College Commitment Day for East Hampton High School’s senior student-athletes is Wednesday, but one junior has already announced his decision. Zane Karoussos has committed to the admissions process at Cornell University for lacrosse. Karoussos plays for South Fork Lacrosse, a high school program that combines players from Southampton to Montauk. He’s also part of Legacy Lacrosse, a Long Island club team.
Karoussos said choosing Cornell was a no-brainer once he visited the Ivy League school.
“On the way up to Cornell I was debating hard. It was the hardest decision of my life,” he said. “But, being there with the coaches and the team, I knew it was the right fit and I committed on the spot. I didn’t even need time to think about it.”
Karoussos, a talented long-stick midfielder and short-stick player, had several schools to choose from this fall, including Yale University. He picked Big Red lacrosse for the team’s work ethic.
“Everyone just has a team-first mentality. The coaches care about you as a player and your future and they’re all in for giving you the best path for success outside of college,” he said. “At practice, they’re all going 100 percent. It’s the hardest I’ve ever seen anyone practice, and I know that’s what it takes to get those Ivy titles.”
Matt Babb, the South Fork Lacrosse coach, thinks Karoussos will fit right into the Cornell program. “Zane leads by example. His work ethic, competitiveness, and team-first attitude set the standard for our entire program,” Babb said. “He brings relentless energy, toughness, and consistency every time he’s on the field.” Karoussos expects Princeton and Yale to be among his toughest competitors on the path to an Ivy League championship and believes Cornell will challenge him both on and off the field.
“Staying on top of everything, getting my stuff done, it’s a hard balance, but in the end it’s doable. To be successful in sports it requires putting in the time outside of sports. You’ve got to be consistent and study every day and keep working at it and working at your game.”
Tom Zummo, the founder of Legacy Lacrosse, doesn’t think Karoussos will struggle athletically or academically when he gets to college. “He really is special to watch play. In high school, he plays short stick and is one of the team’s primary goal scorers and offensive options. With our club, he plays long-stick midfielder which basically means creating chaos on both sides of the ball and being an athlete. Zane excels at all of those,” Zummo said. “As a kid, Zane is truly a great human being. He is extremely smart and respectful and someone his mother and younger brother, Harry, should be really proud of.”
Meanwhile, Karoussos says he’s grateful for his experience with both local programs. “I love Legacy. Those are my best friends. I joined the team in sixth grade,” he said. “What makes South Fork special is that we combine with different schools, so we have a bunch of guys that I’m not normally in the halls with, which is nice. Outside of lacrosse too, we’re hanging out with each other. And on the lacrosse field we all have a good time.” Karoussos will be looking for that same kind of camaraderie when he heads up to Ithaca in 2027.
