Talon Talk

In this edition of Talon Talk, North Florida men's track and field's Aidan O'Gorman speaks on his hard work to get him to the 10,000m NCAA Finals as well as the detailed preparation that goes into it. Tune in to ESPN2/ESPNU tonight, June 7 to catch him compete against the top 24 runners in the country in the 10,000m.

UNF Women's Soccer's Ariana Munoz shares her experience playing for Peru during COPA America competition this past summer in our latest edition of Talon Talk.

In this edition of "Talking Title IX" we sit down with Khadijah Rushdan, assistant women's basketball coach, and Eric Faulconer, head women's soccer coach, to touch on a variety of topics around women's sports. Both Rushdan and Faulconer share their experiences coming up in the athletics field, the changes to women's sports over the years and the unique roles that women's basketball and women's soccer have had on elevating opportunity and notoriety for women in sports.

In the fourth edition of Talking Title IX, we speak with Senior Associate AD for Compliance & Administration/SWA, Donna Kirk. Kirk has been at North Florida for nine years and was previously at Jacksonville University for 13 years. She discusses her influences in getting involved in working in college athletics, as well as some of her favorite moments while working in college athletics.

In the third edition of our Talking Title IX series, we speak with Sabrina Ceniza. After serving as a student assistant in UNF ESPN+ broadcasts while enrolled at North Florida, Ceniza has become an essential part of North Florida's productions after graduation. Ceniza has served in nearly every role there is to speak of in a broadcast, helping with replay, graphics, audio, all camera positions and directing. With this experience, Ceniza has grown to make connections in the field throughout Florida. With broadcasting, and particularly production, being a largely male field, Ceniza speaks on breaking into the field as a female. She also shares advice and insight into what goes in to make a quality broadcast.

Over the next few months, North Florida Athletics will feature former and current student-athletes, staff and coaches, discussing their careers and the role that women's sports have played in their lives. 

In this edition, we with former UNF women's soccer head coach, Linda Hamilton (07-13) on her career as a student-athlete, professional soccer player and collegiate head coach. Currently the head coach at Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, Hamilton was recently inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame. Having shared the pitch with other greats such as Mia Hamm, Michelle Akers and more, Hamilton helped pave the way for US Women's Soccer and the sports world as whole for women in the United States. Hamilton was a member of the first Women's World Cup in 1991 and was a four-time all-american in college among other achievements.

Talking Title IX - Navia Penrod (UNF Softball 2016-19)

June 23, 1972, Title IX was passed as a law as part of the Education Amendments of 1972. The law prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or other education program that receives funding from the federal government. 

Over the next few months, North Florida Athletics will feature former and current student-athletes, staff and coaches, discussing their careers and the role that women’s sports have played in their lives. 

In this edition, we spoke with one of the greatest to play for UNF softball, Navia Penrod. Penrod currently works as a special education teacher in the Atlanta, Georgia, area. While at North Florida, Penrod achieved five different career statistical records and was the conference’s NCAA Woman of the Year nominee. 

Growing up in Naples, Florida, Penrod was always involved in athletics, being signed up for soccer, ballet, softball and more. Being raised predominately by her grandparents, Penrod’s pursuit of softball came even before elementary school. 

“My grandfather got me involved in softball,” Penrod said. “He got my first glove for me and get me out in the yard throwing every day. He saw something in me and decided to sign me up for little league at six years old. From there, it was really a wrap, so I owe it all to him.”

Growing up in Naples, Fla., Penrod’s talent pushed her to have to look harder and harder for the right fit as she pursued travel softball. She tried out for teams in Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami. 

Penrod recalls having to drive multiple hours for practices as she found her niche in the sport of softball. 

“As a child, you don’t see how crazy that is,” Penrod said. “But, my grandparents drove me to and from practices between their responsibilities.”

The sacrifice was worth it. Penrod knew it was her passion to continue playing past high school. 

“Watching it [softball] on TV and seeing it, I knew I wanted to do that [play Division I softball],” Penrod said. “I told my grandparents every day and said, that’s what I want to do.”

Penrod recalls Jacksonville, Fla., native and Florida Gators softball great, Michelle Moultrie, as one of her biggest inspirations growing up. 

“The person I was inspired the most by was Michelle Moultrie,” Penrod said. “Her story as a walk-on, how good she got, how hard she worked and representation of an African-American in the sport; I wanted to do everything she did.”

As college approached, North Florida emerged as a favorite for Penrod, being enthralled by the special education program, the campus and the influence of head coach Marcie Higgs. 

The fit became apparent with her illustrious career as she was a two-time conference scholar-athlete of the year, three-time first team all-league pick, NFCA All-Region selection and career record holder in career batting average at a staggering .404. She also set program records in:

On-base percentage (.451)

At-bats (705)

Hits (285)

Stolen bases (83)

Double plays turned (39)

After graduating, Penrod entered the working world as a special education teacher in the Atlanta, Ga., area where she has grown quite the fan base. 

“My students are hilarious,” Penrod said. “For some reason they googled me and found UNF softball. They are so funny. They come up to me with chrome books and find pictures of me playing and think it’s the coolest thing. Because of me, they want to play sports, they want to play baseball and softball during recess. That’s fun to see. “

This past month, the viewership of the NCAA Division I Women’s College World Series, and postseason as a whole, was at an all-time high. All NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals were broadcasted on ESPN+ or a linear network. The WCWS Championship Series between Oklahoma and Texas brought in an average of 1.6 million viewers. 

“It’s changed [coverage] tremendously,” Penrod said. “When I was younger, I only remember seeing the big games, the championship games.”

“I think a key driver [of growth] is just how amazing the sport is and people realizing that we need positive role models for women out there and that representation matters,” Penrod said.

Undoubtedly, women’s collegiate softball is one of the fastest growing sports in the NCAA. 

“I think exposure and representation needs to continue to grow,” Penrod said. “I would like to see more games, more mid-major games and low-major games covered. I think representation in advertisements and sponsorships for women in sports is important in terms of growth.”

A native of Curitiba, Brazil, Reiss played her first season with North Florida in 2017 and added to her legacy every year thereafter. The five-time letterwinner finished her UNF career as one of the greatest to wear the Navy and Gray, scoring 42 goals while assisting on 18 more as she tallied 102 points. 

Reiss finished as the UNF Division I-era program leader in goals, while posting the second-most game-winning goals in ASUN history. Four times she was named to the all-conference first team, while also picking up second team honors in 2017 as the ASUN Freshman of the Year. 

The five-time United Soccer Coaches All-Southeast Region honoree was named to the ASUN All-Decade Team as a five-time ASUN Player of the Week honoree. After her final match with UNF in the fall of 2021, Reiss was named to the Orlando Pride Preseason Team Feb. 1, 2022. 

After months training with the team as a practice player, Reiss’ hard work and ability earned her  contract with the team, an announcement made public June 11, 2022. One day later she made her NWSL debut in the 82nd minute of a game against the Chicago Red Stars. 

Today we catch up with the UNF graduate turned pro!

 

In the latest episode of Talon Talk, former UNF women's basketball student-athlete, Keonna Farmer, discusses the honorary doctorate that she recently received. At just age 27, Farmer became the youngest such recipient in the history of the Tinity International University of Ambassadors School of Business to earn the honorary doctorate. 

Farmer also discusses her current career goals, life after college and advice for soon to be graduates. The Birmingham, Ala., native was named ASUN Newcomer of the Year and was a six-time recipient of the ASUN Newcomer of the Week honor in her lone year in the Navy and Gray.