This Maryland high school player profiles series is presented by the U.S. Army.
By Liz O’Connell, CountySportsZone.com
Julianna Harden, a three-sport student-athlete from Bel Air High School, was a captain in three sports — volleyball, basketball and lacrosse – as a senior in 2019-20.
As such, Harden was nominated by girls’ lacrosse coach Kristen Barry to be recognized in the Maryland high school player profiles series.
“Julianna ‘Jay’ Harden is a phenomenal student-athlete who brings leadership, tenacity, and success to each team she is part of,” Barry said.
Harden has a history of leading her teams to victory. She was a starting defender on the girls’ lacrosse team as a freshman, and the team ended up winning its first state championship in school history (the MPSSAA Class 4A title in 2017). Later on in her high school career, Harden led the girls’ basketball team to its first regional title since the 1970s.
Harden also excels academically. She is a member of the school’s nationally recognized Biomedical Science Program and serves as a senior class officer while maintaining a 4.56 GPA, ranking her ninth in her class. She is a member of the PAWS Peer Helpers Club, through which she has volunteered at numerous school events.
“Jay’s wisdom and vocal leadership on and off the court or field are exceptional and can only be matched by her positivity and mentorship to her fellow teammates,” Barry said. “She will be irreplaceable on her sport teams and has left a memorable mark in the minds of all her teachers and coaches at Bel Air.”
Harden will attend LaSalle University in the fall and play lacrosse.