NCAA recognizes 2026 Legends and Legacy Community Award recipients

The NCAA is recognizing community leaders in Indianapolis and Phoenix with 2026 NCAA Legends and Legacy Community Awards for their leadership, service and commitment to addressing local issues and concerns. The honor is given to citizens each year who reside in NCAA Men's and Women's Final Four host cities. 

The award recipients will be publicly recognized for their achievements with various activities in and around Final Four festivities, which include on-court game recognition during Final Four basketball games. The NCAA Women's Final Four will take place April 3 and 5 at Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, while the NCAA Men's Final Four will be April 4 and 6 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

"It is a pleasure to recognize and honor the 2026 Legends and Legacy Community Award recipients," said Felicia Martin, NCAA senior vice president of inclusion, education and community engagement. "Each outstanding honoree's commitment to service is inspiring and admirable. Their commendable efforts are tangible investments in their local communities that have a positive generational impact and a focus on serving their hometowns. Congratulations on this much deserved recognition!"

The NCAA honors the recipients for their community involvement and impact, including their time commitment to civic endeavors and with local residents; influence and investment in their city; and dedicated resources provided to enhance or improve their surrounding areas. As part of the award criteria, the individuals also have had a major impact on sports, equity, government, health and safety, and higher education in their communities.

The NCAA leverages one of its most recognized championship brands, March Madness, to elevate the importance of service to the community and helping others, recognizing that sports have a unique way of bringing people of all backgrounds together. In addition to the Legends and Legacy Community Award program, the NCAA inclusion, education and community engagement division has placed elevated importance around community impact with emphasis on literacy programs, student-athlete recognitions, restoration initiatives and other impactful activities.

Men's Final Four Legends and Legacy honorees: 

Tamika Catchings

A Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer and one of the most heralded women to have ever played the game of basketball, Catchings is an NCAA national champion, Tennessee graduate, four-time Olympic gold medalist and an athlete who spent her entire 15-year professional career with the Indiana Fever. With the Fever, she was named the WNBA Most Valuable Player in 2011, earned  WNBA Defensive Player of the Year five times and led the franchise to its first championship in 2012 as Finals MVP. Catchings has also etched a positive mark in the Indianapolis community. She serves as an official ambassador for Pacers Sports & Entertainment, is a basketball broadcaster and continues her impact off the court as the founder of the Catch the Stars Foundation, which has provided over $1 million in scholarships. She is also the owner of Tea's Me Café, a community-centered tea shop focused on connection, positivity and giving back through wellness and literacy initiatives. In addition, Catchings was named an NCAA Silver Anniversary Award recipient earlier this year, which is presented to former student-athletes 25 years after their college careers end for their professional career achievements and for continuing to exemplify the values of collegiate athletics.

Sharon Clark

Leading NCAA women's volleyball programs for 30 years, including 23 seasons at Butler, Clark has had an impact on hundreds of student-athletes. Her coaching career produced conference championship titles, NCAA tournament appearances and All-Americans — all while she helped to shape, mentor and graduate remarkable young women. Clark has taken her passion to an even larger stage now, stepping beyond the sidelines to become a national force in the community for youth empowerment. She is co-founder and executive director of Aspire House and Aspire Higher Foundation. Through these roles, Clark helps open doors for young people to explore new and bolder avenues in higher education, technology, global careers, sports, wellness and the arts. Her work is rooted in breaking barriers and amplifying voices in the Indianapolis and surrounding community. She considers her mission to be crystal clear and unapologetically ambitious in fueling unstoppable dreams, redefining opportunities and igniting a new era of fearless, purpose-driven leaders ready to change the world. 

Christina Huffines

Committed to dignity, health and community empowerment, Huffines is the chief executive officer and founder of Indy Hygiene Hub. The Hygiene Hub is an organization that provides free personal care/hygiene items like soap, shampoo, deodorant and feminine products to families in need through a monthly drive-through pantry and partnerships with local organizations. The organization serves over 1,000 families monthly and distributes tens of thousands of items to the community. Huffines' journey began in 2013 when she faced the challenge of providing basic hygiene essentials for her family. Determined to help others in similar situations, she turned her extreme couponing skills into a movement, founding Dotted Line Divas in 2016, now known as Indy Hygiene Hub. As a hands-on leader, Huffines continues to dedicate herself to the mission of restoring dignity through hygiene. She spearheads the monthly pantry days, coordinates the mobile pantry serving the homeless, and partners with schools to distribute hygiene kits to students in need. Huffines' leadership and resilience inspire countless volunteers and donors to join the effort, making a tangible difference for families across Indianapolis. 

Jim Morris (posthumously)

One of the most influential and renowned leaders in the Indianapolis community and globally, Morris was a key fixture in business, politics, civic and humanitarian endeavors, higher education, and sports. Morris held several prominent positions throughout his career, including president and vice chair of Pacers Sports and Entertainment and chief of staff for former Indianapolis Mayor Richard Lugar. He was noted for helping to revitalize downtown Indianapolis as president of the Lilly Endowment, where efforts brought more business and attention to the thriving city. Morris was a strong advocate for community growth and for bringing people together to make Indianapolis and the state more profitable and globally recognized. In addition to his noted key roles, he was also named executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme, where he directed food aid distributions to more than 110 million people annually in 80 countries. Morris also lent his time and expertise to the American Red Cross, Butler, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and other nonprofit organizations. An Indiana grad, Morris was a member of the board of trustees. He also received a multitude of awards, honorary degrees and recognitions, which include tributes from the White House, numerous colleges and universities, and local organizations. Morris, who died in 2024, is remembered for his tireless work, support and love for his community. 

Marty Posch

Posch is in his 15th year as president of the JD Finish Line Foundation, the nonprofit arm of JD Sports, a retailer of athletic shoes, apparel and accessories. Under his leadership, the foundation doubled its funding and developed a 10-year partnership with Special Olympics, providing new shoes to thousands of Indiana athletes. The foundation also executed the largest single donation to build the Finish Line Boys & Girls Club on the far eastside of Indianapolis; partnered with Feeding America and Gleaners Food Bank to feed 1,500 families through a mobile food pantry twice a month; built five playgrounds with Kaboom!; and created a nationwide volunteer program. The foundation team leads funding through the Louder than Words campaign, which since 2023 has provided over $7.5 million to organizations focused on equitable communities. Before Finish Line, Posch worked in radio at 92.3 WTTS out of Bloomington and served as community relations director at Indiana University Indianapolis. The Indiana grad serves on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis and the Alzheimer's Association of Greater Indiana; is co-chair of the capital campaign for Boys & Girls Clubs of Indianapolis; and is a member of the Cabinet of the Keep Indianapolis Beautiful Capital Campaign. 

Rod Reid  

Reid has been the principal/owner of RLR Associates, a successful branding design and graphics firm in Indianapolis, for over 31 years. Additionally, he is the co-founder/executive director of NXG Youth Motorsports (aka Nexgeneracers) where he centers much of his time and talents around introducing youth to the world of motor racing. NXG motivates and prepares youth, especially those from underrepresented communities, to be conscientious drivers on the road and in life. The organization provides programming that helps youth develop life skills, connects them to careers and exposes them to STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, arts and math), which are all areas that are critical to the world of motor racing. Through Reid's leadership, NXG takes youth behind the scenes in the world of motorsports to give them examples of how they can manage their lives and daily situations. Through hands-on instruction in a classroom and on the track, the youth are taught how to build resourceful life skills and pursue STEM-based careers. With Reid's vision and commitment, NXG has held over 340 classes, served over 4,000 youth and seen a dozen NXG participants employed directly in IndyCar. Over 70% of NXG Academy graduates go on to pursue postsecondary education. 

Women's Final Four Legends and Legacy recipients:

Jolyana Begay-Kroupa 

Begay-Kroupa is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation. She is chief executive officer for the Phoenix Indian Center, which is the oldest social service agency in the U.S. dedicated to serving and uplifting urban American Indians through culturally grounded social services, advocacy and community-centered programming. She also teaches Navajo language classes at Arizona State and has taught at Stanford, Harvard and Yale. Begay-Kroupa's work is rooted in deep commitment to ensuring that urban Native communities have continued access to culturally responsive services that honor Indigenous identity, community-defined priorities and collective self-determination. One of her most notable accomplishments was serving as the 50th Miss Navajo Nation. Miss Navajo Nation represents culture and serves as an ambassador for the Navajo people, promoting education, community well-being, and the preservation of language and traditional ways of life. Across all aspects of her leadership, Begay-Kroupa is committed to ensuring Indigenous perspectives are meaningfully interwoven into policy, education and community system.

Jerry Lewkowitz

Lewkowitz has had an astounding positive impact on the city of Phoenix and the state of Arizona for years. One of the founding members of Phoenix Children's board of directors, Lewkowitz was instrumental not only in bringing quality pediatrics care to the area but also guiding the hospital to where it is now regarded as one of the best children's hospitals in the country. Lewkowitz has always been a champion of children. He has served on numerous boards, including Crisis Nursery (Child Crisis Arizona) and the Phoenix Zoo. He has also been very supportive of the Jewish community. He was the founding president of the Arizona Jewish Historical Society and has a longtime connection to Temple Beth Israel, which was founded in part by his parents. In his early years, Lewkowitz served in the Air Force as a judge advocate general officer, as an Arizona assistant attorney general, and as a Phoenix City Council member. He eventually opened the Lewkowitz Law Office with Andrea Lewkowitz, his wife of over three decades.

Chelsa Seciwa

Seciwa is the project director at the Southwest Indigenous Women's Coalition, where she leads initiatives to support survivors of domestic and sexual violence across tribal communities in Arizona and New Mexico. She is the founder of Chelsa Seciwa Advocacy Resources, where she provides tribal legal services in family law, the Indian Child Welfare Act, the Violence Against Women Act, and protection orders for domestic violence victims across tribal courts in Arizona and the Pueblo of Zuni, her home community in southwestern New Mexico with ancestral lands extending into Arizona. Through Seciwa Advocacy, Seciwa also has worked with families of victims of missing and murdered Indigenous people, providing culturally grounded legal and advocacy support during times of crisis and loss. Previously, she served as a project specialist with the National Criminal Justice Training Center, where she collaborated with tribal leaders and law enforcement to enhance child protection systems in Indian Country. Dedicated to her heritage and roots, Seciwa uplifts Native voices and promotes healing, justice and cultural continuity in tribal communities.

Isaac Serna

Serna is an influential leader in the Phoenix/Maricopa County community. He is president of Cash Community Sports Organization and the Playa Margarita Park Steering Committee. Cash Community changed its name to Playa Margarita Park in 2019. The sports organization is a nonprofit created to provide organized activities for at-risk youth in the area. Serna is a key figure who has led the organization to success. A decorated and honorably discharged service-connected Navy veteran, Serna has made an impactful mark in the community, getting involved in numerous local organizations, including the Citizens Transportation Oversight Committee, Maricopa County Parks Commission, Citizens Transit Commission and Southwest Phoenix Community Center. He also served as a member and later president of the Laveen School Governing Board, has been involved with the Valleywise Community Health Advisory Committee, City of Phoenix Police Hispanic Advisory Committee, South Mountain YMCA Youth Sports Commission, and the Arizona Diamondbacks Foundation and Ambassadors Club. Serna also gave his time to developing young people in the community by coaching youth soccer, softball and baseball during his career. He is a member of the American Legion and was a celebrated Laveen Parade grand marshal. 

Brian Spicker

Spicker has been an innovative nonprofit leader with a strong reputation for directing transformational programs and initiatives for Arizona-based organizations for 50 years. Before his retirement last year, he was president and chief executive director of the Maricopa Community Colleges Foundation. Spicker led the foundation through the pandemic, bolstering student emergency and basic need funds and securing additional support for programs and scholarships. He built key relationships, elevating the foundation's presence as a leader in raising funds and as a high performing nonprofit organization. In response to a huge increase in student requests for emergency assistance brought on by the pandemic, Spicker established a Day of Giving for the Maricopa Community Colleges. He also launched a fundraising campaign, EmpowerED for Student Success, and surpassed the revenue expectations. The annual fundraising increased from $5 million per year to nearly $17 million for initiatives and programs. Previously, as executive director at Body Positive, he was successful in building the largest privately funded community-based HIV clinical trials program in the West. He also established Spicker Coaching and Consulting LLC, designed to develop a strong nonprofit sector through leadership development and coaching of nonprofit leaders.