Hall of Fame
In 2009, Mas was inducted to the ERAU Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the 2000 NAIA National Championship team. Two-years later, his individual accomplishments as five-year member of the Eagles’ basketball team have made him worthy of Hall of Fame recognition once again.
Mas began his career at Embry-Riddle as a redshirt in 1996. He played in 35 contests as a freshman and the experience served him well as he started each of the Eagles’ 110 contests over the next three years and is still the Eagles’ all-time leader in games player with 145. Mas emerged as perhaps one of the best three-point shooters in program history and still ranks among the Eagles’ all-time top 10 in three-point field goals made (2nd, 348) and three-point field goal percentage (6th, .367). He also led the squad in three-point field goals made in 1998-99 and 2000-01 with 96 and 100, respectively.??
As a junior, Mas was a major contributor to ERAU’s first ever NAIA Division II National Championship team. He led the Eagles in points (549), field goals (206), three-pointers (82) and rebounds (6.3 rpg) en route to All-Conference, honorable mention All-America and NAIA All-Tournament Team recognition. The following season, Mas helped ERAU go wire-to-wire as the No. 1 team in the NAIA as they posted a 32-4 record. He collected All-Conference and second team All-America honors and ended his career third on the Eagles’ all-time scoring list (1,928) and seventh in career rebounds (667).
While his accomplishments on the basketball court garnered great recognition, Mas’ academic accomplishments were even more impressive. The only four-time Academic All-Conference selection in program history, Mas was honored as an NAIA All-America Scholar Athlete three times and is the only ERAU basketball player to be named a CoSIDA First Team Academic All-American. In 2000, Mas was honored as the Central Florida Amateur Male Student-Athlete of the Year and he graduated from Embry-Riddle in 2001 with a 3.98 grade point average in Aerospace Engineering.??Following his graduation from Embry-Riddle, Mas attended George Washington University School of Engineering on a NASA Scholarship and completed his Master’s degree in Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering in 2003. Mas, who has worked as a Research and Development Engineer at Lockheed Martin for the past six years, currently resides in Orlando, Fla. with his wife Lisa – sister of Mas’ former teammate Tim Beck- and their children, JD, Abby and Grace.
“Without question, Kyle Mas epitomizes the Embry-Riddle Intercollegiate Athletic program’s ideal of “The Package: Student-Person-Player.” In addition to his outstanding basketball talent, which earned him All-American honors in three of his four seasons of competition, Kyle has a staggering intelligence which enabled him to maintain a near perfect 4.0 grade point average in our renowned Aerospace Engineering program.”
??--Steve Ridder
Embry-Riddle Head Basketball Coach (1990-present)
Director of Athletics (1993-present)
“While Kyle’s achievements in the classroom and on the basketball court are well documented and clearly at the highest level, it is Kyle’s personality and demeanor that clearly differentiate him from the others. During his five years with our basketball program, I got to witness Kyle play many roles. Whether it was in his first year, as an equipment-carrying red-shirt, to his senior year as an All-American on the top-ranked basketball team in the nation, Kyle carried himself the same way. He was a great teammate, a great role-model and great friend.”
--John Phillips
Embry-Riddle Associate Director of Athletics
“One reason why I believe that Kyle is important to Embry-Riddle basketball is that he created a bridge with the faculty. Since he was one of the top students in Aerospace Engineering as well as a top contributor in the basketball program, I believe that not only did attendance grow, but the faculty support for athletic scholarships also soared. I believe this means that his contributions to the program reach beyond his tenure as a student and as a player. Today’s student athletes owe a measure gratitude to the standards that Kyle set and the subsequent support the Embry-Riddle athletic program has garnered.”
??--Steven M. Sliwa?
Embry-Riddle University President (1991-98)
