Colby-Sawyer College has welcomed two new head coaches in preparation for the launch of two varsity sports: softball and men’s lacrosse. Kay’Lee Justice will lead Chargers’ softball, and Pape Lukk, men’s lacrosse. Together, the two bring a wealth of experience to the college as both players and coaches.
Justice comes to Colby-Sawyer from West Virginia University Institute of Technology, where she served as a member of the softball coaching staff. As recruiting coordinator for the Golden Bears, Justice brought in their largest-ever recruiting class, which resulted in the team hitting a program-best 38 home runs. Justice graduated from WVU Tech in 2022, earning a Bachelor of Science in athletic coaching education with a minor in sport management, and played third base for the team.
Prior to WVU Tech, the Suffolk, Virginia, native played four semesters at Richard Bland College of William & Mary in Virginia, where she earned all-conference honors and led the Statesmen to two of the most successful seasons in their history.
Justice is the founder of Fahrenheit Softball Academy in Virginia Beach, Virginia, a top softball training facility in the region. And though she is now leaving the area where she’s made such an impact, Justice sees her move to New London as a natural evolution.
“I chose Colby-Sawyer because it felt like home,” Justice said. “It is a great place to start a new sport with overwhelming support from not only the Athletic Department but the entire community. I have no doubt that Team 1 is going to make an impact and help pave the way for future teams to thrive.”
Lukk, who holds a Bachelor of Science in psychology from Frostburg State University and a Master of Arts in educational studies from Concordia University of Chicago, comes to Colby-Sawyer from Thomas College in Waterville, Maine, where he served as associate head coach. Prior to that, the Fair Hill, Maryland, native was defensive coordinator at Colby College, also in Waterville.
In 2021-22, Lukk was assistant coach at the University of Delaware, working with goaltenders, offensive personnel and the scout man-up unit. Lukk also coordinated the substitution box during competition. His efforts contributed to the Blue Hens' historic 2022 season, which included the Colonial Athletic Association's regular-season and tournament titles, as well as a landmark victory over the No. 2-seeded Georgetown Hoyas in the first round of the NCAA Men's Lacrosse Tournament. He has also held coaching positions at Haverford College, Tusculum University and Concordia University of Chicago.
As an undergraduate student-athlete at Frostburg State, Lukk helped the Bobcats achieve three Capital Athletic Conference tournament appearances, including a title game berth in 2015. During his playing career, Frostburg State was ranked as high as No. 15 in the USILA Division III national poll.
Lukk said he is “beyond excited” to move to New Hampshire with his wife, Alyssa, and their son and begin his work building Colby-Sawyer’s first men’s lacrosse team.
"I look forward to justifying [the search committee’s] collective faith and belief in me, as well as our program,” Lukk said. “The opportunity to build the Colby-Sawyer men's lacrosse program from the ground up is an absolute honor and privilege. I look forward to working shoulder to shoulder with the Colby-Sawyer Athletic Department and campus community as a whole.”