Sarah Kellner

Sarah Kellner begins her 16th season as Regis University head women's lacrosse head coach in 2021-22. Kellner is a four-time Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Coach of the Year recipient (2014, 2017, 2019 and 2021). She was also named the 2019 Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Midwest Region Coach of the Year.

Kellner's 2021 squad finished 14-2 overall and they posted a perfect 8-0 record in the RMAC, winning the RMAC Title and following up with the RMAC Tournament Championship as well. Regis earned the #3 seed in the Division II Midwest Regional Tournament where they faced the #2 ranked Lindenwood University Lions in St. Charles, Missouri. Regis' only loss of the season came to the #2 ranked Lions in the first game of the season. The Rangers lost to Lindenwood 9-14 in the semifinal game, and the Lions went on to win their first-ever National Championship. This marks the third-straight season in which RU had lost to the eventual NCAA Division II National Champion in the NCAA Tournament. Grauduate Student Jessica Berg and senior Kyleigh Peoples were both named IWLCA All-America First Team at the end of the season. Berg was also selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team, and she was also named the RMAC Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The 2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19. Kellner and her team went 2-2 in the four games that were played in 2020.

The 2019 season followed right in the footsteps of the previous season as the team conquered so many difficult and top-ranked opponents. Despite the difficult schedule, Regis finished the regular season a perfect 16-0, capturing the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) regular season title and the RMAC Tournament Championship in the same season for the first time in team history. For the third-straight season, the team was in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II Tournament, however, this time RU had claimed the No. 1 seed in the region and the the rights to host the regional tournament. After a 17-14 win over the University of Indianapolis in the NCAA Regional Semifinals, Regis was set to matchup with Colorado Mesa University in the Midwest Regional Championship. The Rangers pulled through and won 16-14 to advance to the NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championship Semifinals for the second-straight season. The bracket saw RU pitted against perennial women's lacrosse powerhouse, Adelphi University, in the semifinal round. The Panthers overpowered the Regis squad to the tune of a 17-10 win, knocking the Rangers out of the tournament in the semifinal round for the second time in as many years. Additionally, Adelphi went on to claim the Division II Championship a couple days later, meaning RU had lost to the eventual National Champion in the semifinal round of the last two NCAA Division II Women's Lacrosse Championships (Le Moyne, 2018). Following the season, three players were named IWLCA All-Americans including senior Sarah Myres who became the first Regis player to earn IWLCA All-America First Team honors. Senior Wendy Donier and sophomore Elle Crawford were both awarded IWLCA All-America Third Team. The team finished with an overall record of 20-1, which marks the best single season record for any women's lacrosse team at Regis. Additionally, the 20-1 record was the best record in all of NCAA Division II women's lacrosse in 2019.

In 2018, the Regis women's lacrosse team enjoyed the best season in program history. Kellner led the Rangers to a 17-5 record on the way to winning the team's first Midwest Regional Championship, and a berth into the NCAA Women's Lacrosse National Semifinal. One year after earning their first-ever berth into the NCAA Tournament in 2017, RU beat the No. 1 ranked Lindenwood University Lions 15-14 in overtime to advance to Tampa, Florida for their semifinal match, where they fell to the eventual National Champions Le Moyne College Dolphins. Additionally, Jada Bonner became the program's first IWLCA All-American Second Team selection, after earning third team honors the season prior. Sarah Myres was named IWLCA All-American Third Team in 2018.

In 2017, Kellner guided the Rangers to the most wins in program history (at the time) closing the season out with an overall record of 17-3. Kellner's 2016 team previously held the record for most wins in a season at 15.

The Rangers opened the season with eight-straight wins. RU also defeated Lindenwood for the first time in program history to capture its second RMAC Tournament Championship 13-11. At the time, Lindenwood was ranked No. 2 in the nation by the IWLCA. That upset catapulted Regis into national tournament discussions.

The Rangers earned their first NCAA Tournament bid but ultimately fell in the first round to Queens University (N.C.) 15-11. Regis closed out the season with a final national ranking of No. 9, the highest in program history.

Kellner was recognized by the RMAC earning Co-Coach of the Year honors. 10 players were awarded All-RMAC honors with junior Jada Bonner garnering RMAC Midfielder of the Year. Four others were named First Team, four to Second Team and one to Honorable Mention. Bonner also became the first player in program history to earn IWLCA All-America honors.

The 2015 squad went 12-5 overall and 5-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Regis finished second in the conference and was consistently ranked in the IWLCA national polls throughout the entire season ending at No. 18 with a high at No. 13. RU defeated nationally ranked Pfeiffer 15-13 on the road. Kellner saw eight student-athletes named to an All-RMAC Team with Emily Behr being recognized as the RMAC Offensive Player of the Year. Seven Rangers were selected to All-RMAC Academic Teams, with four reaching First Team status, and Emily Elkins nabbing the RMAC Academic Player of the Year.

The Rangers completed the 2014 season with the program’s most successful season to date. Finishing the season at 14-3, the Rangers’ only three losses came to Division I or ranked opponents. The team achieved its first ever national poll rankings, ending the season at No. 15. The Rangers led the nation in caused turnovers per game, the third year in a row the team has led a statistical category.

They also provided the nation’s 4^th best goals against average on defense. Academically, the team was again awarded an IWLCA Honor Squad Award, and the IWLCA Division II Scholar-Athlete of the Year was a Ranger.

The Rangers completed the 2013 season with their second straight runner-up WILA finish and had the second most wins in school history. The Rangers had one of the best offenses in the country and led the NCAA Division II in draw controls for the season year in a row. Kellner guided RU to an 8-2 WILA record in 2013.

Following a record breaking season in 2011, she guided the Rangers in 2012 to a 9-8 record including a season finale win over No. 2 ranked Rollins College. The Rangers finished as runner-up in the Western Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (WILA) in 2012 while defeating two ranked teams, the first in school history.
In 2011, the Rangers took the inaugural WILA championship with a perfect 6-0 record. The Rangers lost just two games during the spring of 2011, one to a Top 10 team, while racking up 12 wins, which was at the time the most in school history.

In 2009, Kellner led the Rangers to a 6-6 record which was the most wins by any Ranger women's lacrosse team since its inception in 2000. It also marked the first time a Rangers team had a non-losing record.

In ten seasons, Kellner has more wins than any previous coach in program history. She is 59-48 (.551 winning percentage) overall and this all while playing one of the toughest schedules of any Division II team. Her teams ended their first year of RMAC play with a 4-1 (.800) record; the Rangers’ ended with a 20-4 (.833) mark in three seasons in the WILA.

Kellner brings a wealth of playing and coaching experience to the Ranger lacrosse program. Since 2002, Kellner has worked with numerous lacrosse programs in the east coast area. She most recently coached at Fayetteville-Manlius where she served as an assistant coach from 2004-06. In all three seasons her team made it to the New York State High School Championship game, winning the title in two of the three seasons.

She also boasts similar success as a collegiate athlete. Kellner was a four-year letterwinner at Cornell University (N.Y.). In 2003, as a senior, she was named Cornell University Female Athlete of the Year as well as being selected to the All-America first team. During her playing career at Cornell she twice guided her team to the NCAA Division I championship, including a Final Four appearance in 2002 when her team went 17-2. Kellner was selected to the Cornell Hall of Fame in her first year eligible, 2013.

Kellner is a 2003 graduate of Cornell with a bachelor degree in development sociology. Formerly Sarah Averson, she lives with her husband and three children in Littleton.