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Catching Up with Lancers from the Past reconnects with former Longwood College and Longwood University student-athletes, faculty, staff and coaches. Lancers Past is an independently produced podcast not affiliated nor associated with Longwood University.
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As a transfer from Frank Phillips JC, Dave Strothers made his two Longwood years count. As a senior, he led the Lancers in scoring and rebounding and made 87% of his career free throws. For the last 30 years, he applies the same demeanor as a school administrator. Strothers is the principal of Mayfield Woods Middle School in Howard Co., Md. Dave faced his biggest test in 2012 as he and his family escaped their burning house. Dave commends his community for their generousity and former Longwood Head Coach Cal Luther.
Roger Strong and Greg Gilliam were pioneers. They enrolled at Longwood in the first year of full co-education in 1976-77 and were on the first Men’s Basketball team. In the last game of a 2-12 season, their beloved teammate - Jimmy Yarbrough made history in a 134-93 loss. The 5-6 Yarbrough scored 46 points and made 16 field goals, records that still stand today. Listen to Roger and Greg talk about their unique experiences at Longwood and beyond – and their friend, the late Jimmy Yarbrough.
Byron Bracey was a citizen leader long before it became part of Longwood's admissions literature. Raised in a family of educators, Byron made Longwood history. He enrolled in the second year of co-education in the fall of 1977. Lettering three years on the men’s basketball team, he played his part as the Lancers shocked the nation with an appearance in the NCAA Division III Final Four. The 1981 graduate left Longwood as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army and retired 20 years later as Major Byron Bracey.
Shortly after Longwood College became fully co-ed, Robert Boyd, Tim White, and company set the tone for Longwood Men’s Golf. Arriving in 1977-78, Longwood experienced early success. White was named Division III All-American in 1980 and is the only golfer named to the Longwood Athletic Hall of Fame (2016). In 1982, the Lancers won the College Division of the Virginia Intercollegiate Championship. Robert is retired and lives in Daniel Island, S.C. Tim is the golf pro at Lake Chesdin Golf Club in Chesterfield County.
In Michelle Meadow’s 17-year career at Longwood University, she relished her time helping student-athletes. She worked her way up from assistant athletic director for compliance to LU's athletic director. As a four-year starter on the Virginia Tech women’s softball team, she was elected to the Hokie’s Hall of Fame in 2010. The three time Academic All-American is now the Vice President and Chief Operations Officer for the National Junior College Athletic Association.
Jamal Allen wasted no time in becoming a professional baseball umpire. Six months after graduating from Longwood, he headed to the Wendelstedt Umpire School and completed a season in the Northwoods League, a collegiate wooden bat circuit. Last season, Jamal started his professional career in the Florida Complex Rooke League and is expected to umpire in Class A baseball in either the California League, Carolina League, or Florida State League for the 2024 season. Special commentary from Kyle Nichol, Longwood '14 and former minor league umpire.
In just his fourth year at Longwood, Ron Carr’s 1993-94 team made their mark. They finished the season 23-6, #19 in the nation and won the opening game in the program’s first appearance in the NCAA Division II playoffs. And - they also won 20 straight games. Carr remains the only Longwood men’s coach ever to earn two consecutive trips to the NCAA playoffs. Ron retired from full-time teaching in Chesterfield County and continues to coach boys’ basketball at Cosby High.
This is a bonus episode and part two of a two-part series. As a utility player, Tim Lowery totaled 49 at bats and batted .285 over two seasons - a solid, but not spectactular career. But for Coach Buddy Bolding and the Longwood baseball team, Lowery was more than a teammate. He was an unofficial coach with a baseball mind. Listen to Tim talk about Longwood baseball from his recruitment to his 26-2 pitching victory, to his relationship with his teammates and Coach Bolding. Former Lancer pitching great David Mitchell is also featured on the podcast.
This is part one of a two-part series. Long before Longwood, Tim Lowery wanted to be a health and physical education teacher and baseball coach. Now retired after 36 years of public-school service in Chesterfield County, Tim touches on Longwood baseball and how it shaped his high school coaching and teaching career. With 470 victories, one state championship, three regional titles, and 11 district regular-season crowns, Tim is supported by his own all-star team, wife Lori and sons Jake and Luke. Former Lancer centerfielder and base stealer Turk Crosby comments on Lowery in the beginning of the episode.
Born with a curiosity about how things work, Mary Beth Wusk found her calling at NASA. The 34-year veteran is now the Senior Leader of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center at the Langley Research Center in Hampton. The 1989 graduate and Physics major lettered two years as a setter for the Longwood volleyball team before the program was discontinued. She earned a second B.S. in Electrical Engineering from ODU.
When you talk about academic and athletic excellence AND service to peers and your university, Madison Hommey is hard to beat. She completed two degrees from Longwood in five years and was a fixture at midfield for the soccer team. Known as Maddie, she also received the Dan Daniel Senior Award for Scholarship and Citizenship and a Graduate Fellowship from the Big South Conference. This fall, Maddie starts her teaching career at Jefferson Forest High School in Bedford County.
Eliot Dix is the second consecutive Longwood graduate to transfer to a university in a Power 5 conference to play baseball. He is headed to the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill to compete for the starting job at third base. In three years at Longwood, Eliot batted 340, 341 and 347 and is the only Lancer ever named All-Big South Conference three times. Eliot earned a B.S. in Sociology with a minor in Communication Studies.
Joe Kaminski first came to Longwood in 2014 as the Athletic Events and Game Operations Manager and returned a year later as the Assistant Athletic Director for Marketing Operations. In July 2023, he left the Colonial Athletic Association to reunite with Jeff Bacon, ASUN Conference commissioner. In this episode, Joe talks about his 15 years in athletics administration, conference realignment in the CAA, and his new adventure with the ASUN as Senior Associate Commissioner for Sports Administration.
In May 2023, Mallory was named an assistant women’s basketball coach at Division I Northern Kentucky. As a dual sport student-athlete in basketball and softball, Longwood fans remember her enthusiasm and grit. She received her BS in Business Administration in 2021 and was a two-time Big South Conference All-Academic team selection. Mal started her coaching career as a graduate assistant at Valdosta State (GA) with an assist from Katie Pate, Associate Athletics Director for Development at Appalachian State.
Kelly Church quickly realized that making the Longwood men’s basketball team was not realistic. As an aspiring basketball coach, he poured into his obsession and became a student manager. This fall, Kelly will start his 26th year as the head coach at Hedgesville High School in eastern West Virginia. He will also be inducted into the school’s Class of 2023 athletic hall of fame.
Former Head Coach Jhonnatan Medina Alvarez not only elevated the Lancer tennis programs (2017-2021), but his own stock as well. As a student and coach, Jhonnatan graduated magna cum Laude with a B.S. in Business Administration from Longwood and teamed with professor Dr. Laura Poe to pen Results Generate Results. Before Longwood, he ran his own tennis academy in Orlando and was a world class tennis player in his native Venezuela. Medina Alvarez is now a professional pickleball player and a SCRUM master with Markel in Henrico County.
Saturday, May 15, 1982, Valdosta, Ga. marked one of the top moments in Longwood baseball. Faced with a depleted pitching staff in the championship game of the South Atlantic Regional, Coach Buddy Bolding turned to a seldom used pitcher in relief - John DiPierdomenico. JD pitched five innings of shut out ball to earn a 3-1 win over Valdosta State and a berth in NCAA DII CWS. Catcher Doug Toombs joins JD to re-live one of Longwood’s greatest and improbable team accomplishments.
As a 6-6 post player, Ron Orr was one of the first Lancers to ever score 1,000 career points and haul in 500 rebounds. During the Orr years (1980-1983), the Lancers were 77-30, including a trip to the 1980 NCAA Division III Final Four. With a B.S. in Social Work, he served as a principal and administrator in special education and alternative schools in Union and Essex County New Jersey.
Ryan Marable stood five feet nine and 165 pounds and made the Longwood basketball team as a non-recruited walk-on. By playing stingy defense and limiting turnovers, he earned substantial minutes at point guard and competed with the best in NCAA Division II. He passes on his love as a middle and high school coach and founded Local Legends Sports in Chesterfield County.
The 2012-2013 season was Longwood’s first year in the Big South Conference and the women’s basketball team made it count. Despite an 8-10 conference record and a #7 seed, they won three games in four days before falling to the #1 seed Liberty Flames in the tournament finals. While the Lancers were loaded with seniors, they also relied on talented freshmen in their historic run. Kyndal Skersick was one of those freshmen. The Orlando resident talks about that team and her life after Longwood.
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