Coach Rip (Karl Rippelmeyer) and Coach Mitch (Tom Mitchell) bring hall-of-fame credentials to the Gators.

Green Valley High lacrosse coaches Tom Mitchell, left, and Karl Rippelmeyer. Courtesy of JASON BEAN/LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Rippelmeyer is in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, and both are in the Naval Academy Athletic Hall of Fame; Mitchell is in the U.S. Lacrosse Greater Los Angeles Chapter Hall of Fame for his work organizing officials in that area.

 

As teammates at the U.S. Naval Academy in 1960, Mitchell, a junior, and Rippelmeyer, a senior, led the Midshipmen to the first of eight consecutive collegiate national championships. Each was an All-American; Rippelmeyer three times and Mitchell twice.

Sports Illustrated chronicled Navy’s upset of Army for the 1960 national championship in a June 13 story that mentioned Mitchell’s and Rippelmeyer’s key roles in the victory.

When Rippelmeyer graduated in 1960, he left with nine varsity letters and the honor of being his class’ top athlete. He served in the Marines until retiring in 1979 as a lieutenant colonel. He earned the Bronze Star with Valor during the 1968 Tet offensive in Vietnam.

For more: http://www.lvrj.com/sports/green-valley-lacrosse-team-keeps-an-old-school-connection-94231404.html