The Find Your Summit Tour, #FNDURSUMT, will capture and celebrate the authentic experience of lacrosse players and families from across the country as they make their way to a series of events from the SLV summer slate. A big thank you to our partners Gait Lacrosse, HEYDUDE, YETI, Motive Pure, Smith Optics, STX, and Impact Canopy for their meaningful support in making the Tour happen. Enjoy following along below!
YOUNGSTOWN, N.Y. — Old Fort Niagara morphed into a festival this past weekend as the sixteenth annual Niagara Lacrosse Classic drew 85 teams to the beautiful park for two days of competition with nine championships on the line.
Co-hosted by Denver-based Summit Lacrosse Ventures and Buffalo Lacrosse Academy, the Niagara Lacrosse Classic kicked off the morning of July 15 as teams took the fields and their families filled the sidelines of the gorgeous historic fort sitting on the shores of Lake Ontario and the nearby Niagara River.
The weekend-long celebration represented the fifth stop on the 2023 Find Your Summit Tour. Sponsored by Gait Lacrosse, this year’s tour features some of the game’s most exciting tournaments held in spectacular locations across the summer to create the ultimate lacrosse experience.
Intermittent rain showers couldn’t slow the pace of play Saturday as games got underway and cheers came from the sidelines of all 14 fields. Teams were comprised of players as young as the first and second grade (2033-2034), with ten divisions all the way up to a high school senior bracket (2024).
Sunday gave way to beautiful sunny skies as nine different programs would go on to claim championships, later gathering for team photos underneath the archway pass or on the park’s sledding hill, turning it into a summit for post-victory jubilee.
Established in 2007 by Mike Wright, a longtime coach and a leader of the Buffalo lacrosse community, the Classic was founded as a summertime tournament for teams from New York and Ontario to compete in a picturesque setting. Now, the event regularly draws teams from as far out as Ohio and from all parts of New York State.
“It’s a reminder each year that lacrosse is vital to this region and it’s rewarding that so many of the local teams, both club and school-based, are here playing as hard as they can,” said Wright, who played lacrosse at Providence College.
“But we’re also honored to host teams from non-hotbed areas, where the sport is starting to explode. With the way this event has flourished, it’s become an important chance for so many of these young players to come into their own regardless of where they’re from.”
Kevin Leveille, Event and Brand Director for Summit Lacrosse Ventures, began collaborating with Wright and his team in 2019. He considers the Classic a flagship event in Western New York, one that in its existence has seen outstanding players — even current professional players — take the field as young prospects.
“You can’t find a much better spot for teams and families to enjoy a weekend of lacrosse, especially with the lake and so much to do nearby,” said Leveille, a four-time All-American at UMass before going on to star in Major League Lacrosse and to captain Team USA.
“Buffalo has an amazing lacrosse culture and community, and you see it come to life right here every year. And with so many talented Canadian teams close by and American teams attending from any direction, it becomes an incredible two days, and it shows in the form of awesome competition.”
Below is a breakdown of the nine champions crowned at the 2023 NiagaraLacrosse Classic:
Boys 2024: UNITY 2024
Boys 2025: S.O.U.L. Academy – Rising Stars
Boys 2026: Platinum Lacrosse Club
Boys 2027: Beast Lacrosse
Boys 2028: RedBlacks
Boys 2029-2030 Gold: The Hush
Boys 2029-2030 Silver: Jr. Red Raiders
Boys 2031-2032 (10v10): Orange Crush 2031
Boys 2031-2032 (8v8): Evolve
View photos of the Niagara Lacrosse Classic, including each of the championship teams, on the Summit Lacrosse Ventures Facebook page, and mark your calendars for next year’s Niagara Lacrosse Classic, slated for July 20 and 21, 2024.
Be sure to use the hashtag #FNDURSUMT to follow Summit Lacrosse Ventures and our partners as we trek across the country hosting a total of ten different events this summer.
NORTH ELBA, N.Y. — More than 20 championship teams were crowned last week at the 34th annual Lake Placid Summit Classic held in the Adirondack Mountains’ storied Olympic Region.
Thousands of lacrosse players and their families made their way to Lake Placid for the scholastic portion of the wildly popular tournament, which kicked off Monday July 31 and culminated on August 6 with the event’s final round of adult title matchups.
Nation’s Best, a national club program drawing scholastic players from New England, Colorado, Georgia and other areas, took home two championships while finishing as runner-up in a third in the first half of the week.
Just as the scholastic-age squads — ranging from U14 to high school juniors and seniors — were wrapping up play, the adult divisions got underway Wednesday afternoon, bringing players as old as 80+ to the fields for the Grand Masters (45+), Super Grand Masters (50+), Ultra Grand Masters (55+) and Past Masters (60+) divisions.
“Even with some challenging weather, this turned out to be one of the best years we’ve had up here in these mountains,” said George Leveille, who co-founded the event back in 1990 as a getaway for a tight-knit pack of lacrosse-playing, fun-loving friends from the Capital Region and other parts of New York State.
More than three decades later, the tournament has grown to represent one of the most important weeks for the sport of lacrosse, as many of the game’s best players and most respected coaches have made their way to the North Elba Athletic Fields at some point in their careers.
Restaurants and hotels were packed from morning to night as one of the area’s most impactful events again transformed Lake Placid into a lacrosse utopia for seven consecutive days, with the glorious Adirondack Mountains — including many of the famous 46 High Peaks — providing a breathtaking backdrop for teams and families enjoying time in the park.
“Lake Placid is a special place and it has more allure than ever before because of the attractions, natural beauty and the history,” Leveille said. “Our lacrosse community absolutely loves it here and this place has become sacred to so many players, coaches and even the family members who’ve been coming here with them, some for more than 30 years now.”
Though Thursday saw epic thunderstorms roll through the Adirondack Park and disrupt plans for the annual Summit Classic 70+ contest, five new members of the Lax Placid family were honored later in the evening as Legends of Lake Placid Lacrosse.
Friends and family gathered at the Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds for the nighttime celebration that paid thanks to five individuals who’ve helped grow the Summit Classic community over the years.
This year’s honorees included Haudenosaunee legend Dave White (Travis Solomon award); Summit Classic co-founder Mike DeRossi (Tom Pillsworth award); longtime coach, player and industry member Brian Silcott (Grow The Game award); Tri-City lacrosse leader Bob Dicks (Paul Rose award) and veteran lacrosse official Mike Infantino (Larry Piatelli award).
Longtime event attendee and former Division I coach Dom Starsia offered opening words along with a heartwarming introduction for his beloved friend Dave White, and lacrosse historian and stick connoisseur Jim Calder shared moving sentiments on the late, great Onondagan stick maker Alf Jacques, who passed onward in June.
After the Legends ceremony, Summit leaders rolled away the podium backdrop to reveal a stage filled with instruments. In a first, Leveille introduced attendees to the project known as Summit Sounds — a collaborative of musicians who’ve been involved with Lake Placid Lacrosse over the years.
Led by singer-songwriter/guitarist Brad Hester, electric guitarist Michael Lashomb and drummer Joshua West of the band Annie In The Water, the Summit Sounds outfit included Leveille himself on mandolin along with DeRossi on acoustic guitar, longtime event attendee Toby Farrington on bass and Summit Senior Events Director Blake Schierer on another electric guitar.
Hester, a Virginia native, founded Annie In The Water after playing lacrosse at Hobart College. Playing an assortment of Annie In The Water originals and classic rock hits, the group was joined by Syracuse University and pro lacrosse legend Mike Powell, who since his playing days has become a successful recording and touring musician. Powell sat in with the Summit Sounds crew for an impassioned take on Bryan Adams’ “Run To You” in a rare treat for those on hand.
Mother Nature stayed involved Friday, but numerous champions across the eldest Summit Classic divisions were still crowned before Saturday and Sunday gave way to picturesque weather, with onlookers packing the sidelines for the intense rounds of matchups to close out the highly competitive men’s and women’s open divisions.
The Lake Placid Summit Classic represented the final stop on the 2023 Find Your Summit Tour, a collection of Summit’s premiere summertime events in destination locations and well-known stops for lacrosse families.
The lead sponsor of the Find Your Summit Tour for the second consecutive year, Albany-based Gait Lacrosse was on hand all week at the North Elba Athletic Fields to provide a look at the game’s most thoughtfully crafted, technologically advanced sticks and protective equipment built on unmatched experience and understanding of the sport.
HEYDUDE Shoes, a new brand to hop on this year’s Find Your Summit Tour, provided a certificate for a free pair of cozy kicks to the designated “most valuable player” on each championship team, presented individually in what has become an animated and entertaining presentation following every finale.
“We had an incredible summer working with awesome partners and we want to keep building for the future,” said Kevin Leveille, George Leveille’s son and Brand and Event Director for Summit Lacrosse Ventures.
Other brands joining the Find Your Summit Tour in 2023 included Smith Optics, Impact Canopy, STX Lacrosse, Yeti and Motive Pure.
“We try to make Placid better each year and working with these outstanding brands was key this summer,” said Kevin Leveille, a four-time All-American at UMass who went on to star at the pro and international levels.
Below is a recap of the divisional champions at the 2023 Lake Placid Summit Classic, with the victors presented by Gait Lacrosse, along with each division’s HEYDUDE Shoes MVP:
Men’s 65+: Cloudsplitter LC (MVP: Rodney Rullman)
Men’s 60+: Garber’s Gorillas (MVP: Paul Weller)
Men’s 55+: Team Harley and Patriot 55+ (co-champions)
Men’s 50+: Sailin’ Shoe and Gray Devils (co-champions)
Men’s 45+ Gold: Big Red Steelheads (MVP: Todd Ulrich)
Men’s 45+ Silver: Pathways Within (MVP: Brian Tower)
Men’s 40+: “15 For Life” / Burnt Orange (MVP: Jason Gebhardt)
Men’s 35+: Black & Blue Jays (MVP: Mike Bocklet)
Women’s 35+: LuvLax (MVP: Tricia Manley)
Men’s 30+: HLX (MVP: Ben Smith)
Men’s 25+: Cranx (MVP: Jake Reynolds)
Women’s 25+: Graph-Tex (MVP: Alie Jimerson and Morgan Basler)
Men’s Open Gold: Piatelli Lacrosse (MVP: Teagan Alexander)
Men’s Open Silver: Cold Brook LC (MVP: Nick Farrell and Logan Callahan)
Women’s Open Gold: New Jersey Clams (MVP: Chase Boyle)
Women’s Open Silver: Team 315 (MVP: Amy Hoeffner)
Boys 2024-2025 Summit: Team Attack Cancer (MVP: Spencer Ford)
Boys 2024-2025 Gold: Nation’s Best 2025 (MVP: Anthony Rodriguez)
Boys 2024-2025 Silver: Sailin’ Shoe (MVP: Jack Herenden)
Boys 2026-2027 Gold: LI Express 2026 Channy (MVP: James Gillis)
Boys 2026-2027 Silver: Nation’s Best 2027 (MVP: Danny Kinnard)
Girls Nike NorthStar: Little Hoos (MVP: Elizabeth Gonnella)
Girls 2024-2026 Gold: Swarm (MVP: deferred to Marissa Test and Elizabeth Smith of Aces Blue)
Girls 2024-2026 Silver: Onestate (MVP: Casey Cummings)
Girls 14U: Aces Blue (MVP: Mia Conine)
View photos of the Lake Placid Summit Classic, including each of the championship squads, via the Lake Placid Summit Classic Instagram feed and on the 2023 Find Your Summit Tour page. Be sure to mark your calendars for the next edition of the Lake Placid Summit Classic, set for July 29 to Aug. 4, 2024.
Use the hashtag #FNDURSUMT to check out the summer had by Summit Lacrosse Ventures and our partners as we trekked across the country to provide a premium experience for lacrosse players and their families.