Johnson & Wales University Providence

Every season the Johnson & Wales University softball team is a contender for the conference title, thanks largely in part to head coach Kim Camara-Harvey. The 2022 campaign marks her eighth as the Wildcats' dugout boss. 

In addition to her coaching duties, Camara-Harvey is responsible for all business and finance functions which includes coordinating game schedules, officials, transportation, NCAA travel and HR hiring paperwork.

JWU may have had its streak of four-straight championships snapped in 2019, but the Wildcats still went deep in the GNAC playoffs. Included in the program's 21 victories as a 1-0 defeat of #21 MIT. Six players were named to the All-GNAC teams and senior second baseman Ally Mishol earned CoSIDA Academic All-District honors.

The Wildcats won 30 games for the third year in a row as they posted a 32-13 mark in 2018, including 22-2 in GNAC play. Johnson & Wales swept the conference tournament then took down No. 19 TCNJ in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. 

For the second year in a row, Jennifer Corona was named GNAC Pitcher of the Year and Camara-Harvey was named Coach of the Year with eight members of the all-conference teams. Corona, Katie Rufo, Kristin Frost, Tiffani Semanchik and Meghan Gavin were all-named NFCA All-Region. Rufo was recognized off the field with CoSIDA First-Team Academic All-American honors. 

In 2017, Johnson & Wales won its third-straight GNAC Championship on its way to a school-record 34 wins. After running roughshod over the league with a 21-1 record during conference action, the Wildcats earned the right to host the GNAC Tournament. Johnson & Wales pounded out nine runs in the fifth and six innings to beat Suffolk, 15-5, and collect its third trophy.

Johnson & Wales was shipped to SUNY Cortland for the NCAA Tournament. Missed opportunities will haunt the Wildcats as they lost, 5-2, to #12 Messiah and 4-3 to the host Red Dragons.

As expected, JWU dominated the postseason GNAC awards. Corona was named Pitcher of the Year, outfielder Frost took home Rookie of the Year and Camara-Harvey picked up Coach of the Year. Eight Wildcats were on the All-GNAC teams, including four First-Team honorees. Accolades continued to roll in at the regional and national level. Corona, Brenna DuPerry, Frost, Emily Gorecki and Rufo were honored with NFCA All-Region awards. Gorecki became the first player in program history to earn All-America honors with a Fastpitch News First-Team selection.       

Johnson & Wales was an offensive juggernaut in 2017, ranking third in the country for batting average and slugging percentage while also rating in the top 10 for scoring and on-base percentage. Gorecki ranked 11^th in batting average and seventh in RBIs.  

In 2016, the Wildcats took down host Williams, 9-0, in the first game of the NCAA Tournament, making softball the first JWU program to win a game in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. Johnson & Wales went undefeated in the GNAC Tournament on its way to the title.

Gorecki, along with Kristen Solari and DuPerry, earned NFCA All-Region honors. Seven Wildcats earned a spot on All-GNAC teams and DuPerry was voted GNAC Rookie of the Year. During her tenure at JWU, Camara-Harvey has coached five all-region selections and 15 all-conference honorees.

The softball team made school history in 2015 when it beat Eastern Connecticut State, 6-3, in the NCAA Tournament for the first NCAA victory by a JWU women’s program. That season the Wildcats captured the first conference championship in program history. Seven players earned All-GNAC honors that year while Solari and pitcher Jennifer Corona picked up all-region accolades.

Prior to her arrival in Providence, Camara-Harvey served as an assistant coach at Webster University, working primarily with the pitchers and catchers.  Before Webster, she was the head coach at NCAA I Drexel University in Philadelphia.  After six seasons she was the second-winningest coach in program history.  Under her tutelage, the Dragons set school records in home runs, runs scored, RBIs and total bases.  

Prior to her stint at Drexel, Camara-Harvey was the assistant coach at UNC Wilmington for four seasons.  She played an integral role in the Seahawks’ rapid rise in the Colonial Athletic Association. With Camara’s help, UNCW earned its first berth in the CAA Tournament and set a school record for wins with 33. 

Camara-Harvey was a four-year letter winner at the University of Rhode Island.  She served as a team captain as a junior and a senior and earned the Field General Award in 1999.

Camara-Harvey earned a B.A. in mathematics from URI.  She has also earned the NFCC Two-Star Master Coaching distinction.

Kim Camara-Harvey Coaching Record 

                 Overall         Conference           Highlight
At Johnson & Wales
2019          21-20            11-5                      GNAC Tournament Third Round 
2018          32-13            22-2                      NCAA Tournament
2017          34-10            21-1                      NCAA Tournament
2016          32-12            15-7                      NCAA Tournament
2015          22-16            14-8                      NCAA Tournament
Totals       140-71          83-23                            

At Drexel
2012         22-26            7-13
2011         15-28            7-14
2010         20-24            8-13
2009         24-21            7-13
2008         27-20            10-11
2007         18-20            7-13|
Totals       126-139      46-77 

Career      267-210      199-100