In 2012, Leta Gramlich enters her fifth season as the head coach of the Pioneer women’s soccer team. This year, she will rely more heavily on second-year assistant coach Josh Jones who will be taking on the head coaching duties for a majority of the campaign while she is on maternity leave. In four seasons at Malone, Gramlich has a 25-38-2 overall record.
The Pioneer team battled through a tough 3-13 record last season but was close to many more victories, having lost eight games by just one goal each. The defense was strong last year, allowing just one goal in seven contests and only two scores in three other games. The Pioneers also had one shutout in 2011 in an 18-0 win over Penn State-Beaver.
The challenges in the upcoming campaign will be kicked up a notch as Malone officially enters GLIAC (Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference) competition as first-year members of the conference. Malone also enters its provisional membership year (third and final year) of a transition into NCAA Div. II.
Prior to taking over the head coaching position at Malone, Leta served from 2005-2007 as the head women’s coach at Geneva College in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania. During her two years with the Golden Tornadoes, the squad finished in the middle of the conference as the Geneva athletic department transitioned its national affiliation from the NAIA to membership in NCAA Division III. In addition to her coaching experience at Geneva College, Leta has taught mathematics at both the middle school and high school level.
Leta was a two-year captain and four-year starter at center midfield for Malone from 2000-2003. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from Malone in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and was part of a team that posted an impressive 66-19-7 overall record, including a 32-5-4 conference mark, during her four years. She also helped the Pioneers capture a pair of conference titles (‘01, ‘02), one NAIA Region IX Championship (’03), the programs first-ever appearance in the NAIA National Tournament (’03) and an NCCAA National Championship (’02). Gramlich earned numerous postseason honors including NAIA All-America Honorable Mention (’03), NCCAA All-American (’02, ’03), NSCAA All-American (’03), OCSA Player of the year (’03), NAIA Region IX First Team (’02, ’03) and All-AMC South Team (’02, ’03). She was also a two-time All-America Scholar Athlete for both the NAIA and the NCCAA.
Leta is married to David Gramlich, a 2005 Malone graduate who earned 10 NAIA All-America honors as a Pioneer cross country and track athlete. Leta, David, and their daughter Elia (2) reside in North Canton. The Gramlichs are expecting the arrival of their second child, a boy, in September.
