Bio

Kristina Llanes was named the new women's lacrosse coach at Mars Hill on August 10, 2016. In its first two seasons the program has experienced increased success and produced a First Team All-Conference student-athlete (2018), Offensive Player of the Week (2018,2019), an All-Conference Honorable Mention (2019) and a SAC statistical category leader (2019). In addition to these athletic accomplishments there have been several Lions names to the SAC Commissioner Honor Role.

In addition to her responsibilities of leading the MHU women’s lacrosse program, Llanes serves as the conference representative on the NCAA Division II Regional Selection Committee and the IWLCA Division II coaches selection committee.

Llanes brings an abundance of knowledge to Mars Hill after spending the previous four years at Kennesaw State University. Beginning another new program in the Owls, she led the team to the Atlantic Sun tournament in just her first season at the helm, while also helping her players garner postseason accolades.

Llanes joined the Owls after last coaching in the collegiate ranks in the spring of 2011 as the head coach at Presbyterian College in Clinton, S.C. for three seasons. While with the Blue Hose she helped build a program that was only a year old when she took the reins.

In 2011, her final season with the Blue Hose, Llanes guided Presbyterian to its best season in program history, while also leading a team with no seniors to wins over Fresno State, Liberty, and Detroit in the National Lacrosse Conference Tournament.

Before Llanes joined the Blue Hose she was the head women’s lacrosse coach at SUNY Maritime College in Throggs Neck, NY for three seasons. She helped launch the program, which is now part of the Division III Skyline Conference. Under her guidance, the Privateers earned their first win as a varsity sport – an 18-5 victory over Pine Manor on Mar. 17, 2008. The team was awarded the Skyline Conference Sportsmanship Award in 2008, the Privateers first full season in the league.

Prior to her time at SUNY Maritime, Llanes spent one year as the assistant coach at Averett University, in Danville, Va. In addition to working with the Division III Cougars of the South Athletic Conference, she served as the assistant coach to the boy’s team at Hargrave Military Academy.

Llanes was a four-year starter at Pfeiffer University, where she earned a B.A. in Communications in 2004. As a senior, Llanes helped lead the Falcons to the Carolinas-Virginia Athletic Conference championship and a No.7 spot in the final Division II rankings.

A native of Tracey’s Landing, Md., Llanes currently resides in Mars Hill, N.C. with her dog, Chloe.