ASHKELON, ISRAEL – Kelly Layton, a native of Silver Spring, MD who has represented the blue-and-white on the field since 2017, will relocate to Israel in October to participate in Israel Lacrosse’s Masa Gap Year program.
Layton will live like a local, train, compete, and directly contribute to the grassroots development of the sport in Israel. The 22-year-old goaltender will also have a prioritized opportunity to be evaluated to compete at the Women’s World Lacrosse Championship, held in Towson, MD from July 7-17, 2021.
Following her Taglit-Birthright trip in 2017, Layton represented Israel for her first time in the WIPLL as a member of Ashkelon LC. In 2018, Layton worked alongside the Men’s World Team as they competed in the 2018 FIL World Lacrosse Championships in Netanya, Israel. She was also a member of the Women’s Festival Team, competing alongside the 2019 European Championship in Netanya, Israel.
“Kelly is an incredibly skilled and smart goalkeeper who has shown a deep commitment to Israel and Israel Lacrosse,” said Sarah Meisenberg, Director of Women’s Lacrosse and Acting Women’s Head Coach. “We’re so excited to finally have her living in Israel on our long-term high-performance program.”
Layton is a current grad-student at Millersville University. In her 2020 senior season, Layton started in all five games for the Marauders and recorded a season-high 10 saves off 34 shots faced in the game against Lock Haven. She also totaled 39 saves off 124 shots faced in those five games. She is also a former player at Glenelg Country High School, where she won the conference championship in her junior and senior seasons, as well as a player for Rebels Lax Club.
Israel Lacrosse has worked with Masa Israel since 2015 to provide young adults between the ages of 18-30 immersive and life-changing international experiences, including internship experiences in Israel. Israel Lacrosse is the nation’s fully functioning National Governing Body of the sport that has a large range of internships and opportunities to offer. Participants of our gap year programs have the opportunity to build their resume, learn Hebrew, interact with Israelis, and contribute to growing the sport of lacrosse in Israel.
Athletes who are interested in learning more about the Israel Lacrosse Gap Year program should contact Director of Women’s Lacrosse, Sarah Meisenberg, at [email protected].