After appearances in Utah and Texas over the past two seasons, the US Lacrosse Women’s Collegiate Lacrosse Associates (WCLA) national championship event will be returning to the East Coast in 2019. 

US Lacrosse announced today that the 2019 WCLA Division I and II National Championships will be played at the Princess Anne Athletic Complex and Sportsplex in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The same venue hosted the WCLA Championship in 2014 and 2015.

“We are very happy to return to the Princess Anne complex in Virginia Beach for the national championship tournament,” said Liz Holmes, chair of the US Lacrosse WCLA Committee. “We work so well with the facility, and the partnership enables the WCLA to continue our plan to move the location of our championship event to different regions of the country. The hospitality of Virginia Beach is appreciated by all who attend.” 

Dates for the 2019 championship tournament are May 8-11. The Princess Anne Athletic Complex includes eight multi-purpose playing fields, four of which are lighted synthetic and four are Hybrid Bermuda. The adjacent Sportsplex features a 6,000-seat lighted stadium with a state-of-the-art surface that combines the softness and lush appearance of natural grass with the engineered performance of modern synthetic turf. 

Nearly 230 non-varsity collegiate teams comprise the WCLA and compete under the US Lacrosse umbrella. The annual Division I and Division II National Championships showcase the WCLA’s premier teams, featuring a Division I field of 16 teams and a Division II tournament of 12 qualifying teams.

“The WCLA is an integral part of our US Lacrosse family, and the growing number of teams participating in the league and the great level of competition that we have witnessed in recent years at the National Championship truly demonstrate the commitment of these collegiate athletes and their enthusiasm for lacrosse,” said Caitlin Kelley, women’s game senior manager at US Lacrosse. 

Started in 2001, the WCLA Championship has had 10 previous host sites. Making its third appearance in Virginia Beach in 2019, the seaside community now joins St. Louis and Scottsdale, Arizona as the most frequent destinations to host the championship. Round Rock, Texas served as host site for last year’s championship event. 

“Virginia Beach is excited to welcome back the US Lacrosse athletes, coaches and fans,” said Nancy Helman, director of sports marketing for the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Our community is committed to providing the best on and off field experience. May is a fantastic time to be in our coastal community.”

In 2018, the Michigan Wolverines won the Division I title, their second national championship, while the Loyola (Md.) Greyhounds claimed their first Division II title. 

“The talent, dedication, and love of our sport that these athletes display on the lacrosse field is uplifting and wonderful to witness,” Holmes said. “Our national championship is the culmination of the season's hard work and success by our top teams and we look forward to being near the ocean on the East Coast once again.”