35th Annual Lake Placid Summit Classic Draws Thousands to the Adirondacks as Tournament Eyes a New Feature

NORTH ELBA, N.Y. — Twenty-six teams claimed championships and a new class of Lake Placid “Legends” were honored during a week-long celebration of lacrosse at the 35th annual Lake Placid Summit Classic. Thousands of friends and family members made their way to the Adirondack Mountains’ famous Olympic region for the Summit Classic Scholastic and Adult tournaments, held July 29 to July 31 and Aug. 1 to 4, respectively, just down the road from the storied Village of Lake Placid at the North Elba Athletic Fields. But like each year, many families spent the entire week in the nation’s largest park, where over the course of the event some 240 teams competed underneath mostly sunny skies and the buzz of prop planes taking off from adjacent Lake Placid Airport. Of course, attendees enjoyed the uncommon sight of the iconic Lake Placid Olympic Ski Jumping Complex looming on the horizon along with some of the tallest mountains visible from the playing fields, including the grandest of the 46 Adirondack High Peaks: Mount Marcy. “This is the only place in this sport where you can see some of the best high school-age athletes on the field and then watch some of those players’ parents or coaches take the field,” said Kevin Leveille, VP of Youth Sales Strategy for the Premier Lacrosse League. “There’s nothing else like it and what also makes it so incredible is this one-of-kind venue with so much history. Every year we add a new chapter to it as the collection of teams we host is remarkable. We feel a sense of renewed gratitude to see this community become stronger and more passionate each summer. ” Leveille’s father, George, co-founded the Lake Placid Summit Classic in 1990 as a getaway for a pack of friends from New York’s Capital Region who’d played lacrosse together for years and wanted to start a tradition in a natural setting where they could enjoy quality time with each other and their families.

Surrounded by the awe-inspiring Adirondacks with endless attractions to explore, Lake Placid proved to be the ideal location for what has become an annual summertime retreat for so many in the sport, from casual fans living in and out of the region to the most accomplished collegiate and professional players far and wide. Formerly the Brand and Event Director for Summit Lacrosse Ventures, Leveille was an elected captain of Team USA for the 2014 World Games and wrapped up his career as one of the most prolific scorers in the history of professional field lacrosse. As a youngster, Leveille watched many of his heroes take the field in Lake Placid — the likes of Gary and Paul Gait, Casey and Ryan Powell, and more. Now, he welcomes many of his former teammates and even those he played against to the hallowed grounds of Lake Placid, where the spirit of the game rises above all else and friendships are forged and strengthened through respect for one another, healthy competition and overflowing camaraderie. With the support of the Premier Lacrosse League, which last year acquired the tournament along with Summit Lacrosse Ventures’ other events, Leveille believes the Summit Classic is primed to provide a better experience for attending teams year after year. “We’re certainly proud of the community we’ve built here,” he said. “We see it growing organically but we want it to thrive. Regardless of division, the athletes who compete here play with pride and understand this game is sacred, especially up in the Adirondacks.” At the youth levels, squads like Team 91 out of Long Island, Fellowship of Christian Athletes teams from Maryland and Western New York and Nation’s Best, a conglomerate of 3STEP Sports programs, brought some of the most sought-after recruits to Lake Placid and left with championships. All this before fabled men’s teams like the Burnt Orange “15 For Life” Syracuse alumni team, the Black & Blue Jays Johns Hopkins alumni squad and, of course, the world-famous Sailin’ Shoe earned titles in the adult tournament.

In the girls’ brackets, players destined for the same university teamed up in the Northstar Division to put on an eye-popping display of skills. Another important milestone for the women’s game at the Summit Classic, the first ever women’s 40+ exhibition match planted seeds for future expansion of the women’s adult divisions.

“There’s so much positive momentum right now for girls’ and women’s lacrosse and each year we’ve been able to create new ways of getting more players of any age onto these fields,” said Ashley Murphy, SVP of PLL Play for the Premier Lacrosse League.

Murphy was a starting goalie for four years at Northwestern University and led the Wildcats to their first NCAA Division I title in 2005. She’s since been instrumental in creating opportunities for girls and women throughout her career.

“With the incredible level of talent in the Northstar Division and other girls’ divisions, it’s gearing us up for the growth of the women’s brackets and we’re definitely excited about that.”

On Thursday night at this year’s Summit Classic, the “Lax Placid” community gathered at the Lake Placid Horse Show Grounds to observe the annual men’s 70+ contest and to later recognize this year’s Lake Placid Legends, which included both important women and men in the sport.

An emotional occasion attended by friends and family of honorees, the Legends ceremony featured opening remarks from USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame coach and longtime Summit Classic player Dom Starsia as well as lacrosse historian Jim Calder, who was on site all week.

The moving engagement honored the late Patrick Lally, an influential, beloved coach and “tireless promoter of lacrosse” from Buffalo who passed away unexpectedly in January of 2023.

Lally was posthumously presented with the Paul Rose Award, a tribute to his influence and the impact he had on so many young players as the architect of the stylishly suited Buffalo Soldiers teams. Tears were shed as Chuck Kucinski, one of his closest friends, presented the award to Lally’s wife, Kathy, and his son, Josh.

The additional award winners were women’s player and coach Elizabeth Beville (Jim Muhlfelder Award), officials Mick Dyer and Mickey Blanchfield (Larry Piatelli Award), athletic trainer Tera Larson (Tom Pillsworth Award) and Lax Placid stalwarts Brown State (Team of Distinction).

Beville and her family — including her father, Steve, a retired college coach and Lax Placid veteran — have been coming to the tournament since 1997. She first appeared as a kid on the sideline, then eventually took the field as a player in the first women’s Open Division and now manages the Graph-Tex women’s 25+ team.

Currently the women’s head coach at Le Moyne College, Beville was applauded for her commitment to advancing the sport at all levels, including the world stage, where she’s coached Haudenosaunee women’s lacrosse teams.

She reciprocated gratitude for the Summit Classic.

“When I started attending this event there were no women’s teams playing and I’d always hoped that I’d get the same opportunity to play that my dad had,” Beville said. “I’m so grateful for the growth of this event and that I’m able to continue playing the sport I love every summer.”

Being honored with others who’ve contributed to the Lax Placid community, she said, was nothing short of amazing.

“No matter someone’s role in the tournament, their passion and gratitude for the game of lacrosse is clear. There is simply no better event that provides as much joy, scenery and friendship as the Lake Placid Summit Classic.”

Below is a recap of the divisional champions at the 2024 Lake Placid Summit Classic, with the victors presented by Gait Lacrosse:

Men’s 65+: Cloud Splitter LC

Men’s 60+: Team Harley 60+

Men’s 55+: Most North Shore

Men’s 50+ Gold: Sailin’ Shoe

Men’s 50+ Gold: Creaky Crimson 50+

Men’s 45+ Gold: Ye Olde Quakers

Men’s 45+ Silver: Denison/Faber

Men’s 40+: Burnt Orange “15 For Life”

Men’s 35+: Black & Blue Jays

Women’s 35+ (8v8): Luvlax

Men’s 30+: Crease Monkeys

Men’s 25+: Dirty Birds

Women’s 25+: BDOCs

Men’s Open Gold: Team 91 Legends

Men’s Open Silver: FCA Lacrosse

Women’s Open Gold: Gansett Gang

Women’s Open Silver: FCA National College Team

Boys 2025-2026 Summit: Team 91 LI Shock

Boys 2025-2026 Gold: Nation’s Best 2026

Boys 2025-2026 Silver: Jamesville-DeWitt Nationals

Boys 2027-2028 Gold: Team Attack Cancer

Boys 2027-2028 Silver: FCA 2028 National Team

Girls 2024-2027 NorthStar: Baby Eagles

Girls 2025-2027 Gold: Mass Elite Red

Girls 2025-2027 Silver: Mass Elite Blue

Girls 2028-2029: Blue Spades

View photos of the Lake Placid Summit Classic, including each of the championship squads, via the Lake Placid Summit Classic Instagram feed.

Thank you to all who participated, from near and far, and made the 35th installment of the Lake Placid Summit Classic the best one yet! We are thankful for our extremely special staff that go above and beyond hourly to make the event seamless on the surface. A huge shout out to the Town of North Elba, Village of Lake Placid, and ROOST; whose leaders and staff provide strong support and involvement with the event all year long. Lastly, thank you to Legend Level partners Gait Lacrosse, LeagueApps, Ausable Funds, Sky Lacrosse, and Mercury Sports; and to all other event partners.