MBU REVEALS 2022 SPARTAN ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME CLASS

Leah Gamblin (Dutchik) makes it back-to-back years that a women’s soccer student-athlete has been inducted into the Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame, joining teammate Cally Gavlick (Siegel) (2021), and Kathleen Juhaz and Carrie Obermoeller.

At Missouri Baptist, Leah was a three-time team captain and captained the only MBU Women’s Soccer team to topple a No. 1 team in the country. That same year, Leah helped lead the Spartans to the highest ranking in program history at No. 12 in the NAIA, along with the 2002 AMC regular-season conference title. By the end of her career, the 2000 Spartan Award recipient held the record for most games started, games played, and assists. A three-time AMC Academic All-Conference, two-time Daktronics-NAIA Scholar-Athlete selection and member of the Alpha Chi Honor Society, Leah graduated summa cum laude in 2003 with a B.S. in Biology and a minor in Chemistry. She also earned her Master of Business Administration from MBU in 2006.

The wife of MBU alum and former soccer coach Chip Dutchik, Leah is the mother of three fantastic children. Currently, the Dutchik family resides in Dallas, Texas, where Leah works as Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase. She has been named a CitiMortgage President’s Club Winner and to the Top 100 Women Leaders of JPMorgan Chase. In the community, Leah is on the praise & worship team, a Lifegroup leader, and on the finance committee at Frisco First Baptist Church. She also is a non-profit board member at Mission Possible Kids.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT LEAH:
“There are many things that I could speak of as they relate to the impact Leah had on my life as a teammate and, more importantly, as a friend. With that said, one thing that stands out is that Leah has always led with grace. She inspired her teammates to be the absolute best version of themselves; because of that, we achieved more than we ever would have thought possible. Leah was our leader. She was our captain and, more importantly, was an example of what a woman of faith embodies. I am so thankful that Missouri Baptist brought Leah and I together. I will be forever grateful that this University and this special soccer program paved the way for our lifelong friendship.”
– Former MBU Women’s Soccer Player April Kelcher

“I remember convincing Leah to join the team as she was coming to MoBap to study but had decided not to play in college. Jamie Raub helped convince her to play, and the rest is history. Leah is one of the most driven, dedicated, and gritty players I have ever had the privilege to coach. She took every challenge we laid in front of her and surpassed everyone’s expectations. Her mentality was that of an elite athlete, and she was a joy to coach. Perhaps what stood out most was not just her relentless work rate and technical ability on the field, but Leah was a complete team-first player and a great leader on and off the field. This recognition is a testament to these things and so much more. I am proud of you Leah, and love you.”
– Former MBU Head Women’s Soccer Coach Juan Pablo Favero

“Leah is the most selfless, Christ-centered woman I know. It was an honor to play soccer with her. She was an exceptional teammate and role model as well as a beast on the pitch.” – Former MBU Women’s Soccer Student-Athlete Jamie Hutchinson

LaTrice McMichel (Crawford) becomes the second women’s basketball student-athlete to be welcomed into the Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame. She joins Class of 2018 Hall of Fame recipient Andrea Seabaugh.

LaTrice made the most of her two seasons at Missouri Baptist, becoming the most decorated Spartan in women’s basketball history. In her first season in Navy & White in 2004-05, LaTrice earned AMC Newcomer of the Year, All-AMC First Team, and capped it off with NAIA Women’s Basketball All-American Honorable Mention. Year Two was even more fruitful as she was named All-AMC First Team, AMC Most Valuable Player, and improved to NAIA All-America Second Team status. In addition, LaTrice helped lead the Spartans to a 23-6, 12-2 AMC record, regular-season championship, and the program’s first and only Top 25 ranking in 2005-06. During her time at MBU, McMichel set the program record for most points in a single game (46) and the single-season records for field goals made (244), points scored (757), and free throws made (209).

Since graduation, LaTrice has continued to make an impact on the hardwood. She serves as a school administrator and head varsity girls basketball coach at Purdue Polytechnic High School in Indianapolis, Ind. For the past two seasons, she has been named GIAC Girls Basketball Coach of the Year with a two-year record of 32-12 (13-2 GIAC). In addition to coaching, LaTrice is on the GEAR UP staff, Indiana’s Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT LATRICE:
“What a great honor to see LaTrice inducted into the Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame. LaTrice was one of the best all-around athletes I was fortunate to help coach. Most importantly, she was a stellar “student” athlete. She truly loved the game of basketball, and it showed every time she stepped on the court. She had the ability to keep opponents guessing on how to guard her. I am proud to have witnessed the dedication she put forward for her education and her talent on the court. LaTrice is an individual that makes an impact on anyone she encounters. Congratulations to LaTrice. It is well deserved."
– MBU Associate Athletics Director & Senior Woman Administrator Iris Dixon (Former MBU Women's Basketball Coach)

John Yehling enters the Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame after bringing the men’s and women’s volleyball programs to national prominence while also serving the University as Associate Athletics Director. He coached more than 25 men’s and women’s NAIA All-Americans during his tenure.

As head coach of the men’s volleyball program, the Spartans went 336-144 (.700%) and qualified for the NAIA National Tournament in 13 out of his 16 years leading the program. He guided MBU to back-to-back NAIA Men’s Volleyball National Invitational titles in 2015 and 2016, followed by semifinal appearances in 2017 and 2018. Yehling earned National Invitational Coach of the Year twice, AVCA-NAIA Coach of the Year in 2016, and multiple conference COY awards.

In his first season as head coach of the women’s program, the Missouri Baptist alum led the Spartans to the NAIA Semifinals and coached Ana Mercado to NAIA Women’s Volleyball Player of the Year in 2005. The following year, the Spartans made it to the National Quarterfinals. He finished his stint as women’s head coach with a .730 winning percentage and an overall record of 241-89.

Yehling earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Missouri Baptist with a B.A. in Communications (2002) and an M.S. in Education – Counselor Education (2005).

John has also left a lasting impact on volleyball in the St. Louis area, having served as a coach and board member for the area’s premier volleyball club – High Performance. He currently coaches with 314 Volleyball Club and is a camp instructor with No Limits Volleyball. After departing MBU, Yehling became Recruiting Manager at TEN Healthcare, a company advancing precision medicine with diagnostic laboratory products and services. Through John’s direction, TEN Healthcare has organized quick, efficient, and affordable COVID testing for MBU student-athletes.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT JOHN:
“Coach Yehling’s impact on the volleyball programs at Missouri Baptist is apparent through the success of the teams: the records, awards, and championships. The same can be said about his impact on the success and growth of both Missouri Baptist University and the volleyball community in St. Louis. John has earned respect from everyone in the volleyball community, and it is almost impossible to find a player, coach, or someone involved with volleyball who doesn’t know John. He is, by all standards, a highly qualified and most deserving Hall of Fame coach. What the records, awards, and championships do not show is the influence John has had on those around him, especially his former student-athletes. He not only made his players better athletes and competitors, but he also made them better students and people and prepared them for success after their time at MBU. He has been the person they can always count on to be there for them. John is one of the best role models student-athletes could have. 
–MBU Women's Volleyball Alum and Former Graduate Assistant Laura King (Janson)

“I got to be a part of Coach Yehling’s first women’s team he coached. I’m not sure he was quite ready for us (me in particular), but what a year it was—a lot of laughs followed by some really good volleyball. John did a great job wrangling us all in and getting us to overachieve, making school history at National that first year. Thank you, John, for a great couple of years and for helping me finish my career on such a high note. Glad to always remain friends. This is well deserved. Congrats!”
– MBU Women's Volleyball Alum and Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2019 Shannan Swiney (Kellogg)

“Shortly after signing to play volleyball at MoBap in the spring of 2002, the previous head coach resigned. This obviously left a big ‘what if’ in my mind as volleyball had been such a huge part of my life the previous 6-8 years. Shortly after I learned John had received the role of head men's volleyball coach, I breathed a sigh of relief as I knew the program would be in good hands. From the onset, John had a way of talking and teaching players that made and kept volleyball exciting and forced you to ‘want to get better' on your own even after practicing or on the weekends. His teaching style was one where you looked forward to coming to practice each day and there was no day that went by where you didn't get better as a player and as a person. John's teams instantly rose to the top and both the men's and women's program had the national title in their sights throughout the season. Truly one of the saddest times in my life was after I graduated and I knew MoBap volleyball would no longer be a part of my life. Today, I still take the lessons I learned from John both on and off the court as examples of how to work, teach, and treat other people.”
– MBU Men's Volleyball Alum and Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2012 Phil Goedeker

“What can I say about John Yehling other than he is ‘The Godfather’ of MBU Volleyball. He has mentored so many student-athletes who have gone on to do great things. I owe so much gratitude to John. He recruited me to play for him at MBU, mentored me through my college days, then during summer camps, and finally trusted me to be his successor. John is an incredible person who is very deserving of being elected into the MBU Athletics Hall of Fame!”
– MBU Head Men’s Volleyball Coach Tom Young

“John was one of the best coaches in the country during his time at Missouri Baptist. He is my mentor still to this day. I call him before and after all our big matches to run my game plan past him. Most of the time, I do the opposite of what he says : ) . John is a huge reason for the success of MBU Volleyball on both the men’s and women’s side.”
– MBU Head Women’s Volleyball Coach Chris Nichols

Brad Cygan becomes the newest member of the Spartan Athletics Hall of Fame for his involvement in building one of the stronger brands in the NAIA. For seven years (2011-18), Cygan was responsible for developing and growing the Spartans’ social media presence, creating the first digital streaming platform – Spartan Digital Network, and building an easy-to-navigate and robust MBUSpartans.com, among other initiatives. He was instrumental in streaming four regular-season games and multiple NAIA Invitational contests to ESPN3. In addition, he served as the original voice of MBU Athletics, broadcasting nearly every sport. His innovation led to the first multilingual broadcast in Spanish and English for an MBU baseball game in 2015.

With limited personnel to begin his time at MBU, Cygan worked with several departments across campus to assist in shaping a professional gameday experience. Through the Broadcast Media program, Cygan made multi-camera video productions on the Spartan Digital Network a regular occurrence for football, men’s & women’s volleyball, and men’s & women’s basketball. He also led the efforts in a partnership with the Sport Management division to utilize practicum students in assisting with gameday operations. During his seven years at MBU, Brad grew the Athletics Communications staff from one Sports Information Director and one graduate assistant to two full-time positions and multiple GAs and interns.

In 2015, Cygan was awarded American Midwest Conference SID of the Year and won the national NAIA Sports Information Director of the Year honor as well. He helped develop the conference’s first Brand Style Guide and was elected to the NAIA-SIDA Board of Directors in 2017. He has also served as a panelist and presenter at multiple CoSIDA Conventions.

Other vital contributions under his direction included regular local media attention from KSDK, KMOX, and the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, national social media attention on numerous occasions, and serving as the media director for multiple National Championships hosted at Missouri Baptist, including Women’s Wrestling (WCWA) and Men’s Volleyball (NAIA) as well as the Pujols Family Foundation Albert’s Celebrity All-Star Basketball Game.

After moving on from Missouri Baptist, Brad was hired as the Director of Communications at the NAIA National Office. He has led video streaming efforts to gross profits of $200,000+ annually (16% increase in Year 1), increased NAIA website traffic, and new relationships with key national partners, including BoxOut Sports, and video highlight producer REELY, among others.

WHAT THEY’RE SAYING ABOUT BRAD:
“The NAIA is so fortunate to have Brad Cygan leading our athletics communications efforts. Brad is passionate about telling the stories of NAIA members and their student-athletes, and it shows in his work. Much of his commitment to the NAIA comes from his many years at MoBap, and it is a well-deserved honor that he will be inducted into the MBU Athletics Hall of Fame.” – NAIA President & CEO Jim Carr

“Brad is someone who sees the big picture, and because of that, he has continually found ways to move both Missouri Baptist (in his time there) and the NAIA forward in the world of athletics communications. As a testament to his work, since I first started working with Brad, many have teased me about having to work with him, but they always followed up with how good he is at his job.” – Former MBU Women’s Volleyball Student-Athlete & Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant, Current NAIA Manager of Athletics Communications and Media