It’s been a whirlwind summer for Mia Collarini ’11.
In May, she earned Bachelor of Science degrees in counseling and human services and history from the University. Six weeks later she was named head coach of Scranton’s softball program.
A native of nearby Jessup, she enjoyed a successful career as a four-year member of the Royals softball program. A two-time All- Landmark Conference selection, she finished her career as the Royals’ all-time leader in walks (66), third in doubles (28), and fifth in hits (125).
A two-time team captain, Collarini was just as successful in the classroom, earning a spot on the Landmark Conference Academic Honor Roll three times.
She isn’t the only new face on the Royal coaching staff.
The University further solidified its commitment to athletics by adding full-time assistant coaching positions in men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s lacrosse, and men’s and women’s soccer.
Joining the men’s and women’s basketball programs, respectively, are Joe Mihalich and Stephanie Witko.
A native of Lewiston, N.Y., Mihalich spent the past two seasons as a graduate assistant with the men’s basketball program at Villanova University (Villanova). He holds a Bachelor of Arts from Nazareth College (Rochester, N.Y.) and a Master of Education from Villanova.
Mihalich was a four-year letterman on the men’s basketball team at Nazareth, where, in his junior year, the Golden Flyers won the Empire 8 Conference championship and advanced to the NCAA tournament.
Witko spent the past seven seasons as both a player and coach at Marymount University (Arlington, Va.), where she earned a Bachelor of Arts. She also holds a Master of Education from The George Washington University (Washington, D.C.).
A native of South Boston, Va., Witko was a three-time second-team All-Capital Athletic Conference selection and was a key component of a Saint program that won 78 games and made two NCAA tournament appearances under then head coach Bill Finney.
Upon graduation, Witko accepted an invitation to join Finney’s staff. The highlight of her tenure came in 2010 when the Saints went 28-2, advanced to the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament, and closed out the year with a top 10 national ranking.
Joining the men’s and women’s lacrosse programs are Ed Williams, who was promoted to full-time status after serving on a part-time basis last season, and Katie Slade.
Williams, a former standout lacrosse player at Lycoming College (Williamsport), helped Jim Rogalski lead the Royals to the Landmark Conference championship and the program’s first-ever NCAA tournament berth this past spring.
Slade joins the Royal coaching staff after recently completing a highly successful playing career at the University. A four-time All-Landmark Conference selection, she scored 84 goals and assisted on 16 others to finish with 100 total points in 62 career games.
This summer, Andrew Loughnane and Michael Shenigo accepted positions with the men’s and women’s soccer programs, respectively.
A native of Harrison City, Loughnane is a 2011 graduate of Caldwell College (Caldwell, N.J.). He was a four-year letterman on the Cougars’ men’s soccer team, served as team captain twice, and was a member of the 2008 team that won the Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference.
Loughnane’s father, Stephen, is a 1984 graduate of the University.
Shenigo spent the past seven seasons as a player and assistant coach at Lynchburg College (Lynchburg, Va.), where he earned a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Business Administration.
As an assistant coach with the Hornets’ nationally recognized women’s soccer program, Shenigo worked primarily with the goalkeepers and defenders. In his three seasons on staff, Lynchburg won two conference titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament three times.
