FARMVILLE, Va. -- Forty-one current and former Longwood University student-athletes will receive their bachelor's degrees on Saturday, May 11, at 9:30 a.m. on Wheeler Mall during the school's Commencement. Twelve of 14 sports will be represented during the graduation ceremonies as Ransford Doherty, a 1997 Longwood graduate who is a Hollywood-based actor, will be the featured speaker.
Doherty currently has recurring roles in two network television shows—as the coroner's investigator Kendall in TNT's “Major Crimes” and as Detective Tim Bell on ABC 's “Body of Proof.” The former show, which premiered in August 2012, replaced “The Closer,” in which he played the same role. Doherty, a Northern Virginia native, graduated from Longwood with a BFA in theatre performance. In his spare time, he substitute teaches at elementary schools throughout the Los Angeles area.
This year's student-athlete graduates include
Jamie Brentlinger (Women's Lacrosse - Magna Cum Laude),
Kyra Byron (Women's Soccer),
Kaity Byrum (Field Hockey),
Ashley Cornell (Softball),
Chelsea Coward (Women's Basketball),
Jordan Cox (Softball),
Rebecca Denny (Women's Cross Country - Magna Cum Laude),
Brittany Diaz (Field Hockey),
Sean Flynn (Men's Cross Country),
Nikki Glisson (Women's Soccer),
Shelby Hall (Women's Soccer),
Hannah Hill (Women's Tennis),
Evan Jones (Men's Soccer - Cum Laude),
Giorgi Khmiadashvili (Men's Tennis), Scott Laabs (Baseball - Cum Laude),
Amy Lewis (Field Hockey - Magna Cum Laude),
Vinnie Llana (Men's Soccer),
Courtney Long (Softball - Cum Laude),
Natalie Massey (Women's Soccer - Magna Cum Laude),
Kyler Morgan (Baseball),
Erin Neal (Women's Basketball - Cum Laude),
Lindsey Ottavio (Women's Soccer - Summa Cum Laude),
Devin Pierce (Men's Soccer),
Marta Pinyol (Women's Tennis - Summa Cum Laude),
Alisha Royal (Women's Cross Country),
Stephanie Schenkel (Women's Lacrosse),
Stephen Shockley (Men's Basketball - Magna Cum Laude),
Brooke Short (Softball),
Megan Short (Women's Cross Country - Cum Laude),
Allison Shulman (Women's Tennis),
Crystal Smith (Women's Basketball),
Jenna Sprinkle (Women's Cross Country - Magna Cum Laude) and
Mike Tegler (Men's Soccer). Those finishing their degrees this past December were sisters Alison Akers (Field Hockey) and Rachel Akers (Field Hockey), Joel Helmick (Men's Soccer),
Brittney Latka (Softball),
Alicia McCarty (Women's Lacrosse),
Alex Strittmater (Men's Cross Country), Maurice Sumter (Men's Basketball) and
Robert Webb (Men's Cross Country).
The morning ceremony will recognize degree candidates in the Cook-Cole College of Arts & Sciences, the College of Business & Economics and the College of Education & Human Services. The College of Graduate & Professional Studies commencement is scheduled for Friday, May 10.
