A decade before the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Athletics became a co-ed entity in 1976, Lahanas had already begun the process of building women's athletics. She founded the Scripps College tennis team in 1967, which was the college's first intercollegiate women's athletic program. Scripps Tennis competed in the Southern California Women's Intercollegiate Tennis League, and captured a B Division championship in its inaugural season, while adopting the Athenas nickname. Lahanas became the first women's athletic director at CMS after Claremont McKenna became Co-Ed in 1976, and continued to coach the women's tennis program until 1981. She also fought to keep the Athenas nickname, helping to maintain the identity of the women's programs that she helped create.