Colby College

Alfond Athletic Center Colby College
4900 Mayflower Hill Waterville, ME 04901

Division 3 Maine Northeast

Private Small National competitor

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Coaches

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Karen MacCrate Henning

Karen MacCrate Henning, who won national titles as a player and coach, is in her 16th season as head coach of the women's lacrosse team in the 2022-23 academic year.

Henning led Colby to its third NESCAC title in the 2017 season. The Mules finished in a four-way tie for first place during the regular season. Colby beat Middlebury in the NESCAC semifinals and then Trinity in the championship game.

In her first 12 seasons, Henning has led the Mules to eight NCAA tournament appearances, including four national quarterfinal berths. She helped the Mules win the program's first New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) title in 2008, then led the team to another league title in 2009. The Mules also made the NESCAC title game in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. She earned the New England Pilgrim Region and NESCAC Coach of the Year honor in her first year. Colby is 144-54 in Henning's 11 seasons.

The Mules made the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history after a semifinal win over Middlebury and a title game victory against Trinity in the NESCAC tournament in 2008. She also earned New England Region coaching honors in her second year as the Mules once again made the national tournament. Despite falling in the NESCAC title game in 2010 and 2011, the Mules made it further in the NCAA tournament than any Colby team in the past by reaching the NCAA quarterfinals.

Henning reached 200 career wins during the 2014 season and has a 247-75 overall record as a head coach. She has a staggering 77 percent winning percentage in her coaching career. Henning was inducted into the Long Island Metropolitan Lacrosse Foundation (LIMLF) in February 2011 for her playing and coaching career.

Henning was hired as C.W. Post's first women's lacrosse coach in June 1999. She was named the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Division II National Coach of the Year after the championship seasons in 2001 and 2007. Henning's teams made seven NCAA tournament appearances and wn an ECAC title in 2005. Henning had four Division II Players of the Year and 10 IWLCA All-Americans at C.W. Post.

Henning was a student assistant coach for Maryland in 1997 and helped the coaching staff lead the Terrapins to another national title. Henning moved on to Dartmouth College for two years as an assistant coach in 1998 and 1999. She helped the Big Green to two Ivy League titles, two NCAA appearances, and a record of 24-8.

Henning has achieved success throughout her lacrosse career. She was an attacker for the University of Maryland, which won national titles in 1995 and 1996 and finished unbeaten in both seasons. Henning was an NCAA Division I First Team All-American in 1995 and 1996 and finished her career with 78 goals and 76 assists for 154 points. Maryland had a 61-3 record during Henning's four seasons.

Henning was a member of the United State National and Development teams from 1995 to 1998.

In the summer of 2016, Henning worked as an assistant coach for the Boston Storm of the United Women's Lacrosse League, the first professional league for women's lacrosse in the U.S. In their first season, the Storm played for the league championship.

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Ari Cambio

Ari Cambio joined the Colby Women's Lacrosse staff in the fall of 2022. "We are so excited to have Ari join the women’s lacrosse staff," said Karen Henning, the Head Coach for Colby Women's Lacrosse. "She believes in a strong team culture built on respect and knows how to create a healthy competitive team environment."

Cambio has been training athletes at Higher Level LLC – Sports Performance since 2016 where she has helped athletes take their game to another level based on their individual needs and goals. In the spring of 2022 Cambio led the Eagles of Barrington High School in Rhode Island, to their first state championship in six years as a first year head coach. She earned Rhode Island Girls Team Coach of the Year honors as well as coached two All Americans and the Rhode Island Girls Lacrosse Player of the Year.

She graduated from the University of Rhode Island with a degree in Kinesiology and a Master of Science in Exercise Science. She is also studying to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

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Kyra Schwartzman

Kyra Schwartzman joined the Colby Women's Lacrosse coaching staff ahead of the 2024-2025 academic year after coaching the past two seasons at Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

At MIT, Schwartzman helped guide the Engineers to two NEWMAC Championships and two at-large bids to the NCAA Tournament. The Engineers coaching staff won NEWMAC and Coaching Staff of the Year honors in 2023. Schwartzman has coached an IWLCA Division III Scholar Athlete of the Year, two IWLCA All-Americans, eight IWLCA All-Region team honorees, two NEWMAC Offensive Players of the Year, one NEWMAC Defensive Player of the Year and 15 All Conference honorees.

Prior to coaching, Schwartzman began her intercollegiate career at Merrimack College where she started 16 of 17 games and posted 14 goals, three assists, 14 draw controls, and nine ground balls. The next three seasons Schwartzman played for Wheaton College (Mass.). A two-year captain, Schwartzman played in all 41 games, starting 39, while producing 113 goals, 23 assists, 59 ground balls, and 35 draw controls for the Lyons.

Schwartzman graduated from Wheaton in 2020 with a B.A. in Psychology and Public Health along with a minor in U.S. Economics. She went on to receive a master's degree in Public Health with a concentration in Healthcare Management from Boston University in 2022.

Currently Schwartzman manages the 3d New England Girls Lacrosse Program, primarily working on the high school side of the club and assisting the recruiting director. Prior to her job with 3d NE, she spent two years working in the healthcare sector.

"I am beyond excited to be a part of the CWL program and learn from Head Coach Karen Henning. I look forward to being able to work in such a supportive and collaborative team environment where I have the ability to coach, mentor, and build relationships with our athletes. I'm committed to making this program the best that it can be and creating a positive yet competitive environment for all our athletes"