Colorado University Athletics
Junior Elinor Wolf has earned a starting spot for the Buffs this season
Photo by: Tim Benko, Benko Photographics
Wolf’s Passion Shines Through In Lacrosse and Horseracing
March 29, 2019 | Lacrosse
BOULDER - On May 5, 2018, Justify began his journey to become the third horse to win the Triple Crown of Thoroughbred Racing by winning the Kentucky Derby. Elinor Wolf, whose family owned a stake in the champion horse, had to watch from the Colorado Lacrosse locker room due to an exam that day.
"Watching him cross that finish line was really, really awesome. I cried, not going to lie," Wolf said.
Wolf, currently a junior defender for CU women's lacrosse team, then watched Justify win the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, finishing off just the 13th ever Triple Crown.
"The odds of it happening are so slim," Wolf said. "It was definitely a surprise, but when I saw him win the derby, I knew this horse was going to win it all. He's huge; he's so magnificent, and so pretty."
Wolf's parents got into horseracing around 2000. She has grown up around horses her whole life as she has jumped around from Florida to Kentucky, seeing some amazing racetracks. Justify, in particular, was a very recent development. Her family bought a share of him as a two-year-old and very quickly, Justify found an abundance of success.
In addition to horseracing and being part of such a historical achievement, Wolf has found more success in lacrosse. By growing up in Louisville, Ky., Wolf was around the game a lot as it is the fastest growing sport for women in the area. Wolf attended Kentucky Country Day School where she met her highly esteemed coach Pat McAnulty. She learned the sport from McAnulty ever since fifth grade, when she started playing. "He's the whole reason why I'm here," Wolf said. In high school, Wolf was a five-year letter winner in lacrosse, field hockey, cross country and track. She also earned All-America, all-state and defender of the year honors in lacrosse and led her school to two state championships.
In her third season as a Buff, Wolf is consistently starting as a defender for the first time. In her first two years, she saw some action in five games, including her first career start in the NCAA Tournament against Florida on March 13, 2018, during her sophomore year.
Wolf prides herself on being a walk-on at CU. Not widely recruited out of high school, she was determined to find a school to continue her athletic career. Once she formed a relationship and put herself out there to CU Head Coach Ann Elliott Whidden, she knew Boulder was the right fit to be a preferred walk-on.
"I don't think that anything here has ever been given to her," Whidden said. "She is one of our top defenders; she plays hard, she competes. She goes up against some of the best players in our conference, and in the country, and I think that's such an exciting thing for her."
"I knew I wanted to come to Boulder. I wanted to find a school that I fell in love with and then I would try to walk on. I've always loved the sport," Wolf said.
In her three years playing for the Buffs, Wolf has been involved with nothing but success. "I really had no idea what I was getting into to and the next thing you know we're fourth in the nation," Wolf said. "It's such an honor to be able to compete and play with these people. It's such a great program and I'm so lucky and fortunate to be able to contribute and play."
Wolf's peers, coaches, and teammates all know how determined she is being a walk-on, "She is a kid that works hard," Whidden said. "She's tough and she competes. She's been focused on working hard and earning a spot. She's understood that, and she has done that."
With so much passion in both lacrosse and horseracing, Wolf has many options in the future. After she graduates CU with an advertising degree, she wants to study abroad. Specifically, she hopes this will help her to change horseracing in some type of way and improve the current status of the sport in the United States.
"One of the issues I believe with U.S. horseracing is that there's not a huge appeal to our generation and the upcoming generations," she says, "I want to study abroad in places like Australia or Hong Kong, where kids our age like to go to the races. They make it an event, it's a tradition."
From a close relationship with a Triple Crown winning horse, to succeeding as a walk-on at a top Division I school, Wolf has enjoyed her time at Colorado. With more success to come both at CU and horse racing, Wolf looks forward to making a difference in something she is so passionate about. Whatever she ends up doing, she will bring the excellence and hard work she brings to the CU lacrosse team.
"Watching him cross that finish line was really, really awesome. I cried, not going to lie," Wolf said.
Wolf, currently a junior defender for CU women's lacrosse team, then watched Justify win the Preakness Stakes and the Belmont Stakes, finishing off just the 13th ever Triple Crown.
"The odds of it happening are so slim," Wolf said. "It was definitely a surprise, but when I saw him win the derby, I knew this horse was going to win it all. He's huge; he's so magnificent, and so pretty."Wolf's parents got into horseracing around 2000. She has grown up around horses her whole life as she has jumped around from Florida to Kentucky, seeing some amazing racetracks. Justify, in particular, was a very recent development. Her family bought a share of him as a two-year-old and very quickly, Justify found an abundance of success.
In addition to horseracing and being part of such a historical achievement, Wolf has found more success in lacrosse. By growing up in Louisville, Ky., Wolf was around the game a lot as it is the fastest growing sport for women in the area. Wolf attended Kentucky Country Day School where she met her highly esteemed coach Pat McAnulty. She learned the sport from McAnulty ever since fifth grade, when she started playing. "He's the whole reason why I'm here," Wolf said. In high school, Wolf was a five-year letter winner in lacrosse, field hockey, cross country and track. She also earned All-America, all-state and defender of the year honors in lacrosse and led her school to two state championships.
In her third season as a Buff, Wolf is consistently starting as a defender for the first time. In her first two years, she saw some action in five games, including her first career start in the NCAA Tournament against Florida on March 13, 2018, during her sophomore year.
Wolf prides herself on being a walk-on at CU. Not widely recruited out of high school, she was determined to find a school to continue her athletic career. Once she formed a relationship and put herself out there to CU Head Coach Ann Elliott Whidden, she knew Boulder was the right fit to be a preferred walk-on.
"I don't think that anything here has ever been given to her," Whidden said. "She is one of our top defenders; she plays hard, she competes. She goes up against some of the best players in our conference, and in the country, and I think that's such an exciting thing for her."
"I knew I wanted to come to Boulder. I wanted to find a school that I fell in love with and then I would try to walk on. I've always loved the sport," Wolf said.
In her three years playing for the Buffs, Wolf has been involved with nothing but success. "I really had no idea what I was getting into to and the next thing you know we're fourth in the nation," Wolf said. "It's such an honor to be able to compete and play with these people. It's such a great program and I'm so lucky and fortunate to be able to contribute and play."
Wolf's peers, coaches, and teammates all know how determined she is being a walk-on, "She is a kid that works hard," Whidden said. "She's tough and she competes. She's been focused on working hard and earning a spot. She's understood that, and she has done that."
With so much passion in both lacrosse and horseracing, Wolf has many options in the future. After she graduates CU with an advertising degree, she wants to study abroad. Specifically, she hopes this will help her to change horseracing in some type of way and improve the current status of the sport in the United States.
"One of the issues I believe with U.S. horseracing is that there's not a huge appeal to our generation and the upcoming generations," she says, "I want to study abroad in places like Australia or Hong Kong, where kids our age like to go to the races. They make it an event, it's a tradition."
From a close relationship with a Triple Crown winning horse, to succeeding as a walk-on at a top Division I school, Wolf has enjoyed her time at Colorado. With more success to come both at CU and horse racing, Wolf looks forward to making a difference in something she is so passionate about. Whatever she ends up doing, she will bring the excellence and hard work she brings to the CU lacrosse team.
Players Mentioned
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