Tusculum College Athletic Training Staff Directory

CHRIS LENKER (email Chris Lenker)
Head Athletic Trainer

Chris Lenker is in his fourth year as Head Athletic Trainer at Tusculum College after serving as Assistant Athletic Trainer for four years. Lenker directs the overall operation and medical treatment of the student-athletes of the 14 intercollegiate sports offered by the College.

His duties include overseeing all phases of the Athletic Training program, coordination of all athletic insurance matters, direction of the College’s athletic drug testing program, prevention, management and rehabilitation of athletic injuries and the development of athletic training room policies and procedures. This year, he will continue to serve the athletic training needs of the Pioneer football and baseball programs. Since coming to the Greeneville campus, he has served as athletic trainer for men and women's soccer, men and women's basketball and baseball.

Lenker, 32, joined the Tusculum staff after serving as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at East Carolina University for two years. While at ECU, Lenker assisted in the management and rehabilitation of athletic injuries for 500 student-athletes in the 19 sports offered at the NCAA Division I program. His primary responsibilities included men's soccer, baseball and football, which played in the 1999 inaugural Mobile, Alabama Bowl.

Prior to his stint at ECU, Lenker served as head athletic trainer at White Oak High School in Jacksonville, N.C. He was responsible for the medical coverage and rehabilitation for the student-athletes at White Oak, while also serving on the faculty.

The Iowa native is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association (N.A.T.A.) and is a licensed through the Tennessee Board of Athletic Training Examiners. He is a certified examiner with the National Athletic Trainers' Association Board of Cerification and is an approved clinical instructor with the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. He is an American Red Cross instructor of CPR for Professional Rescuers and CPR/AED/First Aid in the Workplace. Lenker was recently named chair of the South Atlantic Confernece Athletic Trainer Committee through July of 2009.

Lenker earned his Bachelor's degree in Exercise and Sports Science at East Carolina in 1997, and later earned his Master's in Health Education at ECU in 2000.

Lenker is married to the former Laura Sharp of Ocean City, New Jersey. Their son Addison Cade was born in May of 2007.

MICHAEL HAWKINS (email Michael Hawkins)
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Michael Hawkins is in his second year as an assistant athletic trainer at Tusculum College.

Hawkins assists in the athletic training needs for all 14 sponsored sports at Tusculum. He is responsible for the sports of men's basketball and assists with football and soccer.

Hawkins came to Tusculum from Troy University, where he served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer since 2004. While at the Troy, Ala. school, he worked with the Trojans' football, women's soccer and volleyball teams, assisting with the evaluation, treatment, rehabilitation and documentation of athletic injuries as well as administrative responsibilities. While at Troy, he also assisted physicians from the Alabama Sports Medicine and Orthopaedic Center and team physician in a weekly clinic for the community and the university.

As an undergraduate at Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C., he served as an athletic training student and assisted with men's soccer, baseball, track & field, wrestling and football.

The Murphy, N.C. native has served as an athletic trainer at numerous summer camps including the Alabama High School Athletic Association Baseball Camp and Universal Cheerleading Association Camps.

He is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA), is a licensed athletic trainer in the State of Tennessee and is an approved clinical instructor. He is also certified by the American Red Cross in CPRO and AED, NATA BOC certified and is an American Cancer Society Fresh Start Facilitator.

Hawkins completed his Masters of Science degree in Sport and Fitness Management from Troy this past December. He is also a 2003 Appalachian State graduate, where he earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training. While at ASU, he was a member of the Dean's List (2001-03) and was the four-time recipient of the Murphy Medical Scholarship.

Hawkins is married to the former Summer Green of Murphy, N.C. and they are the proud parents of their daughter, Cora Wade, who was born in September 2007.

AMY BROOKS (email Amy Brooks)
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Amy Brooks is in her second season at Tusculum serving as assistant athletic trainer and clinical instructor. At Tusculum, she serves as the certified athletic trainer for the sports of volleyball and women's basketball while is as an assistant professor in Athletic Training program.

Brooks, a product of Hilton Head Island, S.C., came to Tusculum this past summer after serving last year as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at Troy University. While at the Troy, Ala. school, she served as the head athletic trainer for the Trojans rodeo team as well as its cheerleading squad. She also assisted with the athletic training needs for women's soccer, and men and women's tennis.

Brooks served as an athletic training student at Appalachian State University from 2001-04. She worked with the sports of baseball and women's soccer while at the Boone, N.C. school.

In the summer of 2003 and 2004, Brooks served as an athletic trainer with the Appalachian State Football Elite Camp, Distance Individual Camp and Cross Country Team Camp, all in 2004. In 2003, she worked the ASU Women's Basketball Camp, Football Individual and Team Camp, Baseball Individual Showcase, Track & Field Camp and Cross Country Team Camp.

In 2002-03, she was a volunteer high school athletic trainer with Orthosport in Hilton Head Island, S.C.

Brooks earned her Bachelor's degree in Athletic Training from Appalachian State in 2004 and her Master's degree in Education, concentrating in Counseling and Psychology from Troy this past August. She also attended Southern Cross University in Lismore, Australia in 2002.

Brooks holds certifications in CPR and First Aid by the American Red Cross and is licensed with the State of Alabama.

She is a member of the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association, Alabama Athletic Trainers Association, American Counseling Association and National Athletic Trainers' Association. She is also a lifetime member of the Girl Scouts of USA and was a recipient of the Gold and Silver Awards.

TOM STUEBER (email Tom Stueber)
Assistant Athletic Trainer

Tom Stueber is in his second year as Assistant Athletic trainer and Clinical Education Coordinator at Tusculum College.

Stueber, a native of Pine Bush, N.Y, came to Tusculum this past summer from William Woods University in Fulton, Mo., where he served as Athletic Training Education Program Director since 1998.

At Tusculum, he is the certified athletic trainer for the sports of men and women's tennis, and men and women's golf, while also serving as an assistant professor in the Athletic Training program.

While in Missouri, he also worked at the Capital Region Medical Center in Jefferson City where he provided sports medicine out-reach services.

From 1994-98, he was a clinical athletic trainer at the Healthworks division of the Audrian Medical Center in Mexico, Mo.

In 1993, he was an adjunct faculty member at Shawnee State University in Portsmouth, Ohio. Prior to that, he served as a clinical athletic trainer with the Scott Orthopedic Center in Huntington, W.Va.

Stueber is a 1989 graduate of Marshall University where he earned a bachelor's degree in Athletic Training. He followed that with a Masters degree from Ohio University in 1992.

While at Ohio, he served as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. In the summer of 1991, he was an athletic trainer with the Newburgh Raiders Minor-Professional Football Team in New York.

Stueber is certified by the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) and is a clinical instructor educator with the NATA Educational Council.

He has taken American Red Cross Instructor Training in CPR for the Professional Rescuer and Community First Aid & Safety.

He is a member of the Missouri Athletic Trainers Association, American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and the Mexico, Missouri Area YMCA. He is also a member of the Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity.

In 2004, he was the recipient of a Presidential Citation for significant contribution to academic life at William Woods University.

Stueber is married to the former Rhonda "Ronnie" Brady of Weirton, W.Va. and they are the proud parents of one son Tanner, 9, and two daughters, Sydney, 9, and Zoe, 3.

SARAH BROOKS
Assistant Athletic Trainer (email Sarah Brooks)

Sarah Brooks is in her second season as assistant athletic trainer at Tusculum College. Brooks will assist in all aspects of the TC athletic training department and will be responsible for men and women's soccer, and softball.

Brooks came to Tusculum after serving the last seven years on the athletic training staff at Maryville College. From 2000-07, she supervised and educated athletic training students in the assessment of injuries and proper methods of treatment and therapy. While at Maryville, she also worked with the Appalachian Therapy Center and assisted with providing athletic training coverage for local high school athletic events.

In 2000, she earned her Bachelor's degree from Carson-Newman College where she was the recipient of the Athletic Trainer of the Year award.

Brooks is a certified and Tennessee State licensed athletic trainer and is a member of the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA). She is also a member of the Tennessee Athletic Trainers Society, Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association and is a CPR Certified for the Professional Rescuer.

Sarah and her husband Steve, are the proud parents of two daughters, Ella, 3 and Hailey 1.