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Lauren Chong
Lauren Chong was hired as assistant coach to the Blue Hose on August 20, 2024. The newest addition to head coach Eric Clakeley's staff for the 2024-25 academic year, Chong joins the PC family after spending the past three seasons at Lander.
Chong arrives at PC after a very accomplished playing career at nearby Division II institution Limestone in Gaffney, which led to a three-year coaching appointment at Lander. She was elevated from assistant to associate over her final year with the Bearcats in 2024.
“We could not be more excited to have Lauren join our program”, commented Clakeley who just completed his fifth season at PC. “She brings a wealth of experience to the role, and will have a massive impact from day one.”
“Lauren’s primary responsibilities will be coordinating the offense and specialty units. We are ready for a refresh on that side of the ball and throughout the search process it was clear that she was the individual to lead that initiative.”
COACHING CAREER AT LANDER (2022-24)
Chong comes to Presbyterian after a productive three-year stint at Lander where she supervised 29 victories (10 of which were Gulf South Conference wins). Following her promotion to the “associate” title, the Bearcats posted a .528 shooting percentage which ranked third in all of Division II.
Lander earned 18 All-Conference selections, three All-Region members, and seven All-Tournament players during Chong’s time there. She coached 23 GSC Players of the Week and, in 2022, the Gulf South Freshman of the Year (Autumn Huskey).
Her debut year on the sidelines (2022) came with a seven-win turnaround from Lander’s previous season. Winning their first four matches as well as their last three, the Bearcats were chosen as the GSC Coaching Staff of the Year in recognition of the program’s swift improvement.
Chong’s second season as a coach (2023) entailed 11 wins for Lander, avenging the prior year’s GSC Tournament defeat to Alabama-Huntsville by downing the Chargers 15-13 in the Semifinals.
After appearing in the league championship game and narrowly falling to Flagler (16-12), the Bearcats authored eight more wins with Chong as an associate this past spring. Lander put together the highest percentage of draws in the entire conference, with Chong also serving as Recruiting Coordinator.
Lauren also held the title of Academic Success Coordinator while at Lander, monitoring classroom performance of over 30+ student-athletes and overseeing a team that earned a collective 3.62 GPA for the 2023-24 calendar.
PLAYING CAREER AT LIMESTONE (2017-21)
A native of Toronto, Ontario, Canada, Lauren enrolled at Limestone where she was an important piece to one of the most consistent lacrosse programs at the D-II stage. Over five seasons, she competed in 81 of a possible 83 matches and recorded 86 total points (71 goals, 15 assists).
The Saints compiled an overall record of 70-13 during Chong’s tenure, including an otherworldly conference trek of 41-1. As a player, Lauren never lost a single league outing while Limestone was in Conference Carolinas (33-0), winning 40 consecutive conference bouts which included a switch to the SAC.
Her squads captured three straight Conference Carolinas Tournament Championships, embarking on four separate streaks of at least eight wins in a row and being part of a team that accomplished at least 15 goals in 61 contests.
On 27 occasions, Chong’s Saints registered a minimum of 20 scores. From 2017-19, Limestone’s combined record stood at a remarkable 52-8.
Lauren was selected for Academic All-Conference recognition twice during her playing spell, named to the IWLCA Academic Honor Roll in 2019 and 2021.
FRESHMAN YEAR (2017)
Lauren’s college career started off very strong by winning 17 of her first 20 matches and producing 14 goals along the way. Her breaking-out party came in a 16-6 victory over Millersville, scoring four times as one of three multi-goal efforts that year.
The Saints knocked off Mount Olive in the CC Tournament Finals by a 16-5 difference in the last clash of the campaign. Chong dished out a first-period assist to get the team’s scoring underway, going on to crack the final goal of the year with 3:50 remaining.
SOPHOMORE YEAR (2018)
Limestone’s fortunes continued in Lauren’s second go-around, which featured a 17-3 overall record for the second straight spring and an improvement to 19-0 in CC games over her first two seasons.
Aided by Chong’s nine goals, the Saints qualified for the NCAA Tournament by winning 10 matches in a row and their second league tournament crown. They’d handily defeat Belmont Abbey 18-8 for the conference trophy, ultimately seeing the season end at the hands of Florida Tech in the Southeast Regionals (13-11).
JUNIOR YEAR (2019)
Statistically the team’s best season – evidenced by an 18-2 mark and an 11-match winning streak near the close of the spring – Limestone pulled off a three-peat of Conference Carolinas Tournament titles by besting Mount Olive once more, 12-9.
Chong played every bout of her junior stint, going for a career-high 24 points (18 goals, six assists). As LU heated up near the end of the year, so too did Chong as she guided in nine goals over the final five features and offered up six multi-goal performances.
COVID-SHORTENED SENIOR YEAR (2020)
Prior to the season’s pandemic-related disruption, Limestone had ventured to a 6-2 mark and remained unbeaten in league affairs. Lauren roasted North Greenville and Converse with six combined goals (three each) in back-to-back wins, ending the abbreviated season with 11 strikes and two helpers.
FIFTH & FINAL YEAR (2021)
Moving to the SAC for Chong’s last chapter on the field, Limestone made their second Southeast Regional trip in a span of four full seasons, just missing out on the league tournament championship against Queens and finishing with a 12-3 record.
Lauren’s final campaign was one to remember, publishing a career-best 19 goals and tying her personal-high with four connections in a 21-6 W over Newberry.
Her final victory as a player came in the Regional Semifinals opposite Mount Olive once again, where she secured the game-tying goal with 4:31 left in regulation, a shot that ultimately sent the match into overtime.
Limestone emerged with the win by a 9-8 clip, the 70th time in Chong’s career that her side came out on top.
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