Santa Rosa Junior College soccer coach Emiria Salzmann has been named the women’s junior college Coach of the Year by National Soccer Coaches Association of America after leading the Bear Cubs to a 22-3-1 record and a berth in the California state-title game this past season.

Salzmann, who starred as a player at Piner High and Sonoma State, received the award Friday night during an awards banquet at the NSCAA annual convention in St. Louis. She is the first California coach to win the award since 2003 and the second SRJC coach to receive the honor, joining Karen Stanley (1998).

“I’m shocked and completely overwhelmed,” Salzmann said. “I didn’t expect that at all … It’s an honor to have my colleagues recognize the magnitude of the season we had.”

In her two years at SRJC, Salzmann has a 37-7-5 record and has won two Big 8 Conference titles. The Bear Cubs lost to unbeaten Cerritos, 4-2, in double overtime in the state-championship game in December.