GUILFORD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME SELECTS 12 FOR CLASS OF 2023

GREENSBORO – The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame added 12 new members with the Class of 2023 announced Wednesday.

There are 10 laureates plus two members of the Legends Class for those deceased.

This is the 18th class of athletes, coaches and contributors to be inducted into the Hall, which was created in 2005. It increases the membership to 197.

The newest inductees were introduced at a press conference at the Greensboro Coliseum. GCSHOF Board Chairman Bryan Norris presented a check for $1,000 to Beyond Sports, a Greensboro nonprofit.  Norris also announced the creation of a scholarship fund which will award graduating student-athlete seniors with $1,000 towards their college tuition.  The GCSHOF will begin taking applications in August. 

The induction reception and banquet will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 19, at the Coliseum. Tickets for the reception and banquet are $90 and tables for 10 are $900. They will be available online at the GCSHOF website (gcshof.org).

Biographies of the Class of 2023 follow in alphabetical order:

 Kenny Carter

         The basketball court at High Point Central is named in Kenny Carter’s honor following a 24-year coaching career in which his girls teams compiled an overall record of 573-125 and won five NCHSAA state titles (1993, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2002). His resume also includes 14 conference championships, 15 tournament championships and 10 undefeated seasons in conference play. He was selected as the North Carolina Associated Press Coach of the Year in 1997 and 2002. His teams posted four 30-win seasons, 20 seasons of 20 wins or more, and 41 of his high school players were awarded college scholarships. Carter is also the founder and director of Xpress Travel Ball, which has sent more than 100 players to the college ranks. A native of High Point, Carter played multiple prep sports and went on to star in baseball at High Point College. A four-year starting Panthers infielder, he twice earned All-Carolinas Conference honors and was named NAIA second-team All-America as a senior in 1982. He earned all-tournament honors at the 1979 NAIA National Championships, where he helped High Point to a second-place finish. Carter’s HPC teams posted an overall record of 110-61-1 while winning three Carolinas Conference titles. He played one year of minor league baseball with the St. Louis Cardinals organization before embarking on his successful career as an educator and coach. Carter was inducted into the High Point Central Hall of Fame in 2017.

Dr. Snow Brenner Daws

Snow Brenner ranked among the region’s top female soccer and basketball players during her high school days at High Point Central, but many in Guilford County remember her best as a trailblazer on the gridiron. One of the first female athletes to play high school football in North Carolina, she achieved all-conference honors as a placekicker in her senior year, when she kicked the game-winning field goal in the Regional Championship to advance the Bison to the State Finals. She became the first female in North Carolina to play in a state championship football game. Brenner set a national record for points scored by a female and became the first female to win a National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame Scholarship. In 2012 – more than 15 years after her graduation – she was rated the fourth-best female kicker in high school history. As a five-sport athlete at High Point Central, Brenner also put up staggering numbers on the soccer field, where she was twice all-conference and all-region, and earned all-region honors in basketball. A two-time soccer team MVP and captain at Central, she went on to play soccer for four years at Duke University, earned her medical degree from the Wake Forest University Bowman Gray School of Medicine and is now a practicing orthopedic surgeon at Orthopedic Surgery Foot and Ankle Fellowship at UC-Davis/Reno Orthopedic Clinic. She was inducted into the George Whitfield Hall of Fame in 2022.

 Pam Doggett

         Starring at Dudley High and as a Junior Olympian, Pam Doggett established herself as one of the nation’s top teenage sprinters of the 1980s. An eight-time high school state champion who set six meet records, she was named the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Female Athlete of the Year in 1986 (for all sports), as well as the North Carolina Gatorade Track & Field Girls Athlete of the Year. The MVP of the 1986 3A/4A Championships, Doggett’s state records included an all-class record in the 300-meter hurdles that stood for 25 years and a 1986 USATF National Junior Olympic 4x100 relay mark with three Dudley teammates that stood for two decades. She was also the in the Junior Olympic 100-meter hurdles in 1983 and 1986 and in the 1983 heptathlon. Doggett also made her mark at the international level in 1984 when she finished second at the USATF Juniors in the heptathlon, which qualified her for Team USA in the Pan American Junior Championships. That made her the first-ever Guilford County USATF athlete to qualify and compete in international competition. She placed third at the 1984 Pan Am Juniors Championship. Doggett was honored as one of “100 to Remember” at the NCHSAA Centennial Celebration in 2013 and inducted into the North Carolina High School Track and Field Hall of Fame Class of 2023. Doggett currently works as a transportation director and received her bachelor’s degree in theology from Living Epistle Bible College 2 earlier this month.

 Mike Elkins

         Mike Elkins starred in three sports at Greensboro’s Grimsley High School, earning all-conference in baseball and basketball in 1983 and in football, basketball and baseball as a senior the following year. He earned honorable mention All-State from the Greensboro News and Record that senior season and chose nearby Wake Forest to continue his collegiate academic and athletic careers. Elkins started three years at quarterback for the Demon Deacons and graduated as the program’s all-time leading passer with 7,304 yards and 43 touchdowns. His name remains among the top 10 of most Wake Forest career passing records. Elkins was voted the 1986 North Carolina College Football Player of the Year by the Raleigh Sports Club. He was the team MVP as a senior and received the Arnold Palmer Award as top male athlete at Wake Forest. Elkins played in the 1989 East-West Shrine Bowl and Senior Bowl and was voted team captain of both squads. He was chosen in the second round of the 1989 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs and played four seasons with the Chiefs, Browns and Oilers. He also played for the Sacramento Surge (World League) in the spring  of 1991, passing for 2,068 yards and 13 touchdowns in 10 games. Inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame in 2022, Elkins has built a successful career in medical device sales and sales leadership over the past 30 years. He and his wife Stefini currently reside in Northwest Arkansas home.

 Adell Harris

         Basketball has truly been a focal point of Adell Harris’ life. The High Point native made her mark as one of the state’s premier high school basketball players at Andrews in the late ‘90s, continued to star as a collegian at Wake Forest and then parlayed her love for the game into a successful career as a coach and administrator. Harris earned all-conference honors each of her four years at Andrews and was a two-time conference player of the year. An All-State player as senior, she was named the Guilford County Player of the Year in 1998 and earned MVP honors at the North Carolina East-West All-Star Game. Harris finished her high school career with 1,746 points. But her well-rounded game consisted of more than scoring, as Harris twice handed out a Joel Coliseum-record 10 assists while at Wake Forest and ranked 10th on the Demon Deacons’ all-time assist list upon graduation. Harris served as head coach at Tusculum from 2009-12, where she compiled a 61-30 record over three seasons and led her team to the NCAA Division II tournament each year. Following a five-year stint as head coach at UNC Wilmington, Harris began a second career as a public speaker and then returned to the game in 2019 as the Vanderbilt University men’s basketball chief of staff. She was inducted into the High Point Andrews Hall of Fame in 2015.

 Pat Hester

         Pat Hester is recognized throughout Guilford County and statewide as a pioneer, role model and guiding force in the development of high school women’s athletics. She graduated from High Point Central in 1955, at a time when women’s sports were not a universal part of every curriculum, but she was able to participate in volleyball, basketball, softball and track and field. She played basketball for four years at High Point College before beginning a remarkable coaching career at her high school alma mater that spanned more than three decades. Between 1960 and 1982, Hester guided her basketball teams to a cumulative 250-79 record. Her volleyball teams stood 96-62 over 14 seasons, and her softball teams were 149-64 over 13 years (according to limited records that were kept at the time). When girls’ sports became organized during the 1970s, Hester’s basketball teams won multiple conference championships and three regional titles. Hester also made huge contributions behind the scenes when she guided High Point Central through its compliance with Title IX, providing input and writing many policies, procedures and regulations. She created a Women’s Sports Day in High Point that was replicated by many other schools and communities. Inducted into High Point Central’s inaugural sports hall of fame class of 2013, Hester now devotes much of her time to volunteering with Mobile Meals, Open Door Ministries and the Red Cross.

 Dr. William E. Moran

         In 1979, UNC Greensboro faced an uncertain future in athletics. Then Dr. William E. (Bill) Moran accepted an appointment as the chancellor and the uncertainty became a vision. Under his guidance, a strong Division III program was put into place as an athletics foundation, leading to national championships in men's soccer and an excellent women's basketball program. When Nelson Bobb was hired as athletics director, Moran convinced him that the school should pursue Division I status. Distinguished coaches were hired, including Mike Berticelli and Michael Parker in men's soccer and Lynne Agee in women's basketball. The Spartans completed the transition to Division I in 1991 and athletics have flourished ever since, including hosting the NCAA Division I women's soccer championships in 1997 and 1998. Moran was born in White Plains, NY, of Irish immigrants. He earned degrees from Princeton, Harvard and Michigan, served on a destroyer in the Navy and had a long career in academics before serving UNCG from 1979-94.

 Shannon Pope

         At High Point Andrews, the name Shannon Pope became synonymous with state championship. He was a member of eight state champion teams – two in wrestling, one in football, one in indoor track and four in outdoor track.  Individually, he won the pole vault, both indoors and outdoors, in 1991 and 1992. In the 1992 outdoor State Meet, Pope set a then-state record vault of 15 feet, 3 inches and  was  a member of the Andrews teams that won the 4x100 meter and 4x400 meter relays. He was named a Gatorade Academic All-American. Pope attended UNC Chapel Hill on a track scholarship, was a four-time ACC champion in the pole vault and named All-American three times. He was a captain on the UNC team that finished fourth in the NCAA Championship. Pope graduated  from UNC in 1996 and coached track there for five years. Ever the competitor, he competed for many years in the extreme sport of Hydrofoiling, ranking in the top five in the world.

 Billy Quick (Legends Class)

         Billy Quick became involved in Special Olympics at the age of 8, beginning a long association with that group until his passing in 2016. He never met a challenge he couldn't conquer, competing in marathons, cycling, softball and basketball as a Special Olympics athlete. He served on its Board of Directors on the state and national levels. He traveled the world as a Special Olympics ambassador and speaker, including Greece, China and the Netherlands. Among Quick's many accomplishments, he competed in 10 marathons, with a best time of 3 hours, 10 minutes; cycled in the World Ride from Los Angeles to Washington; cycled in the Face of America Ride, a 3-day event from New York to Washington; received the US Special Olympics Male Athlete of the Year award; was in national advertising campaigns for “Got Milk”; appeared in Time Magazine in 2001 at the White House; and worked for the High Point Parks and Recreation Department for 23 years.  At High Point Central High School, Quick lettered for four years in cross country, wrestling, indoor track and outdoor track.

 David Sanford

         When he was in high school in Chapel Hill, David Sanford was introduced to soccer by players at UNC, including future legend Anson Dorrance. Sanford took to the sport right away, leading Chapel Hill High School to the state championship in 1972 when he scored the only goal in the title game. He went on to play at Brevard, was an graduate assistant at Appalachian and UNCG, and became head coach at Wesleyan Christian Academy in High Point in 1983. In 18 years there, his teams won nine state titles, including six in a row from 1990-95. Sanford's teams compiled an overall record of 288-67-34 and were ranked sixth in the nation in 1994 and ninth in 1998 by the National Soccer Coaches Association. He won many conference and regional coaching awards and was named National Coach of the Year for private and parochial schools in 1994. Sanford coached club soccer teams in Greensboro and High Point for many years and coached the Charlotte Eagles pro and youth teams. His work has led to travels to 20 countries helping to train coaches to instruct and assist at-risk youth through soccer.

 John Wesley Wright Sr. (Legends Class)

         John Wesley Wright Sr. was one of those  drawn to coaching young people. He graduated from Dudley High School and later served in World War II, winning numerous medals. Beginning in 1965, he began a 30-year association coaching the Bluford Blues youth baseball program. The Blues once compiled a 48-game winning streak and in 1968 they became the first African-American team to win the Greensboro city championship. Wright was a lifetime member of the Board of Management at Hayes-Taylor YMCA, where he was twice named Man of the Year. He received several service awards and was inducted into the Hayes-Taylor Hall of Fame. Wright passed away in 2011 and the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Department honored him with his name on the Penn-Wright baseball stadium in Barber Park.

 Susan Yow

         Back in the early 1970s when media coverage of high school and women's basketball was minimal, Susan Yow couldn't be overlooked. At Gibsonville High she was all-conference and all-state, averaging 22 points and 12 rebounds as a junior, 29 points as a senior and had her No. 14 jersey retired. At Elon, coached by her older sister Kay, she led her team to the state AIAW championship two years. Transferring to NC State to play for Kay, Susan led the team in scoring, rebounding, field goal percentage and free throw percentage, setting a still-standing school record of 27 rebounds in one game. Her accolades include being selected to the first two Eastman Kodak All-America teams, the ACC's 50th anniversary women's basketball team and the list of the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's top 100 female athletes. Along the way she also found time to play volleyball at Elon and NC State. Yow compiled an extensive coaching career that included experience internationally with three U.S. teams that won gold medals, professionally as an assistant in the WNBA and in college at seven schools as head coach. She was named to the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Susan joins her sisters, Kay and Debbie, as members of the GCSHOF.

GUILFORD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES CLASS OF 2022

GUIFLORD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME SELECTS 11 FOR CLASS OF 2022

 GREENSBORO – The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame added 11 new members with the Class of 2022 announced Wednesday.

The class is loaded with athletes who played multiple sports and coaches who coached multiple sports. There are nine laureates and two members of the Legends Class for those deceased.

This is the 17th class of athletes, coaches and contributors to be inducted into the Hall, which was created in 2005. It increases the membership to 186.

The inductees were introduced at a press conference at the Greensboro Coliseum. The GCSHOF presented charitable contributions of $1,000 each to the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Foundation and First Tee of Central Carolina, continuing a commitment of giving back to the Guilford County community since the inception of the GCSHOF.

The induction reception and banquet will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 20, at the Coliseum. Tickets for the reception and banquet are $90 while tables for 10 are $900. They can be ordered online at the GCSHOF website (gcshof.org).

Biographies of the Class of 2022 follow in alphabetical order:

 Thomas “Long Tom” Alston (Legends Class)

Thomas Alston, a World War II Navy veteran, was the first African-American baseball player to break the color barrier with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1954. The 6-foot-5, 210 Alston earned the nickname of “Long Tom’ due to his height and reach as a first baseman. A native of Greensboro, Alston attended Dudley High School in the early 1940s when it had no baseball team. He went on to star for four years at North Carolina A&T. Alston was also an outstanding player with the Goshen Red Wings, an all-Black semi-pro team in the Greensboro area, playing while a high school and college student against barnstorming Negro League teams. After graduation from A&T, he signed a professional contract in 1952 to play for San Diego in the Pacific Coast League. In 1953 he hit .298 with 20 home runs. That caught the eye of the Cardinals, who bought his contract for $100,000 and four players and promoted him to the major leagues. During his rookie year he played in 66 games, hitting .246 with 4 homers and 34 RBIs. The following three years saw his playing time reduced as he struggled with undiagnosed mental illness. He was described by one sportswriter as “having a sweet swing and a troubled soul.”  After the 1957 season, Alston was released by the Cardinals and he returned to Greensboro, where he lived for many years in mental institutions. He died in 1993. Alston was inducted into the A&T Hall of Fame in 1972 and is recognized as a “pioneer of baseball” in the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum.

 David Blum

David Blum was one of the first soccer stars in the Guilford County area. He was an outstanding player at Grimsley High School in1974 when it first fielded a team. Blum was the leading scorer in 1974 and 1975, team MVP in 1975 and was voted team captain as a senior. He earned second team All-State honors in 1975. Blum was one of the first soccer scholarship athletes recruited to the University of North Carolina, where he was a four-year starter. He was twice named National Player of the Week in 1977 and was voted to the All-ACC team as a sweeper in 1978 and 1979. Blum earned All-ACC Academic honors in 1977 and 1978. After his outstanding career at UNC, he played professionally for the Miami Americans (1980) and Carolina Lightin’ (1981) in the American Soccer League. Blum was a member of the USA soccer team at the Maccabiah Games in 1985 and 1987. He has been a small business owner for many years since his retirement.

 Michael Brooks

A celebrated athlete at Page High School and North Carolina State University, Michael Brooks started every game during his football career at Page and helped it post a record of 38-3-1. He was a member of state 4A championships in football in 1983 and1984 as well as being a state champion in the 400 meters in 1985. Brooks was twice an All-Conference football player and named to the All-State team in 1984. He was voted the team's defensive player of the year twice while also twice being named MVP in track and field. As a four-year athlete at NC State, Brooks was 2nd team All-ACC in football (leading the team in tackles and interceptions in 1987), twice named most valuable defensive back and was voted MVP of the 1988 Peach Bowl. He was also a member of three ACC outdoor championship track and field teams (All-ACC in track and field), one ACC indoor championship team, and was named All-American in 1988 and 1989. Following his superb career in college, Brooks signed as an undrafted free agent in 1989 and played two seasons with the San Diego Chargers and two more with the Dallas Cowboys. He was a member of the Baltimore Stallions Canadian Football League team in 1994, when he was selected to the All-Star team and played in the Grey Cup. He played in the CFL in 1995 as a member of the Memphis Mad Dogs. Brooks has worked for American Express for over 25 years and is currently Director over US Commercial Credit.

Kim Burroughs

Kim Burroughs has had an exceptional career coaching women’s soccer since the early 1980s. He competed in baseball while a student at Fred T. Foard High School and with American Legion Post 48 in Hickory. He played soccer during his junior and senior years at UNC Pembroke, graduating in 1977. Post-college, he played for the Morganton Albion and Greensboro Reunited soccer clubs. He earned a graduate degree at UNC Greensboro in 1988. Burroughs began his coaching career with the ’75 Greensboro Bucs (1987-1989), then moved to Women’s Classic with the various Greensboro Twisters teams between 1995-2009. He was named Girls Classic Coach of the Year in 2004. Burroughs coached at East Burke and Greensboro Smith high schools before moving to Greensboro Day School. He began as a middle school art teacher in 1988 but found his true calling coaching women’s soccer in his third year. Since 1991, Burroughs' teams have won over 425 matches, had three nationally ranked seasons (No. 7 in 1997, No. 2 in 1998, and No. 16 in 2005), won 12 NC Independent School state championships, including six consecutive titles from 1995-2000, and 23 conference championships. He has been honored as Conference Coach of the Year eight times, NC Coach of the Year four times, NC Regional Coach of the Year five times and the South Region National Coach of the Year three times. In 2004, the NSCAA honored him as National Coach of the Year among private schools. He has coached in two All-Star games. Burroughs received the 2005 Art Alumnus Award from UNCG and, in 2017, the Hendrix Teaching Award at Greensboro Day School.

Thomas Bynum (Legends Class)

A native of Chapel Hill, Bynum made his mark in Guilford County as a longtime athletics trainer at North Carolina A&T. He earned an undergraduate degree and master’s degree in sports medicine from A&T, where he was a four-year starter in basketball, Bynum served in the U.S. Army before returning to Greensboro in the mid-1960s. He began his career at A&T as the school's athletics trainer in 1968, serving until his retirement in 2000. During his career, “Mr. B's” reputation spread far and wide. He served as an athletics trainer in the Pan-African Games in 1971 as well as the U.S. Olympic Committee. In 1973 he was selected by the Amateur Athletic Union to be a trainer in Germany, Africa and Russia. In 1973 he was the trainer for the USA National Junior Track and Field team. Two years later, he was named a Sports’ Festival trainer and worked in Venezuela, Africa, France, China, Poland and Germany. He was the head AAU trainer in 1976 in Russia, West Germany and Canada. Bynum was one of 24 athletics trainers selected to work the Summer Olympic Games in 1984 and was named to the Olympic Training Advisory Board. He was chosen to be a trainer for the Summer Olympics in 1996 in Atlanta. Bynum was inducted into the A&T Hall of Fame in 2000. The Sports Medicine Room in the Corbett Sports Center is named and dedicated in his honor. He passed away in 2020.

Andrea Cozart

A pioneer in women’s high school sports, Andrea Cozart began coaching at High Point Central High School before there were varsity sports for women. A native of Bailey, NC, where she played on a basketball team that won 100 consecutive games, she graduated from East Carolina University in 1965.  Cozart helped establish the Girls’ Athletic Association during her early days at Central, then went on to a stellar 30-year coaching career from 1967-1997. While primarily a women’s tennis and men's and women’s swimming coach, Cozart also coached women’s basketball on an “interim” basis from 1983-1986, posting a 67-3 record and a state runner-up finish in 1985, and was named conference coach of the year three times. As a tennis coach, her teams won 15 conference championships, an NCSHAA state championship in 1976, and produced five individual state champions. Her greatest accomplishments came in the sport of swimming. During her 10 years as head coach from 1987-1997, her women’s teams posted a 92-5 dual meet record with 45 consecutive wins. Her men’s teams were 91-6 with 47 consecutive dual team wins. Cozart coached 14 individual NCHSAA state champions and three teams were state runners-up. During her coaching career her teams never had a losing record. Cozart was inducted into the NCHSAA Hall of Fame in 2003 and the High Point Central Sports Hall of Fame inaugural class of 2013.

 Rod Elkins

Rod Elkins was a prolific athlete at Grimsley High School from 1976-1979, starring on the football, basketball and baseball teams. As a quarterback, he earned All-Conference and All-Metro honors during his junior year when Grimsley was conference champion. Elkins was named Conference Player of the Year, All-Metro, All- State and All-Southern as a senior. He played in the East-West All-Star game and was a Shrine Bowl Game starter and team captain. He was voted Most Outstanding Athlete at Grimsley and named “NC Athlete of the Year” by the NC Association of Sports Broadcasters. In basketball Elkins was twice voted All-Conference and was a member of the All-State Tournament team.  As a baseball player, he was team MVP as a sophomore and senior, All-Conference for three years and Grimsley was conference champion during his senior season. Elkins attended the University of North Carolina, where he was a three-year football starter between 1980-1982. He led the Tar Heels to three bowl victories and an ACC championship. UNC was ranked 9th in the country in 1980, 10th in 1981 and had a pre-season rank as high as 5th during his senior year in 1982. Elkins was voted to the 2nd team sophomore All-American team (John Elway was 1st team and Dan Marino was 3rd team) while he led the ACC in passing efficiency. He was named team captain as a junior and senior and ended his career as the winningest quarterback in UNC history with a record of 22-4. A severe knee injury during his senior year ended his career. Elkins is currently National Director of Sales with Sophysa USA.

DePaul Mittman

DePaul Mittman's career as track and field coach has spanned three decades. A native of Mount Airy, Mittman earned his undergraduate degree at UNC Greensboro in 1978 and masters’ degree from NC A&T in 1986.  His initial coaching position was head football coach at Ferndale Junior High in High Point from 1978-1984. He went on to become an assistant football coach at Western Guilford High School in 1985 and served as assistant head coach and defensive coordinator from 1998-2001. It was as the men’s and women’s track and field coach at Western that Mittman earned his greatest recognition.  His team won the 1999 3A State Championship and finished as runner-up in 2000 and 2008 (indoor track) while also winning eight Regional Championships and 15 conference titles. Mittman was recognized as conference Coach of the Year16 times and coached three All-Americans, 16 individual state champions and 64 All-State athletes. He also served as meet director of multiple track and field championships, including the NCHSAA State Meet (1999-2022). Mittman is co-founder and past president of the NC Track and Cross County Coaches Association and served as Executive Director from 1993-2021. Upon retiring in 2008, Mittman was a member of the USATF National Junior Olympic Championship Meet Organizing Committee in 2007-2009 and 2012-2013. Mittman was honored with the NCHSAA Charlie Adams Distinguished Service Award in 2010. The track at Western Guilford was named in his honor in September 2018. In February 2022, he was inducted into the NC High School Track & Cross Country Hall of Fame.

 Renee Coltrane Pakkala

A four-sport participant at Northwest Guilford High School and 1981 graduate, Pakkala excelled in basketball and, during her senior year, in track and field. She was the basketball team MVP in 1979 and 1981 while being selected for the All-Conference team three times. As a senior, Pakkala was MVP of the conference tournament, honorable mention All-Metro and her team was ranked fifth in the state. She was a member of the volleyball, softball and track and field teams for three years and made her mark in track and field as a senior. She was all-conference in the high jump, where she set a school record, and the triple jump. As a senior, Pakkala was named the outstanding athlete at NW Guilford. She enrolled at UNC Greensboro where, between 1981-1985, she became a record-setting basketball player. She earned third team All-American honors as a junior and second team as a senior, becoming the first UNCG women’s basketball player to exceed 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds during her career. She is 6th on the all-time scoring list with 1,378 points and 1sts on the rebounding list with 1,211, pulling down a school record 25 rebounds in a single game. During her four years, UNCG won the Dixie Conference championship four times, advanced to the NCAA South Regionals three times, and once to the Division III national championship game, where it lost in overtime by one point. Pakkala was inducted into the UNCG Hall of Fame in 2001 and her 1981-82 team was inducted as a group in 2007. She is currently the CFO of Capital Automotive.

 Sharon Parks

Sharon Parks enjoyed a high school coaching career that started in1985 and ended with her retirement in 2018. During different tenures, she coached women’s basketball, track and softball but was exceptional coaching volleyball. A 1979 graduate of Thomasville High School and 1983 graduate of Guilford College, Parks posted an overall 584-198 record in volleyball during her career at three schools, winning 15 conference titles and being named Coach of the Year on 13 occasions. She coached volleyball one year at Thomasville followed by 21 years at Southern Guilford. Her teams were 377-102 during those years, winning one regular season title, eight conference tournaments, four regional titles and finishing runner-up in the state four times. Parks moved to Northern Guilford High School in 2007, where she started the volleyball program. Over 11 years, her teams were 197-92, advancing to the playoffs 10 times and winning three conference titles. Her 2017 team advanced to the second round of the Class 3A playoffs. Parks also coached basketball at Thomasville Middle School and Southern Guilford, where her team won a regular season conference championship. She coached the track and softball teams at Southern Guilford, then started the softball program at Northern Guilford.  Parks was named Region 5 Female Coach of the Year in 1995 and NC Female COY in 2008. She was awarded the NCHSAA Award of Merit in 2008. While a student at Guilford College, Parks was a fine athlete. She was a four-year basketball and volleyball starter, earning All-conference honors in both sports as well as Academic All-American honors in 1983 in basketball. She was inducted into the Guilford College Hall of Fame in 1996.

 Jason Widener

One of the most accomplished golfers ever in Guilford County and the state of North Carolina, Jason Widener has won at every level. A native of Greensboro, he is a 1989 graduate of Northwest Guilford High School, where he led the golf team to state titles in 1988 and 1989. He won the prestigious USGA Junior National Amateur National Championship in 1988 while earning All-American and Scholastic All-American honors from the American Junior Golf Association. When he signed with Duke, Widener was the No. 1 ranked junior player in the country. During his Duke career he became a three-time All-ACC player, an NCAA All-American, and reached No. 1 in amateur golf rankings. Widener represented the USA in victories at the Shiseido Cup in Japan and the Simon Bolivar Cup in Venezuela. In 2005, he was named to the Top 50 All-Time ACC Golfers. Upon graduation from Duke in 1993, Widener played professionally competing on the Nike Tour and the PGA European Tour. Between 1993-1996 he won six mini-tour events and the Bangor Open championship. Widener served as assistant coach for Duke men and women’s golf teams for three seasons, helping lead the women’s team to a 2003 national championship. Widener was the men’s golf coach at UNC Wilmington for five years, leading it to Colonial Athletic Association conference titles in 2004 and 2005. He returned to Durham and became a teaching professional at the Duke University Golf Course. In 2017 Widener resumed playing professional golf and qualified for the PGA Wyndham Championship. He continues in his current career as a professional player and coach.

GUILFORD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME SELECTS TEN FOR CLASS OF 2021

FOR RELEASE WEDNESDAY, MAY 26

GUILFORD COUNTY SPORTS HALL OF FAME SELECTS TEN FOR CLASS OF 2021

            GREENSBORO – The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame will add ten new members with the Class of 2021 announced on Wednesday.

            The class is headed by the first father and son combination to be inducted, Tony Baker and Toney Baker, both renown football players from the area.

            Also in the laureates’ class are outstanding coaches Charlie Brown and Rodney James, soccer star Megan Jeidy Crotts, track and field athlete Kim Jones, multi-sport athlete and coach Joyce Spruill, top North Carolina tennis player Susan “Susie” Black Wall, and Ed Price, a longtime advocate for youth sports in High Point.

            A final selection is Mike Hogewood, a Legend who was a member of the media for forty-two years. The Legends Class was created in 2010 to honor posthumous induction. 

            The Class of 2021 is the 16th class of athletes, coaches, contributors, and members of the media to be inducted into the Hall which was created in 2005. This class increases membership in the Hall to 175.

            The inductees will be introduced at a virtual press conference hosted by the Greensboro Coliseum at 11:00AM on Wednesday, May 26.

            The induction reception and banquet will be held on Monday, September 20 at the coliseum. Tickets for the reception and banquet are $90 and can be ordered with the ticket order form found on the GCSHOF website (gcshof.org). 

            Biographies of the Class of 2021 follow in alphabetical order:

TONEY BAKER

Toney Baker was recognized as one of the best high school football players in the nation at Ragsdale High School when he graduated in 2005. As a four-year starter, he rushed for 10,241 yards and scored 131 touchdowns during his career. He was second in rushing for his career and fifth in rushing yards (3,411) in one season statewide when he completed his high school career. He also ranked third in career rushing yards in national high school history, and his career rushing yards still place him in the top 20. As a senior, he was Conference Player of the Year and North Carolina Player of the Year. He also played in the Shrine Bowl and U.S. Army All-American games. Baker was named to the USA Today All-USA High School Football Team, and his jersey was retired at Ragsdale. He had an injury-filled career at North Carolina State, missing two entire seasons with a severe knee injury. Baker totaled 2,721 rushing and receiving yards with 21 touchdowns. He received the Brian Piccolo Award as the Most Courageous Player from the Atlantic Coast Conference. He signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos but was not able to play in the NFL due to his injury.

TONY BAKER

Tony Baker was an exceptional football player at Andrews High School while also excelling in track and field. He rushed for over 1,600 yards as a senior while leading Andrews to the 1981 state 4A semifinals. He was selected as Conference Player of the Year and was a member of the All-State team while also playing in both the Shrine Bowl and East-West All-Star games. Baker is still a record holder at Andrews in the long jump. He attended East Carolina University where he started at tailback for four years. He was voted Outstanding Freshman in 1982, Most Valuable Offensive Player as a senior in 1986, and was named an Honorable Mention All-American as a senior. He is the fourth leading rusher in ECU history. Baker was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 1986, playing three seasons with the Cleveland Browns and one year with the Phoenix Cardinals. He also played two years with the Frankfort Galaxy of the World Football League, leading the league in all-purpose yards and finishing second in rushing. He was runner-up for league MVP and in 2017 was among a large group of “Pioneers of the Game” who were honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  Baker was inducted into the Andrews Hall of Fame in 2016.

CHARLIE BROWN

Charlie Brown has had an exceptional career as a cross country and track & field coach since the early 1980s. He competed as a cross country and track athlete at Grimsley High School, graduating in 1977. He then was a track athlete at the University of North Carolina for two seasons, graduating in 1981. Brown founded the Greensboro Pacesetters Club in 1979 and the Greensboro Cross Country Invitational in 1983. He has coached at least 21 USA National Junior Olympic track & field athletes as well as multiple national champions at various high schools, Brown was the coach of the USA cross country team at the IAAF World Championships in France in 2005 and coach of the USA Junior team at the NCAC Cross Country championships, also in 2005. He has served as the meet director in multiple USA Track & Field National and World Qualifying Meets as well as a variety of high school and college meets. Brown coached state championship teams in both cross country and track & field at Greensboro Day School and coached the boys North Carolina 3A state championship team in indoor track and field in 2009 while at Southwest Guilford High School, as well as the girls state runner-up teams in 2002 and 2003. 

MEGAN JEIDY CROTTS

A highly accomplished soccer player at Northwest Guilford High School, Crotts was named North Carolina Player of the Year in addition to being a McDonald’s All-American and Parade magazine All-American as a senior in 1994. She was twice named Conference and Regional Player of the Year and selected to play in the East-West All-Star game. Crotts played one season with the Raleigh Spartans soccer club, winning the 1995 national championship as she was named both MVP of the Final Four and won the Fair Play Sportsmanship Award. The Spartans team was inducted into the NC Soccer Hall of Honor in 2013. Her team was inducted into the NC Soccer Hall of Honor in 2013. Crotts played four seasons at North Carolina State and was named All-ACC, All-South Region, and to the ACC All-Tournament team in 1995. After college, Crotts played between 1998-2000 with the Raleigh Wings of the United Soccer League W-League with her team winning two league titles and being runner-up during the third season. After the 1999 World Cup win by the U.S. women’s national team, the Woman’s United Soccer League was formed as the first professional soccer league for women. Crotts was a member of the Bay Area (California) Cyber Rays in 2001 which won the WUSA inaugural Founders Cup championship.  

MIKE HOGEWOOD

Mike Hogewood was a decorated sportscaster for 42 years in the Triad area and beyond. A graduate of Grimsley High School and Lenoir-Rhyne College, he began his career in 1976 as a sports reporter in Charlotte, then was sports director in Ft. Myers and Birmingham until 1985. Between 1985-2000, Hogewood was the sports director at WGHP-TV in High Point and then at WFMY-TV in Greensboro, where he created Friday Night Football Fever. Afterward, he worked for the ACC Regional Sports Network for years, serving as an on-site host, sideline reporter, and play-by-play announcer for a variety of sports. Additionally, he worked with the Jefferson Pilot/Raycom Sports Network for over 25 years, notably covering ACC football, men and women’s basketball, and baseball. Hogewood’s additional broadcast affiliations include Webstream Sports, ESPN3, SPEED channel, TNN, and the Turner/TNT/TBS networks. Hogewood earned a multitude of awards for regional and state reporting from various organizations, including two Southeastern Regional Emmy Awards from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences in 2001 and 2006. He passed away in 2018.

RODNEY JAMES

A native of Greensboro, Rodney James was an outstanding wrestler and wrestling coach. He was a member of the wrestling team at Grimsley High School for three years and also played football for two years. The wrestling team was the 1974 runner-up in the North Carolina state championships while James, as a senior, was an individual state champion in his weight class in 1974. He graduated from North Carolina A&T State University in 1978, where he was the first four-year MEAC wrestling champion in his weight class with his team winning the MEAC championship in 1975 and 1976. He was voted three times the Most Outstanding Wrestler in the MEAC and went on to be the NCAA Division I Eastern Regional individual runner-up in 1977. James was named the Most Outstanding Athlete at NC A&T in 1978. He coached at Grimsley High School, George Washington High School in Virginia, and Reidsville High School during his storied career, posting over 300 wins and earning Mid-State 2A conference Coach of the Year honors. James was honored with the “2 Those Who Care” Award in 1997 and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Winston-Salem Chronicle in 1998. He was inducted into the A&T Hall of Fame in 1996.

KIM JONES

The embodiment of an exceptional athlete, Kim Jones played volleyball for four years, basketball for three years, and excelled in both indoor and outdoor track for four years at Grimsley High School, graduating in 1999. She won the North Carolina state championship in the long jump four times and was the NC champion in the Indoor 60M and 100M hurdles in 1998 and 1999. Jones was the national high school champion in the indoor long jump in 1998, the 1999 outdoor long jump and 100M hurdles, and was named the 1999 MVP for the Nike/New Balance National High School Championships. She attended Florida State University, where she was All-ACC for three years; an ACC Track & Field event champion eight times; Most Valuable Performer in track & field at Florida State; and a three-time NCAA All-American; and competed in multiple international events as a Nike-sponsored athlete. Jones earned All-ACC Academic honors all four years and was a member of the PHI ETA SIGMA National Honors Society in 2000. She has served as an assistant coach at Florida State, with the Christian Crusaders Youth Track & Field Club, and has been a personal coach for multiple high school athletes. 

ED PRICE

Serving as a champion of youth sports in High Point has been a lifelong passion of Ed Price, a graduate of High Point Central High School and Wake Forest University. Since the 1970s, he has been a significant force in the expansion of youth sports while fund-raising and building new facilities in High Point, coaching youth teams, and founding youth tournaments. He headed the drive to build a new YMCA complex in the early 1980s and in 1990, the City of High Point completed an extensive athletic complex named after Price. He founded invitational tournaments in soccer, baseball, and basketball during the 1990s while also founding and chairing the High Point Youth Sports Council. He organized and coached multiple youth sport teams over the years, including the Gators AAU U-12 basketball team, which won a national championship. Price served as president of both HP Central and HP Andrews booster clubs during the 1980s and 1990s. For his efforts, he has been presented the High Point Jaycees Distinguished Service Award (1976), the Salvation Army Man and Youth Award (1992), Humanitarian of the Year (2005), Citizen of the Year (2009), and the NAACP B. Elton Cox Award (2018), among a multitude of awards.

JOYCE SPRUILL

An accomplished high school and college athlete as well as a coach, Joyce Spruill has had a significant impact on Guilford County sports since the late 1960s. She graduated from Dudley High School in 1970 where she participated in track & field, volleyball, basketball, and softball. During her senior year, Dudley won the city-wide championship in basketball with Spruill as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder. She also led her team to a city-wide championship in track & field and was voted Athlete of the Year at Dudley. From 1971-1975, Spruill continued her athletic career at North Carolina A&T State University starring in basketball as the team’s leading scorer and rebounder during her junior and senior years. After graduating from college, she served from 1975-1979 as the school’s first Director of Women’s Athletics before beginning her coaching career at A&T, where her basketball teams twice won the NCAIAW District III championship and finished second in the NCAIAW Division II and Division III state tournaments. As the Aggies’ softball coach, her team won a championship in the NCAIAW Division I tournament. She later took her coaching abilities to Bennett College, twice winning the NC-VA Women’s College Tournament championship and having one second-place finish. She also had seven second-place finishes in the NC-Georgia Women’s College tournaments. Spruill was inducted into the NC A&T Sports Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Dudley Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

SUSAN “SUSIE” BLACK WALL

One of the most accomplished tennis players in the City of Greensboro and the State of North Carolina, Susie Wall won the North Carolina state 4-A singles championship in both her junior and senior years while a student at Page High School. She also led her team to the 4-A state championship as a senior in 1974. While a youth player in Greensboro, Wall won the Sportsmanship Award in the 16 & Under NC Closed Tournament. She attended the University of North Carolina, where she was the number one singles player during her sophomore and junior years. Between 1975-1999, Wall was one of the best amateur tennis players in North Carolina as she won 19 state championships and was a runner-up on 13 occasions. In 2009, the Alamance Junior Tennis Foundation established the “Susie Black Wall Determination Award”. Wall was also inducted into the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame in 2009. 

High Point University Mourns Loss of Legendary Basketball Coach Jerry Steele

By Kevin McMahon: High Point University

All-time great High Point University men's basketball coach and former athletic director who is the winningest HPU coach in school history with 495 wins, Jerry Steele passed away early Sunday (July 11th) morning. He was 82.

Steele played basketball at Wake Forest from 1958-1961 where he was a captain and twice a member of the ACC All-Academic team. Steele was the head coach at Guilford College from 1964-1971, he then coached the ABA's Carolina Cougars for a season in 1970-1971. In 1972, he became the head coach at High Point where he stayed until retiring in 2003.

He was the school's athletic director from 1972-1998. Steele guided the school to six conference tournament titles in NAIA and NCAA Division II. He was a basketball icon which is a status that was solidified with inductions to five halls of fame: NAIA Hall of Fame, North Carolina Hall of Fame, Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame, Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame, and was in the inaugural class of the High Point University Sports Hall of Fame. 

"Jerry Steele represented the best of HPU," High Point University President Nido Qubein said. "I've known him for three decades and always admired his spirited commitment to the university. We will certainly miss him. His legacy lives on."

Steele took HPU through every level of college athletics (NAIA- Division I) while experiencing success in each division. Steele spent 31 years as the head coach of the Panthers, 16 of which were winning seasons. 

"Jerry Steele was an icon of High Point University Athletics and his impact on HPU will live on forever," Athletic Director Dan Hauser said. "Jerry was both a Hall of Fame basketball coach and a championship administrator. His induction into five Halls of Fame is an indication of the admiration and respect so many people had for his legacy of work. Jerry was a mentor, educator, and coach to hundreds of HPU alumni over his career. His influence and life lessons will carry on for generations to come. Our thoughts and prayers are with Kitty and the entire Steele family."

Steele was a five-time NAIA conference tournament champion with The Purple & White.

HPU only spent six years in Division II, but that did not slow down Steele who led High Point to four CVAC Tournament Championship games. Steele and The Panthers won the CVAC Championship in 1996-97. Steele led the Panthers to two consecutive DII Second Round appearances in 1995-96 and 1996-97.

"Coach Steele has been a pillar in this community and in this state, Coach Tubby Smith said of his former coach. "He is a Hall of Famer in every sense of the term. What I loved about playing for Coach Steele is that he was a man of principles. He was fair, he always kept things light he always someone I could count on and call on when I made a decision. He is one of those men once you knew him whether you played for him or knew him at all, he left an impression on you. He had great wit and wisdom. He was like a John Wooden he had many ways to motivate players that made it fun. I never worked for him but I know guys who were assistants for him really appreciated what he stood for and honest and sincere he was. I was always impressed with how he stood the test of time, when you spend as much time as he did in this business he did a remarkable job, his legacy will last forever. I believe his wife Kitty was a big key to his success and his longevity in this profession and in life and he would say that as well.  He is someone that the coaching profession and High Point University can be very proud of.
He is certainly going to be missed, he was a real fighter he competed in all areas of life. Donna and I will always love Coach Steele he meant so much to our family."

In 1999, Steele helped High Point University Basketball transition into Division I play in the Big South. After not being eligible for the Big South Tournament in their first two seasons Steele guided the Panthers to the Big South Championship game in 2001-02 in their tournament debut. Their wild run to the Championship game is best encapsulated in this excerpt from the High Point University Athletics recap story of the 2002 Big South Championship game against Winthrop where HPU finished runner-up.

"High Point's first-ever Big South Tournament appearance was a successful one by any stretch of the imagination. The Panthers knocked off two of the league's three highest-ranked teams, and became the first No. 7-seed in the history of the tournament to advance to the finals."

Steele played such a critical role in the development of High Point Athletics and the transition to Division I. His contributions can be best seen through his four Division I seasons with the Panthers. A look back at Coach Steele's non-conference games once the team became Division I showed a clear willingness to learn, and test his teams as they competed against some of the best in the nation. He did not shy away from the game's giants even with his Panthers just two years removed from Division II. The first four Power-5 opponents in the Division I era under Steele were #22 Wake Forest, #8 Florida, Kentucky, and Auburn. 

Against Auburn on November 16th, 2001 HPU took the tigers the distance as the Panthers nearly shocked AU on their home floor 63-59.

Steele is survived by his wife Kitty Steele who spent many years alongside him at High Point University as a hall of fame coach in her own right. 

 

The flags at the Steele Athletic Center will be lowered in honor of Jerry's legacy.

Jerry Steel's service this Thursday, July 15th (10:00 AM visitation and 11:00 AM service).  

Address: Forbis & Dick Funeral Service (Guilford College location) – 5926 West Friendly Avenue, Greensboro, NC 27410

In Memoriam: Eddie Bridges, conservationist, and fundraiser dies

By Eddie Wooten: eddie.wooten@greensboro.com

GREENSBORO — Eddie Bridges dedicated his life to the outdoors, wildlife and land conservation. He helped raise millions of dollars for those causes and for his university, Elon.

But that work was about the people, too.

“It’s about the thousands of people who are members of my foundation and other interested folk who have embraced my cause,” Bridges told the News & Record’s Jeff Mills in 2019. “It’s about the 1 million men, women and children who hunt and fish in North Carolina, people who have generated $2.3 billion a year for our state’s economy. No other sport has done that.”

Bridges, a Greensboro resident whose work earned him places in the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, died Tuesday at age 87.

Bridges, who grew up near Morganton and is a 1957 graduate of Elon, pitched the idea to the state Wildlife Resources Commission that selling lifetime hunting and fishing licenses would help provide for the enforcement of hunting regulations and for habitat for animals.

In 1992 he founded the nonprofit North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Foundation, an organization that has helped preserve land, fund studies and even restore an old barn that became the Frank A. Sharpe Jr. Wildlife Education Center at Greensboro’s Bur-Mil Park.

Two years ago, Bridges estimated that he had raised more than $200 million for endowments for nonprofits, state programs and Elon.

“If I go to a deer stand or a duck blind and stay there all day and don’t shoot my gun, it’s worth it,” Bridges told the News & Record’s Richard M. Barron in 2015. “Nobody sees it but me and the Lord. It’s private.

“I have turkeys walk past me, bobcats, bears. It bothers me that mankind is destroying all that.”

The honors that came his way included being selected as the state’s conservationist of the year in 1993, the national conservationist of the year in 2004 and the Field & Stream Conservation Hero of the Year in 2012.

“It’s also crucial to keep kids interested,” he told Field & Stream in 2012. “I’ve been hunting and fishing since I was 6 years old, and I’m still kind of addicted to it. ... I just turned 79, I don’t wear glasses and I don’t need a walker or false teeth, so I think it’s done me some good.”

Bridges was chosen for the state sports hall in 2019, and the former college football and baseball player who found fame in the outdoors was inducted with a class that included former N.C. A&T football coach Rod Broadway, former ACC commissioner Gene Corrigan, the PGA Tour’s Davis Love and NASCAR’s Dale Earnhardt Jr.

That’s good company.

“It’s something I never expected to be part of my life’s journey,” he said in 2019. “I’ve gotten a lot of awards from a lot of places over the years, a lot of publicity. But going into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is about a lot more than Eddie Bridges.”

Bridges won admiration from those he touched. Among them:

NASCAR’s Richard Childress, in 2015: “I’ve watched him with what he’s done and use him as a role model for the great outdoors, not only for me but for many, many people.”

The artist Bob Timberlake, in 2015: “I try to emulate him all the time. I’ve never seen him upset or tired of talking to someone or go hide in a corner. I feed off his energy and excitement. Everybody around him does.”

And News & Record editorial page editor Allen Johnson, in a 2018 column about his heroes: “At a very youngish 85, the executive director of the N.C. Wildlife Habitat Foundation will outhustle people half his age. He also is an alchemist of sorts ... every cause he touches seems to turn to gold, including a recent funding drive to build oyster reefs in the polluted New River in Onslow County. I still think his idea to mint commemorative coins to benefit the International Civil Rights Center & Museum was brilliant; too bad it bogged down in red tape and politics.”

He leaves behind a large legacy, one that will be long-lasting, for sure. His truck is emblazoned with not only Wildlife Habitat Foundation branding but a sign reading, “Don’t Let the Dream Die.” Upon being selected by the News & Record for its inaugural 7 Over Seventy Awards in August 2020, he explained what his life had given him.

“Divine order has taken care of a lot of stuff for me,” he said. “The Lord has blessed me in a multitude of ways. Lots of great things have happened to me, including the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. I feel really honored and grateful, and to be 87 years old and still get those nice blessings is pretty remarkable.”

Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame seeks nominations

By Joe Sirera joe.sirera@greensboro.com

GREENSBORO — The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for its 16th class.

According to the hall’s website (gcshof.org), nominees must have “significant Guilford County connections” that will be reviewed by a committee of eight board members about 10 days after nominations close March 15. “Athletes, coaches, officials, sportswriters, broadcasters or any person who has made or is making a major contribution to the development of sports and is of the HIGHEST moral character shall be eligible.”

Nominees can be living or deceased, and anyone nominated will be eligible for election for 10 years. Each induction class is limited to 10 members.

“We try to have a mixture of sports,” said Woody Gibson, chairman of the hall’s board of directors. “We try to have diversity in race and gender.”

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The nomination form can be found on the hall’s website and must be accompanied by documentation of the nominee’s accomplishments and letters of reference. Nominations should be mailed to: Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame, 2411 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, NC 27403.

Nominees are put before the full 28-member board for a vote at a meeting in mid-April. Those who are elected are then contacted to make sure they can attend the induction banquet Sept. 21 as required by the hall's bylaws. The hall then holds a news conference in late-May to introduce this year’s class of inductees.

Following a reception at Ovations Lounge, the induction banquet is held on the floor of the Greensboro Coliseum. Attendance has been as high as 630 and averages about 525, Gibson said.

The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2005.

Ten added to Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame as Class of 2019

GREENSBORO – Ten members have been added to the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame with the Class of 2019 announced Wednesday.

            The new members include a pair of golfers who made their marks locally and nationally, Joe Inman and Robert Linville.

            Also in the laureates class are coaching standouts Mickie Tuttle and Michael Porter, volleyball star Katie Smith Davis, soccer player and coach Ronnie Coveleskie Woodward, former NFL player Mark Dixon and baseball player Billy Sorrell.

            Two other selections are members of the Legends Class, created in 2010 for posthumous induction. The Legends for 2019 are Glenn Ford, former football star at Grimsley, and Junior Robinson a multi-sport standout at High Point Andrews.

            This is the 15th class for the Hall, created in 2005, and it increases the membership to 165.

            The inductees will be introduced at a press conference at the Greensboro Coliseum on Wednesday, May 29, at noon.

            The induction will be held Monday, Sept. 16, with a reception and banquet at the Greensboro Coliseum. For ticket information, call (336) 335-1591 or (434) 851-2374.   

            Biographies of the Class of 2019 follow (in alphabetical order):

KATIE SMITH DAVIS

While she was also an accomplished basketball player, Katie Smith Davis was an exceptional volleyball player at Northwest Guilford and later at Greensboro College. At Northwest she was twice conference player of the year and helped the Vikings win three conference titles and make the state playoffs four times. She played Junior Olympics volleyball for four years and was all-tournament on a team that won the gold medal in Hawaii. Katie continued her stellar career in college and was a four-time first team all-conference choice, a two-time coaches All-American and winner of several other awards. She holds multiple records at Greensboro College and in the USA South Conference. Katie was named to the Greensboro College Athletics Hall of Fame in 2012 and the USA South Atlantic Hall of Fame in 2018.

MARK DIXON

Growing up in Jamestown, Mark Dixon went to Ragsdale High School and was a standout in football and basketball, which he said was really his favorite sport. He made all-conference as an offensive lineman and played in the East-West All-Star game in 1989. Mark earned a scholarship to Virginia, where he went on to become All-ACC, win the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and be named an All-American. Injuries set him back and he was not drafted by the NFL, so for four years he played in NFL Europe and in the Canadian Football League. Miami signed him as a free agent at age 28. Equally at home at guard or tackle, he played in 62 games over five years, starting 60 of them. Mark is now the head coach at Galax, Va., where he guided the Maroon Tide to its first state championship in 2015. He recently added the duties of boys head basketball coach.

GLENN FORD (Legends Class)

The late Glenn Ford is still regarded as one of Guilford County’s great running backs. Starring at Grimsley in the mid-1970s, Glenn was twice named City Offensive Player of the Year and was Conference Player of the Year as a senior in 1977 after leading the Whirlies to their first state playoff berth in 10 years. Glenn earned all-state honors and was named to the 1977 Parade All-America Team. He began his collegiate career at  Tennessee before transferring to Lenoir-Rhyne. In his one season there Glenn rushed for 1,093 yards and was named first-team All-South Atlantic Conference and second-team NAIA All-America. Selected in the 1984 United States Football League draft, Glenn played two years. In 28 games with the Chicago Blitz and Memphis Showboats, he rushed for 433 yards, caught 27 passes for 315 yards and scored four touchdowns.

JOE INMAN Jr.

Joe Inman Jr. had the fortune to be coached in golf by two legends, Bob Jamieson at Grimsley and Jesse Haddock at Wake Forest, and he learned their lessons well. At Grimsley he played on three state championship teams. Joe walked on to the team at Wake Forest and played on three ACC championship teams from 1968-70. He finished third in the 1968 NCAA Tournament and was All-America in 1969. Joe won several amateur titles, including the Carolinas Junior in 1965 and the North Carolina Amateur in 1970. He played on the PGA Tour from 1974-86, winning the 1976 Kemper Open. On the Champions (Seniors) Tour, he was rookie of the year in 1998 and won three events in his career. As a coach at Georgia State, he led his team to four NCAA regional appearances and one NCAA championship appearance. He was Sun Belt Coach of the Year twice.

ROBERT LINVILLE

When it comes to golf, Robert Linville has excelled as a player, a coach and an instructor. At Northwest Guilford he made all-conference for three years and at Guilford College he was all-conference four times and an NAIA All-American in 1979. He has always kept playing, and won the Bermuda Run Senior Open 2010 and the Carolinas PGA Senior Open in 2011. Robert coached at Greensboro College from 1995-2007. The Pride won the NCAA Division III national championship in 2000 and finished second two other times. He was conference coach of the year three times and national Coach of the Year twice. He coached the USA national collegiate team against Japan in 2000 and 2006 and won both times. Robert founded a golf school in 1989, founded the Peggy Kirk Bell girls tour in 2007 and was twice named the Golf Performance PGA Teacher of the Year.

MICHAEL PORTER

His football jersey number is retired at Ben L. Smith High and Michael Porter’s accomplishments since his playing days are equally impressive. After earning all-state honors in two sports and setting school records that still stand, Michael became the first African-American player from Guilford County to play in the East-West Football All-Star Game. He went on to star at Lenoir-Rhyne, excelling as a kick return specialist with a school-record 702 combined punt return yards, including a 96-yard runback for a touchdown in 1969. He also played baseball at the college level. Michael served two years in the Marine Corps before resuming a 30-year career as a teacher and coach. He spent the final 23 years back at Smith, where he coached football, basketball and baseball and taught Physical Education. The field house at Smith is named in his honor.

DAVID “JUNIOR” ROBINSON (Legends Class)

The embodiment of a natural athlete, David “Junior” Robinson left a lasting impression.  The three-sport High Point Andrews standout capped his high school football career by totaling more than 2,500 total offensive yards, scoring 23 touchdowns and starring for  North Carolina in the 1985 Shrine Bowl. Junior continued a stellar senior year averaging 18 points in basketball and running on the Andrews’ record-setting 400 relay state championship team. At East Carolina he was a three-year starter in the secondary and was named second-team All-America in 1989. Selected by New England in the fifth round, Junior appeared in all 16 regular-season games his rookie season. When his life was tragically cut short by an automobile accident in 1995, he was still in the midst of a professional career that included stints in both the World League of American Football and the CFL. He was inducted into the Andrews High School Hall of Fame in 2015.

BILLY SORRELL

Although he was also an excellent football player at High Point Andrews (a member of the 4-A state champion team in 1972), Billy Sorrell made his strongest mark in baseball. He was a three-time all-conference selection and was named all-state twice. He had a two-year pitching ERA of 0.70 and in 1973 he hit .450. Although drafted by Cleveland, he chose to attend High Point College. With the Panthers Billy compiled a 39-11 career record as a pitcher, was a three-time all-conference pick, made all-district once and all-area once. His 39 wins and 407 innings pitched are still school records. His team won three conference titles and qualified for the 1974 NAIA national tournament. Billy played one season in the New York Yankees system and then embarked on a long career in sales and marketing in the furniture industry.

MICKIE TUTTLE

Gifted with teaching and coaching skills that transcended multiple sports, Mickie Tuttle helped blaze a trail for girls high school athletics in Guilford County. A basketball and track star at Allen Jay High School, Mickie lettered in three sports at High Point College before embarking on a teaching and coaching career at Western Guilford. Over the next two decades she coached six sports, amassed more than 650 wins, 16 conference titles and 12 Coach of the Year honors. She guided the Hornets’ 1977 girls track and field team to Western’s first state championship in any sport and led the volleyball team to district and sectional championships in 1989. Mickie also coached boys tennis, going 26-6 in two seasons with one conference title. She has been named to Western's Sports Hall of Fame   and the court at Western's gymnasium is named in her honor. She's also in the Graham Sports Hall of Fame as a member of the well-known Rubi-Otts softball team.

RONNIE COVELESKIE WOODWARD

Soccer is a lifelong passion for Ronnie Coveleskie Woodward, who honed her skills as an all-state player at High Point Central. A three-year all-conference player and two-time Region Player of the Year, Ronnie became the first woman awarded a soccer scholarship to Duke. A standout goalkeeper, she set marks that still rank among the program’s top 10 in four categories. She landed her first head coaching job at College of Charleston in 1999 and moved to Vanderbilt in 2001. In 11 seasons, Ronnie earned Southeast Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2005 and led two teams to the NCAA Tournament. Currently a coach and administrator for the Tennessee Soccer Club, she led teams to the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship in 2016 and to state championships four consecutive seasons. She was named the NSCAA National Youth Coach of the Year 2016 and inducted into the Tennessee Soccer Hall of Fame 2017.

N.C. Hall of Famer Eddie Bridges Leads Fundraising Effort for County's Hall

GREENSBORO — One of the state’s newest hall of famers is raising money for his local hall of fame.

Conservationist and outdoorsman Eddie Bridges of Greensboro is leading the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame’s effort to create an endowment fund to supplement the group’s budget.

Bridges, a 2011 inductee into Guilford’s hall, knows a thing or two about endowment funds. He estimates he’s raised more than $200 million in his lifetime for endowments for non-profits, state programs and his alma mater Elon University.

Bridges founded the non-profit North Carolina Wildlife Habitat Foundation, a group that has raised $5 million over time and paid for about $1.5 million in projects all over the state.

The $100,000 goal for Guilford County’s Hall of Fame is modest by comparison, and Bridges says $20,000 in pledges have already been received. The hall hopes to reach its goal before its 2019 induction banquet in the fall.

Money from the endowment fund would help the county hall of fame cover annual expenses, make improvements and do more for local charities it currently supports.

“It’s a good cause, and it interests a lot of people,” Bridges says. “They have a lot of costs. It won’t happen overnight, but as soon as they accumulate enough money to put into a wealth-management fund then it will begin to generate some revenue. My idea is to leave the principal alone, not ever touch that, and just use the interest earnings. It’s an identical thing to the North Carolina Wildlife Endowment Fund.”

Maybe. But on a smaller scale. Bridges proposed and created the N.C. Wildlife Endowment for the state, and over time raised $130 million.

It’s a part of his life’s work as an advocate for the outdoors that landed him in this year’s induction class for the N.C. Sports Hall of Fame in Raleigh.

“I’m really excited about that,” Bridges says. “It’s something I never expected to be part of my life’s journey. I’ve gotten a lot of awards from a lot of places over the years, a lot of publicity. But going into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is about a lot more than Eddie Bridges.

“It’s about the thousands of people who are members of my foundation and other interested folk who have embraced my cause. It’s about the 1 million men, women and children who hunt and fish in North Carolina, people who have generated $2.3 billion a year for our state’s economy. No other sport has done that.”

Bridges will be inducted at a ceremony in Raleigh on May 3, and he joins 11 other new members as part of the hall’s 56th class that also includes retired N.C. A&T football coach Rod Broadway, former ACC Commissioner Gene Corrigan, PGA Tour star Davis Love III, Guilford College alumnus Thell Overman and NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

In the meantime, he’ll continue working on his latest effort with the county’s hall.

“I’m going to dedicate a lot of time to it during this next year,” Bridges says. “I don’t want to be a one-man band. I could use some help. But I’m excited about it, and I think it will work.”

Tax-deductible gifts to the new endowment can be sent to GCSHOF at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, 1921 West Gate City Blvd, Greensboro NC, 27403. For more information call (336) 375-4994.

Eddie Bridges Inducted to North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame

THE NORTH CAROLINA SPORTS HALL OF FAME IS HONORED TO ANNOUNCE ITS 2019 INDUCTION CLASS.

January 22, 2019 (RALEIGH, N.C.) —  The North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame is honored to announce its 2019 induction class. The new members, listed alphabetically, are Ernie Barnes, Willie Bradshaw, Eddie Bridges, Rod Broadway, Gene Corrigan, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Steve Gabriel, Dee Kantner, Davis Love III, Paul Miller, Neill McGeachy, and Thell Overman.

They will be enshrined during the 56th annual induction banquet on the evening of Friday, May 3, at the Raleigh Convention Center. An afternoon news conference will be held on Thursday, May 2, at 4 p.m. at the N.C. Museum of History, located at 5 East Edenton Street.

Ticket information for the banquet is available at ncsportshalloffame.org or 919-845-3455.

“The achievements of this year’s class of inductees enrich North Carolina’s remarkable sports heritage, and the individuals have certainly earned the honor of joining the 351 men and women who have been previously enshrined,” said Nora Lynn Finch, president of the Hall. “This is our 56th class, and we look forward to celebrating this special time in our state’s sports history."

The N.C. Sports Hall of Fame was established in 1963. A permanent exhibit, North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, is located on the third floor of the N.C. Museum of History in Raleigh and features significant objects and memorabilia donated by inductees. The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. Admission is free.

A brief biography of each 2019 inductee follows; deceased inductees being inducted posthumously are indicated by an asterisk:

Ernie Barnes*: Barnes grew up in Durham, attending Hillside High and then North Carolina College, where he played football and majored in art.  After five years in pro football, he became an internationally acclaimed artist, known as “America’s Best Painter of Sports.” The Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee named Barnes "Sports Artist of the 1984 Olympic Games", and during his career he was commissioned to paint for the Duke Alumni Association, the NFL, the NBA and the Pro Football Hall of Fame as well as designing album covers for musical artists.

Willie Bradshaw*: Bradshaw was an outstanding athlete at Durham’s Hillside High and later at North Carolina College. His coaching stops included 15 years at Hillside, where he was also athletic director, and then as athletic director for the Durham City School system. He was nationally known in athletic administration circles, also serving as president of both the N.C. High School Athletic Directors Association as well as the N.C. Coaches Association.

Eddie Bridges: The work by Bridges in hunting and fishing as well as conservation has made him a national leader. He developed the “lifetime” hunting and fishing licenses in North Carolina, a program that since its enactment has raised more than $110 million. He has been a state leader in the acquisition, protection and conservation of wildlife game and fish resources and is a former chairman of the Game and Fish Committee of North Carolina’s Wildlife Resources Commission.

Rod Broadway: This Oakboro native, an all-star defensive lineman at the University of North Carolina, went on to have an outstanding 39-year football coaching career, the only coach to win national black college championships at three different schools. His teams won five national titles— one at Grambling State and two each at North Carolina Central and North Carolina A&T.  He posted a record 125-45 in 15 years as a head coach.

Gene Corrigan: Corrigan has been one of the most respected and influential administrators in college sports. He had an impact in many roles-- as an athletic director, commissioner of the ACC and a leader in the NCAA. He served as athletic director at Washington and Lee, Virginia and Notre Dame, and he was commissioner of the Atlantic Coast Conference from 1987 to ’97. He is also a former president of the NCAA.

Dale Earnhardt Jr.: Earnhardt has enjoyed a tremendously successful career in stock car racing.  The native of Kannapolis competed in well over 600 races, winning the Daytona 500 twice and earning 26 Cup victories. Off the track, he has been one of the sport’s greatest goodwill ambassadors and was voted by fans the most popular driver on the NASCAR circuit 15 times. He is now a popular television analyst for the sport.

Steve Gabriel*: A native of Lincoln County and long-time resident of Boone, Gabriel was a legend in the world of wrestling.  A graduate of Appalachian State where he was the starting quarterback, Gabriel founded the wrestling program at Appalachian High School in Boone, where his teams went an amazing 140-0 over a 13-year period. From there, he later served as wrestling coach at Appalachian State for many years. He is in the ASU Athletic Hall of Fame and National Wrestling Hall of Fame.

Dee Kantner: A long-time resident of Charlotte, Kantner is one of the most highly regarded women’s basketball officials of all time, earning numerous recognitions. She has been selected for every NCAA Tournament since 1992 and has worked 22 Final Fours-- eight national semi-finals and 14 national championship games. She also officiated in the NBA for five years and worked three World Championships.

Davis Love III: Born in Charlotte, Love played college golf at the University of North Carolina, where he was a three-time All-American, and then moved on to a great professional career. His 21 wins on the PGA tour includes the 1997 PGA Championship and he was in the top 10 of the official World Golf rankings for over 450 weeks. He captained the U.S. Ryder Cup teams twice and joined the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2017.

Paul Miller: Miller had a stellar career as a three-sport star at Ayden High, starring on unbeaten football and basketball teams, before heading to the University of North Carolina where he was a starting quarterback for Bill Dooley-coached teams. He led the ACC in total offense in 1971 as the Tar Heels were 9-3 and went to the Gator Bowl, earning both all-ACC and all-ACC Academic honors. He later earned his law degree from UNC and became highly successful in business.

Neill McGeachy*: Born in Charlotte, McGeachy excelled as a player, coach, administrator and promoter. He was a great athlete at Statesville High and collegiately at Lenoir-Rhyne, where he was a 1965 graduate and a 1987 LRU Sports Hall of Fame inductee. He was the founder and president of Sugar Creek Enterprises, Inc., a sports promotion and public relations company, from 1977-97 and later returned to LRU as athletic director from 2002 to 2016.  He is a member of the North Carolina Tennis Hall of Fame.

Thell Overman*: Overman was a three-sport athlete at Guilford College who became one of the state’s best high school coaches ever over a 40-year career.  His football record was a remarkable 278-73-6 games and posted a 541-118 baseball mark at Warrenton’s John Graham High (four years) and Wallace-Rose Hill High (34 years) combined. He is credited with establishing W-RH’s remarkable football tradition.

Ten Selected to Class of 2018 for Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame

GREENSBORO – Ten members have been added to the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame with the Class of 2018.

The new members include three-sport standout Rusty LaRue, plus Brian Williams and Terrence Holt, a pair of football players who shone on the high school, college and professional levels.

Also in the class are two more multi-sport stars, Annemarie Treadway Dloniak, who excelled in college in basketball, and Sherrill Kester Dempsey, a collegiate star in soccer.

Rounding out the class are Eddie Radwanski, an all-time UNCG soccer great and highly successful coach, baseball standout JB Baynes, and sports administrator Marc Bush.

Two other selections are members of the Legends Class, created in 2010 for posthumous induction. The Legends for 2018 are George Kennedy, a prominent high school and college soccer coach in the Triad, and Garland Murray who was involved in establishing numerous swimming programs and safety classes.

This is the 14th class for the Hall, created in 2005, and it increases the membership to 155.

The inductees will be introduced at a press conference at the Greensboro Coliseum on Thursday, May 31, at noon.

The induction will be held Monday, Sept. 17, with a reception and banquet at the Greensboro Coliseum. For ticket information, call (336) 433-7261.

Biographies of the Class of 2018 follow (in alphabetical order):

JAMES (JB) BAYNES

            His full name is James Benton Baynes, but almost everyone knows him as JB. He played three sports at Grimsley but baseball was his true love. He was a member of the Whirlies' state 4-A championship team in 1980 and went on to play at Howard University, where he set the school record for home runs. He hit over .300 every season, was the MEAC Player of the Year in 1986 and was selected for the Howard Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. His career was cut short by a knee injury, but JB remained heavily involved in baseball. He has coached at area middle schools and high schools, with local travel teams, in the Parks and Recreation leagues, the Greensboro Colt League and the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League. JB is an ordained minister and is the North Carolina Commissioner of the Metropolitan Junior Baseball League.

MARC BUSH

            If you have ever watched a sporting event in Greensboro such as the ACC men's or women's basketball tournaments, USA Figure Skating, USA Gymnastics, USA Track and Field, NCAA Division III soccer or golf championships, or the Public Links golf tournament, to name just a few, you can thank Marc Bush. Since 1993 Marc has been part of the Tournament Hosts of Greensboro and been a tireless worker to bring a multitude of events to Greensboro. He has also served as president of the Greensboro Sports Commission, been a member of the Board of Directors of the Greensboro Sports Council, and was General Chairman of the 2017 Wyndham golf tournament.  Marc is a graduate of Grimsley, where he played football and baseball, and from UNC Chapel Hill. He has been actively involved in the economic and sports development of this area for 33 years and is currently the president of the Greensboro Sports Foundation and curator of the ACC Hall of Champions.

SHERRILL KESTER DEMPSEY

            Sherrill was a four-year starter in both soccer and basketball at Westchester Academy from 1992-96. She won two state championships in soccer while scoring 115 goals and earning all-state and all-South honors. She won another state title in basketball,   was a three-time conference player of the year and an all-state selection. Sherrill chose to play soccer at Duke, where she started 84 of 87 matches and scored 35 goals, fourth on the Blue Devils' career list. She scored 10 game-winning goals, was twice first-team All-ACC and helped Duke make three NCAA tournament appearances. Kester was also voted to the NSCAA All-American team in 1999. She was named to the list of the ACC's top 50 women's soccer players of all-time. She played professionally with the San Diego Spirit and was a member of the U.S. National team. In a three-game stretch for them in 2000, she recorded three goals and an assist. Kester was inducted into the inaugural Hall of Fame class at Westchester Academy in 2009.

ANNEMARIE TREADWAY DLONIAK

            When Annemarie played a sport, she played it well, starring in basketball, softball and tennis at Grimsley. She played shortstop and hit cleanup on a state playoff softball team and made the state tennis playoffs in doubles. She was most recognized in basketball, being named the North Carolina High School Athletic Association's Player of the Year in 1983 when she was also an All-American and was named as one of the top 50 players in the country.  She continued her basketball career at NC State and played on the Wolfpack's ACC championship teams in 1985 and '87. As a senior, she averaged 35 minutes, 18 points, five rebounds and three assists a game. She stayed involved in the game as a highly respected women's basketball official from 1996-2004. When she wasn't playing sports, Annemarie was first chair violin in the Grimsley orchestra and played in the Greensboro Youth Symphony Orchestra. She now is a vice president at BB&T Bank.

TERRENCE HOLT

            Inspired to play sports by an older brother, Terrence Holt soon carved out his own niche. Whereas Torry Holt was exceptional as an offensive football player, Terrence became a standout on the defensive side. Holt exceeded in both football and basketball at Eastern Guilford, taking honors as the News & Record's Player of the Year in hoops. Terrence went on to NC State and starred as a defensive back. During his collegiate career, he was a three-year starter, twice an All-ACC selection, intercepted five passes, and blocked 12 kicks. Holt was drafted in the fifth round by the Detroit Lions, where he played free safety for four teams in his six seasons in the NFL. Terrence Holt started in 43 of his 71 games, where he recorded eight interceptions and 242 tackles. He joins his brother Torry (Class of 2012) as a member of the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame.

GEORGE KENNEDY (Legends Class)

            Few people have had the experience, or the success that the late George Kennedy achieved in coaching soccer. He began in Jacksonville, FL, winning three state titles at Bishop Kenny High School. Making his way to North Carolina, he coached at Belmont Abbey College for two years, then Wake Forest University club team. Under Kennedy, the Deacons became an NCAA Division I intercollegiate program where he was head coach from 1980-85. In 1981, George Kennedy was named the ACC Coach of the Year and compiled a record of 64-52-14. Kennedy’s accolades include five Under -19 state championships with the Twin Cities Youth Soccer Association, a 1992 3-A state title with Western Guilford High School boy’s team and a 1-A/2-A state title with the girls in 2005. In 2014, Kennedy was inducted into the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame. After retiring from teaching, George coached at Bishop McGuinness until his death at age 71 on Nov. 23, 2016.

RUSTY LaRUE

            Rusty LaRue didn't just play three sports at Northwest Guilford, he was dominant in each. As a senior, he was the News & Record's Guilford County Player of the Year in football, basketball and baseball, and was named the North Carolina high school Male Athlete of the Year. He continued his all-around play at Wake Forest, where he started at quarterback, was a key contributor to back-to-back ACC championship basketball teams and even pitched a little one season. As a senior, Rusty broke several NCAA and ACC records for passing, including 55 completions in a game. He played professionally in the NBA, appearing in 98 career games, and was a member of the Chicago Bulls 1998 NBA championship team. He also played in Russia and Italy. Rusty has coached basketball on the high school and college levels since 2004, including several years as an assistant at his alma mater, Wake Forest.

GARLAND MURRAY (Legends Class)

            Although he was well-versed in many sports, swimming really got into Garland Murray's blood. He played baseball and basketball at Rankin High School in Greensboro in the 1930s, then football, basketball and baseball for two years at Guilford. After serving three years in the Navy in World War II, he resumed his education at Springfield College, where he was a member of the swim team. In 1946 he joined the coaching staff at Greensboro Senior High School (now Grimsley), where he formed and then coached the swim team through 1952. Garland became president of the Greensboro Swimming Association and organized its first championship meet in 1959. He went to work for the Greensboro Red Cross and became its Executive Director in 1972. Garland retired in 1986 with 36 years of service, establishing numerous swimming and lifesaving programs. He died on March 13, 2011.

EDDIE RADWANSKI

            Excellence has marked the career of Eddie Radwanski as both a player and coach. He was a mainstay on UNCG's consecutive NCAA Division III National Championship teams in 1982 & 1983. More than 30 years later, he still ranks 2nd in assists, eighth in points and 10th in goals scored. After being the first player selected in the inaugural MISL draft in 1985, his pro career included a championship in the MISL and another in the USISL indoor league. He was a member of the US National Team and played for the Greensboro Dynamo. As a coach, Eddie's UNCG women's teams won seven regular season and four tournament championships. His teams went 139-65-13 in 10 years and appeared in five NCAA tournaments. Since 2011, he has been the women's coach at Clemson University, winning the 2016 ACC championship. He won coach of the year in the Southern Conference four times and ACC coach of the year in 2016. Eddie is a member of the UNCG Hall of Fame as well as the Carolina Dynamo Hall of Fame.

BRIAN WILLIAMS

            Brian Williams was a tremendous athlete at Southwest Guilford High School. He succeed in both football and basketball, but honed his focus on football. Williams settled in as tailback where he rushed for 1,955 yards as a senior, including 368 yards in a game against Burlington Cummings. He also got the opportunity to showcase his talent in the East-West All-Star game in 1998. At NC State with fellow inductee Terrence Holt, Williams concentrated on the defensive end in the roles of free safety and cornerback. He ended his career as a Wolfpack with five interceptions and five blocked kicks. In 2002, Williams was drafted in the 4th round by the Minnesota Vikings, where he went on to start in 99 of his 132 played NFL games. Williams shined his rookie year with five intercepted passes which tied him for the NFL lead with 205 returned yards. After 10 seasons with four teams, Williams career ended with 19 total intercepted passes, 408 tackles and 75 defended passes.