#KingChasing Podcast

This summer, the #KingChasing Podcast will focus on student-athletes at NCCAA member institutions who are serving on different mission trips at home and abroad. The summer series continues with the eighth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast, as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Hannah Skaggs, a senior at Ohio Christian University and member of the women’s volleyball team who just finished a mission trip with her church in Uganda.

During her time in Uganda, Skaggs helped serve with Sufficiency of Scripture (SOS) Ministries and Joni and Friends to help make wheelchairs for disabled members of the village, donate school supplies to Legacy Christian Academy, and shared the gospel with students at the Shepherd Training Center. 

In this episode, Skaggs discusses how she was able to go on the trip, the ways she served the people of Uganda, and how God showed her how to slow down and take in everything while serving. 

For those wanting to learn more about SOS Ministries and Joni and Friends, they can visit sosministries.com/get-involved and joniandfriends.org for more information. 

This summer, the #KingChasing Podcast will focus on student-athletes at NCCAA member institutions who are serving on different mission trips at home and abroad. The summer series begins with the seventh episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast, as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Carlie Blevins, a junior at Faith Baptist Bible College (FBBC) and member of the cross country team who just finished a mission trip traveling the Camino de Santiago in Portugal and Spain.

During their time on the Camino de Santiago trail, Blevins and her team traversed over 130 miles, talking to people who were also making the hike to Santiago, Spain, sharing the Gospel with those around them.

In this episode, Blevins discusses the long journey she and the FBBC team took over two weeks, how she grew in her faith and as a team during the trip, and how she has been convicted to be bolder in sharing the Gospel.

For those wanting to learn more about Seth Grotzke, his work in Spain and on the Camino de Santiago, or how to support his family during their time as missionaries, head to scquest.org for more information. 

 

The #KingChasing Podcast is available wherever you listen to podcasts, at thenccaa.org/podcasts, and on YouTube. 

 

A native of Red Lodge, Montana, Brayli Reimer just finished her junior season with the Polars, scoring her 1000thcareer point and finishing the year with a school record 448 assists. Reimer helped guide Crown on an improbable run to the 2026 NCCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship, as the Polars won four games in four days, defeating the top three seeds in the tournament on the way to the program’s first NCCAA championship. For her hard work, Reimer was named the Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, while also earning NCCAA Second Team All-American and Scholar-Athlete honors this season.

In this episode, Reimer discusses her unique path to Crown College, her team overcoming a long losing streak and an injury before the North Regional Championship, and her experience playing in the NCCAA Division II Women’s Basketball National Championship.

Jon Mack has been around the NCCAA for several years as a player and coach, playing basketball for the University of Valley Forge from 1996-2000, earning NCCAA All-Regional honors and finishing his career as the school’s leader in points, points per game, and second all-time in rebounds. Mack stayed with the Patriots from 2000-2017, coaching the men’s basketball team and serving as Athletic Director from 2004-2017, earning 11 trips to the NCCAA Division II Men’s Basketball National Championship.

 

Mack then coached Southwestern Christian University, guiding the Eagles to the NCCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship game in 2018, before arriving at Lancaster Bible College (LBC) and leading the Chargers to the 2026 NCCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. He is a four-time NCCAA Coach of the Year and picked up his 110th win at LBC and 435th overall win as a head coach in the Chargers’ 82-75 victory over Columbia International University in this year’s NCCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship game.

In this episode, Mack discusses playing basketball at Valley Forge, how he has grown as both a Christian and a coach over the years, the network of coaches in the NCCAA, and how his team overcame adversity to win the 2026 NCCAA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship. 

A runner for his hometown Lions from Ellendale, North Dakota, Theo Thurber was a 2024 NCCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country All-American, finishing ninth at the event in the 8K. Thurber is a two-time NCCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country Student-Athlete of the Week Award winner, and earned the 2025 Elvin and Joyce King Award for Division II Men’s Cross Country.

Thurber had a unique path to college athletics, as he did not compete for the Lions his freshman year. Instead, Thurber dedicated his time to missions at home and abroad, serving in the United States on the Pine Ridge Reservation and across several states, while spending his second semester in India, Turkey, and Greece. He also spent this past summer as a pastoral intern in Paynesville, Minnesota, and plans to study in Israel this Spring.

In this episode, Thurber talks about running for his mom and with his wife at TBC, his time overseas, and how he shares his faith on the course and abroad.

A native of Kiel, Wisconsin, Haley Mersberger just finished her senior season at UNW, scoring 21 goals, the second-most in the NCCAA, and tallying 15 assists, guiding the Eagles to the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) regular season championship and their first appearance in program history at the 2025 NCCAA Division I Women’s Soccer National Championship. Mersberger ranks first in UNW program history in career goals (89), single-season goals (29), single-game goals (6), game winning goals (21), career points (193), and single season points (63).

Off the pitch, Mersberger will graduate from the University of Northwestern with a 4.00 GPA as a ministry leadership major. Mersberger spent time on a mission trip with the UNW soccer team to Spain, led faith-based soccer camps in the greater Minneapolis area, and led Bible studies in the community. She also has seen a middle school Bible study she helped lead turn into a church plant and plans to return home to continue to help with The Well of Elkhart Lake after graduation.

In this episode, Mersberger talks about growing up in a Christian home, how she began playing soccer and arriving to Northwestern, her experience at the 2025 NCCAA Division I Women’s Soccer National Championship, and how she plans to serve her church and community after graduation.

A native of St. Catherine’s, Ontario, James Kryger played collegiate soccer for NCAA Division II Wheeling Jesuit University from 1999-2000. During his time at WJU, Kryger was a two-time All-Conference selection and won a pair of West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletics Conference championships. Kryger then played for NCAA Division I Cleveland State University in 2001, recording 121 saves in 25 matches playing for the Vikings. 

 

After his playing career, Kryger had assistant coaching stops at Western Carolina University and Campbell University, before being named the head coach of the Palm Beach Atlantic University women’s soccer program. During his time with the Sailfish, Kryger guided PBA to the 2010 NCCAA South Regional Championship and a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCCAA Division I Women’s Soccer National Championship. 

Currently, Kryger is the Director of Athletics for Redeemer University in Ancaster, Ontario, joining the NCCAA in 2022. Since the Royals have joined the NCCAA, Redeemer has recorded 29 NCCAA Scholar Athletes, four NCCAA National Championship appearances, four All-Tournament Team members, two All-Americans, and one Game Plan 4 LIFE Award winner. Redeemer University was also named a #KingChasing Institution for the 2024-25 school year. 

A former middle blocker for the Saints’ volleyball team, Katelyn Crosby was a 2023 NCCAA DII Women’s Volleyball First Team All-American and earned All-Tournament Team honors in 2023. Crosby was also a member of a Randall team that finished 23-5 in 2024, earning the top seed at the 2024 NCCAA Division II Volleyball National Championship and won the Southwest Regional Championship. In her career, Crosby hit over .300, while finishing in the top 10 in the NCCAA for hitting percentage, aces, points, and blocks the last two seasons.

Crosby earned the 2024 Dr. Vickie Grooms Denny Award for DII Women’s Volleyball and was named the 2024-25 NCCAA Gameplan 4 LIFE Female Student-Athlete of the Year, graduating with a 4.0 GPA while majoring in psychology and as a ministry student. The Idaho native also serves in her church teaching kids programs, working in the nursery, helping with the youth group weekly, and doing photography at church events.

Following her playing career, Crosby is now the Admissions and Recruiting Coordinator for Randall University, while also returning to the court as an Assistant Volleyball Coach this season for the Saints. 

 

In this episode, Crosby talks about how she found Randall University, how she grew her faith while playing volleyball, and how important it is for her to serve in the church and the local community of Moore, Oklahoma. 

A former cornerback for North Dakota State University (NDSU) from 2005-2009, Rich Bowman was part of a Bison defense that led the FCS in pass defense and ranked fifth in total defense in 2008, as NDSU was making their transition from NCAA Division II to eventual FCS national power. Bowman recorded 101 total tackles, 16 pass break ups, and one interception in his career in Fargo, and was nominated for the 2008 FedEx Orange Bowl Courage Award after returning to the field following a neck injury during the 2007 season. Bowman also earned a spot on the 2009 Allstate Good Works Team, joining players such as Florida’s Tim Tebow along with 22 total players from all levels of football that embody the spirit of teamwork and community service.

Following his playing career, Bowman earned his Master of Divinity from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, and currently serves as the campus pastor for The Summit Church’s Downtown Durham campus in Durham, North Carolina. Bowman is also part of a team that is preparing to plant a church in Charlotte, North Carolina in 2026.

In this episode, Bowman talks about growing up in Houston, Texas, his playing career at North Dakota State and overcoming his neck injury, and his journey into joining the ministry field.

Matthew Tomlinson is an assistant coach for the Emmaus University men’s basketball program and played for the Eagles from 2014-18. During his time as a player, Matthew was a 1,000-point scorer, averaging 12.4 points per game while shooting 34.4 percent from beyond the arc his senior year, and was an NCCAA Scholar-Athlete. As a coach, Tomlinson was part of the staff that guided Emmaus to the 2022 NCCAA DII Men’s Basketball North Regional Championship and an appearance at the 2022 NCCAA DII Men’s Basketball Championship.

Sharon Tomlinson is also a former player and head coach for the Emmaus University women’s basketball team, suiting up for the Eagles from 2014-18. As a player, Sharon was a three-year captain for Emmaus and an NCCAA scholar-athlete, while also guiding the Eagles to a 2018 NCCAA DII Women’s Basketball North Regional Championship and an appearance at the 2018 NCCAA DII Women’s Basketball National Championship. Sharon just finished her first season as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach for Faith Baptist Bible College, helping guide FBBC to a 25-5 overall record, the most wins in program history.

In this episode, both Tomlinson siblings discuss how they got to Emmaus from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, their dynamic being siblings while playing and coaching at the same school, and the uniqueness of lining up on opposite benches for the first time this past season.