Ariannah Ritter enters her first season as women's lacrosse head coach in the 2023-24 academic year.
Ritter comes to Durango after two seasons as an assistant coach at Missouri Western State University, an NCAA Division II program in St. Joseph, Missouri. The Griffons enjoyed a record-setting year in 2024 which concluded with a 10-7 overall record. The team had seven All-Conference honorees, including the program’s first-ever major honor—Defensive Player of the Year and eventual Honorable Mention All-American. Missouri Western was 6-2 on its home field and opened the year with four straight wins.
In 2023, the Griffons came away with a 9-8 record and a 3-3 clip in conference play. They advanced to the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Conference Tournament for the first time in program history. Throughout her time on staff at Missouri Western, Ritter was in charge of creating practice plans, individual development plans, facilitating film sessions, recruitment, travel logistics, and other coaching-related duties.
Before making the move to Missouri, she served as a graduate assistant for the women’s lacrosse program at Lincoln Memorial (NCAA DII)—earning her master’s degree in Sports Management in 2022. The team played seven games in 2021 before putting together a 12-7 season in 2022.
From Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, Ritter graduated with her bachelor's from Carroll University (NCAA DIII) in 2019. A member of the women’s lacrosse team, she achieved 100 career goals and 100 career points--a first for both the men's and women's lacrosse programs. Ritter was also the team's offensive player of the year in 2017.
She is currently the IWLCA Division II Poll Committee Chair, volunteers with the Tewaaraton Foundation and the Kenya Lacrosse Association, and serves as Co-Director of the Nike Xcelerate Lacrosse Camp in Waukesha, Wisconsin.
