West Long Branch, NJ – Monmouth University Athletics and Director of Athletics Jen Sansevero are excited to announce the hiring of Lucy Mason as Senior Associate Athletics Director for Administration and Senior Woman Administrator.
 
“I am excited to welcome Lucy to the Hawk family,” said Sansevero. “She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in supporting student excellence and fostering a transformational student-athlete experience. Her time as a student-athlete and experience at various institutions brings a distinguished perspective to our senior leadership team. Lucy’s drive, compassion, and vision to provide the finest resources and opportunities for our student-athletes and department as a whole will continue to elevate our department and university in this new landscape of college athletics.”
 
At Monmouth, Mason will oversee the areas of sports medicine, academics and student-athlete development. Most recently, she served as the Assistant Director for Student-Athlete Experience at North Carolina Central University. In this role, she monitored academic eligibility for football and softball student-athletes, oversaw the implementation of student-athlete development and leadership programming and identified community engagement opportunities for student-athletes. In her work with the football program, they became the first HBCU program to achieve a perfect 1000 single-year APR.
 
“I’m grateful and excited to be able to join this outstanding staff,” said Mason. “I look forward to supporting our student-athletes, coaches and staff in the pursuit of excellence.” 
 
While at NCCU, Mason also oversaw onboarding processes for incoming student-athletes and managed critical academic support initiatives such as orientation programs and exit surveys. Her use of platforms such as Teamworks and EAB Navigate significantly streamlined processes and improved student outcomes. Mason also served as the liaison to the Office of Community Engagement and Service as well as Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR). 
 
Previously, Mason worked at the University of Central Florida where she served as an Academic Advisor and Tutor Coordinator for Academic Services for Student-Athletes. There, she managed tutoring services for over 300 athletes, implemented training programs for tutors, and advised on compliance and NCAA regulations while working as the academic coordinator for the women’s track and field and cross country teams.
 
Mason earned her Master of Science in Sport Business with a concentration in Athletic Administration from Temple University’s School of Sport Tourism and Hospitality Management in 2018. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree, double majoring in Economics and African American and African Diaspora Studies, from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
 
In her time at UNCG, Mason was a standout for the women’s basketball team, where she totaled 1,907 points in four seasons, graduating as the program’s all-time scoring leader. She is also the program leader in single-season scoring at 22 points per game in 2015-16 and single-game scoring with 42 points in a 2015 contest. Mason was the 2013 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and an All-Freshman Team selection, and added to that as a junior with a nod to the All-SoCon Second Team. As a senior, Mason was named the first ever CoSIDA Academic All-American in school history, and was also named to the Division I-AAA ADA Scholar Athlete Team. She was First Team All-SoCon, First Team CoSIDA Academic All District, NCCSIA All-State First Team and was the Southern Conference’s NCAA Woman of the Year nominee.
 
Mason is actively involved in professional organizations, including the National Association of Academic and Student-Athlete Development Professionals (N4A), the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA), and Women Leaders in Sports.
 

In 2024, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa alumnus Taylor Averill played volleyball for Team USA in the Paris Olympics. He helped to secure a bronze medal and was named Best Middle Blocker. However, according to Averill, nothing compares to Hawaiʻi volleyball.

“There were more people at this year’s [UH game vs. Long Beach State] than were in the stands at the Olympics,” Averill said. “There’s nothing like all the love and support you get in Hawaiʻi.”

Rough start

The California native’s collegiate volleyball journey did not begin in Mānoa. In 2012, after one semester at UC Irvine, Averill was cut from the volleyball team. Determined to keep playing, he reached out to UH Mānoa Head Coach Charlie Wade.

“At that time, [Wade] just said, ‘Hey, we all make mistakes,’ and I just felt like I resonated with his message,” Averill recalled. “It just felt like a good fit.”

He joined the Rainbow Warriors as a setter/opposite hitter but was soon cut again at the end of his freshman year.

“When I first came to UH, it’s almost like I didn’t learn my lesson at UC Irvine,” Averill said, admitting his priorities at the time were partying and playing volleyball.

Another second chance

Realizing he needed to change, Averill transformed himself—dropping 20 pounds, adding 11 inches to his vertical, and earning a 4.0 GPA. After he pleaded with Wade, the coach gave him one more chance, but made it clear the only open position was middle blocker.

“I went to the Olympics because I’m a middle blocker. I went to the Olympics because in those six months, I realized what real hard work looked like,” said Averill. “I owe so much of my career professionally, with the national team to what happened to me here in Hawaiʻi.”

Averill became a two-time AVCA First Team All-American and earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from UH Mānoa in 2015.

Pushing through

After graduating, Averill went on to play professionally in Italy, France and Poland. While playing overseas, he dealt with injuries, self-doubt and mental health challenges. The excitement he once had for volleyball began to fade, and injuries kept him from training with the national team.

He considered stepping away from volleyball entirely, but eventually came to a place of clarity: “I know I’m an Olympian no matter what. I love myself whether I go or not.”

By summer 2023, he was able to train with Team USA. In May 2024, the Olympic team was announced, and Averill made the cut.

Averill said, “I just kept pushing through, and I’m so happy I did because the experience of the Olympics was, without a doubt, like the coolest experience of my entire life.”

Learn more about other outstanding UH Alumni.

LaFore qualified for the under-20 championships earlier this season with his throw of 66.68 meters, the then No. 8 best U20 U.S. throw ever. 

At the championship, LaFore started with a toss of 68.04 meters, a mark that was good enough to send him to the finals. His next two throws reached 65.43 and 65.26 meters. 

Entering the finals, the Littleton, Colo., native first threw a 66.07-meter toss before hitting his personal best. His fifth throw moved him into first place at 230′ 07″ (70.29 meters), a new personal best and nearly 12 feet more than his best coming into today. 

With the crowd now getting into the fun and cheering on LaFore, his last throw landed at 69.16 meters. His national victory looked evident before the last throw of the competition stole the lead at 70.78 meters. 

Throws coach Paul Barrett said, “Charles stepped up and competed super hard. He represented Wyoming very well with a big crowd cheering him on.”

Freshman Charles LaFore is now the third-best U.S. junior hammer thrower ever and holds the sixth-best U.S. U20 hammer throw ever.

LaFore will now enter next track and field season as the USATF U20 national runner-up, looking for a breakout sophomore season.

Stay up to date with Wyoming track & field by following @wyo_track on X and Instagram.

-WYO-

NORTHFIELD, Minn. – In conjunction with Carleton College’s Alumni Reunion Weekend activities, six individuals will become the newest members of the ‘C’ Club Hall of Fame. The 50th annual induction ceremony will take place at 12:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 21 in the Weitz Center for Creativity’s Larson Family Meeting Room (room 236).
 
The 2025 induction class includes All-America tennis player John Flygare ’85, football star Todd Kuss ’85, All-America decathlete Steve Burch ’90, two-sport standout Allison Keeley ’90, All-America swimmer Kelly (Hoeschen) Anderson ’00, and basketball star Kyle Beste ’05.
 
The ‘C’ Club was established in 1976 at which time 19 Carleton legends were inducted either as coaches or as athletes. With this year’s additions, 200 individuals and three entire teams have now been selected for the ‘C’ Club Hall of Fame.
 
John Flygare ’85 • Men’s Tennis
John Flygare was a two-time All-American in doubles, a four-time individual conference champion, and a starter for two conference team championships.
 
As a freshman, he was a starter for 1982 Midwest Conference (MWC) team champions. During the conference tournament, he was the MWC champ at No. 6 singles and teamed with Dan Saltzstein to capture the No. 3 doubles crown after rallying from a set down to win 6-7, 7-6, 7-5.
 
The following year, Flygare helped Carleton again claim the Midwest Conference team title. This time, he was the conference champ at No. 4 singles and joined with Rob Fuerst to form the champion No. 1 doubles pairing that won all three matches in straight sets.
 
Carleton transitioned from the Midwest Conference to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) in time for the 1984 campaign, and Flygare continued to find success on the court.
 
As a junior, he set a then-Carleton men’s team record by winning 22 singles matches and paired with David Treichel ’87 to form a top-20 nationally ranked doubles team. They were invited to play at the 1984 NCAA Championships and became the first tandem in school history to earn All-America status. The duo captured another All-America honor again in 1985, becoming the first two players in program history to collect multiple All-America awards.
 
Capping his senior season, Flygare helped Carleton finish sixth in the team competition at the 1985 Division III NCAA Championships, the program’s best-ever showing at Nationals.
 
Todd Kuss ’85 • Football
A four-year starter at linebacker, Todd Kuss collected a pair of All-Conference awards as well as twice earning All-Conference Honorable Mention. He played during the era that saw Carleton switch from the Midwest Conference to the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and found success in both leagues. Bob Sullivan, who served as Carleton’s head coach from 1979 to 2000, described Kuss as “the best linebacker I ever coached.”
 
Kuss stepped right into the Carleton lineup as a rookie and had four interceptions for a 1981 squad that posted a 7-2 record and a 6-2 ledger in conference games. That helped him garner All-Midwest Conference Honorable Mention. In 1982, he led the Knights’ defense in tackles as Carleton went 6-2 overall and 4-1 in division play in what would be the team’s final season in the Midwest Conference. Kuss was selected to the All-MWC squad.
 
As Carleton transitioned to the MIAC in 1983, he had little trouble facing the tougher level of competition and was one of six linebackers voted by conference coaches to the All-MIAC squad. The team MVP that fall, Kuss collected a team-high 135 tackles, a figure that still ranks third best in recorded program history, along with three interceptions.
 
He owns two of the top six single-game tackle totals in program annals. His 23 stops during the 1983 game against Macalester are tied for most in recorded team history, and he collected 21 tackles at Gustavus Adolphus three weeks later. Kuss received MIAC Defensive Player of the Week recognition after totaling 13 tackles, two interceptions, a fumble recovery, and a sack at Augsburg in the final road game of the season.
 
A team captain in 1984, he received All-MIAC Honorable Mention even though he was injured for a portion of the season. He totaled 97 tackles in only six games, an impressive average of 16.2 stops per game. At season’s end, he received the team’s Lippert Award, which is given to the player who contributes the most to the Carleton football team.
 
Steve Burch ’90 • Men’s Track & Field

Demonstrating his all-around athletic ability, Steve Burch was a four-year letter winner in track & field and twice earned All-America status in the decathlon as he finished eighth at the 1989  NCAA Championships and sixth a year later.
 

He earned All-MIAC recognition three times for indoor track & field: in the 55-meter dash in 1988 and the long jump in both 1989 and 1990. However, Burch truly shined during the outdoor season, where he earned All-MIAC recognition in the decathlon by finishing third at the 1988 MIAC Championships as a sophomore.
 
The following spring brought his first conference title, winning the MIAC decathlon with 6,317 points. That year, he also earned All-MIAC honorable mention for the long jump (fifth place, 6.51 meters) and as part of the third-place 4×400-meter relay that broke what was then a Carleton record with a time of 3:18.64. He also qualified for the finals in the 110-meter hurdles and finished eighth. The 1989 season concluded with Burch’s debut at the NCAA Championships where he placed eighth in the decathlon with 6,296 points.
 
A team captain as a senior, Burch once again collected All-MIAC status for the decathlon in 1989, this time finishing in third place. He advanced to Nationals and made the most of the opportunity, placing sixth overall with 6,390 points. That point total ranked him third in program history at the time, and he still ranks fourth in team annals.
 
Burch was also part of Carleton’s 4×100-meter relay that finished 10th at the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
 
Burch continued his family’s legacy of athletic success at Carleton, as he is the son of Carole Pushing Burch ’61, the first woman elected (in 1989) to the ‘C’ Club Hall of Fame.
 
Allison Keeley ’90 • Women’s Track & Field, Volleyball

After starring for Carleton’s volleyball and track & field programs, Allison Keeley became an accomplished collegiate coach. She is one of two players in Carleton volleyball history with at least 1,000 assists and 1,000 digs over her career. Keeley collected 11 total All-MIAC or All-Conference Honorable Mention awards for track & field before completing her Carleton career with an 11th-place result in the heptathlon at the 1990 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
 
Keeley finished with 1,497 career assists and 1,370 career digs, totals that ranked second and third, respectively, in recorded school history when she graduated and still rank inside the program’s top ten. As an All-MIAC setter as a senior in 1989, she accumulated 789 assists, the school’s third-highest single-season figure at the time. She also excelled in the service game and still ranks second in program history with 81 aces in 1989 and 227 aces overall.
 

In track & field, Keeley set five new Carleton records: the indoor 300-meter dash and 55-meter hurdles and the outdoor 100-meter hurdles, javelin, and heptathlon.
 
She earned All-MIAC Honorable Mention in four indoor events as a senior, racing on third-place entries for the sprint medley relay and 4×400 relay, in addition to taking fourth in the pentathlon and sixth in the 55-meter hurdles.
 

Keeley earned her first All-Conference Honorable Mention for outdoor track & field by finishing fifth in the heptathlon as a rookie at the 1987 MIAC Championships. She was sixth in the event as a junior and second with 4,200 points as a senior. Keeley was also All-MIAC in 1990 for the javelin (second place at 35.26 meters) and long jump (third place at 5.04 meters). She raced on two All-Conference Honorable Mention relays that spring, helping the Knights take second in the 4×400-meter relay (setting a new Carleton record of 4:01.33) and third in the 4×100-meter relay.
 
Keeley left Carleton as the school record holder in the javelin at 35.59 meters, a distance that still ranks 10th in program history.
 
She capped off her career by finishing 11th in the heptathlon at Nationals. She scored 4,326 points, the second-highest total in school history at the time and a figure that still ranks sixth in program annals.
 

After graduation, Keeley competed with USA Volleyball’s Women’s Open Beach and Women’s Open Indoor teams. She returned to Carleton to assist the women’s track & field teams in 1991, helping Jennifer Streefland take second in the heptathlon at the 1991 NCAA Championships. Keeley was an assistant coach for Carleton volleyball in 1995, launching a collegiate coaching career that has lasted 30 years and included stops at three NCAA Division I programs. At UNLV, she was Mountain West Conference Coach of the Year in 2007 and departed as the winningest coach in program history. She is now the head coach at Kutztown University (NCAA Division II).
 
Kelly (Hoeschen) Anderson ’00 • Women’s Swimming & Diving
The accolades for Kelly (Hoeschen) Anderson’s time in the pool included an All-American award, two trips to the NCAA Championships, three MIAC individual crowns, 12 additional all-conference performances, and leading Carleton to the 2000 MIAC championship, the first team title in program history.
 
She burst onto the scene as a rookie and won both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke at nearly every dual meet during the 1996-97 season. That was a preview of what was to come as she won her first two conference titles that season, capturing the top spot on the podium at the MIAC Championships for both the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.54) and 200-yard breaststroke (2:26.46). She also raced on the 400-yard medley relay that placed third and collected All-Conference recognition.
 
The season concluded with Anderson’s first trip to the NCAA Championships, where she earned All-America status with a seventh-place finish in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:25.13). She also finished 25th in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:09.32) and 45th in the 200-yard IM (2:21.66). Her 200-yard breaststroke time at Nationals broke the Carleton record and stood for ten more years; she now ranks fourth in program history.
 
She repeated as MIAC champion in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:27.28) at the 1998 conference meet and collected All-MIAC recognition after swimming on third-place entries in the 200-yard medley relay and the 400-yard medley relay, the latter of which established a new Carleton record of 4:08.29. Anderson was also All-Conference Honorable Mention after finishing fourth in the 100-yard breaststroke. She once again qualified for the NCAA Championships and finished 21st overall in the 200-yard breaststroke (2:29.38) and 23rd overall in the 100-yard breaststroke (1:08.82).
 
Her junior campaign saw two more All-MIAC performances as Carleton finished second in the 200-yard medley relay and third in the 400-yard medley relay. She added All-Conference Honorable Mention twice, by finishing fourth in both the 100-yard breaststroke and 200-yard breaststroke at MIAC Championships.
 
As a senior, Anderson captained the Knights to their first conference team title. She again swam to All-MIAC status as part of the 400-yard medley relay that finished second at the conference meet and the 200-yard medley that placed third. She also received All-Conference Honorable Mention twice, after finishing fourth in both the 100-yard and 200-yard breaststroke races at the MIAC Championships. At the conclusion of the season, she received the program’s “Special Team” award, voted on by her peers and given annually to the team member who best exemplified the spirit of the team.
 
Kyle Beste ’05 • Men’s Basketball
Kyle Beste is one of the top two-way players in Carleton men’s basketball history, as he is one of only four players in program annals to tally at least 1,000 points, 100 steals, and 50 blocks during his career. At the time of his graduation, Beste ranked third in Carleton history with 1,445 points, fifth with 124 steals, and sixth with 50 blocked shots.
 
Beste was voted to the All-MIAC First Team for both the 2002-03 and 2004-05 campaigns.  He did not miss a game during his four seasons, with his steady play also earning him a MIAC All-First Year team nod in 2001-02, All-MIAC Honorable Mention in 2003-04, and a spot on the MIAC All-Defense squad for 2004-05.
 
The Knights reached the MIAC Playoffs in each of his four seasons. Beste starred even as a freshman, playing in all 26 games during the 2001-02 campaign and placing in the team’s top-five in most statistical categories. He moved into the starting lineup full time in 2002-03 and averaged 14.8 points per game to earn his initial All-MIAC nod. He was second on the Knights with 12.3 points per contest in 2003-04 and collected All-Conference Honorable Mention.
 
As a senior, Beste led Carleton to a 17-10 record, which tied for the most wins in a men’s basketball season since 1952-53. During the 2004-05 campaign, he led the Knights in scoring with 528 points, the seventh-highest recorded single-season total at the time. Beste ranked among the conference’s top 20 in many key categories as he averaged 19.6 points (fourth), 1.67 steals (sixth), 5.3 rebounds (14th), 2.3 assists (16th), and 0.52 blocks (19th). That all-around performance led to Team MVP honors plus a spot on both the All-MIAC First Team and the five-player All-Defensive Team. His distribution helped that year’s squad to a Carleton-record 455 assists.
 

By Maven Navarro

The Pope John Paul II High School girls track and field team won the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association Gesa Credit Union State Championships in the 1B Division for the second time in three years.  

 Sophomore Ruby Henry won the 1,600 meter race and the 3,200 meter race for the second year in a row. Senior Ariel Brewer won her second state title in a row in the 800 meters and placed second in the 1,600 meter run, said the high school in announcing the results of the championships held at Zaepfel Stadium in Yakima from May 29-31.

Students from JP II won five of the eight podium spots in the 1,600 meter race with Lily Warne-Mcgraw placing fourth, Adeline Hecht in fifth and Isla Valpiani in eighth.  

The team also fared well in the 3,200 meter race with Hecht placing second, Brewer in third, Valpiani in seventh and Hecht in eight. 

Junior Amy Kondrat placed second in 300 meter hurdles.  In the 4×400 relay,  Hecht, Kondrat, Brewer and Henry placed second overall. In discus, junior Claire Larson took third.  

“It is tough to win one state individual title, let alone repeat as a state champion,” JPII track coach Larry Webber said in a statement. “Their success is a testament to their hard work, strong faith, and encouragement of one another.”  

The boys track team also had two winners, with Sophomore Kevin Hu placing third in the 1,600 meter race and fifth in the 3, 200 meter race. Also, Eric Hu finished seventh in the 1,600 meter run and sixth in the 3,200 meter race.  

“With a commanding performance across distance, hurdles, relays, and field events, the Eagles reaffirmed their place as one of Washington’s most dominant high school track programs,” said Caiti Schmitz, JPII communications director, in a statement.