Growing up, athletes often aspire to be one of the best in his or her sport. That starts by modeling themselves after the greats they followed from childhood to adulthood.
Maryland women’s lacrosse star Kori Edmondson can look back and know without a doubt that she has left a legacy that will inspire the next generation of lacrosse players and make them want to be the next Kori Edmondson, much like someone else did for her.
Edmondson is a native of Severn, Md., and played high school lacrosse at McDonogh School. She was coached by Taylor Cummings, a three-time Tewaaraton Award winner at Maryland. Cummings totaled 229 goals, 94 assists and 509 draw controls during her four-year career with the Terps. Edmondson calls Cummings “the GOAT of all lacrosse players.”
Edmondson posted 194 goals, 43 assists and 176 draw controls and helped lead McDonogh to a 52-6 record during her three years on the varsity squad.
Edmondson also credited her time with M&D Lacrosse Club with helping her develop. Her father Terry coached her, and she cited him as “her inspiration and someone who pushed her every day.”
Edmondson said having her father and Cummings as coaches helped mold her at a young age, planting the seeds that led to becoming the player she is today.
“I think the combination of both of them just pushed me,” Edmondson said. “They pushed me in ways that got me uncomfortable, but they knew I could handle it, and it made me better every single day. That’s what has led to my success in having both of those people in my corner, shaping me into the player I am today, and I am forever grateful for [them].”
Edmondson was ranked the No. 1 recruit in the nation by Inside Lacrosse and stayed home at Maryland. The move fulfilled a dream in the making for Edmondson, who grew up watching and following the Terps since she was a child. Her older sister Logan played field hockey at Maryland from 2016-2019.
“It means the world to have been able to represent my home state, having my family be able to come to every single game,” Edmondson said. “I don’t think my family ever missed a game, which is super cool to say, and family is a big part of who I am.”
“It was such an honor just to put that jersey on every single game and look down at my chest and have Maryland across it, which was unlike anything else,” she added.
The 5-foot-8 midfielder totaled 187 goals, 33 assists, 86 ground balls, 40 caused turnovers and 173 draw controls during her four-year career at Maryland (2023-2026), earning two first-team and two second-team All-Big Ten honors along the way.
Edmondson has benefited from playing for Terps coach Cathy Reese, who has guided the program for more than two decades. She has meant a lot to Edmondson.
“She finds that balance of pushing you but also being there for you off the field and wearing a lot of hats,” Edmondson said. “She’s truly an inspiration, and I’m forever grateful and indebted to her. She showed me how to be a leader from my freshman to senior year and welcomed the mistakes that came with the learning process. It’s a relationship that will go beyond college and is a testament to her character and how she means a lot to every player she has coached.”
Edmondson described her mindset in her role as a two-way midfielder and how she made it her own.
“I think you have to be OK with wearing multiple hats,” Edmondson said. “Meaning being dynamic, doing it all, you’re not always going to have the most goals or stops in the game, but it’s all about being consistent, level-headed and making sure you’re doing your job when you’re out on the field.”
Edmondson looks to take that mentality and skill set to the next level. She was drafted fourth overall by the New York Charging in the first round of the 2026 WLL College Draft. The WLL recently kicked off its inaugural barnstorming season in conjunction with the Premier Lacrosse League, something that Edmondson hopes will be an inspiration to the next generation of lacrosse players.
“To be able to have the chance to go to different cities, giving these girls the chance who don’t get to see lacrosse every weekend and see the best of the best play, I think it’s so special to be a part of,” Edmondson said. “I’m going to play for those little girls in the stands because I know I was once that little girl who didn’t even think there would be a professional league.”
Edmondson also has the opportunity to represent her country in Japan this summer, having earned a spot on the 2026 U.S. Women’s World Championship roster. Beyond that, she aspires to become a United States Secret Service Special Agent. She is currently interning with the Secret Service Pathway Program.
Edmondson became interested in this career path early in life when she watched “Blue Bloods,” “Criminal Minds” and “NCIS Los Angeles.”
“All of those shows really got me going,” Edmondson said. “But I also come from a family of service. I’ve had people who served in the military, the police academy, SWAT, Anne Arundel County SWAT and as county, state troopers, so I wanted to do something more for myself that isn’t about working for you, because it’s bigger than yourself. It’s something I’m super excited for. I haven’t really figured out how I’m going to do both, but I’ll figure it out.”
When asked how she wanted to be remembered at Maryland, Edmondson had a simple response for what she wanted to be defined by.
“If someone were to click on my name, I would want them to see how much love I had for the sport and how much I gave to Maryland and it gave to me,” Edmondson said. “All the blood, sweat and tears that I put into it, how hard I worked is a reflection of how much I loved the sport, what I was doing it for and who I was doing it with. [That] is what I would want people to know.”
Photo Credit: Courtesy of Maryland Athletics