Front row (left to right): Jim Russ, Le'Quita Beaton, Mandy Merritt, Anne Marquez, Chantal Porter, Mike Bean.
Back row (left to right): Nikki Sperger, David Ludwig, Kevin Ricks, Scott Stansbury, Bill Agnew, Skip Meyer, Tony Sutton, Kathy Laguens.

Bill Agnew, a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Northern Illinois University since 2005, was named assistant athletic trainer at Notre Dame in August 2007. He will work with the Irish men's soccer and women's tennis programs.

In his two seasons at NIU, Agnew worked with the Huskies nationally-ranked men's soccer team and the women's track and field and football programs. In addition, he served as an approved clinical instructor. He also was a certified athletic trainer and rehabilitation technician at local high schools.

During 2004, Agnew served an internship at the Provena St. Joseph Hospital in the Physical Rehabilitation and Sports Injury Center in Joliet Illinois.

A 2004 graduate from Illinois State University with a bachelor of science degree in athletic training and a minor in coaching, he also was a student trainer in the school's athletic department. He received a masters degree in sports management from NIU in May of 2007.

An NATABOC (National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Certification) Certified Athletic Trainer, he also is licensed by the state of Illinois. Agnew was the recipient of an Illinois Athletic Trainers Association graduate scholarship in 2006 and received the Illinois State University Professional Development Award in '04.

MIKE BEAN

Mike Bean is an associate athletic trainer at Notre Dame working with the football and baseball teams. A 1989 graduate of Southwest Missouri State with a degree in physical education, the Belle Fourche, S.D., native received his master's degree in physical education with an athletic training emphasis in 1990 from Western Michigan. Bean joined the Notre Dame staff in 1992.

While obtaining his master's degree, Bean served as head athletic trainer at Kalamazoo College, worked as assistant trainer at the Southwestern Michigan Sports Medicine Clinic, worked with the Western Michigan hockey team briefly and also served as football trainer at Bangor High School in Bangor, Mich.

At Southwest Missouri State, he worked at the Southwest Missouri Regional Sports Medicine Clinic, assisting primarily with baseball and volleyball as a student athletic trainer during his undergraduate years. He also was as an assistant athletic trainer at Evangel College in Springfield, Mo.

Born Sept. 14, 1963, Bean also served as a student trainer while attending Black Hills State College in Spearfish, S.D.

Bean is married to the former Colleen Waldron of South Bend. They have two daughters, Taylor and Courtney.

Le'QUITA BEATON

LeQuita Beaton joined the Notre Dame sports medicine staff in January 2008 after serving as the head athletic trainer at Burlington County Community College in Pemberton, N.J. She oversees the Notre Dame men's and women's cross country teams.

A 2003 graduate of Rowan University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Exercise Science with an Athletic Training emphasis, she worked with the men's and women's track and field teams, cross country and men's and women's soccer programs. She also assisted at Washington Township High School with athletic training duties. Beaton went on to graduate from California University of Pennsylvania with a Master's of Science Degree in athletic training in 2004. While at California (Pa.), she covered the athletic teams at Brownsville Area High and Middle School. Beaton also spent a brief stint at Drexel University, working with the Dragons' women's lacrosse program.

A native of Franklinville, N.J., she has also has spent time working field hockey sport camps at Rutgers University, as well as football camps sponsored by the NFL's Baltimore Ravens and Washington Redskins.

Kathy Laguens joined the athletic training staff in the spring of 2006. She will work primarily with the Irish softball and fencing squads.

Laguens came to Notre Dame from Florida Atlantic University, where she was an assistant athletic trainer, working with the Owls' women's basketball, baseball, and men's soccer teams. Laguens was responsible for the prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of all injuries orthopedic and medical for the FAU women's hoops squad that won the Atlantic Sun Conference championship this season and made its first-ever trip to the NCAA Division I Championship.

Prior to her time at FAU, Laguens worked at Florida State University, where she earned both a bachelor's degree in exercise science (2002) and a master's degree in education ('05). She served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at FSU from 2003-05, working with both the men's and women's swimming and diving and women's volleyball teams. Laguens also assisted with student-athlete drug testing, as well as the inventory, organization, and ordering of products and equipment. She instructed and supervised undergraduate athletic training students and fulfilled several other duties.

Laguens also served as a student athletic trainer at Florida State during her undergraduate days, during which she served as the head student athletic trainer for softball and swimming and diving and also worked with the Seminoles' football team, traveling with it to the FedEx Orange Bowl for the 2001 national championship game (following the 2000 season). She also assisted with a University of North Carolina prospective study on injury assessment, return to play, and outcome following a concussion sustained in athletics.

She became a NATABOC (National Athletic Trainers Association Board of Certification) certified athletic trainer in 2003 and has since become a qualified examiner through the organization's training program. Laguens earned a first aid certification from the American Red Cross in 2005 and is a certified CPR professional rescuer.

Her experience includes caring for student-athletes at several conference championships, as well as providing CPR and/or first aid coverage at many events, including an intramural wrestling championship, the Southeastern Invitational youth soccer tournament, an FSU club lacrosse tournament, and youth soccer and volleyball summer camps. Laguens also served as a teaching assistant in athletic training curriculum at Florida State and was an advisor to its Student Athletic Training Association.

Born May 5, 1980, Laguens hails originally from Pensacola, Fla., and is a 1998 graduate of Pine Forest High School.

DAVID LUDWIG

David Ludwig joined the Notre Dame sports medicine staff in January 2008 as an assistant athletic trainer, handling responsibilities for the Irish women's soccer and rowing teams. Prior to coming to Notre Dame, Ludwig worked at the Active Health and Wellness Center in South Bend as an athletic trainer where he designed and implemented rehabilitation programs for athletic and personal injuries.

A 2007 graduate of Ohio State with a Master of Science Degree in Allied Medical Professions, he covered Buckeye ice hockey for two seasons. He also served as Medical Coordinator of Ohio State Summer Camps in 2005. Ludwig earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in kinesiology from Michigan State in 2005. While on the MSU student athletic training staff, he spent time covering men's soccer, cheerleading, football, baseball and softball.

A native of Buchanan, Mich., Ludwig also received an Associate of Science and Arts Degree from Southwestern Michigan College in 2000.

Anne Marquez has been an assistant athletic trainer at Notre Dame since October 2006, focusing her responsibilities on the Irish women's basketball team and the cheerleading squad.

Marquez arrived at Notre Dame following three years as the assistant athletic trainer at Louisiana Tech. While in Ruston, La., Marquez worked closely with the Lady Techster women's basketball team and soccer programs. She also assisted with additional areas of the school's athletic department, providing support for each of Louisiana Tech's 16 varsity sports and insurace coordinating. During the spring, she also taught a sports medicine and first aid course at the University.

Marquez arrived at Louisiana Tech after serving as a graduate assistant at Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, La., from August 2001 through May of 2003. While at Northwestern State, Marquez worked with the Demons' women's basketball and football teams. The Framingham, Mass., native, who is NATABOC certified, also served as an instructor at Northwestern State, heading CPR and first aid courses for university students.

Prior to her days at Northwestern State, the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) member was a student athletic trainer at the University of West Florida in Pensacola for the 1999-2000 school year, working with the men's and women's cross country, women's soccer and women's softball teams.

Marquez earned her bachelor's degree in sports medicine and athletic training in May of 2001 from the University of West Florida and completed her master's of education, with an emphasis in sports administration, from Northwestern State in May 2003.

MANDY MERRITT

Mandy Merritt joined the Notre Dame sports medicine staff in January 2008 as an associate athletic trainer and physical therapist, working primarily with the Irish men's lacrosse program and men's swimming and diving teams. Prior to coming to Notre Dame she worked at the University of Delaware in a dual position with the UD Physical Therapy Clinic and with the university athletic department. Her responsibilities with the UD athletics department included coverage of men's soccer, women's lacrosse and women's basketball. Her job also included carrying out various research protocols and testing for patients following total knee replacements, as well as pre-operation potential coper vs. non-coper ACL patients. Merritt also served as an assistant instructor for a graduate level orthopedic class and is a credentialed clinical instructor both in athletic training and in physical therapy.

Merritt is a graduate of the University of Delaware with both an undergraduate degree in athletic training and a Clinical Doctorate in physical therapy. After graduation, she spent one season at Towson State University, working with the men's lacrosse team. A native of Wellandport, Ontario, Canada, Merritt also played soccer at Delaware, twice earning all-conference honors, as well as a nomination for Academic All-America status. In addition, she was active in the NCAA Leadership Conference and was President of Delaware's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

SKIP MEYER

William "Skip" Meyer is the longtime trainer of the Irish men's basketball team. He also works with the men's and women's golf teams. Meyer joined the Notre Dame staff in 1979.

A native of Torrington, Conn., Meyer joined the Notre Dame staff after serving a three-year stint as trainer at Lehigh University. While at the Bethlehem, Pa., institution, Meyer worked with the baseball, basketball and football teams.

Meyer, who helps with the health care and treatment of all Notre Dame varsity athletes in addition to traveling with the men's basketball team, attended Central Connecticut State College. He received an A.S. degree in recreation and a bachelor of science degree in health and physical education in 1974. He also served as a student trainer during his undergraduate days.

Meyer obtained a master's of education degree from Trenton State College in 1976 while working as a graduate assistant trainer. He also teaches a variety of courses in the Notre Dame physical education department.

He is a member of the American College of Sports Medicine and a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association.

He and his wife, the former Pam Colangelo of Torrington, Conn., are parents of a son, Christopher, and daughter, Lindsey.

CHANTAL PORTER

Chantal Porter is an associate athletic trainer at the University of Notre Dame and oversees the Irish women's Olympic sports as well as the administration of the Joyce Center training room. She is responsible for the Irish volleyball and women's lacrosse teams. Porter has also worked with the women's softball, men's & women's tennis, and men's swimming & diving teams at Notre Dame.

A 1994 graduate of Iowa State University, she received a bachelor's degree in health and human performance. While at ISU, she worked closely with the football, wrestling, and women's gymnastics programs for the Cyclones. Porter then enrolled at Old Dominion and earned her master's degree in education in 1996. At ODU Porter served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer, working primarily with the women's lacrosse, women's basketball and baseball teams. She has also worked for the United States Tennis Association, traveling on its satellite tours.

A native of Altoona, Iowa, Porter was born on March 19, 1971. She was married in July 2007 to Aaron Michael Frucci of Niles, Mich. The couple lives with Aaron's son, six-year old Vincent Frucci.

KEVIN RICKS

Kevin Ricks is the athletic trainer for the Notre Dame hockey team and assists with the football team. Ricks joined the staff in 2001.

Ricks also has worked with men's and women's fencing, the men's and women's track and field teams, the women's swimming and diving team, the women's soccer team and the women's rowing team in his previous years at Notre Dame. He worked two years at the University of Mississippi as a graduate assistant athletic trainer spending one year working with the men's and women's track and field teams and one year working with the football team. He earned his master's degree in exercise science, with an emphasis in biomechanics, from Mississippi in 2001.

He spent the summer of 1999 as an intern at Chicago's Athletico Sports Medicine and Physical Therapy Clinic. In the summer of 1998 he served as a student athletic trainer intern at the NFL's St. Louis Rams training camp (Macomb, Ill.) and work at the Rams preseason football games.

A native of Peoria, Ill., Ricks in a 1999 graduate of Western Illinois University, where he received his degree in athletic training while working with the football, baseball, women's soccer, softball and tennis teams as a student athletic trainer.

Ricks is a certified member of the National Athletic Training Association. He and his wife Cheryl reside in South Bend, Ind.

JIM RUSS

Jim Russ is Notre Dame's head athletic trainer and physical therapist. Since assuming that role in August of '86, Russ has been responsible for the administration of the athletic training program for all Irish men's and women's athletic teams.

The LaPorte, Ind., native boasted seven years of experience on the collegiate level prior to a three-year stint in the USFL as head athletic trainer of the Tampa Bay Bandits of the United States Football League just prior to coming to Notre Dame. From 1977-82, Russ served as assistant athletic trainer and physical therapist at Purdue. He then held the same position at Florida the following two seasons.

A graduate of Ball State with a major in physical education and minors in health science and athletic training, Russ earned his master's degree in athletic training and sports medicine from Arizona and added a bachelor's degree from Florida International in physical therapy.

Russ worked as head athletic trainer at Pueblo High School in Tucson, Ariz., while pursuing his master's degree. As an undergraduate at Ball State, he served as an athletic trainer and worked with the NFL's Detroit Lions

In June of 2000, he was awarded an honorary monogram by the Notre Dame Monogram Club.

Russ and his wife, the former Mary Pat Shea, of St. Petersburg, Fla., are parents of four children -- Jeff, an '01 Notre Dame graduate; Laura, who will graduate in '04; Lisa and Mark.

SCOTT STANSBURY

Scott Stansbury, an athletic trainer at Villanova University from 2005-07,was appointed as an assistant athletic trainer at Notre Dame in July 2007. He will work with the Irish baseball and rowing programs.

Prior to his arrival in South Bend, Stansbury served as an athletic trainer at Villanova for the Wildcats' baseball, women's soccer and men's lacrosse teams. From 2003-05, Stansbury was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at VU while working on his master's degree. During the 2006-07 school year, he also served as an adjunct faculty professor in the Department of Biokinetics at Eastern University.

Stansbury also was a part-time athletic trainer at Westtown School during the winter of 2006. He also was an athletic trainer for the Division III South team at the USILA North-South All-Star Lacrosse Game and served on the athletic training staff for the NCAA Men's Basketball Division I Championship in March of '06 hosted in Philadelphia, Pa. In addition, he was the interim athletic trainer for Major League Lacrosse's Los Angeles Riptide.

Stansbury graduated from Salisbury University with a bachelor of science degree in physical education and athletic training in May of '03 and received a master of arts degree in secondary education from Villanova in '05.

NIKKI SPERGER

Nikki Sperger has been named an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Notre Dame. Sperger - who previously was an associate athletic trainer at Delaware State and served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Michigan State - will work specifically with the Notre Dame women's swimming and diving team and the men's and women's track and field programs.

Sperger joined the athletic training staff at Delaware State prior to the 2006-07 academic year and worked directly with the football and women's basketball teams. Her two years at Michigan State (2004-06) included assisting with a variety of daily treatments and procedures within the athletic training department. During her time in East Lansing, Sperger also served as the head athletic trainer at nearby Everett High School - where she instituted injury assessment and rehabilitation design, in addition to providing athletic-training coverage at home events.

As an undergraduate, Sperger was a two-sport athlete at Marian College in Fond du Lac, Wis. She played four seasons with the Marian softball team (1999-2002) and was a three-year member of the basketball team (2001-04), serving as the team captain in her final season. She was a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee at Marian in 2000 and '01 while also serving for three years as a student athletic trainer (2001-04).

Sperger was a member of the Sigma Beta Delta Honor Society and received the All-America Scholar-Athlete Award from the National Fastpitch Softball Coaches Association in 2000 and '01. She graduated from Marian in May of 2004 with a bachelor of science degree in business administration, after majoring in sport and recreation management with a minor in athletic coaching. Sperger went on to receive her masters of science in kinesiology, with an emphasis in athletic training, from Michigan State in the summer of 2006.

During her time in Wisconsin, Sperger served as a student athletic trainer with Luther Middlefort Clinic in Eau Claire (summer 2002), with her duties including game coverage for the Chippewa Valley Predators semi-professional football team.

Sperger - who has worked at various professional, collegiate and high school sporting events and camps - is a certified member of the National Athletic Trainers Association.

TONY SUTTON

Tony Sutton is an associate athletic trainer at Notre Dame, working primarily with football and men's tennis. Prior to arriving at Notre Dame in 1997, he was an athletic trainer for sports relations at the Hughston Clinic in Auburn, Ala.

Previously he was the Assistant Athletic Director for Medical Services at Charleston Southern University where he oversaw the entire athletic training program for 16 sports. In addition to other administrative duties, he was involved with the transition of football from DIII to I-AA status.

From 1984-1991, Sutton was an assistant athletic trainer at the University of Florida. His primary duties were assisting with football and serving as the men's basketball athletic trainer. He was a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Florida from 1982-84.

Sutton received his undergraduate degree in health education and sports medicine in 1982 from East Carolina University and a master's degree from the University of Florida in 1984. He also became a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) in 1982. In addition, he is licensed as an athletic trainer by the state of Indiana.

In 1996, Sutton was a member of the athlete medical staff for track and field at the Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Ga. He has conducted sports medicine seminars in Japan, Indonesia, and Malaysia. Sutton has served in elected positions in the Athletic Trainers' Association of Florida and the Alabama Sports Medicine Society. Currently, he is chair of the Career Assistance Committee for the National Athletic Trainers' Association.

A North Carolina native, Sutton and his wife Sherry have two children -- Kurt and Julie.