Roanoke lacrosse standout sets school, conference records

By Kaylen Ayres ’25

During a men’s lacrosse game at Kerr Stadium, you’ll see a pair of brothers on the field, a father cheering by the sideline and a photographer watching his grandsons play for the same team his son did. Their last name is Kammerman, and senior captain Luke Kammerman ’24 has been a dominant force for the Maroons, recently breaking two school records held by Hall of Fame players as well as an ODAC record in a game just this past weekend. 

Luke, from Trumbull, Connecticut, is the son of James Kammerman ’94, a member of the 1992 team that appeared in the NCAA Division III championship. A former ODAC champ, James Kammerman was the one who introduced the love of lacrosse to Luke and his younger brother, Julian Kammerman ’26. 

“I started playing lacrosse when I was nine or 10 years old, and growing up, I knew that my dad went to Roanoke, and I always had that in the back of my mind,” Luke said. “I always had a goal to play where my dad went to college.” 

Luke instantly made an impact as a freshman and was named ODAC Co-Rookie of the Year and second-team All-ODAC, despite a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The next year, he broke the Maroons’ single-season point record with 111 points (52 goals, 59 assists) and was recognized with first-team All-ODAC laurels, along with being a VaSID All-State pick and a USILA honorable mention All-American. 

Last season, the two Kammerman brothers took the field for the first time together — Luke in No. 41 and Julian in No. 23, the same number their father wore as a Maroon. Both brothers had a tremendous season. Julian was one of four players in program history to earn All-American recognition as a freshman, along with their teammate, Weston Hammond ’26.  

As for Luke? The older brother earned ODAC Player of the Year and Region 4 Offensive Player of the Year nods, as well as becoming a USILA first-team All-American. 

“A goal of my family’s was to be the first family with three All-Americans with the same last name,” Luke said. “We have a trio. It’s pretty cool to see.” 

The senior and sophomore duo once again are key assets to the Maroons’ offense. The team, currently 13-3 overall and 7-1 in ODAC play, has entered the national Division III rankings at No. 20. Recently, Luke reached two big milestones as a Maroon. In his performance against Grove City, he broke the program’s career assist record, previously held by Roanoke Hall of Famer Richard Graham ’80. Against Franklin and Marshall less than three weeks later, Luke broke the all-time points record held by another Hall of Famer, Jon Mason ’07.

“I had that goal since I was a little kid,” Luke said. “I told Coach Pilat when I committed here, and he said it’s going to take a lot of work, but he’s always allowed me to pursue my goals and push me to be the best as I can.” 

The older Kammerman brother wasn’t always an attackman, though. Originally a goalie, Luke didn’t make the switch until freshman year of high school. 

“You understand the opposite perspective, and that helps me out when it comes to shooting and placement of shots,” Luke said. “I know what a goalie doesn’t like.” 

As an upperclassman and captain, Luke leads by example and shares his knowledge with the underclassmen. 

“Team chemistry is so big and getting to know and love your teammates,” Luke said. “That side of the game is so unspoken, but it’s so true. If your team is connected and everyone loves everyone, then it’ll help.” 

He attributes a lot of his success to his teammates and is quick to acknowledge their highlights. He also attributes much to his family and their support.  

“My dad is very dedicated to us. It’s about 10 hours every time he comes, and he does it multiple times a year. It’s awesome to see your father here, and you can always appreciate that. My grandfather takes photos on the sideline; he took photos of my father when he was here, and now it’s cool to have him take photos of us and have that connection.” 

The sport management major will graduate in May but plans to return to take advantage of his extra year of eligibility and play one more year with his brother. He’ll also be working as assistant to the athletic director of North Cross School beginning in the fall and plans to continue working in lacrosse in the future. 

In the meantime, his sights are set on the ODAC championship, a title the lacrosse program hasn’t held for over a decade. The Maroons celebrated Senior Day on April 20, when they defeated Randolph-Macon College in their last regular season home game. In the process, Luke broke the ODAC career assist record, previously held by Randolph-Macon's Paul Tomick, who recorded 170 assists between 1990-93.  

The older brother’s 171st career and record-breaking assist was to none other than his brother, further cementing the special occasion.  

The Maroons hope to keep their momentum as they travel to conference rivals No. 10 Washington and Lee University to conclude the regular season.  To keep up with the men’s lacrosse team, click here for their schedule.