BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lees-McRae College Vice President for Athletics and Club Sports Craig McPhail announced the hiring of Irene Carlquist as the new head women's lacrosse coach at Lees-McRae. Carlquist comes to Banner Elk from Clarke University in Dubuque, Iowa where she served as the head coach of the women's lacrosse program.
"We are excited to bring Coach Carlquist on board to lead the next chapter of our women's lacrosse program," said Deputy Director of Athletics - Chief Compliance Officer Jeffrey Merrill. "As we went through the search, we felt it was imperative to find someone with head coaching experience. Coach Carlquist's knowledge and passion for the game of women's lacrosse will help guide our program and student-athletes to success on the field and in the classroom."
In 2023 at Clarke, Carlquist managed all aspects of the women's lacrosse program and saw four athletes named to the 2023 Heart of America All-Conference team this past spring. Prior to Clarke, Carlquist was the head coach at Fishers High School in Indiana where she managed game day operations and executed game and practice scheduling.
Carlquist graduated from the University of Indianapolis in May 2019 where she was a member of the Greyhounds women's lacrosse team for four years. Carlquist received Rookie of the Year in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference and was awarded National Division II Player of the Week in April 2016.
Carlquist holds a Master of Business Administration from Elmhurst University.
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