Oak Harbor’s Katie Carroll was named the Washington Schoolgirls Lacrosse Association Coach of the Year Friday, May 16.

Carroll led Snohomish to a 12-3 record, the North Sound Conference championship and the state semifinals. Along the way, her club defeated defending state champion Lakeside and traditional powers Bainbridge Island and Mercer Island.

The previous two years her team went 10-5 and 9-5 and reached the state quarterfinals.

“I am really honored,” Carroll said. “There are some very strong coaches in the group.”

Carroll grew up playing lacrosse in Baltimore and then continued at Georgetown University, where she lettered four years and helped the Hoyas to four consecutive Big East Tournament berths and three NCAA trips, reaching the quarterfinals in 2006.

The Snohomish team, which includes players from Snohomish, Glacier Peak, Archbishop Murphy and Monroe high schools, is the closest varsity program to Oak Harbor.

Although Snohomish is “definitely a ways away,” Carroll said, it gave her a chance to continue to be involved in lacrosse.

She learned by “word of mouth” of Snohomish and of “a pilot who played club lacrosse at the Naval Academy that was working temporarily with them.”

Since her husband was deployed that spring, she had the time to commit to the program, so when the head coaching job opened, she applied.

The long drive to Snohomish was “bizarre,” she said. On the East Coast, she added, “In a hour-and-a-half I would be two states and three metropolitan areas away.”

This was her third and final year leading Snohomish. Her husband is being transferred and they are moving out of the area.

Carroll said it was a natural time to step down, as well, because her team had 12 seniors she worked with throughout their varsity careers.

Carroll isn’t sure if she will pursue a coaching job at her new home.

“It’s very time consuming, more than just showing up to practice and just playing,” Carroll said.

She said with coaching, commuting and playing in an adult league in Seattle, she didn’t have much free time.

“I might just rest instead.”