Heart of America Athletic Conference adds Lacrosse to sponsored sports

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - Starting in the 2022-23 season the Clarke University lacrosse teams will join the rest of the athletics programs as Heart of America Athletic Conference temas, as the Heart announces men's and women's lacrosse will be sponsored by the conference.

The full Heart of America release is HERE

Since 2017, the Pride had competed in the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference with other fellow full-time Heart schools as the Heart did not sponsor the sport but the 2023 season will be the first regular season for Heart Lacrosse.

Clarke is one of four full-time members of the Heart that will charter the Heart into the world of lacrosse for both men's and women's lacrosse along with Benedictine College, Missouri Valley College, and William Penn University as Culver-Stockton College only sponsors a women's team, St. Ambrose University will join the Heart as an affiliate member of the Heart for men's and women's lacrosse, and Mount Vernon Nazarene University will join the Heart as an affiliate member for men's lacrosse.

Both head coaches for the Pride in women's head coach Louis Deeny and future men's head coach Tucker La Belle view this move as a positive for the schools in the Heart and Clarke lacrosse as the sport progresses in the NAIA.

"I am very excited for the new structure this will bring as well as finally being aligned with the rest of the sports on Clarke's campus," Deeny said. "It makes us feel more connected with other teams and coaches and allows us to have a more permanent home."

"I'm beyond excited for what the Heart of America will do for the growth of not only NAIA lacrosse but the growth of lacrosse as a whole in the midwest," La Belle said. "We are on the edge of a big boom in the midwest for lacrosse growth and having a conference like the Heart with such a rich history in college athletics will just allow for the growth in even more of a quality manner."

Benedictine recently won the NAIA National Championship for women's lacrosee last Saturday as their men's team and St. Ambrose are both in the eight-team field of the men's lacrosse NAIA National Invitational Tournament from May 11-14.