Lancers Past

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.

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.

Junior Burr was a member of perhaps Longwood's most cohesive and talented men's basketball team ever, certainly on the Division II level. The 1993-94 Lancers racked up 20 straight wins and won a game in the college's first appearance in the NCAA Division II tournament. While his playing time was limited, he applied lessons learned on a bigger stage. As the founder and owner of Canterbury Enterprises, Inc., Burr's company is a key contributor in commercial construction and real estate development in Virginia. Canterbury teamed with Skanska USA to build the Joan Perry Brock Center at Longwood University.

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.

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 second episode of a three-part series highlights Lynda Chenoweth Loden as she reflects on Longwood Gymnastics. Lynda lives in Suwanee, Ga. Listen to episodes one and three with teammates Tammy Zeller Pierce and Kerri Hruby Kraisser. Teresa Robey Belcher, Mary Schaefer Marshburn, and student assistant Dawn Campbell Farrington also attended the reunion.

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 third episode of a three-part series highlights Kerri Hruby Kraisser as she reflects on Longwood Gymnastics. Listen to episodes one and two with teammates Tammy Zeller Pierce and Lynda Chenoweth Loden. Teresa Robey Belcher, Mary Schaefer Marshburn, and student assistant Dawn Campbell Farrington also attended the reunion.

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.

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.