HUNTINGDON, Pa.- The Juniata Athletics Department has announced that Naomi Radio will be the first head coach of the women’s lacrosse program. The Eagles will compete on a club basis in the 2016-17 season and achieve varsity status for 2017-18 competing in the Landmark Conference.
Radio comes to College Hill from State College Area High School where she was the assistant girl’s lacrosse coach. She was also the Head Girl’s Lacrosse coach at Chambersburg Senior High School. She previously was an assistant coach at Division II Shippensburg and then the head coach for three seasons.
“I’m very excited to be the first coach and start this program,” said Radio. “I’m excited for the opportunity that Juniata is investing in for their female student-athletes.”
“We are very fortunate to have hired someone with Naomi’s background and history of success as a coach and student-athlete,” said Athletic Director Greg Curley. “We believe her various experiences as a player and coach at all levels of lacrosse, as well as her commitment to the true student-athlete, make her the perfect person to start, lead, and build our lacrosse program.”
A graduate of Division I Mount St. Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Md., Radio graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts degree. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Arts in Teaching from MSMU. Radio was a two-time Academic All-America First Team selection in lacrosse from 2004-05. She was selected as the NEC Student-Athlete of the Year in 2004, was a three-time member of the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) Academic Honor Roll, and was a two-time NEC women’s lacrosse scholar-athlete.
In her Mountaineer playing career as a goalkeeper, Radio was named All-Northeast Conference (NEC) three times, including being named to the First Team twice and earning Player of the Year honors in 2004. She finished her career as the all-time leader in saves at The Mount, totaling 770 from 2002-05, a mark which ranks 22nd in Division I history.
Radio is also The Mount’s career leader in minutes (4,342:50) and wins (41) while leading the NEC in saves percentage three consecutive years from 2003-05. In addition to being named All-NEC First Team and NEC Player of the Year in 2004, she led the conference in goals against average and saves percentage and totaled a school-record 225 saves. A starter in 74 of the 75 games she played in at Mount St. Mary’s, Radio currently holds four of the top-six records for saves in a single-season.
Radio’s first task as head coach is building her team. “Finding players for the club program and seeing students that are here that want to be a part of the building process, hitting the recruiting trail, and finding a team is really the crux of this first year,” said Radio. “It’s finding players that want to be a part of it, start defining a culture, and building a team. Especially starting a new program, you want people that play for the love of their sport, that are good teammates, that are willing to be leaders on campus, and have a strong work ethic.”
