TOWSON, Md. – From competitive years as a record-setting player through a career in coaching and mentoring, lacrosse continues to provide a fulfilling experience for Hillary Fratzke Hamm whose latest stop has her on the sidelines at a West Coast high school.
Along with Randy Bielski (football), Meredith Budner Plack (swimming), Eddie Diggs (basketball manager), and Larry Witherspoon (basketball) Hillary will be inducted into the Tigers' Hall of Fame Friday, October 6th at the 59th Annual Induction Banquet to be held on campus at the Towson University Union (Cross Campus Drive). The 2004 Volleyball Team will be honored as well as the Team of Distinction. Tickets are available by visiting https://towsonuniversity.regfox.com/towson-athletics-tiger-honors-hall-of-fame-induction-2023
Hillary began making a name for herself early. A three-sport athlete at Queen Anne's County High School, she was the North Bayside Conference's Player of the Year in soccer, lacrosse and basketball, becoming the school's first 1,000-point career scorer. The recruiting process, however, proved to be befuddling.
"Lacrosse was the sport I was probably best in," says Hillary. "I had some incredibly generous people in my life who provided the means, and scholarship, for me to be able to play club lacrosse.
"I might have had the opportunity in other sports but I was beyond grateful to have my opportunity for a scholarship in college at all, so I pursued lacrosse at a place where I felt great about the coaches, the team and I could personally afford. It is, without a doubt, one of my best life decisions to date, outside of my husband and children. I will never not be grateful to Missy (Doherty), my teammates and to Towson for giving me so much more than I could have ever given them."
The accolades for the talented midfielder piled up almost immediately at Towson. Hillary was named the Colonial Athletic Association's Rookie of the Year in 2006. She was a four-time All-CAA selection. In 2007 she was the conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She was the only active player named to the CAA's Silver Anniversary Team. The only three-year co-captain at Towson, Hillary was a three-time All-American and a two-time CAA Player of the Year. She is Towson's lone first team All-American. She was Towson's Female Rookie of the Year and later its Female Athlete of the Year and Senior Female Athlete of the Year when, in 2010, she was also honored as the TAF Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Hillary holds the Tigers' career record for draw controls (327) which ranked her fourth in NCAA women's lacrosse history. She recorded a point in 70 straight games while scoring a goal in 64 consecutive games, the second longest streak in NCAA history. She set the NCAA record by averaging 6.29 draw controls per game as a freshman to lead the country.
After earning a spot on the US Developmental Team, Hillary suffered an injury that spring in the third game of her senior year while facing Loyola. The setback, however, eventually had good results. The timing provided her the opportunity to coach at powerhouse Northwestern after she exhausted her eligibility.
As an assistant at Northwestern, she helped the Wildcats to back-to-back national championships in 2011 and 2012. In 2014 she was named head coach at William & Mary where she guided the Tribe for six years. In 2019 she stepped down.
"We relocated to Tampa," Hillary says. "My husband is military so you're going to be on the move. We were very fortunate to have stayed in Norfolk for six years."
In Florida Hillary signed on with the University of Tampa women's lacrosse program as an assistant for two years. Then it was off to the West Coast where she now coaches at a local high school while managing her business, 2for7 Sports. She's hopeful of a chance to return to the NCAA collegiate level of coaching in the future.
"Right now, I am doing my best to stay in the game from a coaching standpoint and to help grow the sport wherever we relocate as a family," says Hillary. "I'm working with players to elevate their game through private lessons and small group training sessions. I am also passionate about helping non-traditional area players through the recruiting process because it can be difficult to navigate."
