TOWSON, Md. -- Elizabethtown College graduate student and women's soccer midfielder Janelle Barna was named the Landmark Conference Women's Soccer Senior Scholar Athlete on Tuesday. Barna is the first player in program history to be named a conference's Senior Scholar Athlete between the MAC and Landmark, and the second for the College this fall (men's cross country).

Barna is well-known throughout the league because of her play in the midfield for the Blue Jays over her career. She helped Etown qualify for the Landmark playoffs in three of her four seasons, most notably this past season in 2021 as the Jays advanced to their first-ever Landmark Championship.

The Slatington, Pa. native made an immediate impact on the pitch for Elizabethtown as a freshman in 2017. She recorded four goals and two assists, including two game-winning goals and went 1-for-1 from the penalty spot. Her rookie season ended in an All-Landmark Conference Second Team selection in the midfield.

She scored four goals for the second time in her career as a junior in 2019, this time ending the year with another playoff berth and her second all-conference selection, but first time on the All-Landmark First Team.

Though her senior season was cancelled due to COVID-19, Barna returned to Elizabethtown as a graduate student in the occupational therapy program to play her final season this past fall. Through the first 11 games, Barna was on a career pace having already registered four goals and two assists, which tied career-highs. She was named the conference's Offensive Athlete of the Week on Oct. 4 after a brace against Catholic in a 3-0 win the Saturday prior.

Unfortunately, Barna suffered a knee injury that next Saturday, which was feared to be a season-ender. However, Barna was able to finish out the year in the final three games, playing limited minutes in a reserve role to cap off her impressive career for the Blue Jays. She earned her third career all-conference nod after being placed on the Second Team for the Landmark Conference runner-up.

Barna's intelligence isn't just limited to the field, but also the classroom. A standout student at Elizabethtown with a 3.99 cumulative grade point average, the Parkland High grad will be a four-time Landmark Conference Fall Academic Honor Roll selection along with being a four-time member of the United Soccer Coaches Team Academic Award honorees. Recently, Barna was also tabbed a 2021 CoSIDA Academic All-District 4 First Team selection and now a nominee for the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team.

She is the second student-athlete from Elizabethtown to be named a Senior Scholar Athlete so far this year by the conference and 28th overall for the College since the institution joined the Landmark in 2014-15.