Jen Lada
{{Short description|American sportscaster (born 1981)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Jen Lada
| image = Jen Lada 12 Degrees Aaron Rodgers.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Lada broadcasting in 2021
| birth_name = Jennifer Lada
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1981|01|14}}
| birth_place = Spring Grove, Illinois, U.S.
| death_date =
| death_place =
| other_names =
| occupation = Sports reporter and anchor
| years_active = 2003–present
| known_for =
| alma_mater = Marquette University
| spouse = {{marriage|Dario Melendez|2017}}
| children = 3
| notable_works =
}}
Jennifer Lada (born January 14, 1981) is an American sportscaster for ESPN. She previously worked for networks in Milwaukee and Chicago.
Early life and education
Lada grew up in the town of Spring Grove, Illinois, between Chicago and Milwaukee. She ran track at Marian Central Catholic High School. She captained the cheerleading team while studying communication at Marquette University in Wisconsin, where she graduated in 2002.{{cite news|url=https://alumni.marquette.edu/awards-2022/recipients/comm-lada|title=Young Alumna of the Year Award|date=2022|work=alumni.marquette.edu|publisher=Marquette University|access-date=April 13, 2023}}
Career
Lada began her broadcasting career after college as a sports reporter and anchor for the NBC affiliate station WREX in Rockford, Illinois.{{cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/entertainment/television-radio/2020/08/17/jen-lada-joining-mark-chmura-gabe-neitzel-espn-milwaukee-radio/3385960001/|title=Sports reporter Jen Lada is joining Mark Chmura and Gabe Neitzel on ESPN Milwaukee radio|last=Foran|first=Chris|date=August 17, 2020|work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|access-date=April 13, 2023}} A restaurant service job supplemented her income in Rockford. She moved to the Fox affiliate WITI in Milwaukee in 2006. She eventually felt "limited" in her role as a weekend sports anchor for WITI, and in early 2013 she moved to a larger media market by joining the NBC affiliate Comcast SportsNet Chicago (CSN).{{cite news|url=https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/jenladamkefarewell|title=FOX 6 reporter Jen Lada lands sports job in Chicago|last=Owczarski|first=Jim|date=January 30, 2013|work=onmilwaukee.com|access-date=April 13, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://onmilwaukee.com/articles/jenladaespnradioshow|title=Former FOX 6 sports reporter Jen Lada launches national ESPN radio show|last=Kabelowsky|first=Steve|date=September 28, 2015|work=onmilwaukee.com|access-date=April 13, 2023}} At first hired to cover NHL hockey, she worked as a reporter and an anchor for CSN and sometimes appeared on its Kap & Haugh radio show.
ESPN hired Lada in July 2015, originally to contribute to Colin Cowherd's ESPN Radio show, but Cowherd left the network before Lada would have begun in August 2015.{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/college/ct-spt-jen-lada-espn-20180926-story.html|title=Jen Lada has found her way into the spotlight at ESPN: 'She is persistent. She's a fighter.'|last=Greenstein|first=Teddy|date=September 26, 2018|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=April 13, 2023|url-access=subscription}}{{cite news|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/breaking/ct-jen-lada-joining-espn-20150623-story.html|title=Comcast Sports Net's Jen Lada joining ESPN|last=Sherman|first=Ed|date=June 23, 2015|work=Chicago Tribune|access-date=April 13, 2023|url-access=subscription}} She briefly co-hosted a short-lived 8 p.m. ESPN Radio show, Jorge & Jen, with Jorge Sedano. Lada recalled feeling "devastated" by her early experience at ESPN but managed to secure her role at the network by acting as a "utility player" who could contribute to a variety of shows.{{cite news|url=https://www.wuwm.com/arts-culture/2017-04-11/espns-jen-lada-aims-to-keep-sports-in-perspective|title=ESPN's Jen Lada Aims to Keep Sports in Perspective|date=April 11, 2017|publisher=WUWM|access-date=April 13, 2023}} Since 2016, she has served in long-term roles as a features reporter for College GameDay and a host for College Football Live.{{cite web|url=https://espnpressroom.com/us/bios/jen-lada/|title=Jen Lada|work=espnpressroom.com|publisher=ESPN|access-date=April 13, 2023}} She has continued to appear on or guest host other ESPN shows, including Get Up and SportsCenter.{{cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/2018/08/31/former-milwaukee-anchor-jen-lada-re-ups-espn-appears-get-up/1155712002/|title=Former Milwaukee sportscaster Jen Lada re-ups with ESPN, appears on network's morning show|last=Radcliffe|first=JR|date=August 31, 2018|work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|access-date=April 13, 2023}}{{cite news|url=https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2018/08/jen-lada-signs-new-deal-makes-get-up-debut-today/|title=Jen Lada Signs New Deal, Makes Get Up Debut Today|last=Mita|first=Molly|date=August 21, 2018|work=espnfrontrow.com|publisher=ESPN|access-date=April 13, 2023|ref=none}}{{ublist|{{cite news|url=https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2020/09/reporter-and-host-jen-lada-signs-multiyear-extension-with-espn/|title=Reporter and Host Jen Lada Signs Multiyear Extension With ESPN|last=Negron|first=Anna|date=September 11, 2020|work=espnfrontrow.com|publisher=ESPN|access-date=April 13, 2023|ref=none}}}} A feature by Lada for E:60 about the death of college football quarterback Tyler Hilinski won a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Short Documentary in 2020.{{cite news|url=https://www.wistv.com/2020/08/12/espn-wins-sports-emmy-hilinskis-hope-documentary/|title=ESPN wins Sports Emmy for 'Hilinski's Hope' documentary|last=Glover|first=Emery|date=August 12, 2020|publisher=WIS|access-date=April 13, 2023}}
Lada has remained active in regional sports media in Wisconsin. In 2020, she began co-hosting, with Gabe Neitzel and Mark Chmura, a morning sports show for the ESPN radio affiliate WKTI in Milwaukee.{{cite news|url=https://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/news/2020/08/18/espns-jen-lada-returns-tomilwaukee-media.html|title=ESPN's Jen Lada returns to Milwaukee media while retaining national gig|last=Kirchen|first=Rich|date=August 18, 2020|work=Milwaukee Business Journal|access-date=April 13, 2023}} In 2022–23, she served as the host for a weekly WKTI radio show featuring Marquette men's basketball coach Shaka Smart.{{cite news|url=https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/college/marquette/2022/11/07/on-marquette-shaka-smart-radio-show-jen-lada-replaces-steve-homer-true/69625654007/|title=Marquette changing up Shaka Smart's radio show with Jen Lada replacing Steve 'The Homer' True as host|last=Steele|first=Ben|date=November 7, 2022|work=Milwaukee Journal Sentinel|access-date=April 13, 2023}}
Personal life
Lada married Dario Melendez, sports director at WISN-TV in Milwaukee, in 2017; a previous marriage ended in divorce. She has three children, two with Melendez. A recreational endurance athlete, she has run multiple marathons and triathlons.{{cite news|url=https://thespun.com/more/sports-media/21-questions-for-espn-reporter-host-jen-lada|title=21 Questions For ESPN Reporter & Host Jen Lada|last=Hladik|first=Matt|date=July 9, 2020|work=thespun.com|publisher=Arena Group|access-date=April 13, 2023}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- [https://twitter.com/JenLada Jen Lada] on Twitter
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lada, Jen}}
Category:People from Spring Grove, Illinois
Category:Marquette University alumni
Category:American television journalists
Category:American women television journalists
Category:American radio journalists
Category:American women radio journalists
Category:American sports journalists
Category:21st-century American women journalists