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True Blue Podcast: Episode 11 featuring Kerstin Kimel
4/16/2025 10:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse, Athletics
The True Blue Podcast, spearheaded by the Blue Devil Network, is a student-athlete-led video podcast designed to uncover and share the stories that feature Duke student-athletes.
The overarching goal of the True Blue Podcast is to provide fans with a greater insight into the human side of Duke Athletics through open and unadulterated conversations. True Blue is all about showing the outside world who Duke student-athletes are when they step off the fields of play. Hosted by senior Duke field hockey player Shelby Bumgarner, this will be released on a monthly basis. Â
Kerstin Kimel, the head coach of the Duke Women's Lacrosse team is True Blue Podcast's 11th guest.Â
Kimel grew up in Havertown, Pennsylvania, and was a standout at Haverford High School, earning first team All-Central League, All-Delaware County and USWLA All-America honors. Her numerous accomplishments have landed her in both the Haverford Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame - Delaware County.
Kimel took her talents to the University of Maryland from 1990-93. During her career, she led the Terrapins to four consecutive national semifinal appearances and the 1992 NCAA Women's Lacrosse National Championship. Kimel was a two-time All-America selection and the 1993 NCAA National Defensive Player of the Year, appearing in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd." Kimel graduated from Maryland in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in speech communications.
Kimel has also been a prominent figure on the international level as a member of the U.S. Elite Team from 1992-96, and as an alternate for the U.S. national team that captured a gold medal at the 1993 World Cup.
In 1996, Kimel brought lacrosse to Duke University, being the only head coach in Duke women's lacrosse history. She has led the program from its inception in 1996, molding the Blue Devils into one of the nation's elite teams. In 29 seasons at the helm of Duke women's lacrosse, she has guided the Blue Devils to seven national semifinals, four ACC regular season titles, an ACC Tournament Championship and 21 NCAA Tournament appearances. A five-time ACC Coach of the Year, Kimel has overseen 43 All-America selections making up for 111 honors, 98 all-region honorees and 89 All-ACC picks. Seven of her former players have represented their countries on the world's stage, competing at the 2009, 2013 and 2017 World Cups. The Blue Devils have achieved equal success in the classroom during Kimel's tenure, collecting 130 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Academic Honor Roll accolades since 1997. Kimel recorded her 300th career victory on Feb. 7, 2020, in a win over Gardner-Webb. She is one of just eight active Division I head coaches with 300 or more wins.
Kimel was honored with an IWLCA Service Award in November 2016, for her work as co-chair of the NCAA Division I Legislation Committee to slow down early recruiting within the sport. She was presented with the IWLCA's highest award, the Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial Award in November 2015.
Kimel is also a mother of three. Her daughter Caroline played lacrosse at East Carolina and now is carrying on the Kimel coaching legacy at Ohio State, where she serves as an assistant coach.Â
In this episode of True Blue, Bumgarner and Kimel discuss her lacrosse career at Maryland, Â bringing lacrosse to Duke in 1996, her breast cancer journey in 2015, and how she continues to lead this program to new heights.
The True Blue Podcast is available on Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.
#GoDuke
Â
The overarching goal of the True Blue Podcast is to provide fans with a greater insight into the human side of Duke Athletics through open and unadulterated conversations. True Blue is all about showing the outside world who Duke student-athletes are when they step off the fields of play. Hosted by senior Duke field hockey player Shelby Bumgarner, this will be released on a monthly basis. Â
Kerstin Kimel, the head coach of the Duke Women's Lacrosse team is True Blue Podcast's 11th guest.Â
Kimel grew up in Havertown, Pennsylvania, and was a standout at Haverford High School, earning first team All-Central League, All-Delaware County and USWLA All-America honors. Her numerous accomplishments have landed her in both the Haverford Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame - Delaware County.
Kimel took her talents to the University of Maryland from 1990-93. During her career, she led the Terrapins to four consecutive national semifinal appearances and the 1992 NCAA Women's Lacrosse National Championship. Kimel was a two-time All-America selection and the 1993 NCAA National Defensive Player of the Year, appearing in Sports Illustrated's "Faces in the Crowd." Kimel graduated from Maryland in 1993 with a bachelor's degree in speech communications.
Kimel has also been a prominent figure on the international level as a member of the U.S. Elite Team from 1992-96, and as an alternate for the U.S. national team that captured a gold medal at the 1993 World Cup.
In 1996, Kimel brought lacrosse to Duke University, being the only head coach in Duke women's lacrosse history. She has led the program from its inception in 1996, molding the Blue Devils into one of the nation's elite teams. In 29 seasons at the helm of Duke women's lacrosse, she has guided the Blue Devils to seven national semifinals, four ACC regular season titles, an ACC Tournament Championship and 21 NCAA Tournament appearances. A five-time ACC Coach of the Year, Kimel has overseen 43 All-America selections making up for 111 honors, 98 all-region honorees and 89 All-ACC picks. Seven of her former players have represented their countries on the world's stage, competing at the 2009, 2013 and 2017 World Cups. The Blue Devils have achieved equal success in the classroom during Kimel's tenure, collecting 130 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association Academic Honor Roll accolades since 1997. Kimel recorded her 300th career victory on Feb. 7, 2020, in a win over Gardner-Webb. She is one of just eight active Division I head coaches with 300 or more wins.
Kimel was honored with an IWLCA Service Award in November 2016, for her work as co-chair of the NCAA Division I Legislation Committee to slow down early recruiting within the sport. She was presented with the IWLCA's highest award, the Diane Geppi-Aikens Memorial Award in November 2015.
Kimel is also a mother of three. Her daughter Caroline played lacrosse at East Carolina and now is carrying on the Kimel coaching legacy at Ohio State, where she serves as an assistant coach.Â
In this episode of True Blue, Bumgarner and Kimel discuss her lacrosse career at Maryland, Â bringing lacrosse to Duke in 1996, her breast cancer journey in 2015, and how she continues to lead this program to new heights.
The True Blue Podcast is available on Spotify, YouTube, and other platforms.
#GoDuke
Â
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