of state titles (2005 and 2006), two state Group II titles (2007 and 2008) and four league titles. Dambach's teams also won three county and two sectional championships. A two-year member of the Upper Atlantic All-Region team, she was named an honorable mention All-America pick as a junior and was a member of the all-state third team.

M/A Kelly Giesecke - 5-4 - Manhasset, N.Y. (Manhasset HS)
Giesecke was a three-year starter at Manhasset HS, helping her team to three county championships. She was the team's Unsung Hero Award winner as a junior. The three-sport athlete earned a total of eight varsity letters while competing for the soccer and basketball teams. In soccer, Giesecke was a three-year starter and letter winner. She was an all-division selection in basketball among her two years on the hardwood. Her father, Karsten, attended Cornell Law School, while her cousin, Danny D'Agnes, plays lacrosse at Georgetown.

D Beth Halayko - 5-10 - Niskayuna, N.Y. (Niskayuna HS)
Halayko earned U.S. Lacrosse All-America honors as a senior at Niskayuna HS. The two-year starter and three-year letter winner was a Scholastic All-American in 2007 and 2008. Halayko was the Times Union Defensive Player of the Year in 2008 as she helped her team to its second consecutive sectional championship. That team also advanced to the state semifinals as Halayko took home a spot on the state all-tournament team and the Brine Stick Award as the team's Unsung Hero. She served as team captain on the Adirondack team at the Empire State Games. Halayko was a three-sport star who also competed in basketball and volleyball. She was a three-year starter on the hardwood, earned team MVP honors each season. The two-year captain was an all-conference pick in her senior year and captured the league's Exceptional Senior Award after averaging 12.4 points and 10.8 rebounds. Off the competition field, Halayko earned the Sports Foundation of the Capital Region Scholar-Athlete Award for 2008 as the top female scholar-athlete in the section. Her older brother, Dan, is a long stick defensive midfielder at Maryland, while her aunt, Mary Morrill, played volleyball for the Big Red. Among the Cornell graduates in her family are her mother (Cathy ‘80), maternal grandparents (Frederick Howell ‘54 and Eleanor Howell ‘55), aunt (Mary Morrill ‘85) and uncle (Jim Morrill ‘84).

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2008-07-03