Women?s Lacrosse Announces Eight Signees For 2008 Season

DURHAM, N.C. --- Head Coach Kerstin Kimel formally announced the Duke women's lacrosse class of 2011 on Tuesday. The group of eight includes Sarah Bullard of Needham, Mass., Virginia Crotty from New Vernon, N.J., Taylor Fleming of Bryn Mawr, Pa., Emma Hamm from Wayne, Pa., Miller Hughes of Cockeysville, Md., Christie Kaestner from Easton, Md., Morgan Miller of Denver, Colo. and Caroline Spearman from Reisterstown, Md. Of that group, Bullard, Crotty and Hamm were all chosen for the U.S. under-19 team that will compete for the IFWLA World Championship in Ontario, Canada, this summer.

“The Class of 2011 is an outstanding group who possess great talent, athleticism and potential to be outstanding players at this level,” said Kimel. “All eight players possess a tremendous work ethic, competitive spirit and drive to be the best on and off the field?all of which is consistent with the culture of Duke women's lacrosse. I could not be more pleased with the group as a whole and I expect these each player to be tremendous addition to our team?academically, athletically and socially as we continue our pursuit of excellence and championship opportunities.

“Additionally, we are so proud that Sarah, Virginia and Emma have earned the opportunity to represent the United States this summer as members of the U.S. under-19 team. I am confident that this experience will serve them well in preparing for the rigors of ACC lacrosse. Likewise, I am also confident they will carry on the tradition of representing Duke lacrosse in this arena with honor and class as many before them have done so well.”

Sarah Bullard - Midfield - 5'4”
Needham, Mass./Buckingham, Browne & Nichols
Four-year varsity letterwinner ... named as a first team All-America selection two straight years ... captain of under-19 national team for three consecutive years ... three-time Lower New England team member ... named to All-Independent School league team three years in a row ... entering her senior year had tallied 190 goals and 49 assists ... awarded Craig B. Stonestreet prize for excellence in academics, athletics and extracurricular activities ... president of Student Athletic Association ... coach of Revolution Lacrosse club team ... captain and multiple year all-league team choice on school's soccer and ice hockey teams.

Coach Kimel on Bullard: “Sarah is going to be a really special player at this level due to an outstanding combination of speed, skill, athleticism and drive to be the best. Sarah's work ethic is quite honestly second to none both in practice and in competition. This will serve both Sarah and our team well as her game ascends to the college level. Sarah is also an outstanding leader and we are so proud that she was voted captain of the U.S. U-19 team this summer.”

Virginia Crotty - Attack - 5'3"
New Vernon, N.J./Oak Knoll
Four-year varsity letterwinner ... two-time member of under-19 national team ... first team all-state in 2006 ... two-time all-conference, all-division and all-metro choice ... team MVP in her junior season ... honor roll student ... four-year letterwinner and all-state field hockey player ... brother, Ned, is a junior at Duke and plays on the men's lacrosse team ... has two sisters, Sarah and Martha, and one brother, Joe, who graduated from Duke.

Coach Kimel on Crotty: “Virginia is a great offensive player with outstanding field vision, stick skills and speed. We feel confident she will be able to step in and contribute to our offensive efforts next season. We are thrilled and proud that Virginia earned a spot in the U.S. U-19 team for this summer. Likewise, we are excited that she will be joining her brother Ned in the Duke lacrosse family next year.”

Taylor Fleming - Defense - 5'9"
Bryn Mawr, Pa./Merion Mercy Academy
Four-year varsity letterwinner ... selected to first team All-Main Line two years in a row ... three-time AACA all-star ... two-time captain of team ... helped lead team to 2005 AACA championship and 2006 AACA runners-up ... member of National Honor Society and National Latin Honor Society ... served on the student council ... two-time captain and all-star in soccer ... has one aunt, Martha Gillin Bernicker, who graduated from Duke in 1989.

Coach Kimel on Fleming: “Taylor is a great athlete who we feel will be the sleeper in this class. Having attended our camps in previous years, we have enjoyed watching her grow her game and evolve into a top prospect. She has a tremendous multi-sport background having competed in soccer and basketball throughout high school. We expect to move Taylor to our defense where I feel she will be a tremendous asset to that unit.”

Emma Hamm - Midfield - 5'9"
Wayne, Pa./Baldwin High School
Four-year varsity letterwinner ... two-time first team All-America choice ... voted team captain and MVP two years running ... four-time All-Main Line and All-InterAc selection ... member of under-19 national team ... AP scholar ... National Merit commended student ... Academic All-America selection ... head of Athletic Association ... four-time All-Main Line, two-time captain and school's all-time leading scorer in basketball ... captain and All-Main Line of soccer team.

Coach Kimel on Hamm: “Emma is another outstanding player whose multi-sport experience has served her well in developing into one of the nation's top lacrosse players. Emma's height, athleticism, stick skills, ability to win the draw, distribute the ball and score make her an outstanding fit for our program. Like Sarah and Virginia, we are very proud that Emma has earned the opportunity to represent the United States this summer as a member of the U-19 team.”

Miller Hughes - Midfield - 5'7"
Cockeysville, Md./Roland Park Country School
First team Mid-Atlantic team member ... named to first team all-city ... member of under-19 national training team ... honor roll student ... National Spanish honors society ... captain and all-city selection on school's two-time IAAM championship field hockey team ... also lettered in squash ... has one uncle, Will Fulton, who graduated from Duke Law School.

Coach Kimel on Hughes: “Miller is an outstanding athlete whose most notable qualities are speed and versatility. As a member of the U-19 training squad, and hailing from a great high school program, Miller will bring a wealth of experience and competitive spirit to our program. We are excited to have her with us and look forward to watching her grow in our program."

Christie Kaestner - Attack - 5'8"
Easton, Md./Saints Peter and Paul High School
Four-year letterwinner ... 2006 All-America honorable mention ... Wendy's Heisman trophy state finalist ... four-time all-conference and all-Mid Shore selection ... team captain as a senior ... listed on Inside Lacrosse's “Young Guns” top player list ... played club lacrosse for Baltimore's Skywalkers ... National Honor Society member ... Academic All-America selection ... Senior Class Vice-President ... captain and four-time all-conference pick in basketball ... captain and three-time conference goalie of the year in soccer.

Coach Kimel on Kaestner: “Christie is an outstanding offensive player who brings an incredible passion for the game and Duke lacrosse to Durham this fall. Also a multi-sport athlete, Christie brings a tremendous game sense, ability to read plays and create with and without the ball. We expect her to be both and outstanding leader and contributor in our program throughout her career.”

Morgan Miller - Midfield/Attack - 5'10"
Denver, Colo./Colorado Academy
All-America honorable mention ... two-time all-state selection ... voted team captain in senior season ... member of Team Colorado for three years ... 2006 Denver High School Athlete of the Year ... Academic All-America selection ... honor roll student ... co-captain and two-time all-state in field hockey ... captain and all-conference in basketball ... plays squash in her spare time.

Coach Kimel on Miller: “Morgan is one of the best players coming from the Denver area this season. She has tremendous stick skills, game sense and tons of potential to be a great player at this level. We look forward to teaching her our offensive and are confident that she will adapt and thrive in our system.”

Caroline Spearman - Defense - 5'7"
Reisterstown, Md./McDonogh School
Two-time all-county and all-conference team member ... selected team captain for senior year ... played on Skywalkers' club team ... Dean's list and honor roll student ... captain and two-time all-star on swim team ... captain and all-county selection in soccer ... has one sister, Danielle, who will be a senior and swims at Duke ... father, David (1977), and sister Christina (2006), both graduated from Duke.

Coach Kimel on Spearman: “Caroline is one of the most versatile players in this class. She comes to us from one of the premier lacrosse programs in Maryland where she has competed at the highest level throughout her high school career. Caroline moved to midfield this year and was able to develop a more offensive side of her game. This experience will serve her well as we will look to have her involved in our transition game as well as our defensive unit. Like Virginia, we are so pleased that Caroline is joining her sister Danielle (swimming) in the Duke athletics' family.”

Duke finished the 2007 season with a 16-4 record. They won a share of the ACC regular season title for the fourth year in a row, advanced to the Final Four for the third consecutive season and accumulated the third-highest win total in school history. The Blue Devils finished sixth in the final rankings and were awarded the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team will return seven of 12 starters and 24 of 31 letterwinners in 2008.

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Women?s Lacrosse Announces Eight Signees For 2008 Season

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