Bullis alumna Masai Russell is among 15 college athletes that will participate in the WWE’s NIL program, which allows college athletes to monetize their name, image, an likeness (NIL).

Masai graduated from Bullis in Potomac and currently attends the University of Kentucky as a student athlete who participated in women’s track & field.

While at Bullis, Masai accomplished the following as a student athlete:

• Top-ranked 300m hurdler all four years in high school

• Eight-time National Champion (sprint relays and shuttle hurdle)
• Two-time National record holder (4×2, shuttle hurdle)
• Bronze medalist at the 2018 Pan American Junior Games in 400m hurdles
• Runner up at USATF Junior Championships in the 400m hurdles
• Gatorade Athlete of the Year – Maryland 2018

• Ocean breeze 400 meet record champion (sophomore and junior year)
• Three-time All-Metropolitan Area from sophomore to senior seasons
• All-Met Athlete of the Year (2018)
• Maryland No. 1 and U.S. No. 2 in the 55H in 2018
• Maryland No. 1 U.S. No. 7 in 60mH of 2018

• Maryland No. 1 in the 300 and 500 oh sophomore year
• U.Ss. No. 5 in 500m

WWE’s NIL program was announced last week following the NCAA’s historic new policy that took effect on July 1, 2021, which has ushered in the NIL era, allowing college athletes the ability to monetize their name, image and likeness. The comprehensive program serves to recruit and develop potential future Superstars and further enhances WWE’s talent development process through collaborative partnerships with college athletes from diverse athletic backgrounds.

WWE unveiled 15 college athletes who will be among the first to participate in the company’s newly formed NIL (Name, Image & Likeness) program that provides a clear pathway from collegiate athletics to WWE.

The inaugural “Next In Line” class includes athletes from 13 universities, seven NCAA conferences and four sports. In addition to the United States, the class includes representation from myriad countries spanning from Canada and Nigeria. The following 14 athletes join MoCo’s Masai Russel and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson in WWE’s first-of-its-kind NIL program:

• Carlos Aviles, of Ventura, Calif., a 6-foot-6, 305-pound track & field athlete from Ohio State University
• Haley Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University
• Hanna Cavinder, of Gilbert, Ariz., a 5-foot-6 basketball player from Fresno State University
• A.J. Ferrari of Dallas, Texas, a 6-foot, 200-pound wrestler from Oklahoma State University
• Lexi Gordon of Fort Worth, Texas, a 6-foot basketball player from Duke University
• Aleeya Hutchins of Toronto, Canada, a 5-foot-5 track & field athlete from Wake Forest University
• John Krahn of Riverside, Calif., a 7-foot, 400-pound football player from Portland State University
• Glen Logan of Kenner, La., a 6-foot-5, 305-pound football player from LSU
• Isaac Odugbesan of Lagos, Nigeria, a 6-foot-4, 275-pound football player from the University of Alabama
• Mason Parris of Lawrenceburg, Ind., a 6-foot-2, 275-pound wrestler from the University of Michigan
• Jon Seaton of Hillsborough, N.J., a 6-foot-1, 285-pound football player from Elon University
• Joe Spivak of Lombard, Ill., a 6-foot, 300-pound football player from Northwestern University
• Dalton Wagner of Spring Grove, Ill., a 6-foot-9, 330-pound football player from the University of Arkansas
• Riley White of Hoover, Ala., a 5-foot-6 track & field athlete from the University of Alabama

All athlete partnerships will feature access to the state-of-the-art WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Fla., in addition to resources across the organization, including brand building, media training, communications, live event promotion, creative writing and community relations. Upon completion of the NIL program, select athletes may earn an exclusive opportunity to be offered a WWE contract.

Christian Veilleux was a two-year letterman for head coach Patrick Cilento at the Bullis School in Potomac. Today, the freshman quarterback entered the game for Penn State after starter Sean Clifford was injured in the first quarter.

Prior to this game, Veilleux last threw a pass in a live game in November 2019, but he was still able to provide the spark the struggling Penn State offense needed. He threw for three touchdowns and 235 yards after the offense produced 32 yards and one first down on its first four possessions, prior to Veilleux entering the game.

Veilleux was named the 2019 Interstate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year when he was at Bullis (the team did not have a 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic).

He was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN, the No. 20 pro-style quarterback overall, and the No. 16 prospect out of Maryland by 247Sports before coming to Penn State.

No word on who will start at quarterback for Penn State next week when the Nittany Lions travel to Michigan State to take on the Spartans.

Justin Herron, Tackle for the Patriots and MoCo Native, Honored by Police for Helping Sexual Assault

Justin Herron was born in Silver Spring and graduated from The Bullis School in 2014. Now, he’s an offensive tackle for the New England Patriots.

Earlier this week he helped stop a sexual assault in a park and today he was honored as a hero by the Tempe Police Department in Arizona.

According to ESPN, police said a 30-year-old suspect was seen Saturday pushing a 71-year-old retired teacher to the ground. That’s when Herron and a second man, Murry Rogers, intervened.

Herron was a 2020 sixth round pick out of Wake Forest. He played in 12 games last season, starting six of them. He was in Arizona training for the upcoming NFL season.

He, along with Rogers, were presented with an “Outstanding Citizen” certificate by Tempe police.