Mitchell Leap ’12, a health and physical education major, followed in the footsteps of his parents, Bill ’86 and Renee Kreider Leap ’85, and attended EMU after a successful soccer career at Eastern Mennonite School in Harrisonburg, a city he “always liked.” His mother has worked in EMU’s financial aid office since 1986. “I’d been around EMU all my life, and I thought it would be a good place to continue my education and play soccer.” 

During his four years as a forward under head men’s soccer coach Roger Mast, Leap was a two-time All-ODAC First Team honoree, earning the distinction in 2009 and 2011, and made the Second Team in 2008. He received VaSID All-State First Team honors in 2011 and VaSID All-State Second Team honors in 2008 and 2009. One of the most prolific scorers in EMU men’s soccer history, Leap ranks fourth all-time in the Royals’ record book for career goals (35) and fifth for total points (80).

Leap looks back fondly on the tight-knit campus community at EMU. “There’s value in attending a place where you feel like you know everybody and everybody knows you.” His connection to EMU Men’s Soccer continued after graduation: his brother, Parker Leap ’16, also played forward for the Royals, and his cousin, Justin Carey MBA ’21, has served as head coach since 2022. 

Today, Leap lives in Lynchburg, Virginia, with his wife of nine years, Amber, and their three children—Rory (6), Rhema (3), and Mesa (1). He works in full-time ministry with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, serving as area representative for the City of Lynchburg and Amherst County. 

Leap will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Oct. 11, at 10 a.m. in the MainStage Theater (University Commons 170) during Homecoming 2025. For a full schedule of Homecoming events and activities, visit emu.edu/homecoming.

When Pryor was four, his father became the director of , near Richmond, Virginia. From then on, Pryor spent his endless summers on the camp’s four square court. Playing against the older kids put him on a steep learning curve, and playing against kids his own age put him in a position of dominance. And while nearly every four square player stops improving at about 10 years old, and usually retires for life soon thereafter, Pryor just kept going.

“When people play me and some of the other people I grew up playing with for the first time, they’re very surprised at the level we can play at,” he says. “It can be a very beautiful game.”

In the free-wheeling, schoolyard version of four square, the occupant of the king square gets to customize the rules, and early in his career, Pryor enjoyed calling all the oddball ones – glass ball, black magic, typewriter, pancake, etc. – that made it virtually impossible for anyone to get him out. (Wondering what four square is, or trying to remember its rules from childhood? Visit or )

The World Championships, though, plays by a more traditional set of rules that allow for overhands and bus-stops but not much else. At 8’ x 8’, the courts are also larger than the typical summer camp version, rewarding athleticism and skill rather than rule-calling chicanery. That style of play also suits Pryor, who played three seasons as a center-midfielder on the EMU soccer team.

In 2012, he beat out about 100 other competitors and won his first World Championship by a relatively comfortable margin of three points. Competition is tight, and points are not easy to come by. In 2013, he simply annihilated everything in his path and rolled to a 17-point victory. This February, he carried on the tradition with a modest, for him, five-point victory.

At EMU, Pryor earned a degree and played four square maybe once or twice, tops. He lives in Richmond now, and when he’s not beating the world at four square, earns his living mostly as a landscaper. He’s never been embarrassed about the four square habit he’s never outgrown. It’s his own little quirky interest, and he admires “strange little niches of culture” that other people get into. E.g.: “If you travel somewhere to go to a yodeling competition, I’m into that. That’s cool. That’s weird.”

EMU struck first, scoring just over 12 minutes into the game.  (Lancaster, PA/Lancaster Mennonite) and  (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) worked a nice inside attack, with Mast centering to Hollinger from the right side.  Hollinger easily beat the goalie for his first goal of the season.

The Mustangs nearly scored in the 22nd minute when they had two pointblank shots, but both were blocked by EMU defenders.  Stevenson again made a flurry midway through the second, but the defense again got their legs in the way and kept most of the shots from even reaching keeper (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite).

In the 80th minute, the Royals got their breathing room.  (Harrisonburg, VA/Eastern Mennonite) sent a fantastic through pass to  (Harleysville, PA/Christopher Dock) on the left side.  Moyer’s shot bounced off the cross bar and the post, and the officials ruled it went in, making it 2-0.

Moyer nearly scored again in the 84th minute, when he got a shot past SU’s keeper.  But a Mustang defender got to the rolling ball and knocked it away before it crossed the goal line.

Yoder and the EMU defensive line kept Stevenson at bay the rest of the way, preserving the shutout.  It was the first time the Mustangs had been shut out this year, as they entered averaging 2.5 goals per game.

Stevenson had a 26-15 advantage in shots, although the Royals had the edge in quality, on-goal shots, 7-6.  Yoder finished with six saves.

Eastern Mennonite improves to 2-2-1 with the win and has another non-conference game next week before hitting the ODAC slate.  The Royals play at Lebanon Valley on Wednesday, and then open ODAC play at Hampden-Sydney next Saturday.

The Lady Royals controlled the first 35 minutes and took an early lead on their home field just 11:11 in.  The speedy Derstine dribbled to the goal line and centered a pass which Santiago sent home to put EMU up 1-0.

The women nearly added a second goal late in the half, but (Telford, PA/Souderton) had a shot from a corner come out off the post, and a minute later she flipped a backside one-timer just wide.

Bridgewater regrouped and earned a corner as time expired in the half.  Joan Burleson drilled the long shot off the corner to tie the game at 1-1 at the break.

Santiago helped the women take the lead back just 2:44 into the second as she dribbled up the right side and sent a cross to a wide open (Allensville, PA/Belleville Mennonite) for an easy goal.  But the Eagles had a quick answer, getting a score from Jennifer Bateman less than two minutes later to tie it up again.

The Lady Royals continued to have an advantage on the field, but the game stayed precariously tied.

Bridgewater nearly broke through, but (Matoaca, VA/Matoaca) made a great save on a breakaway with nine minutes left. On the resulting corner, EMU dodged another bullet when a shot from outside of the circle hit the cage, but no one touched it along the way.

The women earned a handful of corners in the final minutes, but couldn’t make one stick and the game went into seven-on-seven extra time.

Overtime was full of excitement as both goalies made great saves.  Bencsik hit another shot of the post before Derstine found Santiago for the game winner, giving EMU its second consecutive ODAC Quarterfinal win over the Eagles.  The women beat BC 2-1 in the same round last fall.

Also like last year, the Lady Royals (10-10) advance to the semifinals to take on top-seeded Lynchburg on Wednesday.  The Hornets, ranked No. 3 in the Kookaburra/NFHCA national poll, have won five straight ODAC titles.

The Lady Royals had a 25-12 edge in shots, including 6-3 in the overtime period.  Danaher finished with five saves.

More from athletics

Read more…