Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics
Appoints New Women's Lacrosse Coach

Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics (CMS) is pleased to announce the appointment of Heather Semelmacher as the head coach of the CMS Women's Lacrosse Team and instructor of physical education.
"I'm so pleased to have Heather join the CMS coaching staff, with her terrific background of Division III experience as both a coach and student-athlete," states Mike Sutton, director of CMS athletics. "Her competitive drive is matched by her care and concern for the growth and educational experience of her team. I see Heather having the personality, energy, and vision to be an excellent leader for our Athenas and for women's lacrosse in the region."
Semelmacher is a 1999 graduate of Lynchburg College with a degree in sports medicine and sports marketing and a minor in business administration. She has begun coursework towards a Master's degree in Sports Marketing. While at Lynchburg, Semelmacher played three years of field hockey and three years of lacrosse before suffering a season-ending injury.
Semelmacher comes to CMS from the State University of New York at New Paltz, where she has served as head coach since 2008, when the program was revived after a five-year absence. In her last season, Semelmacher achieved the most wins as a head coach in the history of the program, as well as most wins in a season, reflecting a significant improvement in the lacrosse program. Additionally, she increased the team's win total every season while competing in one of the elite conferences for Division III women's lacrosse.
Prior to New Paltz, Semelmacher began the lacrosse program at Saugerties High School in Saugerties, NY, and coached there for seven years. The Sawyers spent four years as Section IX Class "B" champions and are among the top-50 programs in New York. In 2006-07, she was named Coach of the Year, and in 2007-08, her squad was named Team of the Year. Before Saugerties, she was the assistant women's lacrosse coach at Marist College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., for two years from 2000-01.
Semelmacher has also coached at STX and Nike Lacrosse Camps and has run coaches' clinics for US Lacrosse. She is a member of the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) and U.S. Field Hockey.
"I am very excited to come to such a prestigious institution and to work with an amazing lacrosse team," states Semelmacher. "I am looking forward to the growth of the lacrosse program, and building on the success the Athenas realized last year with their NCAA tournament appearance."
Coach Semelmacher will be in Claremont full-time beginning September 15.