Lancers Past

Hunter Gilliam received his B.S. from Longwood University in May and promptly committed to the University of Kentucky to play baseball as a graduate student.  The Lancer walk-on from the Fuqua School in Farmville earned LU freshman student-athlete of the year and capped his career as first team All-Big South Conference.  Hunter is spending his second summer in Colonial Heights at first base with the Tri-City Chili Peppers of the Coastal Plain League.                                                    

With a determined attitude and superior athletic ability, John Stukes racked up a career record of 70 wins, eight losses and two ties in three years.  At the 134-pound weight class, John was Longwood’s first NCAA Division II Regional Champion and the second Lancer wrestler to compete in the nationals. John is now a veteran high school wrestling coach and math teacher at Hayfield High in Fairfax County.  

Despite two season ending injuries, Geter finished his six-year Longwood stint on a high note.  He anchored a turnaround in Longwood basketball and earned his M.S. in Counselor Education after completing his B.S. in Sociology.  Damarion now applies his education and first-hand experience as a mental health clinician at Washington and Jefferson College in Pennsylvania.       

LaRon Wilson’s teammates and coaches at Lee-Davis High knew Wilson had speed and raw athletic ability, but no one thought he would be drafted after a stellar college career (MLB 2002, NYM, Rd. 15).  The late bloomer caught the eye of Longwood Hall of Fame coach Buddy Bolding, who developed him into a .408 career hitter and a stolen base leader.   LaRon earned his B.S. in Business Management in 2012, 10 years after leaving Longwood.    

At five years old, Phil's goal was to hear his name called at the MLB draft.  Since then, he has been on a mission to learn, improve and prove he belonged.   As a starting third baseman at Longwood, he batted .386 and set school records for career hits (256) and sacrifice flies (22) among other hitting accolades.  After two years in the St. Louis Cardinals chain, Cerreto earned his Doctor of Pharmacy and now practices while managing store operations with Walgreens in the Richmond area. 

Emily Murphy was a key part in Longwood’s first three Big South Conference championships.  The four-time all-conference shortstop left her marks in the career record book ranking within the top four in home runs, RBIs, and hits, just to name a few.  She topped off her career hitting .365 as a senior.  Murphy now passes on her lessons learned from mentors Kathy Riley and Kayla Miller as a coach and teacher at the Fuqua School in Farmville, Virginia.   

Dana Smith knows resilience.  After two season ending injuries at Longwood, the basketball standout from Woodbridge racked up 1,540 points and 708 rebounds.  For his grit and resilience, Smith was a two-time finalist for the V Foundation Comeback Award.  He took full advantage of his 6-year stay in Farmville and earned two bachelor’s degrees. 

Brian Sprinkle was a fixture in goal as the Lancers posted a 50-15-11 record from 1981 to 1984.  The three-time all-conference keeper received his BS in Business Administration and Marketing.  After 20 years in corporate advertising and 10 years in college coaching, Sprinkle continues to pay tribute to his late teammate and Longwood All-American Mark McCardle. 

Danny Sterling came to Longwood in 2006 as the Head Athletic Trainer and left in 2009 as the Associate Athletic Director for Internal Operations.  He applied lessons learned from Longwood’s transition to Division I as the Athletic Director at UVA-Wise and Presbyterian College.  After a two-year stint as VCU’s Executive Associate Athletic Director, Sterling is the Vice President of Sales for A Better Way Athletics. 

Randy Johnson, Longwood '82, made his mark in the beginning of co-education and men’s basketball.  He was the leading rebounder on the NCAA Division III Final Four Team in 1980 and then mentored a young Jerome Kersey in Longwood’s first two years in Division II.  At George Wythe High in Richmond, Johnson teamed with another future NBA veteran - Paul Pressey.  After a 32-year career with Philip Morris, Johnson is now an accomplished salt and freshwater fisherman. 

Kathryn Idleson Noftzger wasted no time making her mark as a Longwood gymnast.  The freshman from Severn, MD finished 7th in nationals and was Longwood’s first A-A in any sport.  On May 5, 2017, she faced her biggest opposition when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  With help from friends and husband, Mike, she is now cancer free and a passionate advocate for early detection and awareness.  Learn more about Kathryn’s story of strength, hope and faith in this episode of the Lancers Past Podcast.

“Jerome Kersey:  Overcoming the Odds” is a motivational story about a young man who came from humble beginnings to rise to the top of professional basketball.  Kerry Eggers, veteran Portland Oregon area journalist, tells the story through Jerome’s friends, teammates, family, and coaches.    

Mitch Walker is featured in the third and final tribute to Longwood basketball legend Jerome Kersey.   Walker, who bonded with Jerome as a freshman on and off the basketball court, reflects on the traits and characteristics that made Kersey special.  Walker is a Financial Advisor for the Equitable Advisors Group and the First Deputy Director of Administration for Children’s Services with the City of New York.   

John Rusevlyan is featured in the second episode of a three-part tribute to Longwood basketball legend Jerome Kersey.   Rusevlyan, who roomed with Jerome for two years, reflects on lessons learned from the elder Kersey.  Now, John is the owner and broker of ProSouth Realty in Florence Ala.

Orlando Turner or “O” is featured in this episode as part of a tribute to Longwood basketball legend Jerome Kersey.   O, who knew Jerome from basketball at Longwood to his untimely death in 2015, looks back at their friendship and brotherhood.  Turner lives in Fredericksburg where he is a Team Leader and Loan Specialist with the US Small Business Administration.  

With a BA in Physics from the University of Virginia in hand and a year of eligibility, Colin Ducharme had an itch to play more college basketball.   As a Longwood College graduate student, the 6-9, 243 Ducharme dominated the paint and helped engineer one of Division II’s biggest turnarounds with a 28-3 and a berth in the NCAA playoffs.  Ducharme is now the Executive Director of Sterling Capital Management in Virginia Beach.   

Sean Flood spent just two years at Longwood, but his love for basketball and Ireland is a lifetime.  As a team captain, he has represented Ireland for 10 years in international competition.  Flood and the Irish senior national team won the 2021 FIBA European Championship for small countries in August to qualify for the EuroBasket 2025 tournament.  Flood, a two-time All-Big South Academic selection, starts his second year of professional basketball with Omonia, a first division club in Nocosia, Cyprus.  

Kelsey Pardue was arguably the best women’s soccer player since Longwood started the program in 1993.   The two-time All-Big South Conference and All-Southeast region selection took her game to the major league stage as a member of the Washington Spirit. While injuries derailed her pro career, the Business Administration and Marketing major now focuses on the next generation as a coach for Loudoun Soccer.   Now known as Kelsey Surkamp, she describes how total immersion led to growth and success. 

Michael Edge was known by his coaches and teammates as a quiet leader that led by example.  A native of Chester England, he adjusted well to college soccer earning first-team DII All-American in 1988 and finishing his Longwood career with 22 goals and nine assists as a midfielder and a defensive back.  After earning a B.S. in chemistry in 1990, Edge has worked for an international fragrance and flavor corporation for 30 years.  He is now the vice president of sales and global accounts.

It’s not official, but chances are that Aaron Mitchell holds the Longwood men’s basketball record for the longest professional basketball career in the Division I era.  Nine and counting.  The 32-year-old guard from Matoaca Virginia just completed a year in Iraq and is looking forward to returning to the Middle East, perhaps in Kuwait for number 10.  Listen to Longwood’s veteran basketball globetrotter describe how he has worked hard to reinvent and sharpen his game.