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June 2, 2003
World Champions Cherie Greer, Bonnie Rosen, and Kara Cooke were all named to the 2003-2004 USA Women’s Lacrosse Elite Team, and they were joined by recent graduate Lauren Aumiller, who named to the team for the second consecutive year. These four veterans were joined by Lauri Kenis and Gina Sambus, who both made the Elite team for the first time. Stephy Samaras, a former member of the Developmental Team, was placed on the team for another stint, while Amy Appelt, Cary Chasney, and Kim Connors also were all named to the USA Developmental Team, their first appearance on a USA lacrosse squad. USA assistant coach Heather Dow is an assistant on the Elite team and Cavalier head field hockey coach Jess Wilk was also renamed to the Elite squad as well.
Greer has been a member of the US squad since 1993 and has won three world titles, taking the gold in 1993, 1997 and 2001. She was named the Player of the Match in the title game in both 1997 and 2001. Greer was also named the inaugural recipient of the Wes Patterson award at the 2001 World Cup, which recognizes dedication to the game, sportsmanship, and excellence in play. Rosen won a World Cup in both 1997 and 2001, and Cooke, who competed as Kara Ariza while an undergraduate, became Virginia’s newest world champion as the USA won the IFWLA World Cup in 2001.
Aumiller won a world championship as the captain of the USA Under-19 women’s lacrosse team in 1999 and was named to the Elite team for the first time in her career in 2002. Sambus was a member of the USA Developmental Team from 2001-2003 and is making her first appearance on the Elite team. Kenis, a two-time All-American during her career at Virginia, is making her first appearance on a national team.
Samaras, who ranks second all-time at Virginia in caused turnovers, was a member of the Developmental Team from 1999-2000, and was named to the team for the second time in her career. Appelt was named an All-American for the second consecutive year in 2003. Chasney earned All-American honors in 2003, and Connors was named to the national All-Rookie squad in 2003, her first year at Virginia. Appelt, Chasney, and Connors are all making their first appearance with a national team.
Wilk arrived at Virginia in the summer of 1993 after winning the World Cup with the USA squad in Scotland. She repeated as a world champion in 1997 and 2001.
Dow was the goalkeeper for the US National Team from 1984 to 1990 and was a member of the 1986 World Cup team that won the silver medal and the 1989 team that won the gold medal. Since 1990 she has served as the assistant coach for the squad and has helped the United States win the World Cup in 1993, 1997 and 2001. She was inducted in the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in October of 2002.