longwood university

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. 

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.          

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.         

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

Coach Shirley Duncan (1983-2005) coached nine All-Americans, earned four trips to the NCAA Division II tournament, and is the winningest basketball coach in Longwood University history.  Before college coaching, the Lexington Kentucky native and UK graduate taught and coached in Northern Virginia.  She headed back to the Bluegrass State to lead Eastern Kentucky for four years where she won a state title and faced off against a young Tennessee coach in the late Pat Summitt.      

Former president Patricia P. Cormier (1996-2010) envisioned's Longwood's potential in student enrollment, campus expansion and overall exposure.  Listen to Patty describe the journey to NCAA Division I and Big South Conference membership.  She also shares her admiration for Longwood legend Jerome Kersey and how she helped him complete his B.S. in Social Work 22 years after suiting up for the Lancers.       

March 2020 signified the start of the Coronavirus epidemic.  But, for six former Longwood gymnasts from the 1980s, they braved the threat and enjoyed a mini reunion where they shared old memories and made new ones.   This first episode of a three-part series highlights Tammy Pierce as she reflects on Longwood Gymnastics.  Tammy lives in Mifflinburg Pa.  Listen to episodes two and three with teammates Lynda Chenoweth Loden and Kerri Hruby Kraisser.  Teresa Robey Belcher, Mary Schaefer Marshburn, and student assistant Dawn Campbell Farrington also attended the reunion.

Joe Bass enjoyed the wrestling spotlight in Lancer Hall (now Willett Hall).  With a career record of 48-25, he qualified for the NCAA DII regionals and was a key part in a young program. After retiring from the Army, Joe went back to his family roots and owned and operated restaurants.  Now, as a full retiree in Burke Virginia, Joe reconnects with other Longwood wrestlers and plays golf.   

As an up-and-coming officer in the Army, Joe Bass shared his story to anyone considering college.   He graduated from high school with a 1.93 GPA with dreams of playing college football. He learned quickly that barely passing was not enough.  With the help of coaches and ROTC mentors, Joe found his way to Longwood and then to the U.S. Army where he worked his way up to Brigadier General, Longwood’s first in active duty. 

Longwood assistant women’s basketball coach Loretta Coughlin talks about Cassie Ensley from recruitment to graduation in this special 20-minute podcast.  Coughlin assisted Head Coach Shirley Duncan from 1985-1998, served as Softball Head Coach from 1986-1995, and taught 20 years at Longwood in the Department of Kinesiology.   She retired from Albemarle County Public Schools in June 2022 after a 17-year teaching career.  Listen to a related Lancers Past podcast, a 40-minute interview with Cassandra Ensley Storer.

After sitting out for most of two seasons, Cassie Ensley took full advantage of her fifth year.  Now known as Cassandra Ensley Storer, the 5-6 guard made history in 1995 as the first Longwood women’s basketball team to play in the NCAA Division II tournament.  After dropping 464 points in her final season, she ranks #8 in career scoring, #2 in made 3PTs, and #5 in assists.  Cassandra was named Honorable Mention All-American and First Team Academic All-American.  She teaches foreign languages in the Fairfax County Public Schools. Listen to a bonus episode! Loretta Coughlin shares her insight on Cassie from recruitment to graduation in a special 20-minute Lancers Past Podcast. 

This episode is part of a series celebrating Lancer/Willett Hall. The new Joan Perry Brock Center replaces Willett as LU’s basketball home in the fall of 2023.

As a graduate transfer, Jordan Perkins, was a winner – with two trips to the NCAA DI tournament. The one-year Lancer tapped into his experience and leadership to help Longwood to a 26-7 record and the Big South Conference Championship.   Known by his teammates as Juice, Perkins is now in Armenia as a starting point guard for the Mad Foxes in Yerevan.  This episode is part of the series celebrating Lancer, later known as Willett Hall.  The new Joan Perry Brock Center replaces Willett as the Lancers’ home in the fall of 2023. 

After starting at 4-10-1, Joe Parker captained three straight winning seasons for Longwood College soccer, a first in program history.  He capped off his career in ’82 at 14-5-1, the VISA state championship, and a #14 ranking in the DII national polls.   Listen to Joe describe the ascent of LC soccer in the second episode of this two–part celebration of the ’82 team. 

Darryl Case kicks off the first episode of a two-part celebration of the 1982 Longwood College Men’s soccer team, VISA State Champions.  The four-time All-American and Lancer Hall of Famer is retired and lives just outside San Antonio, Texas.