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Tracey Bartholomew
Tracey Bartholomew was named to lead Columbia women's soccer in December 2013, becoming the third head coach in program history.
Since her arrival on Morningside Heights, the Lions have seen unprecedented success, including becoming the first head coach in program history to record four-straight (2016-19) winning Ivy League records. In addition, 30 student-athletes have garnered All-Ivy accolades during her tenure including the program’s first Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year in Natalie Ambrose (2017).
The 2019 campaign marked another milestone season for Columbia, registering just three losses to mark the second fewest in program history and the least since 1998. Finishing the campaign with a 9-3-4 overall, 3-1-3 Ivy record, five Lions garnered All-Ivy honors including a repeat first team selection for standout defender Amalya Johnson, who also received her second-straight All-East Region team selection.
In 2018, Columbia posted its third-straight winning record in both Ivy League and regular season action, going 8-7-1 overall and 4-3 in Ivy play, while four Lions were honored with All-Ivy recognition.
The Lions put together an impressive Ivy title-contending season in 2017, finishing 9-5-2 overall and 5-1-1 in Ivy League play. Bartholomew led Columbia to its first nine-wins season since 2010 behind a spectacular defense and an explosive offense. Defensively nine shutouts capped the year, including 6-of-7 Ivy League contests. The Lions spent the year ranked among the best in scoring offense, highlighted by a record-setting 11 goals in a shutout win over Wagner. The Lions went on to earn an outstanding eight All-Ivy League selections in 2017, led by first team selections Ambrose and senior midfielder, Natalie Neshat, who led the team in scoring.
Behind a program-record 10 shutouts, including a streak of 844:32 minutes of play over eight consecutive games without conceding a goal, the team put together a phenomenal Ivy League title-contending season in 2016. The Lions finished the year competing in an overtime title match against eventual conference champions Harvard to cap a 7-6-4 overall record and a 4-2-1 Ivy record.
The 2016 Columbia defense was one of the best in the country, ranking in the national top-10 in every defensive category, including shutout percentage, goals-against average and save percentage, for most of the season.
In her second season, the Lions finished 7-8-1 overall and 3-3-1 in the Ivy League to finish third in the conference, marking Columbia's best Ancient Eight regular-season finish since 2008. The Lions placed three players on the All-Ivy League teams that year, with sophomore defender Natalie Ambrose on the second team and junior goalkeeper Allison Spencer and rookie forward Emma Anderson on the honorable mention squad.
Her first season at the helm saw Bartholomew quickly turn Columbia into one of the top defensive teams in the country, posting an 7-4-6 overall record and 2-3-2 Ivy League record.
The Lions’ defense ranked inside the top-10 nationally in goals-against average, with an average of .519. The Lions also climbed up to 20th overall in shutout percentage at .563, totaling nine shutouts on the year. In goal, the Lions utilized three keepers who posted multiple shutouts on the season in Allison Spencer, Grace Redmon, and Gabby Dubick. Spencer and Redmon both tallied three shutouts, while Dubick garnered a pair to start the season. The Lions capped the season placing four players on the All-Ivy League teams.
From 2000-13, Bartholomew helped lead LIU Brooklyn to three NCAA College Cup appearances (2012, 2011, 2006), and won the Northeast Conference Championships in 2010, 2008, and 2006.
Bartholomew was named NEC Coach of the Year in 2008 and her teams earned NSCAA Regional Rankings in 6-of-7 years. Over her career, she developed five NSCAA All-Regional players and 31 All-NEC players, in addition to an NEC Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. Bartholomew's 2010 team tallied the most wins in LIU history with 15. Under her leadership, LIU won or tied 23 consecutive games at home between 2004 and 2006, which was the 12th best home-unbeaten streak in NCAA at the time. Bartholomew's teams had also been successful off the field, earning 12 straight NSCAA team academic awards, with many student-athletes making the NEC Academic Honor Roll, four selected to the NSCAA Scholar All-East Region Team, and an Academic All-American honoree.
After a successful playing career at the University of Rochester, where she led the Yellowjackets to four University Athletic Association titles and NCAA tournament appearances, Bartholomew began her coaching career at Colgate University, where she was an assistant coach for five years. During her time at Colgate, the Raiders won five Patriot League titles and made four NCAA tournament appearances.
Bartholomew has been a summer instructor at soccer camps for young adults and college-bound players of both genders. She was the Assistant Director of Colgate's Soccer Fit Academy for five years and a head coach at the U.S. Military Soccer Camp and the Syracuse University Soccer Camp, as well as a staff member at the University of Rochester Soccer School.
For eight years, Bartholomew was under the tutelage of some of the premier goalkeeper coaches in the nation, including Matt Clark, Bernie Watt, Joanie Schokow, and former U.S. Women's National Team coach Tony DiCicco.
Bartholomew graduated magna cum laude from Rochester with a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology in 1994. She also was a member of the school's basketball team.
She received her master's degree in exercise physiology from LIU in 2005, earning the Dean's Award with a 4.0 GPA and serves as an adjunct professor in the Health Sciences Department, teaching courses in sports, physical activity and performance, neuroscience, and senior project and thesis.
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