Mason Willett

Mason Willett ‘24 is studying Journalism with minors in Sport Management and Coaching.  Willett serves as News Director and is passionate about sports reporting as well as investigative reporting. Willett enjoys playing basketball and watching his favorite sports teams. 

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Recent Articles

NEWS 4/26/24 2:21pm

ENN: Exclusive Interview with Ginna Claire Mason

By Mason Willett

Elon News Network sat down with the class of 2024 commencement speaker Ginna Claire Mason ‘13 ahead of the 2024 graduation ceremony. Mason toured all around campus and saw all the changes that have been made since her time as an undergraduate at Elon University. Mason spoke about her experiences at Elon, from mentorship from her professors to having many opportunities on campus, and said she is grateful for the chance to come back.

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NEWS 3/6/24 10:47am

Elon University sees record numbers for Scholarship weekend

By Mason Willett

Elon University hosted scholarship weekend, its largest admitted students event, March 2 and 3. Over 2,300 people total registered to attend the event, including more than 900 prospective students, according to Vice President for Enrollment Greg Zaiser. During the event, finalists for the eight fellows programs — honors, business, communications, Elon College, engineering, leadership, nursing and teaching — and for the honors and accelerated programs visited campus to interview with faculty and current students. Tours, open houses, information sessions and more were also held throughout Friday and Saturday.

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NEWS 3/5/24 3:23pm

Local voters emphasize using political voice this Super Tuesday

By Mason Willett

With Super Tuesday underway, many voters headed to the polls early this morning and will continue to file through until voting closes at 7:30 p.m. The conclusion of primary elections cements candidates for the general elections ballot on Nov. 5. Elon University senior Lauryn Carlton, who voted at Elon Elementary in Burlington at around 11 a.m., said she feels an obligation as a student to make sure that young people have their voices heard. Burlington local Jim Sykes said that voting is extremely important for the younger community members — as they are the future of this area.

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SPORTS 11/18/23 1:37pm

Elon University football senior takes pride in heritage during Native American Heritage month

By Mason Willett

As Elon football wraps up the regular season Nov. 18, one athlete is taking the month to celebrate his heritage on the field. For football fifth-year senior Chandler Brayboy, the month of November means much more than just the end of the regular season. Brayboy, a North Carolina native, celebrates Native American Heritage Month as a proud member of the Lumbee Tribe located in the Pembroke area. As a kid, Brayboy was exposed to many activities in the tribe, including dancing and drumming, but decided that football was the route he wanted to run with. 

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NEWS 11/13/23 11:24am

Elon University biology major fights to keep senior year alive

By Mason Willett

Senior Mandi Lichtenstein started to feel symptoms during the first week of school. As symptoms got worse Lichtenstein knew something was wrong so she decided to drive herself to the hospital on Aug. 29. After sitting in the emergency room waiting area for six hours, Lichtenstein was finally able to get the exams she needed. “They gave me a CT scan of my kidney and bladder and they found a shadow on the bladder scan, which could have been anything," Lichtenstein said. "But the doctor who came in was like, ‘No, you probably have cancer.’”

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SPORTS 11/11/23 12:03pm

Elon University men’s basketball head coach takes on 2nd year leading the Phoenix

By Mason Willett

With the men’s basketball season arriving, head coach Billy Taylor looks to lead the team as he starts year two. For the first season of Taylor’s era, the team finished last spring with 8-24 and 6-12 in conference play. Taylor said he doesn’t believe the record told the full story as the team was shorthanded with a small roster and then some injuries. Now the team brings in six new freshmen and two transfers. The Phoenix won its home opener against East Tennessee State University on Nov. 9 and look to take on North Dakota at 2 p.m. on Nov. 12 in Grand Forks, North Dakota.

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SPORTS 10/27/23 9:35am

High school quarterback tackles college classes

By Mason Willett

For Western Alamance High School senior Evan Kuehnel, the college classroom is a chance to get ahead no matter how tired he may get undertaking college classes, football and being a regular teenager. Kuehnel is currently taking an accounting and a communications class at Elon University in the morning and attending Alamance Community College classes online. Though he is currently not taking any classes at Western, he is still considered a student. After Kuehnel’s classes at Elon and Alamance Community College, he takes the football field to lead Western’s football team as quarterback. 

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SPORTS 9/30/23 1:18pm

Elon University volleyball player turns to coaching after medical issues

By Mason Willett and Abigail Hobbs

Just weeks before her senior year, Presly Austin had a difficult decision to make. During volleyball conditioning, Austin slipped two discs in her back, causing her to go to the hospital. It happened again only a little while later. Austin said she had to decide to suffer through the pain to play her last year of volleyball or quit the sport she loves. Austin has been playing volleyball for 12 years and started her college recruitment process as a freshman in high school. She said she adored Elon — plus escaping the cold weather of Alberta, Canada, was a plus.

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NEWS 9/22/23 12:40pm

2023 Elon University security, fire safety report shows increase in harassment

By Mason Willett and Abigail Hobbs

Elon University released the 2023 security and fire safety report that details reported crimes located on campus and within buildings owned by Elon in 2022. According to Elon University Police Chief Joe LeMire, the university is still adding cases to the report and will officially release them next week — however, a version is available on the Campus Safety and Police reports webpage as of Sept. 22. There were 17 rapes reported within residential facilities — defined as dormitories and other on-campus student facilities — compared to 10 reported in 2021.

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SPORTS 9/11/23 7:56am

Athletic scholarship awarded to Elon University sophomore

By Mason Willett

Redshirt sophomore Julian Bumper was rewarded an athletic scholarship after a few years as a walk-on for Elon University's football team. According to Bumper, receiving the scholarship is something he said he will never forget and credits his success to his parents — who graduated from Elon in the '90s. “I just want to say, I thank y'all," Bumper said. "All the sacrifice, all the times bringing me to practice. Believing in me throughout my whole time here, understanding that eventually my time will come and believing that when I get the opportunity, I'll make the most of it."

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SPORTS 9/3/23 12:35pm

Elon University football captain grows from injury

By Mason Willett

Just a few days before the start of the 2022 season, Dylan Tucker said he was feeling the excitement for his third season on the field for Elon University’s football team. During one-on-one drills against former wide receiver Bryson Daughtry on Aug. 18, 2022, Tucker suddenly felt a pain in his chest. His pectoral muscle was torn. The injury sidelined him for the entire 2022-23 season, something Tucker said was the hardest moment in his career. Now, the redshirt sophomore begins the 2023-24 season as a leader of the team.

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SPORTS 9/1/23 12:21am

Elon University football falls in season opener

By Mason Willett

Elon University football officially started its 2023-24 season Aug. 31 at Wake Forest, ultimately losing 37-17. After a slow start with senior Matthew Downing as quarterback, coaching staff made the change to red-shirt senior Justin Allen. The first half ended with the Phoenix down 24-0, but Allen said thanks to locker room pep talks, the team outscored Wake Forest in the second half 17-13. One of the big scores in the second half was a pick-six by redshirt sophomore Caleb Curtain taking the ball 49-yards for the touchdown.

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SPORTS 8/31/23 10:03am

Elon University Football prepares for season starting

By Mason Willett

Elon's football team is set to travel to Wake Forest Aug. 31 to begin the 2023-24 season against the Demon Deacons. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. as the team looks to start its push for the playoffs once again by facing a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Head coach Tony Trisciani said he is hopeful that new additions to the team coupled with last season's accomplishments will lead to greater success this year. Senior quarterback Matthew Downing and redshirt sophomore Dylan Tucker also said they are setting their sights high.

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SPORTS 8/29/23 9:15am

Elon University track and field athlete enters motorway with NASCAR internship

By Mason Willett and Abigail Hobbs

Elon University senior track and field athlete Lauryn Carlton partnered with NASCAR this summer for her marketing internship. According to Carlton, she didn’t want to make her passion for sports feel like a job, but searched for something during the summer in the industry. In the internship, Carlton said she helped manage the relationship between NASCAR and its official partners. She also said her most memorable assignment was putting together an information packet for the Chicago Street Race — the first street race in NASCAR history.

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SPORTS 8/27/23 11:34am

Elon University’s women’s soccer duo fosters strong relationship on, off the field

By Mason Willett

Sophomores Ashlee Brehio and Rachel Buckle said they have a connection that allows them to know where the other is at all times. The soccer duo's bond started last year as freshmen entering Elon University's women's soccer program and has only gotten stronger thanks to the long road trips on the bus and team dinners spent together. Both Buckle and Brehio said they never let anything get in the way of their friendship, especially if it means jeopardizing the game. 

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SPORTS 8/24/23 12:46pm

Elon University men’s basketball release 2023-24 non-conference schedule

By Mason Willett

Elon University's men’s basketball team released their 2023-24 non-conference schedule Aug. 23. Head Coach Billy Taylor said that the team has already started preparing for what looks to be a competitive schedule. This is Taylor’s second season and the team's first home exhibition will be on Oct. 31 against William Peace. The full 2023-24 Coastal Athletic Association schedule will be released at a later date, including game times for the non-conference games.

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SPORTS 7/20/23 1:51pm

CAA changes name

By Mason Willett

The CAA announced it's changing its name from the Colonial Athletic Association to the Coastal Athletic Association on July 20. According to the CAA, the name change comes from its expansion across the East Coast and its goal of  ‘United in Excellence.' Despite this, George Washington University announced last year that it would be dropping all “Colonial monikers” because of the name's glorification of colonialism. 

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SPORTS 6/14/23 3:56pm

North Carolina sports betting bill signed by governor

By Mason Willett

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper officially signed House Bill 347, which will legalize betting for professional, amateur, electronic and collegiate sports in 2024. A similar bill was introduced in North Carolina last year but did not pass. HB347 charges the North Carolina State Lottery Commission with regulating sports wagering and being responsible for issuing wagering and supplier licenses that will last five years. While the bill could go into effect as soon as January 2024, the commission has until June 2024 to open the betting. 

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LIFESTYLE 4/7/23 1:27pm

Elon University hosts Special Olympics Alamance County Spring Games

By Mason Willett

Elon University hosted the 2023 Special Olympics Alamance County Spring Games for the first time since the pandemic, bringing together children with disabilities and making them all feel like winners. Elon sophomore Elizabeth Price is the special events coordinator for Elon volunteers and said the hometown version of the event opened her eyes. She said she was excited to be able to be a big part of the Special Olympics that Elon hosts as soon as she got here. 

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NEWS 3/28/23 7:37pm

President Joe Biden visits Durham, kicks off ‘Investing in America’ tour

By Mason Willett and Joseph Navin

U.S. President Joe Biden kicked off his “Investing in America” tour with a visit to the Tar Heel State Tuesday, highlighting multiple pieces of legislation related to the tour’s  agenda. These include the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the American Rescue Plan. The White House is using the tour to highlight Biden’s domestic agenda of growing the economy from the “bottom up.” 

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