GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Tusculum College has named Jenna Handshoe as the first head coach of Women's lacrosse announced TC director of athletics Frankie DeBusk. Women's lacrosse will become the school's 16th varsity sport when it begins competition in the spring of 2015.

Tusculum women's lacrosse will compete at the NCAA Division II level and will be members of the South Atlantic Conference.

Handshoe comes to Tusculum from Tennessee Wesleyan College, where she served as head coach for the past two seasons. With the Bulldogs, Handshoe posted a 17-18 record and led TWC to two trips to the National Women's Lacrosse League tournament, where they finished fifth and fourth.

"As Tusculum enters a new era by starting our first-ever Women's lacrosse program, we have hired Jenna to take the reins and run with this new and exciting opportunity," said DeBusk. "Jenna was our first choice and came highly recommended from colleagues of Director of Lacrosse Richard Carrington. I would like to thank Richard for his efforts in finding a very qualified candidate for this position and cannot wait to see our student-athletes start coming to campus next fall."

"I am very grateful to President Dr. Nancy Moody, Coach DeBusk and Coach Carrington for giving me this amazing opportunity and entrusting me with building the women's lacrosse program at Tusculum," said Handshoe. "Upon touring and meeting with the athletic staff I knew Tusculum College is a very special place to be."

A native of Greenville, S.C. and a graduate of J.L. Mann High School, Handshoe was a four-year starter at NCAA Division I Presbyterian College from 2007 to 2010. With the Blue Hose, she was a second-team All-National Lacrosse Conference selection in 2010 and led the team in scoring as both a junior and a senior. She led PC in points (49), goals (36), free position goals (8), shots (70), and shots on goal (60) her senior year (2010). She also led in goals her junior season with 28. In 2008, the season was cut short, but Handshoe still scored 15 goals in the four games she played. Handshoe was nationally ranked in NCAA II in 2007 for ground balls and caused turnovers. She was named to the Big South Conference Presidential Honor Roll and also played basketball for Presbyterian her freshman year.

In high school, Handshoe helped J.L. Mann to win the 2006 South Carolina State Championship. She was named the Tournament MVP and the South Carolina Defensive Player of the Year.

"As a player I had the amazing opportunity to be a member of a young and growing program, and I am ecstatic to have the opportunity as a coach to start and develop a program," commented Handshoe. "Tusculum College has the great setting, academic attention, and facilities to draw the attention for high school and junior college prospects."

After earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in history with minors in physical education and athletic coaching in the spring of 2010, Handshoe was a volunteer assistant coach at Presbyterian for the 2011 season while officiating local high school games. Handshoe has also worked various lacrosse camps and clinics and held volunteer classes for the Athens City Middle School during the past academic year.

"I would like to thank Coach Kristina Llanes for giving me the opportunity to learn under her and giving me my first opportunity at collegiate coaching. She will always be a great friend and mentor to me," Handshoe said. "I would like to also thank Donny Mayfield and Tennessee Wesleyan College for giving me my first head coaching position."

While at Tennessee Wesleyan, Handshoe served on the National Women's Lacrosse League Membership committee and was the Appalachian Athletic Conference chair for the Coaches committee.

Tusculum College, located in Greeneville, Tenn., is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, USA and is a NCAA Division II member of the South Atlantic Conference. Tusculum, the oldest college in the State of Tennessee, sponsors 16 intercollegiate sports, including baseball (men), basketball (men and women), cross country (men and women), football (men), golf (men and women), lacrosse (men and women), soccer (men and women), softball (women), tennis (men and women) and volleyball (women).

Tusculum, the 28th oldest college in the nation, is a liberal arts institution committed to providing a liberal arts education in a Judeo-Christian and civic arts environment, with pathways for career preparation, personal development and civic engagement. Approximately twenty-one hundred students are enrolled on the main campus in Greeneville and three off-site locations in East Tennessee. The academic programs for both traditional-aged students and working adults served through the Graduate and Professional Studies program are delivered using focused calendars whereby students enroll in one course at a time.

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