To Our Mustang Athletics Community,
It is with great sorrow and heavy heart that I must share with our Mustang student-athletes, alumni, families, and fans the news about the passing of Callum Robinson '15. If you have not seen any of the news coverage during the last week, Callum, his brother Jake, and their friend Jack Carter Rhoad went missing several days ago during a surfing trip to Mexico's Baja California coast. Unfortunately, they were not found alive and are believed to be the victims of foul play. Mexican authorities have arrested several persons of interest, and an investigation is underway. Our prayers and thoughts are now for Callum's parents, Martin and Debra Robinson, who lost their two sons; the family of their friend Jack Carter Rhoad; and the many loved ones and friends all of these young men had.

Callum was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, and graduated in 2008 from Sacred Heart College in Perth, earning the school's Engineering Excellence Scholarship. He played club lacrosse in Australia, and Men's Lacrosse Coach Paul Cantabene first learned of his talent and abilities in 2012.

"Adam Sear,  our Graduate Assistant, came to me one day in 2012 and said, 'I have this defenseman from Australia. He is one of my best friends and was going to Maryland, but things didn't work out. He's the real deal, and you have to call him.'  So I did. I asked him when he wanted to come, and he said this semester. I told him it started tomorrow. I called Cal that night at 10 p.m., noon Perth time. We talked for 45 minutes, and I told him that I needed to know tomorrow if he wanted to do this. He called me back and said he was all in. Cal was at his embassy, got his paperwork done, and was on a plane 72 hours later. He was a few days late to school, but he was a Mustang!"

During his first season in Spring 2013, as a sophomore, Callum appeared and started in all 24 games for the Mustangs, totaled five points from his defensive position with three goals and two assists, led the team with 35 caused turnovers, picked up a season-high seven ground balls versus Lynchburg, and had a season-high five caused turnovers versus Christopher Newport. And, of course, he helped bring home the NCAA National Championship trophy to SU that year. His superlative record didn't stop with his sophomore year. His 2014 and 2015 seasons continued to highlight his talent, drive, and passion for excellence, and in 2015, his senior year, he was drafted by the Chesapeake Bayhawks with the 27th pick in the MLL draft, led the conference and ranked 23rd in Division III in caused turnovers, and was named to the ECAC Division III Mid-Atlantic All Star Team and MAC Academic All-Conference Team, and was named a USILA First Team All-American and MAC Men's Lacrosse Scholar-Athlete of the Year, the highest award in the conference that a student-athlete can achieve.

I think we all felt fortunate to see Callum joining teammates from 2013 for our Hall of Fame induction ceremony last October. Callum was proud of his teammates, his university, and his time as a Stevenson Mustang, and, of course, we were proud of him. I think that Dr. Ellen Roskes, Dean of Stevenson's Fine School of the Sciences, who taught Callum organic chemistry and served as his academic advisor, captures how many of us felt.

"Callum was a very talented individual—bright, athletic, and motivated to succeed in all his endeavors. He was also a very caring, compassionate individual. Upon his graduation, Callum gave me a boomerang, which has been hanging in my office at Stevenson ever since. It brings me great memories of Callum. He will be remembered by many people in our Stevenson community, and our deepest sympathies and condolences go out to his parents, his friends, and his teammates."

"We have so many special memories of Cal," says Coach Cantabene. "The funny thing about him was that he was everyone's best friend and got along with everyone. But on the field, he was a problem. Big, fast, rigid, and flat-out just good. We are all so thankful that he was a part of our lives. He lived an extraordinary life, but what is most impressive about Callum is what a loyal friend he was. Once you were his friend, you were friends for life. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the Robinson family. We thank you for being such tremendous people and sharing your son with us. All the alums, friends, players, and the whole Stevenson community are thinking about your family. We can't imagine what you are going through, but I hope you can feel our love. We love you, Callum! Go Stangs!"

We understand the great sorrow that our community feels but also their great pride and love for Callum and his legacy in Mustang Athletics. He was a stellar student, a stellar athlete, and an even better friend. We will look forward to a time when we can all join together as a community to honor and celebrate his life.



Sincerely,
Brett Adams
Director of Athletics