P
enn State so>ball head coach Amanda
Lehotak resigned last month to pursue
other professional opportunities outside
of so>ball. Lehotak had led the Nittany
Lion program for the past seven seasons
before stepping down
on July 13.
"This was not an
easy decision, as my
time at Penn State has
been nothing short of
incredible," Lehotak
said. "I am grateful for
all the amazing people
I was able to work
with, especially my
talented and dedicated sta<. I've been
lucky to coach some of the best student-
athletes in my career and will always re-
member the growth they showed on and
o< the ;eld to become the successful
young women they are today. I am ex-
tremely thankful for the unwavering sup-
port from the Nittany Lion faithful of
boosters, alumni and fans who showed up
to each game at Beard Field and beyond.
One of my principles I have always
stressed to my student-athletes and my
sta< is to be where your feet are, and now
it's time for me to do the same. I will for-
ever look back at my time in Happy Valley
with cherished memories and wish noth-
ing but the best for the Nittany Lions."
Lehotak, a Bellevue, Neb., native who
came to Penn State a>er stops at Jack-
sonville and Texas-San Antonio, went
140-208 during her tenure with the Nit-
tany Lions, including a 48-90 mark in Big
Ten competition. Her most successful
season was 2016, when the Lions went
30-24 overall and ;nished fourth in the
conference with a 14-8 record. Penn State
registered a record-breaking .314 batting
average that year, with 468 hits, including
75 doubles.
Lehotak's teams continued their oball team
posted a perfect 1,000 single-year APR
score, its ;rst since 2014-15.
"We are appreciative and grateful for
Amanda's leadership of Penn State soft-
ball these last seven years," Penn State
athletic director Sandy Barbour said.
"She has been a valued member of our
Nittany Lion family and the Happy Val-
ley community. Preparing our softball
student-athletes for a lifetime of impact
has always been at the forefront of
Amanda's coaching focus, and it showed
in the care and passion she demon-
strated for her students, our program
and the sport of softball. We wish
Amanda and her daughter, Dylan, noth-
ing but the best for what the future holds
as Amanda closes her intercollegiate
coaching chapter."
Penn State o=cials said that they are
conducting a nationwide search for a new
coach.
■
LEHOTAK
Lehotak steps down as Penn State's softball coach
WOMEN'S SOCCER Nittany Lion alum-
nae Christine Nairn and Amanda Dennis
were crowned NWSL Challenge Cup
champions on July 26, as the Houston
Dash topped the Chicago Red Stars, 2-0,
to win the ;rst title in the history of the
organization.
Nairn, a three-time All-American as a
Nittany Lion, appeared in four games for
the Dash, with one start during the tour-
nament. She was crucial in the Dash's
quarter;nal win over Utah Royals FC.
Houston edged Utah, 3-2, on penalty
kicks, as Nairn buried her kick to give
the Dash a 2-1 advantage.
Dennis was in her rookie campaign for
the Dash a>er serving as the Nittany
Lions' starting keeper for three seasons.
Another former Penn State standout,
Alyssa Naeher, started six games in goal
for Chicago, making 20 saves, which was
second in the tournament. The two-
time World Cup champion helped lead
the Red Stars to their second consecu-
tive ;nal.
ACADEMICS Led by 26 students who
earned perfect 4.0 grade point averages,
Penn State had 144 Big Ten Distin-
guished Scholars in the 2019-20 aca-
demic year, shattering the previous
school record of 117 in 2018-19. The Nit-
tany Lions posted the third-highest total
in the conference.
The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar
Award is presented to student-athletes
who have recorded a grade-point aver-
age of 3.7 or higher during the previous
academic year. Penn State's ;ve highest
Big Ten Distinguished Scholar totals
have come in the past ;ve years, increas-
ing 108 percent since the 2014-15 aca-
demic year (69 to 144).
AWARDS Seniors Kaleigh Riehl and
Stephen Nedoroscik have been selected
as Penn State's 2019-20 recipients for
the Big Ten Medal of Honor. The confer-
ence's most exclusive award was the ;rst
of its kind in intercollegiate athletics to
recognize academic and athletic excel-
lence.
Riehl is the ;>h women's soccer stu-
dent-athlete to win Big Ten Medal of
Honor laurels, joining Emily Oleksiuk
(2003), Joanna Lohman (2005), Zoe
Bouchelle (2009) and Britt Eckerstrom
(2016). Nedoroscik is the ;>h Nittany
Lion men's gymnast to earn the award,
joining Joe Roemer (1998), Jerker Tau-
dien (2005), Miguel Pineda (2012) and
Adrian Evans (2014). ■
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