Kilgore, Spoon, Triplett and Bales join the Carson-Newman Athletic Department staff
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman athletic department announced the hirings of Taylor Kilgore, Christa Spoon, Lucas Triplett and Ashleigh Bales to join the staff for the upcoming year.
JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. – The Carson-Newman athletic department announced the hirings of Taylor Kilgore, Christa Spoon, Lucas Triplett and Ashleigh Bales to join the staff for the upcoming year.
Kilgore will be the Director of Ticketing and Sponsorship. He graduated from the University in 2025 with a degree in management. He was a member of the Carson-Newman men's golf team.
While in school, he was an intern with the Carson-Newman Intercollegiate Sports Program. As a junior, he led the design and development of a new 18-hole disc golf course on the campus. He collaborated with the city and local disc golf figures in organizing the course to be a host site for the Tennessee State Disc Golf Championships. Additionally, he pioneered the creation of the Carson-Newman disc golf team.
Across the past year, as a graduate assistant, he had overseen cultivating and expanding corporate sponsorships with the Carson-Newman Athletic Department. Kilgore also led outreach efforts to enhance donor retention and support for the Eagle Club.
Spoon will serve as the Student Data Manager and NCAA Compliance Assistant.
She joins Carson-Newman with over 20 years of experience in administrative work and five years of sports-related and compliance management. She received her Bachelor of Science in accounting from Tennessee Technological University in 2006.
Most recently, she has worked as a legal processor with Pioneer Legal Processing. In her role, she ensured compliance with strict timelines and documentation standards while working closely with lenders to obtain and review loss mitigation options.
She is adept at working with diverse groups of people, driven by a passion for athletics and helping student-athletes thrive both academically and athletically.
Triplett will work with Athletic Operations, Marketing and Fan Engagement. He joins the staff after graduating from Carson-Newman this past year, with a double major in psychology and sociology with a minor in criminology.
He spent four semesters as a member of the Carson-Newman Student Government Association, holding two positions, Secretary of Campus Life and Chief Justice. As the Secretary, he served as the direct line of communication between the students and university staff. With Chief Justice, he was the interpreter and judge of bylaws, policy and procedures for the Student Government Association.
He is deeply rooted in volunteer work, traveling throughout the country and even globally on six different mission trips. Triplett connected with diverse communities, advocating for the intersection of Christianity and mental health.
Bales joins the staff as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President and Director of Athletics, Matthew Pope.
