Lacina joins the Redbirds after spending the past two years as a graduate assistant with the Northern State swimming & diving program while pursuing a Master of Science in Sports Leadership and Performance. She will primarily oversee Illinois State's mid-distance and distance swimmers.

During her time at Northern State, Lacina gained experience in nearly every facet of a Division II swimming & diving program. She assisted with recruiting efforts, coordinated official and unofficial visits, developed practice plans for multiple training groups throughout the season, led training sessions, organized team travel and meals and helped oversee student-athlete welfare. She also supported the program's fundraising initiatives, helping raise more than $20,000 for team travel and expenses, and revitalized Northern State's Water Wolves swim lesson program by implementing a new scheduling model that generated more than $25,000 each semester to support team operations.

Lacina also has experience assisting with the Texas Longhorns and Kansas Jayhawks swimming & diving camps, gaining experience with two of the nation's premier collegiate swimming programs.

Outside of her collegiate coaching experience, Lacina has coached with the Aberdeen Stingrays since September 2024, where 95 percent of the athletes in her training group qualified for the state championships during her first season. She previously coached with the Mandan Marlins Swim Club, emphasizing technical development, injury prevention, mental wellness and long-term athlete development.

Before beginning her coaching career, Lacina competed collegiately at the University of Mary, specializing in the freestyle and backstroke. She earned her bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Mary in 2023.