On Sept. 7, junior Kate Cymbor announced her commitment to play Division I lacrosse at Rutgers University via Instagram.
Cymbor first started her lacrosse career when she was in the fourth grade. Ever since, she fell in love with the sport and everything it offered. “I was so young when I started playing and my love for the game was instant. I was always in the backyard playing any chance I could get and that is when I realized I wanted to pursue lacrosse,” Cymbor said.
Rutgers is a large public university located in New Brunswick, NJ with roughly 50,000 students enrolled, as well as having campuses in Camden and Newark NJ. The Scarlet Knights lacrosse program finished their 2025-2026 season with an 11-9 record, 4 Big Ten wins and a final national ranking of No. 16 under head coach Melissa Lehman.
“My dream has always been to play at the highest level and with Rutgers being a part of the Big Ten conference, which had three of the four final four teams last year, it was an opportunity to play at the level I always hoped I could play at. Rutgers is a great academic institution and when it came to lacrosse specifically, it offered me everything I wanted in a program, the coaches, the team and the focus the school has on women’s lacrosse,” Cymbor said.
The Westfield lacrosse program has had a tremendous impact on Cymbor throughout her past three years. A varsity starter since freshman year, girls lacrosse head coach Kathryn DaSilva describes her as, “one of the smoothest players she has ever coached,” pointing out her wrist strength at the draw circle and finesse as a shooter.
“[Westfield] plays one of the hardest schedules in New Jersey and we are always up against the highest level of competition, which will help develop my game going into college. Our strategy has allowed me to expose my strengths,” Cymbor said.
A two-way midfielder, Cymbor makes an impact on both ends of the field while also being a calming voice for her teammates when the game gets chaotic. “Kate handles pressure like a pro. I’ve watched her go toe to toe with 18-year-old Division I college commits as a 15-year-old. She accepts every challenge and her competitiveness is contagious,” DaSilva said. Beyond her individual talent, Cymbor’s mentality and leadership will be qualities she carries with her to the next level at Rutgers.
