#3Pillars Podcast

Chris Markwood (Maine '05) has spent nearly a decade playing and coaching in #AEHoops and begins his first head coaching job prior to the 2022-23 season.

Chris Markwood was hired as the head men's basketball coach at the University of Maine which brought him and his wife, Ashley (Underwood) Markwood, back to their alma mater.

After leading Bryant to March Madness in 2022, Jared Grasso brings his re-vamped team to #AEHoops - a league in which he has coached previously. 2:59 - Familiarity with elite level of #AEHoops 9:03 - Doug Edert and transfer portal 20:38 - Personal background

Grace Giancola scored the game-winning goal to give Vermont its first #AEWLAX championship. David Closterman and the Catamounts head to the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive season. 1:35 - Reactions from championships 6:35 - Shifting focus to NCAAs 13:49 - Comparing celebrations

Tara Belinsky makes her return to the podcast as an America East alum and Community Relations and Youth Football Manager for the New York Giants. As part of her role with the Giants, Belinsky is spearheading girls flag football leagues in New York state. 2:38 - Girls flag football 15:15 - Female influences and opportunities for women

Jen Fry kicked off the 2022 #SpreadRespect Forum talking about "Understanding Microaggressions and Having a Racism Disruptor Conversation"

A conversation featuring Paralympian Deja Young and wrestler Mack Beggs. Hosted by RISE

Samuel Caldwell and Karen A. Jones are diversity officers at UAlbany and Binghamton, respectively.

Featuring Executive Director, DEI, Georgetown University Marissa Robinson, WNBA & G-League Official Fatou Cissoko-Stephens and Under Armour Collegiate Sports Marketing Lead Ayana Duncanson.

Three DI commissioners talk about creating a path for other minorities to reach leadership positions.

America East champions Morgan Haney and Isaiah Powell will play in the NCAA Tournament in their home regions as (16) UAlbany takes on (1) Louisville and (13) Vermont faces (4) Arkansas. 3:38 - Haney 19:20 - Powell

Sam Schwartz and Sean Tainsh preview the 2022 #AEPlayoffs and express particular excitement in fans returning to create great college basketball atmospheres.

Hear from the 2022 #AESD champs! Both Anna Metzler and Luka Zuric received the Dave Alexander Coaches' Award following UNH and UMBC's championship weekends.

Former UAlbany track & field star Kamar Elliott is pursuing an acting career in Hollywood, starring in the latest Netflix series True Story.

Maine Associate Head Coach Courtney England followed her mother's footsteps as a collegiate basketball player and is now coaching as a mother herself.

Maine assistant men's basketball coach Jason Steadman overcame a life-threatening medical experience and is enjoying the opportunity to continue doing what he loves.

NJIT is 3-0 to start #AEHoops play and Miles Coleman earned his second Player of the Week nod following a career-high 30-point game. :35 - #AEHoops udpate 5:31 - Coleman joins

A wild opening week in #AEHoops conference play continues. UNH's coach Bill Herrion checks in ahead of his team's matchup with UVM on ESPNU Thursday, Jan. 6. :31 - #AEHoops conference openers recap 4:46 - Coach Herrion joins

UNH Head Coach Bill Herrion emphasizes that a degree is key after basketball and Chris Lester continues to exemplify the importance of pursuing higher education.

League play in #AEHoops starts Thursday with four women's games. Sean Tainsh and Sam Schwartz preview what to watch for as conference play begins.

Celebrating athletic excellence, academic achievement and leadership from this year including #SpreadRespect, #BetterTogether, championship moments and more with select clips from previous #3Pillars Podcast episodes. :26 - Leadership 20:25 - #AEHoops 31:54 - Athletic highlights and new commissioner

America East Commissioner Brad Walker underscores the student-athlete experience and talks #AEHoops as conference play approaches. :26 - #AEHoops Update 6:33 - Brad Walker joins 11:48 - Student-athlete experience 15:20 - #AEHoops successes

Get an update on records and numbers around the league as Sam Schwartz takes you through the latest news and notes in #AEHoops.

The America East Conference joined the Men's Basketball Officiating Alliance which includes bringing in accomplished official Michael Stephens as men's basketball officiating coordinator. :30 - #AEHoops update 3:28 - Stephens's journey which includes working multiple national championship games

UMass Lowell men's basketball has two wins over A-10 opponents heading into Wednesday against UMass. :27 - Weekly Recap 6:31 - Pat Duquette joins

Sam Schwartz takes you through the opening week of college basketball season which featured key wins for #AEHoops programs. UVM men's soccer senior Garrett Lillie joins to discuss winning the #AEMSOC championship and hosting a first round NCAA game. :26 - #AEHoops review 8:58 - Garrett Lillie

UVM women's soccer senior Natalie Durieux and Maine field hockey grad student Brooke Sulinski compare experiences winning America East championships for the first time in their program's history. 2:46 - Reliving winning moments 9:29 - Playing for hometown teams 16:54 - NCAA championship prep 28:19 - Highlighting women's sports

NCAA digital reporter and March Madness host Andy Katz provides an outlook on the 2021-22 #AEHoops season. With non-conference games back on the schedule, Andy emphasizes the importance of key wins for March Madness seeding.

A preseason outlook on women's #AEHoops with Sam Schwartz including clips of coaches from media day.

Offensive Player of the Week Paul Mayer discusses his journey to UNH, the team's first setback of the year and his teammates' emphasis on social justice.

We R H.O.P.E. works towards breaking the barriers and stigma that hinder individuals from seeking help and talking about their mental health. Director of Development Adam Burak shares his own mental health challenges and how We R H.O.P.E. is impacting others. 3:16 - Adam's story 14:51 - We R H.O.P.E. 29:44 - Other mental health resources

Vermont field hockey goalkeeper Sierra Espeland explains some of the initiatives of the group which includes connecting with other campuses in the state.

Vermont graduate student Sierra Espeland is the president of the Student-Athlete of Color Affinity Group on campus which recently began outreach to other universities in Vermont to connect minority student-athletes. 1:50 - Diversity, equity and inclusion activism 20:01 - Academic achievement 25:35 - Preparing for #AEFH conference play

Matt Langone is the managing editor at New England Soccer Journal and previews the start to conference play in men's and women's soccer. 4:02 - #AEMSOC 19:33 - #AEWSOC 25:10 - #AEHoops

NJIT men's soccer strikers Rene White and Regsan Watkins rank first and second in the nation among active leaders in career goals. Hear about their careers playing together and competing for championships at NJIT. 5:56 - Regsan's journey 8:52 - Rene's journey 15:40 - Vying for #AEMSOC championship

2x #AEHoops All-Conference choice Elijah Olaniyi is back at Stony Brook to finish what he started. 2:05 - Returning to Stony Brook after a season at Miami 10:38 - #AEHoops outlook 17:10 - Nigerian roots and culture differences

America East SAAC Chair and Stony Brook volleyball student-athlete Nia Wattley details her involvement in hiring a new commissioner, talks SAAC initiatives and the upcoming fall season. 3:00 - Interviewing Brad Walker 8:07 - Student-Athlete Advisory Committee 20:22 - Volleyball preview

America East SAAC Chair Nia Wattley lays out her goals for underscoring inclusivity.

Jim Ferry expresses his excitement for joining #AEHoops and what, specifically, had him so eager to take the job at UMBC. 2:03 - Appeal of UMBC and #AEHoops 19:04 - Keys to reaching NCAA Tournament in one-bid league 23:25 - Academics and Leadership

Ashley Langford brings a winning mindset to Stony Brook women's basketball while also emphasizing off-the-court priorities in academics and social justice. 2:53 - Finding right fit at Stony Brook 17:59 - On-court philosophies 24:21 - Academics and Leadership

Newly appointed Stony Brook head women's basketball coach Ashley Langford leading her team off the court in areas of academics and social justice.

Amy Huchthausen leaves a lasting legacy on the America East Conference as the first female commissioner of the league. She offers her final thoughts on a decade filled with impactful initiatives, athletic excellence and academic achievement. 2:25 - NIL and state of collegiate athletics 7:45 - Spread Respect and other initiatives 25:21 - Reminiscing top moments

The inception of the America East Spread Respect initiative occurred early in Amy Huchthausen's tenure as America East commissioner. Now, as Amy departs, she shares her pride in its growth.

Stony Brook's India Pagan will represent Puerto Rico in the Tokyo Olympic Games while UMass Lowell alum Noelle Lambert will compete for the USA in the Paralympics next month. 2:08 - India Pagan 17:11 - Noelle Lambert

Melissa Hodgdon was promoted to Interim Head Coach of Hartford women's basketball after serving as an assistant coach the last two years. 3:30 - Taking over and building towards 2021-22 8:08 - Handling Hartford's transition from DI 18:18 - Previous ties to #AEHoops and coaching philosophies

Denise King was promoted to head coach of UMass Lowell women's basketball in May. She looks forward to coaching a similar roster in 2021-22 and shares the importance of community leadership and academics. 2:00 - Assuming role as head coach 21:16 - Social activism and giving back 28:19 - Pursuing Master's

UMass Lowell head women's basketball coach Denise King talks about the importance of her team's leadership in a number of areas.

Kate Bergstrom oversees the America East Spread Respect initiative and takes an in-depth look at its impacts.

Senior Associate Commissioner Kate Bergstrom tells her story and some of the challenges of discovering her true self. As a leader of the conference's Spread Respect initiative, Kate also shares some of the impacts it has had on student-athletes. 2:55 - Growing into authentic self 16:20 - #SpreadRespect 33:23 - Health & Safety Summit & Mental Health Workshop

Binghamton Director of Sports Medicine & Performance Chris Downey describes the 2020-21 year which required adaptation to keep student-athletes healthy.

Binghamton Director of Sports Medicine & Performance Chris Downey reflects on the past year as an athletic trainer and looks ahead to the Health & Safety Summit and Mental Health Workshop on June 23-24. 2:51 - Athletic training during pandemic 9:27 - Health & Safety Summit 20:13 - Mental Health Workshop