Natashia Harris (Basketball and Track & Field)

0:24 - Choosing Pitzer College

1:17 - Starting track & field and basketball and sports as a vehicle to get into college

3:15 - Freshmen year, being a duel sport athlete, and the first time truly choosing to play sports (Coach Kirk Reynolds mention)

7:05 - Pomona v Pitzer athletic community during her years as a student v now and the difference between high school and college athletics (Jim Merchant)

11:42 - Athletics as a component of one's identity and support from friends

13:40 - Track & field v basketball during her time as a student-athlete, attendance, and camaraderie

18:27 - High school v college athletics, the importance of a coach, and her perspective now as a coach

24:00 - Pomona-Pitzer athletics then compared to now and celebrating Pitzer athletics (Lesley Irvine mention)

28:35 - Peak moments as an athlete

33:51 - Decision to be a coach for Pomona-Pitzer

36:19 - The benefits of coaching

38:18 - Kirk Reynolds 

Natashia Harris a 1998 graduate of Pitzer College. While competing for Pomona-Pitzer from 1994-1998, Natashia started at guard for the women’s basketball team in the winter, and competed in the sprints, hurdles and relays for the women’s track & field team in the spring. Natashia was a team captain during both her junior and senior years for both basketball and track and field, and was named as the Most Valuable Player her senior year for both the basketball and track & field teams.

On the court Natashia was a part of one of the                                                conference championship winning teams. In track and field, was member of the conference winning team her freshman year. As a member of the championship team Natashia also won titles in the 100 and 400 hurdles and in the 4x100 and 4x400 relay teams. As an individual athlete in track and field Natashia earned six individual SCIAC titles – three each in the 100 hurdles (1995, 1996, 1998) and 400 hurdles (1995, 1997, 1998). Only a small number of SCIAC women have earned as many individual titles as Natashia. Natashia’s best hurdle times of 15.04 in the 100 hurdles and 64.18 in the 400 hurdles as a senior stood #2 and #3 on the Sagehen all-time lists, and qualified her to the 1998 Division III National Championships.

After graduating with a B.S. in Human Biology from Pitzer, Natashia went on to earn a teaching credential and an M.S. degree in Physical Education from Azusa Pacific University and M.S. Degree in College Counseling and Student Services from the University of La Verne.

Natashia began coaching for the Sagehens in 1999 where she served as assistant coach for both the women's track and field team and women's basketball team. Since then has served as interim head coach for both the Men’s and Women’s Track & Field teams and has assisted both teams as the sprint, hurdle and relay coach. She and currently coaches sprints, hurdles and relays for the Women's Track and Field team. 

In addition to her coaching duties, Natashia has taught science, mathematics and physical education for at-risk youth at Bassett High School and Physical Education at Torch Middle School in the Bassett Unified School District. She currently teaches Physical Education (where she stared and coaches the first cheerprogram in the district) at Serrano Middle School in the Ontario-Montclair School District.