Lesa Boneé has led the Nova Southeastern softball program for over a decade, after joining the athletic department for the 2003 season. Boneé has a 598-428-1 overall record in 19 seasons and is 416-300-1 in 13 seasons at NSU. In her career, Boneé’s programs have produced 39 All-Conference, 17 All-Region and five All-America selections.
Boneé led a young Sharks team in 2015 during a rebuilding campaign. The Sharks faced possibly the toughest schedule in the nation, but still squeezed out three wins over nationally ranked teams before Sunshine State Conference season began. After hitting a long drought, NSU bounced back and won road series against Florida Southern and eventual SSC Champions, Tampa. In the end, senior Katrina Ammons and newcomer Te Reo Powhiri Matautia both earned All-SSC honors.
The Sharks had an early turnaround season in 2014, producing a 30-20 overall record and going 15-8 in conference. The team finished the regular season in third place in the Sunshine State Conference standings, the highest finish for the Sharks since 2010. After going 1-5 their first six games, the Sharks went 19-4 in their last 23 games, including a nine-game win streak. The Sharks also made history after consecutively sweeping Barry, Lynn and Florida Southern, marking the first time the softball program has made three consecutive SSC sweeps.
Senior Erika Garcia garnered three postseason awards for her performance in 2014, collecting honors as the Sunshine State Conference Player of the Year, All-SSC First Team utility player and Daktronics All-South Region First Team member. Melanie Spicola earned a second-team All-SSC nod as an outfielder.
In 2013, the Sharks had a roller coaster of a season, finishing witha 27-26 overall record and 6-18 in the SSC. This was the seventh consecutive season the Sharks finished above .500. Mid-way through the year, NSU was sitting with a 13-21 record, before they turned their season around. The Sharks finished the year, winning their last 11 home games, the longest home winning streak since 2001, and winning 14 of their last 19 overall. Samira Tanaka was named to the Second Team All-SSC, while Erika Garcia was named to the NFCA Division II All-South Region Team.
In 2012, the Sharks went 33-22 under Boneé's leadership. She helped the Sharks garner five All-Sunshine State Conference honors and helped lead Sara Demuth to All-Region honors and several single-season pitching records.
The Sharks produced a 32-20, 10-14 SSC record during the 2011 season. Despite just barely missing the postseason, the Sharks did field three All-SSC selections and Boneé's fifth All-America selection, as utility player Laura Saladrigas garnered honorable mention accolades. NSU finished the season winning 10 of its final 13 games and will look to build on that heading into the 2012 campaign.
In the 2010 season, NSU finished 45-17 overall and earned its program's second NCAA Regional selection. NSU went 19-5 in the Sunshine State Conference, the most wins the team has ever had in the SSC. Also, five players received All-SSC honors, the most in NSU history, while shortstop Lauren Lopez was named 2010 SSC Player of the Year. In addition, Lopez was named to the 2010 Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-America honorable mention, Louisville Slugger/NFCA Division II All-South Region First-Team and CoSIDA/ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America Honors.
The 2009 season was NSU’s most successful under Boneé as her squad earned a 49-15 overall record, 16-8 in the SSC, and advanced into the NCAA South Region-2 Championship Game. The Sharks post season run was the programs first showing in an NCAA tournament. During the season, Boneé’s team went on six different five-game winning streaks. The Sharks received national attention, making an appearance at the second spot in the NFCA Division II Poll. They finished the year ranked 18th in the nation.
By the end of the year the team was recognized with four All-Conference and three All-Region awards. Lauren Lopez, April Donachie and Dana Bergner each walked away with All-South Region Second-Team and All-SSC Second-Team honors. Rachel Talenfeld rounded out the award winners with All-SSC First-Team honors.
NSU posted a 43-20 overall and 12-9 in the SSC in 2008. In March, the Sharks put together a 13-game winning streak, the longest for the program since NSU won 17 straight in 2001. The season concluded with senior Ashley Baker and sophomore Noemi Luciani becoming the first duo to earn All-SSC First-Team honors. Baker was also tabbed National Fastpitch Coaches Association Second-Team All-Region, while freshmen Rachel Talenfeld and Lexi Sarradet earned Daktronics, Inc. Second-Team All-Region accolades.
Boneé led NSU to a 33-30 overall record and a 10-14 SSC record in 2007. Boneé collected her 300th career win on Mar. 10, 2007 as the Sharks defeated Mars Hill 8-3 in Bradenton, Fla. Meanwhile, senior Katie Veltri s magical season resulted in several new program records as well as a NFCA First-Team All-America selection, the first in program history.
The 2006 Sharks started the season on a roll, capturing wins in their first four home games. Boneé went on to guide NSU through a tough regional and conference schedule that included contests against top NCAA Division II opponents, including No. 19 Alabama-Huntsville and No. 2 Florida Southern.
Boneé guided the Sharks to a 25-29 mark during the 2005 season after facing one of the toughest schedules in program history. In its first season of eligible competition in the Sunshine State Conference, NSU finished with a 9-15 mark, tied with two other institutions for sixth in the league.
During 2004, her second season with the Sharks, Boneé guided her squad to a 32-26-1 record, earning the team s first NCAA Division II South Region Top-10 ranking since becoming members of the NCAA Division II in 2002.
In 2003, Boneé led a squad of only nine players for three quarters of the season to a 25-22 record during the first year of NCAA competition. The Sharks played nine nationally ranked teams and lost a total of 10 games by only one run.
Boneé arrived at NSU after serving three seasons as head coach at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. She guided the Riverwomen to a 90-67 overall mark. Her 2001 squad fashioned a 16-game winning streak, knocking off two top-20 and four regionally ranked opponents.
Prior to that, Boneé was the head softball coach at Southern Wesleyan. In three seasons, she led the Warriors to a 92-61 record, a Southeast Regional semifinal appearance and the Georgia-Alabama-Carolina Conference Tournament Championship in 1999.
Aside from the collegiate level, Boneé has coaching experience at both the professional and high school levels. Boneé, a member of the NFCA, was an assistant coach for the Carolina Diamonds women's professional fastpitch softball team in Gastonia, North Carolina, from 1997 to 1998. She was varsity head softball coach for Venice High School (Fla.) in 1995 and 1996, leading them to regional and district championships in 1995.
She has served as the Great Lakes Valley Conference chair and frequently speaks at camps and clinics nationally. Boneé also has been a clinician for the NFCA, Higher Ground, the Ohio High School Coaches Association and UCLA.
Boneé holds a bachelor of science degree in physical education from Middle Tennessee State and a master of arts degree in educational leadership from the University of Sarasota.
