Caroline Keener “˜09
Position: Assistant director of athletics for Rec Sports (Intramurals, Outdoor Rec, Club Sports, Wellness)
Degree: Bachelor of science in business administration with a focus in marketing and management.
Year started working at Trinity: 2010
1. What was a highlight moment of your athletic career at Trinity?
We made it to the NCAA Elite 8 in volleyball, so that was definitely a highlight. Winning conference all four years was also a big highlight.
2. What is a memorable moment from your time at Trinity?
All the friends I made and some of the classes. I was really close with a lot of the athletes.
3. How did the opportunity for you to return to Trinity arise?
I hadn’t graduated yet, and the woman that had my job ended up leaving in October, and I took an extra semester, so I graduated in December and Aly Hazelwood and I took the job on a part-time basis, and I immediately fell in love with it. She ended up going on to graduate school and I stayed here and got my masters in the evenings.
4. What is it like working for your alma mater?
It’s great. I love it. I think it gives me a little bit of an edge because I’m still younger and can still relate to the student population. It helps me program better for them and manage them better.
James Hill “˜76
Position: Assistant to the director of athletics
Degree: Bachelor of arts in speech and drama
Year started working at Trinity: 1989
1. What is a memorable moment from your time at Trinity as a student?
I really enjoyed being on stage a lot.
2. How did the opportunity for you to return to Trinity arise?
Well, I had some friends who were coaches here, and I started attending some of the athletic events after I had graduated more frequently and became interested in Trinity. I had always enjoyed public announcing. I started that in 1979 with basketball. I just made contacts and jumped back in. I knew the student athletes and I knew the coaches and I wanted to represent them.
3. What is the most challenging part of your job?
I think keeping up with everything. We have such a busy schedule that it’s hard to keep the energy up, but I try awfully hard, and there are a lot of people working with me. But I think keeping up, saying, “˜Okay, we’ve got an event tonight, let me just get pumped up, and let’s do this.’ I love it, I really do. It gets tiring at times, but it’s still enjoyable. I love it when the current student athletes will come meet the athletes of the past. I love the alumni-current student connection.
4. What is it like working for your alma mater?
It’s fun, it really is. We’re very busy in athletics, particularly at this time of the year, but it’s a lot of fun seeing the student-athletes perform well, and, even if they don’t have that good of an event, I’m still proud to announce them and represent them as well.
Justin Parker “˜99
Position: Assistant director of athletics/sports information
Degree: Bachelor of arts in business administration
Year started working at Trinity: 2000
1. What is a memorable moment from your time at Trinity as a student?
I had some friends that I had known for a long time that came to school with me, so it was nice to share the whole Trinity/college experience with people who I knew really well. We had a lot of fun together.
2. What is it like working for your alma mater?
I think having the unique opportunity to work at your alma mater is special. I think you’re more invested in what goes on.
3. What’s the biggest change on Trinity campus from when you were a student?
There are a lot of little things from when I was a student here. There used to be roads that went all through upper campus that you could drive through. Now it’s more of a pedestrian area. The landscape of campus has changed so much. Even the Bell Center has changed so much””there used to be a bowling alley downstairs.
4. What do you miss about college life?
You miss your friends and the whole social aspect, but also not having the same type of responsibilities of life that you get when you graduate. College life is a little more carefree.
Edward Cartee “˜09
Position: Assistant men’s soccer coach
Degree: Bachelor of arts in history, Chinese and Spanish
Year started working at Trinity: 2012
1. What was a highlight moment of your athletic career at Trinity?
I was part of the 2007 team which made it to the National Championship game, and even though we dominated the game, we ended up losing in penalty kicks, but being a part of something that significant was incredible. All season we had a sense that we were a team of destiny just because of how hard we trained, how much we sacrificed for each other.
2. What is a non-athletic memorable moment from your time at Trinity?
Some of the unique classes that I took here, things that you wouldn’t ordinarily expect to be offered at a small school.
3. What is your favorite or funniest tradition that your team had?
We have lots of team traditions. Some of them are still around; some have changed. One of the simplest things we do as a team, but one of the most meaningful is the time that we spend together in the pre-game classroom prior to our pre-game meeting. We usually will get in there 15-30 minutes before coaches come in and go over the game plan. We’ll watch YouTube videos of soccer highlights and joke around, and it’s just a good bonding time to let those nerves fade away and psychologically balance out all the intensive preparation we’ve had all week.
Cameron Hill “˜99
Position: Head women’s basketball coach
Degree: Bachelor of arts in speech communication
Year started working at Trinity: 2013
1. What was a highlight moment of your athletic career at Trinity?
My junior year, we got to the NCAA tournament’s second round. We had a really special group of guys on the basketball team, and it was pretty cool to be a part of that. We were also undefeated on the road that year.
2. What is a memorable moment from your time at Trinity?
When I was a senior, my brother decided to come here as a freshman, so we played my senior season together, and we’re very close, so that was an awesome experience for me.
3. What is your favorite or funniest tradition that your team had?
I mean there is one”¦I’m not sure I can say what it is. We were just really close as a team and we had a lot of fun.
4. What is it like working for your alma mater?
Pretty special. It’s really cool for me. I’m old but I’m not so old that people who are still in the department were here when I was a student. Trinity is a special place. Anyone that goes here understands that. It’s nice to come back here and represent the school on the other side of the line. I really enjoy it.
Aly Hazelwood “˜09
Position: Assistant volleyball coach
Degree: Bachelor of Arts in English
Year started working at Trinity: 2011
1. What was a highlight moment of your athletic career at Trinity?
I would have to say I have two. One came my freshman year when we were hosting regionals and we beat Emory at home in four to go to the Elite 8, and then, my senior year, we were playing at Southwestern in the regional finals, and we beat both Emory in three and Southwestern in three in order to go to the Elite 8.
2. What is a non-athletic memorable moment from your time at Trinity?
I have to say that two of my favorites were being a peer tutor for a freshman seminar. Our subject matter was Bob Dylan. The head librarian, vice president Fischer and I all created the class the semester before, and then I got to be their peer tutor during the class next semester in the fall. It was a really great experience and something you can’t do everywhere.
3. What is your favorite or funniest tradition that your team had?
We had a lot of pregame traditions. I think my favorite, or the one that’s reenacted when we all get together as a team again, like at weddings, is the dance routines we would do in the locker room or team meeting room before games. There was a Celine Dion song we always did.
Russell McMindes “˜02
Position: Head Men’s Tennis Coach
Degree: Bachelor of Science from Trinity in engineering science, with a concentration in chemical engineering.
Year started working at Trinity: 2009
1. What was a highlight moment in your athletic career during your time at Trinity?
Our team won the 2000 National Championship. Pretty cool to be a part of that team. I really enjoyed the year in “˜99 even though we lost in the semis. From a personal standpoint, winning the clinching match when we played a home match in 2001 was awesome, too. Last match on, score tied, came up with the win. Very cool experience.
2. What is one of your most memorable non-athletic moments at Trinity?
It really wasn’t a good thing, but I still remember vividly the attacks on 9/11. I remember how the faculty responded and how the campus community came together. I’ll never forget that.
3. Favorite class:
Country Western Dance! I had great professors in the engineering department as well.
Other athletic staff members who are Trinity alumni but are not mentioned here: Ross Burt “˜06 (bachelor’s), “˜07 (master’s), Emily Daum “˜09, Sylvia Finch “˜98, Zach Fregosi “˜08, Lance Key “˜00, Brant McAdams “˜06, Joshua Moczygemba “˜05, Butch Newman “˜65, Jerheme Urban “˜03.
