The Nate Lull Podcast

Nate connects with two longtime local referees on this episode. John Cook and Mike Velardi stop by to discuss what it's like being an official and the extreme need to get younger people involved. John and Mike have over 70 years combined experience and talk about what they enjoy most about the job and why sportsmanship is such an important topic for local athletes and fans.

Nate welcomes Austin Wilde (Unatego) and Justyn Lang (Sidney) to the show. These high school rivals will now be teammates for Mohawk Valley Community College's baseball team. They discuss their playing careers so far and what it was like finishing up their time in Section IV.

Nate catches up with his high school basketball coach, Rich Laytham. He was a longtime coach and math teacher at Mt. Upton and G-MU. Rich talks about his favorite basketball memories and how he found his way into teaching. Coach Laytham positively impacted many students and athletes during his career. He also has some funny stories from Nate's playing days.

Nate sits down with two members of the Cobleskill Women's Basketball program. Recent Cobleskill grad and South Kortright alumna, Jordan Finch, and Fighting Tigers Assistant Coach, Shelby Preston. Jordan tells us about discovering blood clots in her lungs due to birth control during her playing career and how she was able to bounce back. Coach Preston talks about being there to support Jordan...

Nate welcomes Afton senior, Elijah Baciuska, to the show. He is a standout soccer player at ACS and will be playing at Houghton University next year. Elijah suffered a very serious health scare this spring as a collapsed lung forced him into an extended hospital stay. Hear how he battled back to overcome this painful condition.

Nate travels to Hartwick College in Oneonta to sit down with Roxbury alumna, Myah Johnston. She is just finishing her first season playing for the Hawks Women's Soccer team. Myah was a standout during her time at RCS and was named all-state during her senior year. Her unique recruiting journey offers some excellent insight for current players going through the process.

On this special edition episode, Nate welcomes Anielle McEwan-Lomnicki, better known as AK, to the show. Anielle wanted to use her voice to thank all her supporters out there as she continues her recovery. AK tells us what her future looks like and how her passion for basketball motivates her to work hard every day.

Nate visits Oxford Academy to catch up with OA Girls Basketball Coach, Chris Palmer. They discuss the Blackhawks magical run to the NYS Class-D championship game and what it was like to capture the Section IV title. Hear about the behind-the-scenes details of Oxford’s incredible season.

Nate heads to Cherry Valley to talk with CV-S Basketball standout, Joleen Lusk. Jo just announced her college commitment to play for St. John Fisher next year and tells us why she decided to join the Cardinals powerhouse program. She helped her high school team win the TVL championship this season and she joined the 1,000 career point club.

Nate sits down with Norwich City Police Officer, Brandon Clarke. He is also the school resource officer at Norwich High School and is a United States Marine Corps Veteran. Brandon tells us how athletics, specifically his experience with Jiu Jitsu training, has helped him grow in his career and in his personal life. 

Nate releases another wrestling episode with Sidney 7th grade phenom, Bella Phelps, and SCS Head Coach, Tony Ferrara. Bella placed 3rd in the inaugural NYS Girls Wrestling Tournament this season and is widely considered to be one of the most talented female grapplers in S4. Tony was a two-time state champion for Sidney and is now enjoying his time teaching the sport to the younger generation.

Nate brings Jon Philby to the studio for this episode. Jon is the adaptive physical education teacher at The School at Springbrook. He is also the co-coordinator for their Special Olympics program. Jon has been with Springbrook for over 10 years and shares some of his favorite memories of working with his students and athletes.

On this special episode, Nate is joined by Josh Rawitch. He is the President of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. This interview was recorded in front of a live audience at the Cooperstown Student-Athlete Leadership Conference at The Clark Sports Center. 

Nate welcomes longtime local sports broadcaster, Greg Davie, to the show. Greg was the original Sports Director at WCDO and has worked for the station for over 35 years. They discuss how Greg found his love for radio and what it was like being at WCDO on the very first day it went on the air.

Nate hits the road to Jefferson to sit down with J-Hawks legend, Bobbi Schmitt. She was the 1997 NYS Class-D Girls Soccer Player of the Year, and was named the Class-D Tournament MVP after Jefferson won the state title over Harrisville. JCS went a perfect 24-0 that season to help secure their spot in local high school sports history.

Nate travels to Ithaca College to sit down with longtime IC Women’s Basketball Coach, Dan Raymond. He has local connections as a graduate of Deposit Central School. Dan is in his 23rd season at Ithaca and has over 450 career wins. His road to coaching is a very unique story that will inspire listeners to chase their dreams.

Nate heads to Norwich High School to chat with NHS Girls Varsity Basketball Coach, Dennis Eaton. Dennis also coaches with Twin Tier Elite, a college exposure based AAU club in the Southern Tier. He talks about his many memories with the Purple Tornado and why he loves working with the athletes at TTE.

Nate chats with Sidney grad, Nick Gravel. He is now a standout pitcher for the Keystone College Baseball team in Pennsylvania. Nick was named the 2021 CSAC Rookie of the Year after the Giants won their 17th straight conference championship. He is currently rehabbing from a major UCL injury and talks about his journey back to the mound.

Nate’s guest today is visiting from Western Australia! Sidney alumna, Kim Young stops by to talk about her time traveling the world playing field hockey. Kim had a very successful career at SCS and then played D1 at UMass-Amherst. After that she has followed her dream of playing professional field hockey with several stops all over the globe.

Nate welcomes Jeff Mlinar and Ryan Mahanna to the show to discuss local high school girls basketball. Once every six months, Nate gives updates on a variety of players that have the potential to move on and play in college. Jeff runs Empire State Takeover, which provides coverage of teams, clubs and players across New York State. Ryan is the assistant coach for the SUNY Morrisville Women's Ba...

Episode 200 continues! This is Part 2 of a behind the scenes interview with Nate. Several surprises catch Nate off guard as they look into the more personal part of his life, including topics he rarely discusses publicly. Listen in as Nate finishes his chat with guest host, Ed Curley for this special occasion. Enjoy!

Episode 200 is here! This is Part 1 of a behind the scenes interview with Nate. Hear about his life growing up, his high school sports career and his experiences in college. Several local sports personalities check in as well. Don't miss this one as Nate sits down with guest host, Ed Curley for this special occasion.

Nate sits down with Bainbridge-Guilford track and cross country standout, Ethne Degan. She is currently a junior who runs year-round for the Bobcats, both indoor and outdoor. Ethne talks about joining the varsity team in 7th grade and how she has handled the pressure of her very successful career so far. She also discusses her interests outside of running and what her future plans might include.

Nate hits the road to IAC country to sit down with Moravia Boys Basketball Coach, Todd Mulvaney. He has built a powerhouse program that continually competes at the highest level in the Section IV and NYS playoffs. In recent history, the Blue Devils have had numerous battles with teams from the MAC and two epic showdowns at the state tournament with Cooperstown. The guys discuss the Moravia state t...

Nate travels to Massachusetts for this special episode with Bainbridge-Guilford alumna, Courtney Mattingly. Widely considered one of the best female basketball players in local history, Courtney finished her high school career with 1,918 points and 942 rebounds. She led the Bobcats to the state finals during her senior year and she pumped in an amazing 650 points in one season. B-G went 83-15 duri...