From The Heart: Two Bonnies Carry On Hall of Fame Legacy

The 'From The Heart' feature series takes an in-depth look at St. Bonaventure student-athletes and coaches. Named for the beloved Merton's Heart that overlooks campus, this series will tell the stories of Bonnies athletic programs on and off the field. For previous installments in the series, click here.

St. Bonaventure men's cross country/track junior Aiden Scattergood and women’s lacrosse freshman Brooke Sumner both share a unique past: Both athletes are following in the footsteps of their mothers who are members of the Bonaventure Athletics Hall of Fame. 

Scattergood’s mother, Jo Storms-Scattergood, played for the Bonnies women’s soccer program from 1994-1997 and holds a top 10 spot in career goals and points. She also ran a year of cross country. As for Sumner’s mother, Laura Spaulding-Sumner, she played for the women’s lacrosse program from 2000-2004 and graduated as Bonaventure’s all-time leading goal scorer.  

Both families take immense pride in their Hall of Fame status. 

“It was extremely emotional, and it certainly was a humbling experience to be a part of SBU’s athletic history,” said Jo, who was inducted to the Hall of Fame in 2019.  

“It took a lot of hard work and time,” said Laura, who was a HOF Class of 2015 inductee. “For a school that I love so much, it means a ton to me.” 

As for Aiden and Brooke, their parents' history helped carve a unique path in their recruiting and commitment to the Bonnies. 

“[The experience I got] when I came here for my mom’s induction is a big reason why I came here,” said Aiden. “I had a Bonaventure hoodie since sixth grade and the school was always on my mind. Once the recruiting process started, I started talking to the coaches, and I thought this may be perfect. I got off a (recruiting) Zoom call with my coach, and I told my mom I wanted to go to Bonaventure.” 

Since coming to St. Bonaventure, Aiden has left a legacy of his own. He owns track records in the outdoor 800 meters and 1500 meters while logging several other program top-10 times. In cross country, he stands second for all-time individual times in the 5K, 8K and 10K. He has also led the Bonnies in all but one meet during the 2024 cross country season, adding the program's all-time fastest Atlantic 10 Championship meet time to his resume this fall.

As for Brooke, she had known since she was eight that Bonaventure was the place for her and is now looking to carve her own path after arriving on campus this fall as a freshman. She finished her high school career with 121 goals at Horseheads (N.Y.) High.

“At eight years old I knew that this was the place for me,” she said. “When I was eight, I told my mom that I was going to play lacrosse at Bonaventure. When Coach Lee (Stauffer) offered me, I knew that this was the place for me.” 

With both Jo and Laura having the chance to experience Bonaventure, they are both happy their children are following in their footsteps. 

“I love it,” said Jo. “It’s a different sport for him, he’s done this all on his own, he’s created his own path, and it’s really amazing to see the hard work pay off.” 

“After the prospect camp, Brooke told me she was coming here,” said Laura. “Brooke told me to cancel the other schools' visits, and I was like we haven’t even started the visits yet. Brooke said this place felt like home even after I kept saying ‘make sure that this is what you want’. It’s just been a great story and I’m so proud.” 

Spaulding-Sumner scored 146 goals and tallied 183 points during her Bonaventure women's lacrosse career. She was also a two-time Atlantic 10 All-Conference player and she also spent a year following graduation as assistant strength and conditioning coach at SBU. Today, she still ranks second all-time in Bonnies career goals and fourth in points and was Bona's first women's lacrosse alum to be inducted into the department's Hall of Fame.

Storms-Scattergood remains sixth in Bonnies women's soccer career goals (29) and seventh in points (65). She was named First Team All-A-10 in both 1994 and 1996. 

With both children consistently competing, it only led to one question: Who is more competitive in each’s household? The parents or kids? 

“I am probably going to have to say my mom,” said Aiden. “My family is constantly always trying to find out who’s the best at something.” 

“It depends on the day,” said Brooke. “I will say, my mom is definitely the craziest person in the household on football Sundays.” 

According to both parents, Division I sports have completely changed for their children today over the athletics landscape during their collegiate careers.

“First off, the resources for the athletes have significantly changed,” said Jo. “They have a great training staff, more trainers per team, and they now use different practices for nutrition and physical and mental health.” 

“[Our women’s lacrosse program] was just starting out, so now it’s so different,” said Laura. “The amount of talent now is just amazing and the gaps between level of play has tightened.” 

When Jo and Laura spent their time at Bonaventure, they experienced some of their favorite memories in life. 

“One of my favorite memories is when we beat an 8-0 Syracuse team,” said Jo. “We beat them 3-2 at Syracuse, under the lights, and it was just awesome.” 

“Working with Coach Fiske was [one of my favorites],” said Laura. “When I worked for him, and I look back at all those days with Metallica blasting, they were just such great memories.” 

After Jo and Laura’s time in the Enchanted Mountains, the Bonaventure community left a lasting impression between the two.  

“Bonaventure is a special community,” said Jo. “If you see somebody at the beach, it’s like, ‘Let’s go Bona's. Just being a part of this community, it’s been so special, and I am so grateful for it.” 

“Bonaventure is so special,” said Laura. “I got engaged there. My time at Bonaventure was one of the best times of my life.”