Host Richard Martin has conversations with leaders in sport about keeping Christ at the center of athletics. (Previous Host: Brandon Gilmore, SE1 EP1 – SE3 EP5)
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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 sixteenth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Julia Galdamez, Anela Sandobal, & Madison Woodward, senior captains on the Azusa Pacific University Women’s Soccer team, on their trip to Mexico. During their time in Mexico, the group, along with the rest of the Cougar Women’s Soccer team, helped build a house for a local
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 fifteenth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Gabriella Widman, a senior member of the Women’s Basketball team at Faith Baptist Bible College on her mission trip to Kosovo. During her time in Kosovo, Widman helped with basketball camps for local school children, shared her faith with local members of the community, and
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 fourteenth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Sydney Anderson, a senior member of the Pensacola Christian College Women’s Volleyballteam, and Jennika Beach and Kaitlin Rahn, seniors on the Emmaus University Women’s Volleyball team, asboth teams took trips to Guatemala with Dare For More ministries. During their time i
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 thirteenth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Kingsiah Oquendo, a sophomore member of the Lancaster Bible College track & field team, about his trip to Costa Rica. During his time in Costa Rica, Oquendo, along with his Charger teammates, partnered with High Performance Sports (HPS) Costa Rica, to help with various min
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 twelfth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Trinity Britton, senior, and Isabella Mayes, junior, from the Asbury University Women’s Basketball team about their trip to Costa Rica. During their time in the Costa Rica, the pair, along with their Eagle teammates, worked with Roblealto, a non-profit organization whose miss
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 eleventh episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews two student-athletes from Pensacola Christian College – Hope Brooks, a senior women’s volleyball player, and Abby Matney, a senior women’s basketball player – along with Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Ryan Vanderboegh about their trip to the Philippines. During their time in
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 tenth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast, as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews two student-athletes from Manhattan Christian College, Marcus Bauman, a junior men’s basketball player, and Natalie Jensen, a junior women’s volleyball player, about their trip to the Philippines. During their time in the Philippines, Bauman and Jensen partnered with the Trash
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 ninth episode of its fifth season of the #KingChasing Podcast, as NCCAA Communications Coordinator Richard Martin interviews Lily Baalman, a senior at Great Lakes Christian College (GLCC) and member of the Women’s Soccer team who took a mission trip with GLCC to the Dominican Republic. During her time in the Dominican Republic, Baalman played soccer with children at the GO Ministries Sports Complex
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 hel
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 13
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 honor
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
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 ac
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
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 A
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
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 player
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 Univ
A native of The Woodlands, Texas, Brynn King is currently a graduate student at Roberts Wesleyan University, competing on the Redhawks track & field team. King was the first-ever NCAA Division II National Champion at RWU, winning the 2024 NCAA indoor pole vault national championship. King did so by breaking her own NCAA Division II indoor pole vault record, clearing 4.65 meters (15-feet, 3 inches) at the NCAA Division II Championships in Pittsburg, Kansas. She has since won two more NCAA National Championships in pole vault, and just set the NCAA women’s outdoor pole vault record with a jump o
Josh Lindblom is a former Major League Baseball pitcher, as he was drafted in the second round of the 2008 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, and also played in the South Korean KBO League, earning the KBO MVP Award after going 20-3 with a 2.50 ERA and 189 strikeouts over 194.2 innings with Doosan. Michael Maiocco is a former pitcher for Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida, where he finished his collegiate career with a 21-10 record, 203 strikeouts, and pitched a pair of complete games for the Saints in 203.1 innings of work. In this episode, Lindblom and Maiocco discusses their playi
Nina Daman competed on both the cross country and track & field teams at Campbellsville University and was a two-time All-Mid-South Conference runner. Off the course, Daman graduated this fall with a 3.91 GPA while majoring in art with a graphic design emphasis. She has been an NCCAA and NAIA Scholar-Athlete in both track & field and cross country and has earned Mid-South Conference Academic honors in both sports. From Lexington, Kentucky, Daman grew up as an orphan in China, living in an overcrowded orphanage without the resources or leadership to properly take care of her. However, Daman was
Grant Clayton is a graduate of Coastal Carolina University, where he was a kicker for the Chanticleers in 2011 and 2012. Clayton ranks eighth all-time in field goal percentage, eighth all-time in field goals made, and seventh all-time in PAT kicks made in the history of the Coastal Carolina football program. Clayton was also a member of the 2012 Big South Championship team that advanced to the second round of the FCS Playoffs. Clayton currently works as the Partnership Development Manager for World Relief Upstate SC in Greenville, South Carolina, an organization that helps refugees from foreig
Amanda Roth is a graduate of North Central University (NCU), where she played softball for the Rams. During her time at NCU, Roth finished her career inside the top five in program history in hits, runs, triples, games played, batting average, and total bases. Following her time at North Central, Roth worked as an Addiction Recovery Coach in Minneapolis, Minnesota, an Administrative Assistant for the Jesus Film Project, and, most recently as the Women’s Engagement and Academy Coach for Uncommon Sports Group. Roth is currently transitioning into a role with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes
Abby Schultz is a graduate of Grace Christian University, where she played basketball and volleyball for the Tigers. In her senior season, Schultz helped lead the Tigers to their first regional championship in school history, culminating in a fourth-place finish at the 2016 NCCAA Division II Women’s Basketball Championship. Schultz was an NCCAA First Team All-American selection in 2016 and was the winner of the prestigious Game Plan 4 LIFE Award. Following her playing career, Schultz coached women’s basketball at Hannibal-LaGrange University, Dordt University, and Indiana Wesleyan University b
Collin Cone is the head men’s soccer coach at Lubbock Christian University. Cone is entering his third season as head coach of the Chaparrals, guiding LCU to a pair of wins over nationally ranked opponents in his first year and has had seven players named to the Lone Star All-Conference Team, along with one Lone Star Conference Academic Player of the Year Award winner. Cone is a graduate of Grace College, where he registered a 23-16-7 mark in goal for the Lancers, making 203 saves and posting 15 shutouts, guiding Grace to back-to-back NCCAA Division I Men’s Soccer National Championship appeara
