Colorado University Athletics
Stokes, Cheetham Join Colorado Lacrosse Coaching Staff
August 29, 2024 | Lacrosse
BOULDER – Former Colorado lacrosse attacker Ashley Stokes and former Johns Hopkins lacrosse midfielder Bailey Cheetham both joined the Colorado lacrosse coaching staff as assistant coaches, head coach Ann Elliott Whidden announced Thursday, Aug. 29.
Stokes returns to CU as a student assistant coach after graduating earlier this year with a bachelor's in finance. This will be Stokes' first Division I coaching endeavor following her time as an athlete at Colorado and after a summer co-head coaching job with SoCal Lacrosse Club in 2021.
"I am very excited to have Ashley on staff as a student assistant," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. "As a player, Ashley had such a great impact on our program, not just from her play on the field but as a leader and mentor to her teammates. I am excited for Ashley to continue to have an impact on our program from the coaching side. She will be a great asset to our players both as a mentor and a coach who can help them develop and grow both on and off the field. Ashley will also bring a new perspective and new insight to our staff just from her experiences as a student athlete these last four years. It is such a privilege for me to be able to have a former player work with us on staff, and I am excited to see all that Ashley will add to our program."
Stokes started and played in all 19 games for the Buffs' 2024 season, totaling 37 goals, 30 assists, 20 ground balls, eight caused turnovers and four draw controls. She was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team at the end of the 2024 season, her second time on an All-Conference team after her All-Pac-12 Second Team selection in 2023. She ended her student athlete career at CU with 87 goals, 70 assists, 157 points, 53 ground balls, 20 caused turnovers and 20 draw controls.
Stokes produced an incredible back-to-back performance against Arizona State (April 12), where she put up career highs in goals and points with seven and 11 respectively; and Kent State (April 14), where she had a career-high seven assists. She earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (April 15) with seven goals (three free position), 11 assists and 18 points.
"I am super excited to stick around for another year as the graduate assistant," student assistant coach Ashley Stokes said. "There is no better place to be than Boulder. Being able to learn from Ann and the rest of this staff is an opportunity that I am extremely grateful for. I am looking forward to contributing in a different role to a program that means the world to me and one that has given me so much."
Stokes was born in Santa Rosa, Calif., went to Foothill High School and played club lacrosse for the OC Aces.
Cheetham arrives at Colorado as an assistant coach after playing her undergraduate and graduate athletic career at Johns Hopkins (2019-2024). She graduated in 2023 with her Bachelor of Science in International Studies and Global Medicine, and she completed her Master of Science in Healthcare Management in 2024. Though this will also be Cheetham's first DI coaching stint, she was previously a part time private lacrosse instructor for the U8-U17 levels at Stix Up in Maryland, and she was a club lacrosse coach at Coppermine in Maryland from July 2020-April 2021.
"I am excited to welcome Bailey to Colorado," Whidden said. "Bailey had a great career at John's Hopkins over the past five years. Over the last two, she played for my friend, Tim McCormick, and the style of play they learned under him is very similar to a lot of what we are doing here at Colorado. Having played in similar systems will allow Bailey to jump right into things here. I am looking forward to all the insights she will bring to our staff and program, and the mentorship she will offer our players as a recent graduate. She knows the challenges our players face, and she knows what it takes to be successful. We are so excited to have Bailey join our staff this year."
Cheetham started nine and played in all 18 games in the 2024 John's Hopkins lacrosse season and totaled 14 goals, 35 assists, 18 ground balls, five caused turnovers and two draw controls. A two-year captain for the Blue Jays, Cheetham was named to the Big Ten All-Sportsmanship Team (2023), and she earned Big Ten Midfielder of the Week (April 25, 2023) after her performances against No. 4 Maryland and No. 6 Michigan (two goals, four assists).
John's Hopkins made it to the NCAA Second Round two years in a row (2023, 2024) with Cheetham as a captain. Cheetham scored two goals and picked up two assists at No. 3 Syracuse in 2023, and dished out two assists, caused one turnover and picked up a ground ball at No. 6 Yale in 2024. She recorded her career-high in goals in the 2023 season, a hat trick against No. 14 Penn State.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Buffs women's coaching staff this season," assistant coach Bailey Cheetham said. "The people in the sport of lacrosse have given me so many valuable experiences throughout my career. I hope to be a mentor for all our amazing student athletes. I am very excited to join the impressive coaching staff led by Ann, and I am looking forward to a great year."
Cheetham was born in Lake Oswego, Ore. and went to Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Mass. Her sister, Lexi, played lacrosse at Louisville, and her father, Greg, played ice hockey at New Hampshire.
Stokes and Cheetham join Sam McGee, who was announced as assistant coach in July, replacing Nicole Beardsley who was Colorado lacrosse's assistant coach the previous two seasons.
In 2024, the Buffs (13-6, 5-2 Pac-12) came in second in the Pac-12 conference after falling to Stanford, 11-8, in the Pac-12 Championship match. Colorado ended the season ranked 20th in the USA Lacrosse poll and 22nd in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll. Senior attacked Madeline Pisani and sophomore defender Jess Peluso were both earned USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America Honorable Mentions at the end of the 2024 season, and four Buffs were chosen for the All-Pac-12 Team. The Buffs are coached by 11th-year head coach Ann Elliott Whidden 122-67 (.646), who was named IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coach of the Year (2017 and '18), was the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2017 MPSF Coach of the Year.
For more information on the Colorado women's lacrosse team, a complete schedule and results, please visit CUBuffs.com. Fans of the Buffs can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @CUBuffsWLax.
Stokes returns to CU as a student assistant coach after graduating earlier this year with a bachelor's in finance. This will be Stokes' first Division I coaching endeavor following her time as an athlete at Colorado and after a summer co-head coaching job with SoCal Lacrosse Club in 2021.
"I am very excited to have Ashley on staff as a student assistant," head coach Ann Elliott Whidden said. "As a player, Ashley had such a great impact on our program, not just from her play on the field but as a leader and mentor to her teammates. I am excited for Ashley to continue to have an impact on our program from the coaching side. She will be a great asset to our players both as a mentor and a coach who can help them develop and grow both on and off the field. Ashley will also bring a new perspective and new insight to our staff just from her experiences as a student athlete these last four years. It is such a privilege for me to be able to have a former player work with us on staff, and I am excited to see all that Ashley will add to our program."
Stokes started and played in all 19 games for the Buffs' 2024 season, totaling 37 goals, 30 assists, 20 ground balls, eight caused turnovers and four draw controls. She was named to the All-Pac-12 First Team at the end of the 2024 season, her second time on an All-Conference team after her All-Pac-12 Second Team selection in 2023. She ended her student athlete career at CU with 87 goals, 70 assists, 157 points, 53 ground balls, 20 caused turnovers and 20 draw controls.
Stokes produced an incredible back-to-back performance against Arizona State (April 12), where she put up career highs in goals and points with seven and 11 respectively; and Kent State (April 14), where she had a career-high seven assists. She earned Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week (April 15) with seven goals (three free position), 11 assists and 18 points.
"I am super excited to stick around for another year as the graduate assistant," student assistant coach Ashley Stokes said. "There is no better place to be than Boulder. Being able to learn from Ann and the rest of this staff is an opportunity that I am extremely grateful for. I am looking forward to contributing in a different role to a program that means the world to me and one that has given me so much."
Stokes was born in Santa Rosa, Calif., went to Foothill High School and played club lacrosse for the OC Aces.
Cheetham arrives at Colorado as an assistant coach after playing her undergraduate and graduate athletic career at Johns Hopkins (2019-2024). She graduated in 2023 with her Bachelor of Science in International Studies and Global Medicine, and she completed her Master of Science in Healthcare Management in 2024. Though this will also be Cheetham's first DI coaching stint, she was previously a part time private lacrosse instructor for the U8-U17 levels at Stix Up in Maryland, and she was a club lacrosse coach at Coppermine in Maryland from July 2020-April 2021.
"I am excited to welcome Bailey to Colorado," Whidden said. "Bailey had a great career at John's Hopkins over the past five years. Over the last two, she played for my friend, Tim McCormick, and the style of play they learned under him is very similar to a lot of what we are doing here at Colorado. Having played in similar systems will allow Bailey to jump right into things here. I am looking forward to all the insights she will bring to our staff and program, and the mentorship she will offer our players as a recent graduate. She knows the challenges our players face, and she knows what it takes to be successful. We are so excited to have Bailey join our staff this year."
Cheetham started nine and played in all 18 games in the 2024 John's Hopkins lacrosse season and totaled 14 goals, 35 assists, 18 ground balls, five caused turnovers and two draw controls. A two-year captain for the Blue Jays, Cheetham was named to the Big Ten All-Sportsmanship Team (2023), and she earned Big Ten Midfielder of the Week (April 25, 2023) after her performances against No. 4 Maryland and No. 6 Michigan (two goals, four assists).
John's Hopkins made it to the NCAA Second Round two years in a row (2023, 2024) with Cheetham as a captain. Cheetham scored two goals and picked up two assists at No. 3 Syracuse in 2023, and dished out two assists, caused one turnover and picked up a ground ball at No. 6 Yale in 2024. She recorded her career-high in goals in the 2023 season, a hat trick against No. 14 Penn State.
"I am thrilled to be joining the Buffs women's coaching staff this season," assistant coach Bailey Cheetham said. "The people in the sport of lacrosse have given me so many valuable experiences throughout my career. I hope to be a mentor for all our amazing student athletes. I am very excited to join the impressive coaching staff led by Ann, and I am looking forward to a great year."
Cheetham was born in Lake Oswego, Ore. and went to Deerfield Academy in Deerfield, Mass. Her sister, Lexi, played lacrosse at Louisville, and her father, Greg, played ice hockey at New Hampshire.
Stokes and Cheetham join Sam McGee, who was announced as assistant coach in July, replacing Nicole Beardsley who was Colorado lacrosse's assistant coach the previous two seasons.
In 2024, the Buffs (13-6, 5-2 Pac-12) came in second in the Pac-12 conference after falling to Stanford, 11-8, in the Pac-12 Championship match. Colorado ended the season ranked 20th in the USA Lacrosse poll and 22nd in the Intercollegiate Women's Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) poll. Senior attacked Madeline Pisani and sophomore defender Jess Peluso were both earned USA Lacrosse Magazine All-America Honorable Mentions at the end of the 2024 season, and four Buffs were chosen for the All-Pac-12 Team. The Buffs are coached by 11th-year head coach Ann Elliott Whidden 122-67 (.646), who was named IWLCA West/Midwest Region Coach of the Year (2017 and '18), was the 2018 Pac-12 Coach of the Year and 2017 MPSF Coach of the Year.
For more information on the Colorado women's lacrosse team, a complete schedule and results, please visit CUBuffs.com. Fans of the Buffs can follow the team on Instagram and on Twitter @CUBuffsWLax.
Players Mentioned
D
/ Lacrosse
A
/ Lacrosse
A
/ LacrosseWLax: 14 Colorado vs. San Diego State, 16-5, Highlights | 3.28.26
Sunday, March 29
WLAX: Postgame Press Conference vs. UConn - Mar. 18, 2026
Thursday, March 19
WLax: 14 Colorado vs. UConn, 11-5, Highlights | 3.18.26
Thursday, March 19
WLAX: No. 13 Colorado vs Stetson Highlights - March 15, 2026
Monday, March 16