Dual-sport athlete Kara (Silberg) Carlin '98 helped to usher in a new era of Franklin & Marshall women's lacrosse. When Carlin arrived on campus, the Diplomats were a strong team that consistently went to the ECAC Tournament, but were looking for that edge that would vault them back into national prominence. Carlin can certainly be viewed as one of those catalysts, as she ultimately led the Diplomats back to the NCAA Tournament during her senior season.

 

In a time before NCAA selection shows, it was Carlin who received the call from the NCAA that the Diplomats had been selected to the "big show." Unsure of whether the NCAA call was going to go to head coach Kara Tierney's home phone or office line, the team gathered by its coach's home phone while Coach Tierney went to the office. Sure enough, the call came to the house, and it was Carlin who got to break the news to the team that they were headed to the NCAA Tournament, where they eventually finished in the Sweet 16. Serving as a team captain during that historic season, Carlin was honored as a first-team IWLCA All-American in 1998. That recognition had been years in the making as she finished her career with 90 assists, ranking third in school history at the time.

 

Even with a slew of NCAA Tournament teams coming through F&M since the turn of the century, Carlin's numbers still rank among the best in program history. Her career numbers are still among the top 10 in the College's record book.

 

Carlin was also a key contributor in getting the team into offensive transition, adding 174 ground balls and 85 draw controls to her career stat line during the team's run to the national tournament. Her 96 ground balls during the 1996 season still rank as the second-highest total in school history. Carlin's 3.53 draw controls per game that same season remain the third-highest total in school history. A three-time All-Centennial Conference performer in lacrosse, Carlin earned first-team honors as both a junior and senior following an honorable mention sophomore campaign.

 

She finished her career ranked first in conference history at 1.5 assists per game, still maintaining a spot in the top 20 to this day. Carlin was well-respected throughout the entire athletic department as she received the Michael T.M. Karvasales Senior Athlete Award, given to one female Senior athlete upon graduation by the Athletic Department at F&M. She also played field hockey during her first two years on campus, netting a goal and adding an assist.

 

Since graduating, Carlin has coached lacrosse at the national, collegiate, and high school levels and was named to the USA Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2013. She continues to stay involved in the sports she loves, most recently being named the Athletic Director at Friends School of Baltimore in 2017. Prior to that, Carlin served as the Athletic Director at St. Timothy's School, where she coached both field hockey and lacrosse for over a decade following a coaching stint at Division III Goucher from 2000-04. She earned her master's degree in education while at Goucher in 2004, specializing in athletic administration before launching her incredible coaching career in the high school ranks.

 

As a professional, Carlin has been recognized as the Maryland State (MSADA) District 10 Athletic Director of the Year on three occasions (2011, 2016, and 2021).