Campbell, an accomplished student-athlete at Wartburg College, was hired as Cornell’s head women’s soccer coach on Dec. 20, 2023.

Campbell starred at the collegiate level as a multi-time all-American and guided Wartburg to four NCAA Tournament appearances. She earned a bachelor’s degree in December 2022 from Wartburg in elementary education with areas of specialization in reading, special education and coaching.

“We are thrilled to have Sarah join our team here at Cornell,” Cornell Director of Athletics Jeff Meeker said. “Her experiences as an elite Division III student-athlete and leader have prepared her well to build our women’s soccer program.

“Sarah will bring a caring attitude while she inspires our players to succeed on and off the field. She will also work very hard to add student-athletes to our program who fit into her vision for the future of Cornell women’s soccer.”

Campbell currently serves as third-grade elementary teacher in the Lisbon Community School District.

“I missed being involved with soccer. I look forward to being surrounded by people that share the same values and passion for the sport,” Campbell said. “I had a successful experience as a Division III student-athlete and now have a great opportunity at Cornell to give back.”

A four-time all-conference defender, Campbell was tabbed a 2022 First Team All-American by the United Soccer Coaches (USC) and a Second Team Academic All-American by the College Sports Communicators (CSC) following her final season in Waverly. She was recipient of the 2022 Hertel Award, Wartburg’s Female Athlete of the Year.  

In 2021, Campbell was voted to the CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team and USC Scholar All-America Third Team. She also earned USC Scholar All-America accolades in 2020.

Campbell was a three-time USC All-North Region First Team selection and captained Wartburg’s team for three years. She played in 86 matches for the Knights, totaling 21 assists and 16 goals as a defensive standout.

In five seasons at Wartburg, Campbell helped lead the Knights to an impressive 66-16-7 overall record, including a 32-4-3 mark in the American Rivers Conference. The Knights qualified for the NCAA Tournament four years, advancing to the second round in 2022 and 2019.

Wartburg was crowned A-R-C regular-season champion in 2020 and captured the A-R-C Tournament title in 2019.

Campbell looks to instill that winning culture into Cornell’s program. The Rams qualified for the Midwest Conference Tournament in 2022.

“I’ve learned to be patient with the process,” Campbell said. “The goal is bring more prospective student-athletes to campus, increase our roster size and build a positive team culture. We want to win matches and be a consistent contender in the Midwest Conference. I know we are capable.”

Campbell was head junior varsity and assistant varsity girls soccer coach at Waverly-Shell Rock High School in Spring 2023. She was K-2 special education teacher at New Hampton Community School from January 2023-June 2023. 

Campbell enjoyed a decorated prep career at Waverly-Shell Rock, earning all-state honors three years. She was a member of the National Honor Society.