CLAREMONT, Calif. – Skania Valencia, who has spent the last two seasons as an assistant coach at Division I Siena College and has experience coaching at all three NCAA divisions, will assume the role as the new head coach of the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps softball team for the 2024-25 academic year, it was announced today by Erica Perkins Jasper, the William B. Arce Director of Athletics, Physical Education and Recreation and George R. Roberts Fellow at CMS.

"I want to express my gratitude to Erica Jasper and her incredible team at CMS for the opportunity to lead the Athenas," said Valencia. "It is a true honor to represent CMS. I am excited to build on the program's rich history and elevate the team to new heights."

Valencia had a key role in helping Siena to the first MAAC Championship in program history, leading the Saints to the NCAA Regional at the University of Texas last spring. Her efforts also helped the Saints to a 33-win season in 2024, the most in program history, after tying the record with 32 in her first season.

While with Siena, Valencia was tasked with defensive and offensive player development, training and game strategy, while also organizing team logistics for travel, games and equipment. She had an additional role as intramural sports coordinator at Siena as well.

"Skania was a big part of our program," said Siena head coach Casey Bump. "Besides her coaching skills, she brought great energy and was a valuable resource to our student-athletes. We are going to miss her and I look forward to following her success."

Valencia has previous head coaching experience at the Division III level as well, after serving as the head coach at Westfield State in Massachusetts for one year during the 2022 season. She doubled the Owls' win total from nine to 18, starting an upward trajectory that has turned the program into a league contender.

Prior to accepting the head coaching position at Westfield State, Valencia served as an assistant coach at Division II Mercy College in Dobbs Ferry, New York, her alma mater, from 2018-21 while pursuing her master's degree. She served as the lead coach for hitting and outfield defense, while serving as the lead recruiter for the West Coast.

Valencia takes over a CMS program that has won or shared three of the last four SCIAC titles, while serving as an NCAA Regional host in 2019. The Athenas have won eight SCIAC championships, five SCIAC Tournament titles, and made nine NCAA Division III Tournament appearances, advancing as far as the Super Regionals in 2014.

"We are thrilled to welcome Skania Valencia as our new Head Coach for Athena Softball and Assistant Professor of Physical Education," said Perkins Jasper. "Coach Valencia's passion for the complete student-athlete experience, as well as her record of helping her teams improve and achieve their competitive goals truly shone through in the interview process. We're very excited for her to lead our softball program and to build on the strong foundation of success on and off the field."

As a player, Valencia was named to the ECC Commissioner's Honor Roll in both of her seasons at Mercy College, and set the school record for most RBI in a season. She graduated from Mercy with a bachelor's degree in business administration in 2018, and a master's degree in finance in 2021.

"I want to thank my mentors for helping me grow both as a coach and as a person," said Valencia. "I'm excited to apply what I've learned to provide the Athenas with an unforgettable student-athlete experience."