2025 Galipault Wolford Classic
Saturday, April 12, 2025
2025 Galipault Wolford Classic Schedule
**In the case of inclement weather, coaches will be notified of schedule changes.
History of the Galipault Wolford Classic
This event has a long history honoring the game of lacrosse. It was originally named after former Worthington High School player Chrissy Hannigan and former Worthington Coach John Galipault, both of whom were taken from the game too soon. Until 2024 the tournament was known as the Hannigan Galipault Tournament. In 2025 this event was renamed to the Galipault Wolford Classic in honor of Bill Wolford, another pillar of lacrosse that the Worthington community lost too soon.
The Tournament was first played as a boys invitational tournament in 1979 and was named for John Galipault after his retirement from coaching boys lacrosse. John came out of retirement to coach the girls in 1985, and the tournament became a girls event. It was only appropriate to keep it in his name. In August, 1986, Chrissy Hannigan, a lacrosse player for Worthington High School, passed away and John Galipault proposed the tournament be renamed in Chrissy's memory since he had always been uncomfortable with having a tournament named after him. The lacrosse parents booster club then suggested they honor both John and Chrissy by renaming it "The Hannigan-Galipault Tournament".
John Galipault created and coached the boys lacrosse program at Worthington (1972-78) and Dublin (1983) high schools and coached Ohio Wesleyan men's team (1980-82) and the Worthington girls team (1985-90). John complied a 102-12-2 in the six years of coaching the girls team. John was introduced to lacrosse in high school and continued playing while on a football scholarship at Syracuse. He loved the sport so much that when the Galipault family moved to Worthington, John went to the community youth boosters and convinced them to start a boys program in 1972. John Galipault taught all his players to give back to the sport so that future generations will have the same opportunities they were given. Unfortunately, John passed away following a heart attack in January of 1992.
The renaming of the tournament to the Galipault Wolford Classic honors another storied lacrosse coach from Worthington, Coach Bill Wolford. Bill developed the Worthington Kilbourne lacrosse program into one of the best in Ohio and the Midwest, after starting the program in 1992. After coaching the Kilbourne boys, Bill returned to the Wolves lacrosse sideline as a girl’s assistant coach from 2007-2021 where he helped lead the girls to a 2014 State Championship. Prior to his amazing lacrosse coaching career at Worthington Kilbourne, Bill was an assistant coach at Thomas Worthington from 1981-1985 and then as an assistant coach at The Ohio State University in 1986. Coach Wolford became the head coach at Upper Arlington from 1987-1991. He also served as the co-head coach of the U19 Korean team and as an assistant coach of the MLL’s, Ohio Machine, from 2012-2018. Bill was also a respected high school and college official from 2007-2021. In 2015, Coach Wolford was inducted into the Ohio Lacrosse Hall of Fame for his many contributions which were instrumental in growing the sport of lacrosse in Central Ohio and the Midwest.
One of Coach Wolford’s great contributions was joining forces with legendary Thomas Worthington head coach, Chris Gallagher, to start the Worthington Youth Boosters lacrosse program which helped grow the game of lacrosse in Worthington. Coach Wolford was instrumental in growing the sport of lacrosse in Central Ohio, and the Midwest. Bill Wolford, like John Galipault embodied the ideal of "giving back" to the lacrosse community. Sadly, Bill passed away in November of 2021.
For information regarding the Galipault Wolford Classic, email us at: twhs.girls.lax@gmail.com