Above photo: Ingrid Corrigan ’23 (right) with teammates.
Ingrid Corrigan ’23 is no stranger to competitive student athletics. Prior to coming to Barnard, Corrigan was a member of the prestigious Under Armour Underclass Lacrosse Tournaments from 2016 to 2018 and made the 2017 and 2018 West Bay Athletic League First-Team All-League. She also served as team captain for her high school’s lacrosse team during her junior and senior years. In 2018, she scored a career-best 35 goals in her junior campaign while also on the USA Lacrosse All-Academic Team.
Corrigan, an English and biology major, competes with Columbia’s lacrosse team thanks to the Columbia-Barnard Athletic Consortium, a unique partnership established in 1983 that supports the participation of Barnard students and Columbia undergraduates in NCAA Division 1 athletics. Barnard is the only women’s college whose students compete in D-I tournaments, via the Ivy League Athletic Conference.
Although the COVID-19 pandemic brought major disruptions to competitive sports, Corrigan’s lacrosse team partnered with a Harlem-based middle-school girl’s lacrosse team this year to watch the girls’ games and tutor students after school.
In this “Barnard’s Got Game” Q&A, Corrigan discusses becoming a lacrosse player, what it means to be a student athlete, and how Barnard has helped her on her path.
How does being an athlete inform your college experience?
For as long as I can remember, sports have been my outlet. I love to compete, be with people I care about, and push myself every day. I love to learn new things, make mistakes, and improve. Being on the lacrosse team at Columbia reminds me to find the fun in all things I do. When academics, social pressures, or the stress of competition seem too overwhelming, I remind myself that I enjoy challenges. I would not enjoy these things if it weren’t for their ability to push me to improve. Through lacrosse, I am reminded that I am not defined by the struggle or the challenge set before me, I am defined by my response, my ability to fail, learn, and improve.
How did you first get into lacrosse, and how has it affected you since?
I have played soccer since I was 4 years old. I loved to be active and compete, but as I transitioned into high school, I slowly fell out of love with it. Soccer was becoming a chore. Lacrosse was introduced at this perfect time, filling the void from soccer and inviting me to begin a new challenge.
I played lacrosse competitively in a club outside of school, still playing soccer at my high school during the winter season and running cross country in the fall.
I had always thought that maybe I started too late. Maybe I wouldn’t be able to play in college because I was so far behind everyone else. But here I am. I proved myself wrong. The biggest lessons that lacrosse has taught me is that I can do whatever I set my mind to and that it’s never too late for anything.
What is one of your favorite memories of participating in athletics at Barnard?
Because of the pandemic, my freshman season was cut short. My sophomore season, we were welcomed back on campus in the spring. We had “phased practices,” which meant wearing masks and social distancing. It was not the same. We didn’t play any games and were all feeling very discouraged.
Now I’m a junior and starting all over again. Our first practice back this year was incredibly nerve-wracking. We knew that this practice would define the rest of our season. I was so glad that all of my teammates were more excited than I’ve ever seen them. We welcomed a freshmen class of incredible people who are extremely hardworking and passionate. This year, I rekindled my love for lacrosse and love for my team.
What have you learned from being a lacrosse player and student athlete at Barnard?
My first year, I had a conversation with President Beilock. As a former athlete herself, she was extremely excited to invite more student athletes to be a part of the unique Barnard student athlete experience.
As I was applying to colleges, I imagined a small liberal arts school in the heart of a big city. I wanted the intimacy of a small school, while also competing at the Division I level. My college counselor told me that this didn’t exist. When I first toured Columbia, the coach mentioned the less-taken route for athletes: Barnard College.
When I toured the Barnard campus, I felt at home. I knew it could act as the small community I could retreat to at the end of my day.
Barnard offers me the unparalleled opportunity to compete at the Division I level, explore a new city, and learn in an environment that tends to the individual.
– SOLBY LIM '22
