Valparaiso University Head Athletic Trainer Nate Twedt has announced the addition of three new full-time athletic trainers to his staff.

Twedt has welcomed Nicole DeMarco, Logan Battreall and Katelyn Lussow as assistant athletic trainers. DeMarco, who has spent the last two years as a graduate assistant at Valpo, will continue to work with football, men’s swimming and women’s swimming. Battreall will serve as the athletic trainer for the Valpo baseball program in addition to handling track & field duties during the fall months. Lussow will work with the football program in the fall and the track & field teams in the spring.

DeMarco earned the promotion to a full-time role after spending the last two years as a graduate assistant athletic trainer. She provided appropriate care to football and swimming student-athletes while coordinating treatment and return-to-play protocols with team physicians. During the 2019 summer, she organized coverage and supplies for all university-hosted athletic camps.

A May 2020 Valpo graduate with a master’s in sports administration, DeMarco previously earned her bachelor’s degree in athletic training from Purdue University in May 2018. During her time in West Lafayette, DeMarco was named an Outstanding Senior in Athletic Training in April 2018 before going on to earn Recognition of Highest Distinction for M.S. in Sports Administration at Valpo in May 2020. She holds numerous certifications and memberships including National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA).

Lussow garnered professional clinical experience as a graduate assistant athletic trainer at the University of Toledo over the last two years. She worked with the football and cheerleading programs, providing injury prevention, evaluation, treatment and rehabilitation program design for all student-athletes. In addition, she collaborated with a sports medicine team comprised of physicians, medical specialists, sports nutritionists and a sports psychologist to provide specialized care for each student-athlete while also serving as a mentor to undergraduate work study students.

Lussow earned her master’s in exercise science at Toledo in May 2020 after completing her bachelor’s in athletic training at Ball State University in May 2018. During her tenure in Muncie, she was part of the school’s accredited athletic training program and worked with multiple Ball State teams including baseball, women’s basketball, softball and gymnastics. She also provided services for Anderson University Division-III football, Yorktown High School fall sports and the Henry County Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinic. The owner of numerous athletic training certifications, Lussow is a member of several athletic trainers’ associations including NATA.

Battreall has spent the last year as an intern athletic trainer for the University of Michigan football program. He gained experience during his undergraduate days at Iowa State University, working with Cyclones football, gymnastics and wrestling while completing his bachelor’s degree in athletic training. He went on to complete his master’s in kinesiology and exercise science at California University of Pennsylvania.

In addition, Battreall has professional football athletic training experience with the Arizona Cardinals organization. He is a NATA member, belongs to multiple other organizations and owns numerous athletic training certifications.

The newest members of the Valpo sports medicine department join Ken DeAngelis (men’s basketball, men’s cross country, cheer, Crusaderettes) and Stephen Jones (women’s basketball, women’s cross country, bowling) as assistant athletic trainers. Twedt works directly with football, tennis and golf, while associate athletic trainer Rebekah Reichard oversees volleyball and softball and graduate assistant Katelyn Dye handles women’s soccer and track & field.