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University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame
The University of Richmond proudly presents the inductees in the UR Athletics Hall of Fame. These individuals represent outstanding men and women, who have contributed to the fine athletic tradition at the University of Richmond. They have excelled in their athletic careers while at Richmond or contributed in other ways to enhance the success of the athletic program at Richmond. Their accomplishments are all remarkable.
Inductees are listed alphabetically by last name.
University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame Teams of Distinction
Beginning with the Class of 2004-05, the Department of Athletics began honoring specific Teams of Distinction for induction into the Hall of Fame. These teams made memorable contributions through their outstanding play and accomplishments.
Teams are listed by sport.
Football | Basketball | Baseball | Soccer | Swim & Dive | Tennis | Fieldhockey
Tangerine Bowl Football Team 1968
Inducted in the Class of 2004-05
The Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame's inaugural "Spider Team of Distinction" has been awarded to the 1968 Tangerine Bowl champions coached by Hall of Famer Frank Jones. The Southern Conference champions' 49-42 win against 17th-ranked Ohio University in the Tangerine Bowl came after dropping arch-rival William & Mary 31-6 in the regular-season finale. Ohio entered the game as one of the nation's three unbeaten and untied programs. The 8-3 Spiders finished the remarkable season ranked #20 in the AP poll and #18 in the UPI poll.
The following are Richmond Football single-game records set in the Tangerine Bowl victory: most passing yards (447), most first downs (32), total offense (Buster O'Brien with 486), completions (O'Brien with 39) and receptions (Walker Gillette with 20).
2008 NCAA Division I National Champion Football Team
Inducted in the Class of 2009-10
On December 19, 2008 in Chattanooga, Tenn. and in front of a national television audience, the University of Richmond football team secured the school's first-ever NCAA Division I National Championship, defeating Montana, 24-7. Standing at 4-3 after a gut-wrenching, last-second loss to arch-rival James Madison, the Spiders reeled off nine consecutive wins, including a playoff-clinching 23-20 overtime thriller against their oldest rival - William & Mary - in the last game of the regular season.
Richmond defeated four conference champions and the No. 2, 3 and 4 seeds en route to the title. After defeating Eastern Kentucky at home in the opening round, the Spiders ended Appalachian State's run of three straight championships with a convincing 33-13 victory. In the semifinals at Northern Iowa, the Spiders rallied from a 20-7 fourth quarter deficit, scoring the game-winning touchdown with :18 remaining on an Eric Ward to Joe Stewart pass.
Captain and future NFL draft pick defensive end Lawrence Sidbury turned in a dominating, MVP performance in the championship game with four sacks. The Spiders held Montana to 39 yards rushing while racking up 208 yards of their own on the ground, led by senior Josh Vaughan's 162 yards and a score. First-year head coach Mike London (UR '83) led the 13-3 Spiders to a school record for victories. Seniors Will Healy, Sherman Logan and John Crone joined Sidbury as team captains.
Sweet 16 Men's Basketball Team 1988
Inducted in the Class of 2005-06
Picked to win the Colonial Athletic Association in 1988, coach Dick Tarrant's team did not disappoint by going 11-3 in the league and finishing the season with a school record 26 wins. More memorable than the CAA Championship and the 11-3 mark in the league, is what the team did with its NCAA Tournament berth. The Spiders became only the second team in NCAA Tournament history to oust the defending National Champion from the first round, when they topped Indiana 72-69 in 1988. Rodney Rice scored 21 points, including a jumper with less than a minute to play which gave the Spiders the lead for good. Richmond, which avenged two previous postseason losses to Indiana, held the Bob Knight-led Hoosiers scoreless over the last 2:40 to secure a berth in the NCAA Tournament's second round in Hartford, Conn.
Led by Peter Woolfolk's 27 points, the Spiders advanced to their first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen by topping the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, 59-55, in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in Hartford, Conn. The Yellow Jackets, led by Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver's combined 30-point effort, were held to a dismal 5-of-22 showing from three-point. Woolfolk keyed the win by going 11-for-21 from the floor and hauled in nine boards. The victory was the second of the season for Coach Tarrant's team over the Yellow Jackets. The Spiders won at Georgia Tech, 73-67, Dec. 22.
Richmond went on to fall at the hands of the nation's top-ranked Temple team in the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, 69-47, but set the school mark for most wins in a season with 26. The 1988 team still holds all-time records in the following categories: single-season wins (26), single-game three-point field goal percentage (75.0, 6-of-8 against ECU on 2/20/88), single-season three-point field goal percentage (43.8, 116-of-265) and single-season assists (546).
NCAA Super Regional Baseball Team 2002
Inducted in the Class of 2006-07
The 2002 baseball team, coached by Hall of Fame inductee Ron Atkins, enjoyed the most prolific season in the program's 92-year history. The Spiders (53-13) set eight team and eleven individual records on their way to the school's first NCAA Regional title and Super Regional appearance. Richmond posted a 46-8 regular season mark and 22-2 in the Atlantic 10, claiming the A-10 West Division title. The Spiders seventh NCAA appearance was highlighted by a victory over host Wake Forest to capture the Regional crown and send the team to Nebraska for a three-game showdown with a berth in the College World Series at stake.
After dropping a tight 2-0 decision in the opener, the Spiders silenced a Nebraska sellout crowd of 8,481 with a dramatic 6-2 triumph on Vito Chiaravalloti's now legendary walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth, forcing a decisive third game. Bryan Pritz's two-run homer in the seventh tied Game Three at 5-5, but Nebraska rallied, leaving the Spiders just two innings shy of their first-ever College World Series appearance. Among the individual records set were Tim Stauffer's 15 wins and 13 complete games, and Chiaravalloti set the standard with 86 runs batted in. Chiaravalloti, Mike Gula and Mike McGirr were captains of the 2002 team.
NCAA Women's Soccer Team 2000
Inducted in the Class of 2007-08
The 2000 women's soccer team, led by Peter Albright - to this day the program's only coach - established itself as Richmond's first women's soccer squad to advance to the NCAA Tournament. The Spiders earned an at-large berth and a first-round home game. Senior Brooke Sands scored twice in a 5-1 triumph over West Virginia in front of 1,300 screaming fans. The 2000 squad, captained by seniors Nicole Froman and Jaclyn Raveia, finished 13-7-0, at the time equaling the school record for wins. Among the victories was a 1-0 decision over ninth-ranked Maryland and a 4-1 verdict at 16th-ranked Virginia.
Raveia was named First Team adidas All-American and CAA Defender of the Year. Sands earned Third Team adidas All-America honors, while setting Richmond career records for points and goals. Junior goalkeeper Kristen Samuhel set a school mark for goals against average (0.97). Albright was named CAA Coach of the Year in the school's final season in the league before moving to the Atlantic 10.
Women's Swim & Dive 2004-05
Inducted in the Class of 2011-12
The numbers are staggering and the honors are eye-opening for the 2004-05 women's swim & dive team. The fourth of what became eight straight and nine of the past 10 Atlantic 10 titles. Eight first team All-Conference selections. A first-ever All-American. Performer, Rookie and Coach of the Year. National 28th-place finish. Senior Mary Adams was named A-10 Most Outstanding Performer for the second time. Freshman Jessica Witt earned A-10 Most Outstanding Rookie honors, the third straight Spider swimmer to win that award. Matt Kredich was tabbed A-10 Coach of the Year for the fourth straight season. Junior Brooke Boncher qualified for the NCAA Championships and the U.S. World Championship Trials while earning All-America status. She won 23 of 25 individual swims and never finished lower than second.
Women's Swim & Dive 2010-11
Inducted in the Class of 2016-17
No sport at Richmond has enjoyed more of a dynasty of championships than Spider Swimming & Diving. The 2010-11 team is one of the most decorated in the program's history.
Coach Matt Barany's squad, captained by seniors Chrissy Brodt, Nicole LePere and the late Natalie Lewis, began a streak of what is now six consecutive Atlantic 10 titles and 14 in the past 15 years. Richmond dominated the conference championship meet with 755 points, defeating its closest challenger by 177 points.
The Spiders also swept the A-10 Championship women's swimming awards as sophomore Lauren Hines was named the Most Outstanding Performer, freshman Mali Kobelia was honored as the Most Outstanding Rookie Performer and head coach Matt Barany was named the Coach of the Year for the fourth time in his career.
During the regular season, the Spiders beat William & Mary and Georgia Southern, won a double duals with JMU and Duquesne, and scored a signature, emotional Senior Day victory over James Madison at the Robins Center pool.
Hines competed in the 2011 NCAA Swimming & Diving Championships in the 100 freestyle and 100 backstroke. She was named Mid-Major All-America. LePere was selected the 2011 Atlantic 10 Women's Swimming Diving Student-Athlete of the Year, becoming the third-ever Spider to win the award.
The 2011 Atlantic 10 Championship meet was held in Buffalo, NY, hometown of captain Natalie Lewis, who later became director of operations for Spider women's basketball. Her untimely passing in May 2014 was the result of a hot air balloon accident, which also claimed the life of women's basketball associate head coach Ginny Doyle, a 2017 Hall of Fame inductee.
AIAW National Champion Women's Tennis Team 1982
Inducted in the Class of 2008-09
Led by head coach Eric O'Neill and two future UR Athletics Hall of Famers, All-Americans Martha Beddingfield and Sharon Dunsing, the 1982 women's tennis team captured the AIAW National Title. Returning all but one player from the 1981 squad that went 27-5 and finished second nationally, the '82 Spiders went 23-5, winning State and Regional titles, and claiming victories over every Division I team in the state, including Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Led by head coach Eric O'Neill and two future UR Athletics Hall of Famers, All-Americans Martha Beddingfield and Sharon Dunsing, the 1982 women's tennis team captured the AIAW National Title. Returning all but one player from the 1981 squad that went 27-5 and finished second nationally, the '82 Spiders went 23-5, winning State and Regional titles, and claiming victories over every Division I team in the state, including Virginia and Virginia Tech.
Field Hockey Team 2004
Inducted in the Class of 2014-15
|In the midst of five consecutive Atlantic 10 titles and NCAA berths from 2002 through 2006, the 2004 Richmond field hockey team distinguished itself with record-setting performances, many of which still stand ten years later.
No other Spider hockey squad has won more than the 18 games captured by Coach Ange Bradley's team in 2004. Richmond was 18-3, 6-0 in the Atlantic 10, extending an A-10 winning streak to 24 games spanning three years. An .857 winning percentage still stands as the best in program history.
Out of conference, the Spiders signature win came with a 2-1 triumph over tenth-ranked and state rival Virginia. All three losses came to nationally-ranked teams, and the Spiders themselves earned a No. 10 national ranking, the program's highest ever.
Richmond standouts dominated A-10 accolades. Holly Cram earned Offensive Player of the Year; Allie Howard Defensive Player of the Year; Michelle Swartz Student-Athlete of the Year and Ange Bradley Coach of the Year for the second time in four seasons. Howard and Cram earned All-America honors. Howard also was named MVP of the Atlantic 10 tournament.
In the Spider record book, Swartz posted a school-best eleven shutouts, a mark that still stands. She had two streaks of more than 300 consecutive scoreless minutes in goal and stills sits at the top for individual goals against average at 0.73. The 2004 squad remains first or second in six team categories - wins (T1); winning percentage (1st), fewest losses (T2); longest win streak (T2); most goals (2) and shutouts (1st).
Bruce Allen | David Ames | Ron Atkins | Ken Atkinson
Bruce Allen
Inducted in the Class of 2015-16
Before becoming a household name as an executive in the National Football League, Bruce Allen left his mark on the college game as a record-setting punter with the Spiders from 1974-77.
His 40.1 yards per punt average is the third highest career mark in UR history. Allen enjoyed a stellar junior season, which included the fifth-highest punt average in a game (50.8 yards per punt vs. East Carolina), the second highest punt average in a season (42.9 yards per punt), the third longest punt in UR history (76 yards vs. ECU) and the 16th-best punt average in the nation in 1976. Allen was named All-ECAC and All South Independent following his junior year.
Those efforts followed a sophomore season in which he booted the 10th-longest punt in UR history (72 yards vs. VMI) and established the fourth-highest punt average in a season (41.9 yards per punt).
Allen was a 12th-round draft pick of the Baltimore Colts in 1978. He is a former NFL General Manager with Tampa Bay and Oakland, and just completed his sixth year with Washington, which captured the NFC East title in 2015. He was instrumental in bringing the Redskins' training camp to Richmond in 2013.
David Ames
Inducted in the Class of 1990-91
David Ames was one of the most versatile players to ever wear a Spider football uniform while at Richmond he played defensive back, halfback, punter, punt returner and kick returner. Ames was 6'0" and hailed from Portsmouth, VA. While at UR from 1955-1959 he also ran track. During his football career as a Spider he was named All-Southern Conference in 1957 and 59 along with receiving All-State honors in the 1959 season. He did not play during the 1957-58 season. He was described as having an amazing change of pace and was rarely brought down in the behind. Ames was considered an outstanding halfback in the Conference. Coach Edwin Merrick felt that having David Ames was going to be the difference between three or four more victories a season.
After his Spider career David played professional football. In 1960 he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and after making their regular season roster as a defensive back received draft notice. After serving six months active duty he signed with the New York Titans of the American Football League. During the 1961 season Ames played with the New York Titans and Denver Broncos. While at Denver he played two games on offense (120 yards on 20 carries, and six receptions for 120 yards). Finished the season on defense. After being released by Denver in the 1962 season, David played four years with the Richmond Rebels and Richmond Mustangs of the Continental Football League.
Ken Atkinson
Inducted in the Class of 2010
A four-year starter who led the Spiders to three postseason berths, including the school's only NCAA Sweet 16 appearance in 1988, Ken Atkinson is seventh on UR's all-time scoring list with 1,549 points. Atkinson began his Richmond career by earning CAA Rookie of the Year honors in 1987 and capped his time in a Spider uniform by being named CAA Tournament MVP in 1990, when he captained the team to another NCAA appearance.
He was named First Team All-CAA, First Team All-State and CAA All Tournament Team in 1989 and 1990. In the Spiders' 1988 NCAA tournament victory over defending national champion Indiana, Atkinson scored 14 points, including the final basket of the game. He scored 15 - on five three-pointers - in the Sweet 16 loss to top-ranked Temple at the Meadowlands, in the shadow of his native Long Island. Atkinson played in 125 games, tied for the most in school history, averaging 34.5 minutes per game, fifth on the all-time list. His 604 points in 1989-90 is eighth all-time. He is third in single-season free throw percentage (.866), seventh in career free throw percentage (.793), and is third in both single-season (165) and career (464) assists. The Spiders were 84-41 (.672) during his four-year career. He enjoyed a successful professional career overseas as a player and coach, and then returned to the United States as Director of Player Development with the NBA's Houston Rockets before joining the New York Knicks where he is currently an assistant coach.
Ron Atkins
Inducted in the Class of 2006-07
In 22 years at the helm of the Spider baseball program, Ron Atkins has won more games (685) than any coach in any sport in school history. His teams have made seven NCAA appearances, including a regional championship and Super Regional berth in 2002, when the Spiders won a school-record 53 games. Spider baseball during Coach Atkins' tenure has recorded 14 winning seasons, five conference titles and four conference tournament championships. His teams reeled off ten consecutive winning seasons from 1990-99.
Atkins has been honored as Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year twice (1991, 1999), Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year (2002), Virginia State Coach of the Year (1999) and the Virginia Sports Information Director's Coach of the Year (2002). Major league players who played for Atkins at Richmond include UR Hall of Famers Brian Jordan and Sean Casey. Atkins also coached pitcher Tim Stauffer, who became the highest drafted Spider in school history when the San Diego Padres used their first round pick and made him the fourth overall selection in 2004. Coach Atkins' ties to the Richmond community extend beyond the Spider campus. Before arriving at Richmond in 1985, he spent 17 years at nearby J.R. Tucker High School, where his teams posted an .813 winning percentage with four district championships and four state AAA crowns.
Harold Babb | Dick Balderson | Shawn Barber | John Barelli | Bob Bayliss |
Martha Beddingfield | Greg Beckwith | Thomas H. "Cotton" Billingsley |
Curtis Blair | J. Robert Bleier, Jr. | Chuck Boone | Mike Bragg | Lew Burdette | Bill Burge | David Burhans | Jane Wray Bristow McDorman
Harold Babb
Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Harold Babb voluntarily filled the position of Faculty Athletic Representative to the NCAA for 26 years from 1984-2010. Appointed annually by the University President, he once described his duties as "helping to maintain the academic and athletic integrity of Spider sports programs." With his guidance, the athletic department has grown in number of student-athletes, staff and sports, including full compliance with Title IX and women's athletics.
His support of Division I football helped guide the program from the Yankee Conference to the Atlantic 10 and then to its current affiliation with the highly successful Colonial Athletic Association Football Conference. The Spiders won the 2008 Division I Football National Championship as a member of the CAA.
Babb chaired the University's NCAA Certification Committee and co-chaired the search committee for a new Athletic Director. He has been a member of several head coach search committees, assisted in the development of full-time academic athletic advising and compliance programs, and participated in the athletic strategic planning process.
Through 26 years, Babb has been associated with just two Athletic Directors, Hall of Fame member Chuck Boone and current AD Jim Miller. He is the first-ever Faculty Athletic Representative to be inducted into the University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame.
Dick Balderson
Inducted in the Class of 1994-95
Dick Balderson was an outstanding pitcher for the Spider baseball team from 1966-68 and was also a member of the UR basketball team. He still holds baseball records for shutouts in a season (four in 1967) and in a career (seven), career complete games (27) and career earned run average (1.58). He averaged 11.2 points on the freshman basketball team and 2.7 per contest during his sophomore season. Balderson, who grew up in Portsmouth, Va., enjoyed several successful seasons pitching in the minor leagues before landing a job as the assistant farm director for the Kansas City Royals in 1976. Since then Balderson has been the scouting and minor league director for the Kansas City Royals, general manager of the Seattle Mariners and director of scouting for the Chicago Cubs. He is currently with the Atlanta Braves organization. Mr. Balderson graduated from UR with a B.A. in History and was a Resident Assistant while he was a student at UR.
Shawn Barber
Inducted in the Class of 2004-05
One of the most dominating defensive players in Richmond Football history, Shawn Barber has enjoyed a successful professional career since being selected in the fourth round of the 1998 draft by the Washington Redskins. During his four years in the nation's capital, Barber amassed 281 tackles, including a career-high 148 in 1999. The linebacker moved to Philadelphia for the 2002 season when he made 119 stops and returned an interception for a touchdown. Barber signed with Kansas City for the 2003 campaign and ranked second on the team with 141 tackles while starting 16 games at outside linebacker. The Richmond, Va. native and Hermitage High School product was playing extremely well again in 2004 before being lost for the season with an injury.
Barber started 33 games at Richmond and is fourth all-time with 20 sacks. He earned 1997 Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year after making 94 tackles, six sacks and three interceptions as a senior. During that season, Barber earned National Defensive Player of the Week after compiling 20 tackles, five tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, one interception and one sack against The Citadel. A decorated student-athlete, Barber earned All-America and All-Conference honors as a junior and senior (1996, 1997).
John Barelli
Inducted in the Class of 2003-04
An overwhelming defensive tackle at Richmond who swallowed the opposition, John Barelli grew into an even more domineering figure as an elite security officer for some of the world's most precious art. A three-year starter on the Spider defensive line (1968-70), Barelli earned All-Southern Conference honors as a junior and senior and was an honorable mention All-American in 1970. While his playing career was certainly impressive, what Barelli accomplished upon graduation from Richmond (sociology, 1971), John Jay College of Criminal Justice (M.A. in 1977) and Fordham (Ph.D. in criminology, 1986) is equally extraordinary.
After two years as a Richmond police officer (1972-74), Barelli moved to the New York Botanical Gardins were he served as the security director from 1974-78. He later joined the Metropolitan Museum of Art where he served as security manager from 1987-2001 before being promoted to Chief Security Officer. An avid sports fan, Barelli works with Major League Baseball and the National Baseball Hall of Fame as a special security consultant.
Bob Bayliss
Inducted in the Class of 2001-02
Bob Bayliss is widely recognized as one of the top collegiate tennis coaches of all time. His coaching career began with a 15-year stint at the U.S. Naval Academy (1970-84), followed by three years at M.I.T. (1985-87), and the last 24 years at Notre Dame (1988-present). During that time, Bayliss has compiled a 736-311-1(.692) record. He is one of three NCAA Division 1 coaches with over 700 career wins. Bayliss earned 1992 National Coach-of-the-Year after guiding Notre Dame to a berth in the National Championship. He has also earned 14 Conference Coach-of-the-Year honors. In the summer of 1991, Bayliss led the United States to a gold medal at the World University Games in Sheffield, England. One of his most distinguished honors came in 1995 when he was given the Meritorious Service Award for his extraordinary contributions to collegiate tennis and his service to the collegiate tennis community.
In 24 years at Notre Dame, Bayliss has led the Fighting Irish to 21 NCAA appearances, seven trips to the NCAA Round of 16 , has finished in the top-20 ten times, and has coached 10 athletes to 19 All-American distinctions His team earned its first-ever national ranking in 1990. Bayliss serves on the ITA executive board and is one of seven members of both the ITA executive and budget committee and collegiate Hall of Fame committee. He is the co-chairperson of the ITA ethics and infractions committee and is the assistant chair of the men's NCAA Division I operating committee. While at Richmond, Bayliss played No. 2 singles and No. 1 doubles as a senior. He earned his bachelor's degree in 1966 and his master's degree in 1971.
Greg Beckwith
Inducted in the Class of 2002-03
Viewed by some as too small to contribute at the Division I level of basketball, 5-10 point guard Greg Beckwith shattered people's stereotypes and the Richmond record book, all in a four-year span. The lightning quick ball-handler finished his career as the Spiders' all-time leader in assists (573) and steals (227). He also owns the top two single-season marks in both categories, as well as the top all-time single-game assist mark, 16 against Navy. Easy going with a quick wit, Beckwith earned one of the most prestigious awards bestowed upon a Richmond basketball player - The Kevin Eastman Award. Given by the University of Richmond four times in program history, the Kevin Eastman award is given to a player that exemplifies the qualities of team leadership, dedication and outstanding play.
Beckwith led the Spiders to their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 1983-84 and again in 1985-86. He dished 38 assists in four career NCAA Tournament games, a 9.5 assist per game average. A Second Team All-CAA and All-State selection in 1985-86, Beckwith twice earned Richmond's Most Improved Player (1983-84 and 1985-86). Currently, Beckwith provides color analysis for Spider men's basketball radio broadcasts.
Martha Beddingfield Puryear
Inducted in the Class of 1996-97.
Martha Beddingfield was a superb performer on the tennis court, Beddingfield was a member of the 1982 AIAW Division II National Championship team, Richmond's first national title. She was a 1982 All-America selection. Beddingfield teamed with Sharon Dunsing to win the national championship at #1 doubles in 1982 without losing a set during the national tournament at the University of Northern Colorado after being seeded #4 entering the tournament. She finished third in the country in #1 singles in 1982 after entering the tourney as the #3 seed. The team was 23-5 in dual meets in 1981 and 27-5 in 1982.
Thomas H. "Cotton" Billingsley
Inducted in the Class of 1999-2000
"Cotton" Billingsley played football and baseball for the Spiders. He was a member of the football squad from 1946-49 and led team in scoring in 1946. Billingsley played on the Richmond baseball team from 1947-49. He was selected All-State and All-Southern Conference as a catcher in 1949.
Curtis Blair
Inducted in the Class of 2007-08.
Men's basketball's fifth all-time leading scorer (1,630 points), Curtis Blair '92 capped a brilliant four-year career as team captain his senior season when he was named Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year, averaging 20.3 points per game. His single greatest performance may have come during his junior year, when he led the Spiders to the NCAA Tournament and a landmark first round victory over Syracuse, 73-69. Blair scored a team high 18 points, added six assists and three steals in the first-ever victory for a number 15 seed over a number two in NCAA Tournament history.
As a senior, Blair was named CAA First Team, All-Defensive Team and All-Tournament Team, as well as First Team All-State. As a junior, he was the team's leading scorer (16.1 ppg), while being named First Team All-CAA, All-Defensive Team and All-Tournament Team, as well as Second Team All-State. Blair appeared in two NCAA Tournaments and two NIT's during his four year career. Hall of Fame head coach Dick Tarrant's Spiders' won at least 21 games each season and compiled an 87-38 (.696) record. Blair was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets in 1992. Currently, he is working as a basketball official in the NBA's Developmental League, and has also worked as a college basketball and NBA referee.
J. Robert Bleier, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 1999-2000
Bob Bleier was one of the most prolific passer in Richmond football history. He is first on Richmond's career lists with 1,169 career attempts, 672 completions, 8,057 passing yards and 54 passing touchdowns from 1983-86. Bleier owns three of the top five passing seasons in school history. He was Second Team All-Yankee Conference in 1986 and played in the Blue-Gray Game following that season. Bleier played for the New England Patriots of the National Football League in 1987.
Chuck Boone
Inducted in the Class of 2000-2001
Boone played football and baseball for the Spiders from 1956-60 and was an all-star and captain in each sport. After spending six years in the New York Yankees organization as a player and coach, climbing as high as AAA as a player, Boone returned to Richmond in 1967 and became director of athletics/promotions. He was head baseball coach from 1972 to 1976 and was named Southern Conference Coach of the Year in 1972, leading the Spiders to the league title and the school's first NCAA Baseball Tournament appearance.
Boone became Director of Athletics in 1977 and guided the department through more than two decades of tremendous growth. He retired in 2000 after more than 40 years of association with University of Richmond athletics.
Mike Bragg
Inducted in the Class of 1982-83
Mike Bragg tied for third in the nation in punting as a junior with an average of 42.8 yards and played in the College All-Star game in 1968. While punting for the Spiders, he had a career average of 41.9 yards and punted better than 70 yards 4 times in his career. He graduated from UR with a BA in Sociology. Mike was an honorable mention Pro Scouts All-America his senior season. He was selected in the 5th round of the NFL draft by the Washington Redskins. He played professional football for the Washington Redskins and Baltimore Colts from 1968-81.
Jane Wray Bristow McDorman
Inducted in the Class of 2014-15
A Westhampton College Blazer and Seal recipient for her achievements in three varsity sports during the early 1940's, Jane Wray Bristow McDorman excelled in field hockey, basketball and track. While earning athletic letters for three consecutive years, it was her senior season that capped her brilliant career.
In 1944-45 Jane Wray was named First Team All-State in field hockey, captain of a 13-2 basketball squad and champion at the All-City Quad Track Meet, where she ran the 50, 75 and 100 yard dash. She personified a Blazer winner, awarded for unusual skill and achievement in athletics and a Seal honoree for school spirit, enthusiasm and interest. Jane Wray also found time to be on the board of the Westhampton College Athletic Association in 1944-45. Following graduation, she umpired field hockey at the high school, college and club level and returned to her alma mater to teach physical education for six years.
Jane Wray is helping organize her 70th class reunion during Reunion Weekend in May, and she will celebrate her 91st birthday on Hall of Fame Induction Day, Feb. 21.
Lew Burdette
Inducted posthumously in the Class of 2007-08.
Following an unlikely road to the University of Richmond and later to becoming a World Series MVP, Lew Burdette '49 pitched for the Spiders in 1946 before gaining fame in the Major Leagues with the Milwaukee Braves. Burdette, whose hometown high school in Nitro, West Virginia didn't have a baseball team, was nonetheless spotted by the Rev. Alfred Montgomery R'38, who helped him gain a scholarship to Richmond. In 1946, Burdette took the hill for the Spiders, and was named All-Virginia Big Six, pitching for legendary coach Mac Pitt. But Burdette's blazing fastball and endurance caught the attention of the New York Yankees, who signed him in 1947. Three years later, the Yankees traded him to Milwaukee, where Burdette's career flourished. Burdette won 203 games in 18 big league seasons, was a two-time All-Star, led the league in wins in 1959 and twice led the league in shutouts (1956, 1959).
His crowning moment, however, came in the 1957 World Series, when he won three games - two by shutout - against the team that originally signed him - the Yankees - in leading the Braves to the World Series title. Burdette was named MVP after holding New York scoreless for 24 consecutive innings and winning game seven, 5-0. He was later named Associated Press "Sportsman of the Year" for his accomplishments. Lew Burdette, who died Feb. 6, 2007, is also a member of the Braves Hall of Fame in Atlanta and the State of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.
Bill Burge
Inducted posthumously in the Class of 1993-94.
At six feet, four inches tall, Bill Burge was a three-sport standout in football, basketball and baseball from 1937-1940. He played end on the football team for three years and became the first Spider to catch five TD passes in a season (1939). The 1939 squad posted a 7-1-2 record, one of the best in school's history. Burge was an All-State center in basketball and helped lead the Spiders to a 36-21 record during his three years. As a junior and senior, Burge led the team in scoring, averaging 8.3 points his junior year and 7.6 as a senior. He earned Honorable Mention All-State Honors as a junior and 2nd-Team All-State honors his senior year.
Burge also helped lead the Spider baseball team to a 37-15 record, a state championship (1939), and the schools first Southern Conference Championship (1940). He played outfield his sophomore and junior seasons and batted .333 in 1939. He was moved to first base his senior year and helped lead Richmond to an undefeated season in the Southern Conference.
Dr. David Burhans
Inducted in the Class of 2012.
Dr. David Burhans voluntarily filled the position of Team Chaplain while serving as the University's Chaplain from 1974-2004. His support for Spider Athletics began with the 1976 football team, coached by the late Jim Tait, who asked Dr. Burhans to have a presence on the sidelines and in the locker room. Dr. Burhans expanded his role under head coaches Dal Shealy and Jim Reid, offering pre-game talks and prayers. He assisted the athletic department with pre-game invocations and served as master of ceremonies for the annual Homecoming Game halftime festivities.
As University Chaplain, he served as Pastor, Preacher and Spiritual Leader for the University community, while serving as pastoral counselor for students, student-athletes, coaches, faculty, staff and alumni. He is now Chaplain Emeritus and Special Assistant to the Office of Advancement. His active and loyal support of Spider men's and women's athletic events now spans 37 years.
Martha A. Carpenter | Victor Chaltain | Lorraine A. Chapman | Sean Casey |
Erik R. Christensen, Jr | Don Christman | Tom Clarke |Dr. E. L. Clements, Jr. | Leigh Comlishaw |
Fanny G. Crenshaw | Robert L. Crute
Martha A. Carpenter
Inducted in the Class of 1987-88.
Martha Carpenter was a four-year letter winner in field hockey, basketball and tennis along with being named the Blazer Winner for excellence in three sports and the Seal Winner for all around excellence in athletics, leadership, academics and citizenship. She is currently on staff at the University of Virginia, specializing in Pediatric Cardiology and also serves on the UR Board of Trustees.
Sean Casey
Inducted in the Class of 2002-03.
Known throughout the baseball community as "The Mayor" - for his infectious positive personality and success on the diamond -- Sean Casey has quickly established himself as one of the major league's premier hitters. In five professional seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, Casey has compiled a .302 career batting average. A two-time All-Star (1999 and 2001), Casey led the Reds and ranked fourth in the National League with a .332 average in 1999, his first full season in the majors. After capturing the 1995 NCAA batting title with a .461 average, Casey was selected in the second round of the major league draft by the Cleveland Indians. The first baseman worked his way through the Indians farm system, first earning his affable nickname with the Double-A Akron Aeros. Always seen with a contagious smile, Casey won over the community and his teammates with unmatched dedication to the game and the people surrounding it.
His efforts were recognized in 1999 when he won major league baseball's Hutch Award for unswerving determination and uncompromising devotion to baseball, dedication to team, community and family, as well as competitive spirit and ability to battle through adversity. During his Richmond career, Casey carried an astounding .405 batting average and drove in 158 runs in 158 games. In 1995, he led the Spiders to the NCAA East Regional and the program's first win in the NCAA Tournament, 8-2, against Jacksonville. During his final season in a Spider uniform, Casey was a Second Team All-American, earned CAA and ECAC Player of the Year honors and became the first player to win the CAA Triple Crown. Casey left Richmond as the all-time leader for single-season slugging percentage (.824) and doubles in a career (67). His 31-game hit streak in 1995 ranked as the second longest in the nation that season, and is the second longest in Spider history.
Victor Chaltain
Inducted in the Class of 1985-86.
While at UR from 1930-33, Victor Chaltain (deceased) was a four-sport standout, excelling in football, baseball, basketball and track. He was best known for his accomplishments on the gridiron, however, being a three-time All-Virginia Conference selection and an Honorable Mention All-America in 1933. Not only an athlete, Victor was President of both the senior class and Omicron Delta Kappa and received the Thomas P. McAdams prize for service to the school.
Lorraine A. Chapman
Inducted in the Class of 1991-92
Lorraine Chapman (deceased) was a three-sport standout for the Spiders from 1947-50. She lettered four years in field hockey, basketball and track. She was named All-State in field hockey in 1948-49, captained the basketball squad in 1949-50. Lorraine was President of the Athletic Council in 1948-49 and was a Seal Winner and Blazer Winner in 1948-49 and 1949-50.
Erik R. Christensen, Jr
Inducted in the Class of 1985-86.
Erik Christensen played for the Spiders in 1951 and 1953-55 and is the only Virginia collegian to be named All-State in football at the same school for four years. He was a two-way starter at offensive tackle and defensive end and played in the College All-Star game in 1956 in Chicago as a senior. Mr. Christensen was drafted by and played briefly for the Washington Redskins and then proceeded to play in Canada with the Calgary Stampeders in 1956 and 1957.
Don Christman
Inducted in the Class of 1993-94.
Don Christman was an outstanding center and linebacker on the UR football team from 1959-61 and started for two years. He was named both All-State and All-Southern Conference as a senior after being named Second Team All-State as a junior. He won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy in 1961, given by the Southern Conference. Don was the center with the Boston Patriots after he graduated from Richmond.
Tom Clarke
Inducted in the Class of 2016-17.
In his four years at Richmond, Tom Clarke always played No. 1 singles, and he led the Spiders to the number one spot in the Colonial Athletic Association. Prior to his arrival in 1991, Richmond men's tennis had never won a conference title. Clarke led the Spiders to three CAA championships (1992, 93, 95).
He left his mark on Richmond men's tennis from the beginning of his storied career until the end. He was named the CAA's Most Outstanding Player his freshman season, when he was ranked as high as 40th in the nation. He completed his career by earning another CAA Most Outstanding Player Award as a senior, when he compiled a 21-2 record in singles, with victories over players from schools such as Virginia, Virginia Tech, VCU, Wake Forest, NC State, Princeton and Yale. He was also named CAA Most Outstanding Player in 1993.
Clarke led the Spiders to two team wins over the University of Virginia, the only time in program history that Richmond had defeated the Cavaliers in men's tennis. He was later honored as a member of the Colonial Athletic Association's 25th Anniversary All-Time Men's Tennis Team.
Dr. E. L. Clements, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 1999-2000
Dr. E. L. Clements, a 1956 Richmond graduate, was a longtime team physician for University of Richmond athletic teams. For nearly 30 years, Dr. Clements directed the University's sports medicine program. A noted orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Clements is recognized nationwide as a pioneer in the advancement of athletic training and sports medicine. He retired in December 1998.
Leigh Cowlishaw
Inducted in the Class of 2000-01.
Leigh Cowlishaw played soccer from 1990-93 and is Richmond's career leader with 54 goals scored, 31 assists and 139 points. He owns the top two season marks for goals scored, assists and points in Richmond history. Cowlishaw was CAA Player of the Year and an All-American in 1990. He was a three-time first team All-CAA selection and one-time second team All-CAA performer. Cowlishaw was a two-time Academic All-American. He has been a part of the Richmond Kickers Professional Soccer team since its inception in 1993 and is currently the head coach of the Kickers. He was named interim head coach at his alma mater for the 2012 season.
Fanny G. Crenshaw
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1979-80
Fanny Crenshaw was a member of the faculty for 41 years here at the University. Miss Crenshaw was a pioneer in the development and promotion of field hockey in the United States, having served on the committee that organized the United States Field Hockey Association. She also served as the second vice president in its first year. Born January 17, 1890, in Richmond, Va., Crenshaw graduated from Virginia Randolph Ellett School, which is now St. Catherine's School. She received her A.B. from Bryn Mawr College and had advanced studies at Columbia University. She was a member of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She was also a member of the Association of Physical Education in college for women. She was active in the Red Cross as a water safety instructor. She helped to organize the physical education program at Westhampton College in 1914 where she coached archery, basketball, tennis and track. She was the basketball coach for women at the University of Richmond from 1919 to 1955. Miss Crenshaw was co-founder of the Virginia Field Hockey Association, honorary member to the Tidewater Hockey Association and Southeast Hockey Association. She was also Chairwoman of numerous college and high school clinics.
Miss Crenshaw was the first person to complete the fifty mile swim for fitness in Crenshaw Pool. Once located in Keller Hall, the pool was named for Crenshaw in 1936. In 1975, Miss Constance M.K. Applebee, founder of Field Hockey in the United States and former teacher of Miss Crenshaw at Bryn Mawr, established the Fanny G. Crenshaw Scholarship in her honor with a gift of $20,000. After Miss Crenshaw retired she was active in the work of the Churchwomen of St. Paul's Episcopal Church and as a volunteer teacher at McGuire's Veterans Hospital as well as keeping up with officiating and judging basketball and hockey, helping in clinics, tournaments and in other capacities. She was Director of Physical Education at Westhampton College for 41 years.
Robert L. Crute
Inducted in the Class of 1997-98.
Bob Crute was an outstanding member of the track and field team from 1964-67, including being a co-captain in 1967. He ran the 100 meters, 200 meters and 400 meters outdoors and the 60 yards, 220 yards and 330 yards indoors. He never lost a sprint race to a state or Southern Conference opponent. He qualified for the NCAA Championships in 1967 in the 200 meters outdoors and the 60 yards indoors. He holds the school outdoor record in the 200 with a time of 21.1, set at the Frederick meet in 1965. He was part of the school-record relay teams in the 4x100 (41.0 at the Florida Relays in 1967) and 4x200 (1:27.8 at the Colonial Relays in 1967).
John Davis, Jr. | Joe DeMotte | Alfred J. Dickinson | Frank M. Dobson |
John W. "Jack" Dobson | Claudia Dodson | Gwendolyn Priddy Donohue | Ginny Doyle | Sharon E. Dunsing
John Davis, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 2000-01
Davis was a member of Richmond's men's basketball team from 1982-86 and was a captain during his senior season. A three-year starter, Davis was an outstanding defensive player. He is second on Richmond's career steals list with 182 and has three of the top five season marks for steals. The Spiders appeared in two NCAA Tournaments and one NIT during Davis' three years as a starter. According to former head coach Dick Tarrant, Davis' senior squad in 1985-86 was the best team Tarrant coached. The Spiders were 20-3 when Davis was injured at George Mason. Richmond lost four of its final seven games, including a one-point loss to St. Joseph's in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Davis was an honorable mention Academic All-American and earned a NCAA post-graduate scholarship. Davis is currently a member of the University of Richmond Board of Trustees.
Joe DeMotte
Inducted in the Class of 1980-81
Joe DeMotte Inducted in the Class of 1980-91. Joe DeMotte (deceased) lettered in football and basketball at the University of Richmond from 1923 to 1926 and during that time captained the basketball squad for two seasons. While on the track team, he established a Richmond shot put record in 1924. Joe was a member of the football coaching staff in 1927 and after his coaching days, he officiated football for 42 years.
Alfred J. Dickinson
Inducted in the Class of 1994-95
Alfred Dickinson was a multi-sports standout for the Spiders in the mid-1930's. He was a member of the varsity football, basketball, and tennis teams and also participated in freshman track. He was captain and played No. 1 singles on the 1937 tennis team that went 17-1 and was runner-up to North Carolina for the Southern Conference championship. He lettered in basketball from 1935-37. He was a member of Richmond's 20-0 team of 1934-35 and was the starting guard during his senior season of 1936-37. He competed in the high and low hurdles on the track team. Alfred graduated from UR with a B.A. in History and was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and Omicron Delta Kappa. He has remained active in the UR community since graduating having been a member of the Rector's Club, being a member of the Friends of the Library and he currently serves on the Boatwright Society Board of Directors.
Frank M. Dobson
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1977-78.
Frank Dobson was athletic director at Richmond from 1913 to 1933 and also coached football, basketball and baseball. He actually took the 1918-19 football season off, and came back to coaching in the 1919 season. Robert Marshall took control of the team during his year away and led the team to a three-one and one record. Coach Dobson's first year back after his season of, his team had 5 wins and 2 loses. He coached for a toal of wenty years. he participated in 175 football games and won 79 and lost 78. He only tied 18 times in those twenty years. He had a winning percentage of .503.
His baseball teams were tops in the state six times. The 1930 baseball team compiled the school's best overall record ever at 12-1. Under Dobson's coaching, the Spider baseball teams also won 153 games and lost 112. He started the basketball program and as basketball coach for nineteen seasons, Dobson led his teams to four state championships and won a total of 153 games while losing only 106.
John W. "Jack" Dobson
Inducted in the Class of 1979-80.
Jack Dobson played for his father Frank Dobson in the Spiders backfield in 1932 and 1933 and played end in 1934. He was an All-State, All-Southern Conference and Honorable Mention All-America. Jack entered the U.S. Military Academy in 1935. He earned letters in football, baseball and track and was Sports Illustrated's 1964 Silver Anniversary All-America for USMA football. He lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track during the 1932-33 year and in 1933-34, he lettered in football, boxing, and track. Upon retiring from the Army, Jack Dobson had risen to the rank of Brigadier General.
Claudia Dodson
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 2008-09
A three-sport standout in field hockey, basketball and lacrosse, Claudia Dodson '63 also made her mark on Westhampton College, and gave a foreshadowing of her future career, by serving as President of the Freshman Class and later as an officer in the Athletic Association. She joined the Virginia High School League in 1971, becoming only the fourth female in the nation to be hired as a state association administrator. When she began her tenure with the VHSL, there was only one championship competition for girls in Virginia. Her relentless efforts during the next 30 years increased that number to 31 championships in 12 sports, earning her notoriety and accolades as "a pioneer of female athletics" and "a trailblazer in expanding female athletics in Virginia."
Claudia also served as women's basketball coordinator of the 1978 Olympics and was a women's basketball observer for the Atlantic Coast Conference. She retired from the VHSL in 2002, but continued to support girls' athletics as president of Women in Sports, a group she co-founded in 1997. She has previously been inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, the Virginia Softball Hall of Fame and the National Federation of State High Schools Hall of Fame. Claudia Dodson passed away August 18, 2007, 13 days shy of her 66th birthday.
Gwendolyn Priddy Donohue
Inducted in the Class of 1990-91.
Gwen Donohue was a letter-winner in four sports who starred in field hockey, basketball, tennis and track while at UR. She was named to the All-State and All-Southeast Region Team in field hockey in 1950. Gwen was a Dean's List student and member of the Athletic Board from 1948-51.
Ginny Doyle
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 2016-17.
For nearly two decades, Ginny Doyle was a shining fixture in the Robins Center and on the University of Richmond campus, as both a standout student-athlete and longtime assistant coach.
As a player, Doyle transferred to Richmond after two years at George Washington. She was a Spider for two NCAA Tournament appearances in 1990 and 1991. She helped lead the Spiders to the Colonial Athletic Association championship and NCAA appearance in 1991. In her senior season in 1992, as team captain, she averaged 17.1 points per game, the 10th highest single-season scoring average in program history. She earned All-Conference honors both seasons in which she played at Richmond. She finished her Spider career with the fifth highest scoring average.
Her claim to fame, though, came at the free throw line. She led the nation in free throw accuracy in 1992 at 95 percent. Her career free throw percentage was 85 percent, and she set an NCAA Division I record by making 66 consecutive free throws, a mark that stood for 18 years.
Her free throw prowess and records were challenged by longtime CBS Sports men's basketball analyst Billy Packer, who appeared at the Robins Center for a free throw shooting contest with Doyle. Packer made just 12 of 20 foul shots. Ginny made all 20.
Her career as a Richmond assistant and associate head coach spanned 15 years and three head coaches. During that time, the Spiders made seven post season appearances, five in a row, including the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Richmond secured six 20-win seasons and accumulated 250 overall victories during her tenure. Doyle has the distinction of both playing and coaching in the NCAA Tournament as a Spider.
Ginny Doyle was inducted into the University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame posthumously, following her untimely passing in May 2014 as a result of a hot air balloon accident that also took the life of former Spider swimmer and women's basketball director of operations Natalie Lewis. The 2011 Atlantic 10 Champion Spider Swimming & Diving Team, of which Lewis was a captain, was honored as the Class of 2017 Team of Distinction.
Sharon E. Dunsing
Inducted in the Class of 1998-99.
Sharon Dunsing was a four-time All-American in women's tennis is 1981 and 1982. She won national titles in singles and in doubles in 1981 and in 1982. A native of Richmond, Virginia and a 1979 graduate of Douglas Freeman High School, Dunsing helped the Spiders win the school's only national title when the tennis team won the AIAW National Championship in Greeley, Colorado in 1982. Dunsing was the top seed and won the No. 3 singles at the 1982 AIAW national Tennis Championships. She combined with fellow UR Hall of Famer Martha Beddingfield Puryear to win the #1 doubles.
Ray Easterling | George Edelman | Kevin Eastman | Edward L. Elliott III | Karen Elsner Davey |
Ray Easterling
Inducted in the Class of 1995-96.
Ray Easterling was a standout defensive back for the Spiders from 1969-71 and a captain his senior year. He was an All-Southern Conference selection in 1970 and 1971 and played in the 1972 Coaches All-America Game. He had six interceptions in 1970, the fourth highest total in school history. He returned two of those interceptions for touchdowns, also a school record. He is fifth on UR's career interception list with 10. He made the All-State team in 1971. He won 11 letters at Collegiate High School, in Richmond, Virginia, where he also participated in baseball, track and soccer. Easterling played professionally with the NFL's Atlanta Falcons from 1972-79.
Kevin Eastman
Inducted in the Class of 2003-04.
Considered a premier basketball mind, Kevin Eastman has devoted his life to the game on the local, national and international level. Eastman recently transitioned from the coaching scene to scouting future stars from the United States and overseas. Richmond's 21st all-time leading scorer at the time of his induction, with 1,162 career points, Eastman was a three year starter and served as captain during his final two seasons (1976-77). He earned All-Southern Conference honors after averaging 14 points as a junior. An award was created for Eastman upon completion of his career. The Kevin Eastman Award, given three more times since 1977, is earned periodically by a Spider basketball player that possesses outstanding leadership qualities and spirited basketball play.
Following his playing career, Eastman moved into the college coaching ranks where he served as an assistant coach for his alma mater, VCU and Colorado State. He then served as head coach at Belmont Abbey, where he won three straight NAIA championships, UNC Wilmington, resurrecting the program, and Washington State where he took the Cougars to two NIT appearances. Eastman earned his bachelor's in sociology and his master's in athletic administration from Richmond.
George Edelman
Inducted in the Class of 2015-16.
The first men's swimmer to be inducted into the UR Athletics Hall of Fame, George Edelman capped his unprecedented collegiate career by being named Colonial Athletic Association Swimmer of the Year in 1989.
In his senior season, he won the 200, 500 and 1650 freestyle at the CAA Championships, completing a career in which he won seven of eight events at the conference championship event. As a junior, he won the 500 and 1650 freestyle; his sophomore year he captured the 200 and 500 freestyle. He missed the championships his freshman year because of an illness.
Edelman is the Spiders' all-time men's leading point scorer, and at the time of his graduation he held four individual and two relay records. He was named one of 25 swimmers on the CAA's 25th Silver Anniversary Team.
Edward L. Elliott III
Inducted in the Class of 1990-91.
Ed Elliott was a two-way football player for the Spiders as well as a member of the track team and played basketball in the early 1950s. A running back and defensive back, he was named to the All-Southern Conference and All-State teams in 1951, 1952 and 1953. Sometimes called the "Florida-Flash" or the "WPB_Express" by reporters. ( Home town West Palm Beach, Fla.) He was the first U of R receiver to catch three touchdown passes in a game. He is ranked sixth on the longest punt returns list after recording a 80 yrd return in 1953 against Randolph-Macon. Also served the university as the student body president in 54'. After college he played 2 years of service ball for the Far East All Army Team. Where he was name to the All Star Team. Ed later played professionally for the Rams as a DB.
Karen Elsner Davey
Inducted in the Class of 1991-92.
Karen Elsner Davey was Richmond's all-time leading scorer in basketball, Elsner totaled 2,422 points in her four-year career from 1981-85. She was a Parade All-America selection and was named VAIAW Player of the Year as a freshman and the ECAC South Player of the Year following her junior campaign. Karen was the team's leading scorer in each of her four seasons, and she holds school records for field goals and free throws made in a game, season and career, as well as rebounds and blocks in a game, season and career. She was a four-time ECAC-South Player of the Week. She was in the top 15 in the nation for both scoring and rebounding. The 6'2' Elsner was born on May 23, 1963, in Rockville, Md. She was recruited by more than one hundred and fifty colleges and universities before committing to Richmond. Elsner's yearly breakdown of points is as follows: freshman: 624 points; sophomore: 572 points; junior: 646 points; senior: 525 points. She attended Holy Cross Academy before coming to Richmond.
John Fenlon | Tim Finchem | Kate Flavin | Mollie Fleet | Bill Flye | Wilton E. Ford, Jr. |
Wayne Fowler | Andrew A. Fronczek |
John Fenlon
Inducted in the Class of 1993-94.
John Fenlon (deceased) was an assistant football coach for four years and the Spider head football coach for three seasons. His 1946 squad was 6-2-2, a winning percentage of .700, the eighth best season in UR history. During his three seasons as head coach, UR was 12-15-3 (.444).
Tim Finchem
Inducted in the Class of 2001-02.
Tim Finchem is just the third person ever to become Commissioner of the Professional Golfer's Association (PGA), and is considered one of the most powerful men in sports. After assuming the post on June 1, 1994, Finchem has expanded the PGA's financial and marketing influence domestically and internationally. Known throughout the golf sphere as a tough and hard-working leader, Finchem has been instrumental in the formation of International Federation of PGA Tours and the World Golf Foundation. The World Golf Foundation's First Tee program is dedicated to growing the game for future generations.
Finchem started at the PGA as the Vice President for Business Affairs in 1987. In 1989 he began a five-year stint as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer. Before joining the PGA, Finchem co-founded the National Strategies and Marketing Group, a Washington consulting and marketing firm, in 1984. Finchem was the deputy adviser for economic affairs to President Jimmy Carter (1978 and 1979) and the national staff director for the Carter-Mondale presidential campaign in 1980. He is now a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness. Finchem came to the University of Richmond on a debate scholarship and graduated in 1969 with a bachelor's degree. He earned his Law Degree from the University of Virginia in 1973.
Kate Flavin
Inducted in the Class of 2010
One of the most decorated student-athletes in school history, Kate Flavin led Spider women's basketball to unprecedented success, with three postseason appearances, including two WNITs and an NCAA Tournament berth during a 23-8 senior season. She completed her career with 1,770 points, currently second on UR's all-time list.
An Atlantic 10 First Team selection in 2004 and 2005, Flavin was also named to 10 All-Rookie Team in 2002 and the All-Defensive Team in 2005. She was second in the A-10 in scoring (16.8) and rebounding (8.8) in 2004-05, which earned her State Player of the Year honors from the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Flavin's name appears in Richmond's career Top 5 in eight categories, including No. 1 in field goal percentage (57.7) and number two in steals (255). Her 36-point performance against Florida in 2004 is the fifth-highest single-game scoring mark in program history. Flavin led the Spiders to a four-year record of 81-45 (.643).
Mollie Fleet
Inducted in the Class of 1995-96.
Mollie Fleet was a multi-sport standout for the Spiders, participating in field hockey, basketball, tennis and track during the 1930s. She was a four-year varsity performer in field hockey from 1934-38 and a captain for her final two seasons. She played three years of basketball, one on the junior varsity team and two years as a member of the varsity. She was the captain during the 1936-37 season. She was a letterwinner in tennis for three seasons. Fleet lettered and was track champion for all four years. She was a three-time Blazer winner for lettering in three sports. She was twice the Seal winner, representing the greatest leadership and sportsmanship.
Bill Flye
Inducted in the Class of 2013-14.
Bill Flye was an integral part of two historic "firsts" for the Richmond men's basketball program. He was a member of the school's first-ever post-season tournament team when the Spiders participated in the 1982 NIT during his freshman season, and he was a starting member of the first-ever NCAA tournament during his senior season in 1984, a squad that laid the foundation for future Spider teams by beating Rider, followed by the memorable triumph over heavily-favored Auburn.
Flye is a member of the Spiders' 1,000 point club, finishing his career with 1,062 points, currently 34th on Richmond's all-time list. His 85% free throw percentage in 1984 is the sixth highest figure in school history. A three-year starter for Hall of Fame coach Dick Tarrant, Flye was named a captain his senior season, when he averaged 14 points per game. He was named to the ECAC South All-Tournament Team in 1984.
Flye becomes fifth player from the 1984 NCAA Tournament team to be inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall of Fame, joining John Newman, John Davis, Greg Beckwith and Kelvin Johnson.
Wilton E. Ford, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 1997-98.
Wilton Ford was a member of the basketball team from 1965-69. A local product from Manchester High School, Ford was a two-year starter and was a co-captain during his senior season. He was selected All-Southern Conference at center for the 1967-68 season, when he averaged 20.1 points and 8.1 rebounds in 25 games. He hit 181 free throws during his junior campaign, the fourth-highest total in UR history. On February 24, 1968, he scored a career-high 41 points against William & Mary, the seventh-highest total in school history. A physical player inside, Ford holds the school records for most disqualifications in a season (16) and in a career (36).
Wayne Fowler
Inducted in the Class of 2002-03.
During his time at the University of Richmond, offensive lineman Wayne Fowler branded his name among the most dominant lineman in Southern Conference history. A Second Team All-American in 1969 and a third-team selection in 1968, Fowler earned the prestigious Jacobs Blocking Trophy both seasons as the best blocker in football. He also earned All-Southern Conference and All-South honors in 1968 and 1969. Fowler helped lead the Spiders to the 1968 Tangerine Bowl where Richmond defeated Ohio University, 49-42. Following his collegiate career, Fowler played in the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala. The Buffalo Bills drafted Fowler in 1970 and he played in the NFL during that season. Unfortunately, a car accident cut short his promising professional career. Presently, Fowler is the president and owner of Fowler Advertising in Annapolis, Md.
Andrew A. Fronczek
Inducted in the Class of 1987-88.
Andrew Fronczek (deceased) was an outstanding tackle on the Richmond football team. He was a Third Team All-State selection in 1938 and First Team All-State honoree in 1940. Fronczek was an outstanding freshman tackle who made the Dean's list. In 1939 he transferred to Drake University and was subsequently persuaded to come back to Richmond in the Summer of 1940. He was labeled as "tough as nails" on the football field by sports editors. He was a letterwinner on the Spiders' baseball squad as a freshman and regarded academically as one of the top student-athletes during his years at Richmond. A native of Harvey, Ill., Fronczek played shortly in the National Professional Football League for the Brooklyn Football Dodgers.
Fred Gantt | Walker Gillette | Ruth Goehring | Laurie A. Governor Curtis | Garland "Peck" Gray |
Tom Green | Betty Gustafson | Dr. Owen Gwathmey
Fred Gantt
Inducted in the Class of 1996-97.
Fred Gantt was a forward on the basketball team from 1942-46 and a captain during his junior and senior seasons. He led the Spiders in scoring in each of his four seasons and was named first team all-state three times. Richmond was 21-11 at home during his four seasons. Gantt's teams recorded five wins over Virginia and victories over North Carolina and Maryland.
Walker Gillette
Inducted in the Class of 1976-77.
Walker Gillette was the only consensus football All-America to play at Richmond. He was a wide receiver for UR from 1967 to 1969 and led the Spiders to the Tangerine Bowl championship in 1968. He had great speed being a hurdler on the track team. He had great hands, all the moves, was a great receiver, and could run after he caught the ball. While coaching at William & Mary, legendary coach Marv Levy once said that, "Walker Gillette had the speed, size and great game breaking potential in a season. We faced many great spread receivers, no one hurt us more than Walker did. He is a threat long and short. He's one of the nation's finest pass receiving threats." He was labeled "The Blade and the Spoiler" by his teammates. He is the son of Jim Gillette, former University of Virginia and Cleveland Rams pro star.
He holds Richmond records for touchdown receptions in a game, season and career and was drafted in the first round by the San Diego Chargers in the 1970 NFL draft. The 6'5" 200 pounder from Capron, Va. was also a standout and captain of the UR track team as a high hurdler, 440 - yard dash man, and member of the mile relay team. Gillette caught 20 passes for 242 yards to upset Ohio University in the 1968 Tangerine Bowl (49-42) and was named game MVP. During his career Gillette caught 158 passes for 2,649 yards and scored 22 touchdowns. Born March 16, 1947.
Voted Consensus First Team All-American in 1969 by Associated Press, Time Magazine, Sporting News, Look Magazine and Newspaper Enterprise Association. In 1970 played in the College All-Star Game and 1969, the North-South Game. Named First Team All-Southern Conference and First Team All-State 1967, 1968, 1969. Named Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Year in 1969.
Ruth Goehring
Inducted in the Class of 2013 -14.
|A mainstay in the Richmond Athletic Department for more than a quarter century, Ruth Goehring served in various roles to assist Spider student-athletes, coaches and administrators from 1981 until she retired in 2007.
These roles and titles included Coordinator of Women's Athletics, where she was a driving force to promote women's sports, Senior Woman Administrator, and Associate Athletic Director for Sports, Events and Facilities. Ruth also oversaw all non-revenue sports programs in addition to serving as director of the Robins Center. In addition, she coordinated conference championships and NCAA events hosted by Richmond in her role as tournament director.
A native New Yorker who has been listed in Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, Ruth graduated from SUNY-Cortland in 1971 where she was a four-year letter winner in field hockey, volleyball and basketball.
Her professional collegiate athletics career began at Colgate University, where she was charged with initiating a competitive women's intercollegiate program as the school tranisitioned to co-education. She is also well-known for her work as a high school and college basketball referee and serves on the Board of Directors of the Richmond Police Athletic League and Henrico Master Gardeners Association.
Laurie A. Governor Curtis
Inducted in the Class of 1999-2000
Laurie Governor Curtis was an outstanding women's basketball player for the Spiders from 1984-88. She is second in Richmond women's basketball history with 1,086 career rebounds and third with 1,655 career points. Governor Curtis was Second Team All-Colonial Athletic Association as a sophomore and First Team All-CAA as a junior and senior. She led Spiders to 21-8 record during senior season.
Garland "Peck" Gray
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1979-80.
"Peck" Gray played baseball in 1921 during his senior year and also managed the baseball squad. His donation in 1971 enabled the University to build the residence hall, Gray Court, in memory of his first wife. He was a member of the Board of Trustees in 1949.
Tom Green
Inducted in the Class of 2012-13.
Dr. Tom Green, Jr. 67' was a two-sport standout and four-year starter for both the Spider baseball and men's basketball teams. Nicknamed The Bristol Blade for his tall, slender stature, Green stood above the rest during his senior season on the hardwood. The Bristol, Tennessee native was named All-Southern Conference and All-State, averaging 20.2ppg and 12rpg. He finished his basketball career with 1,159 points. He is currently 7th in career free throws made and 6th in career rebounds. For his career, he averaged 15.5ppg and 9.8rpg. On the diamond, Green, a pitcher and first baseman, earned All-Southern Conference honors during his senior season. He hit .300 as a senior, and finished at .280 for his career. Not only was Tom Green a two-sport standout, but he was a two-sport captain for both the Spider basketball and baseball teams, serving as basketball captain in 1966 and 1967, and a baseball co-captain in 1967. He finished third in voting for Southern Conference Student-Athlete of the Year following his senior season. Green's immediate family includes eight Richmond alums - his grandfather, uncle, father, three younger brothers and a sister.
Betty Gustafson
Inducted in the Class of 2000-01
Gustafson participated in basketball, tennis, field hockey and track from 1943-47. She played three years of varsity basketball and was captain in 1947. She competed in varsity tennis for four years, varsity field hockey for three years and varsity track for one year. Gustafson was a Blazer and Seal winner during her junior year. The Blazer was awarded to an individual winning a letter in three varsity sports. The Seal was the highest award that the Westhampton Athletic Association conferred on members of the junior and senior classes for exceptional sportsmanship and contagious enthusiasm. Her athletic achievement at Westhampton College laid the foundation for a 40-year career as a teacher of Physical Education and Health and coaching athletics in the public schools of Richmond.
Dr. Owen Gwathmey
Inducted in the Class of 1994-95.
Dr. Gwathmey was a member of the track team from 1940-42 and a captain in 1942. He ran the 880, mile and two mile. His time of 9:48.1 in the two-mile was recorded at the Big Six meet in 1942 and established a school record which would not be surpassed for 25 years. UR was 11-2-1 in dual meets during his three seasons on the track team. Dr. Gwathmey graduated from Richmond with a B.A. in Chemistry and was a member of Psi Chi.
Fred Hardy | Edmund G. Harrison | Herbert H. Hash | Dick Hensley | John Hilton | Tim Hightower | Peg Hogan | Lester Hooker | Stuart Hoskins | Richard Humbert
Fred Hardy
Inducted in the Class of 2001-02.
Fred Hardy coached track for 35 years at Richmond and established an elite program that succeeded on a collegiate and international level. He was known by his student-athletes as a great teacher that elevated every athlete beyond its initial potential. During his years at Richmond, Hardy coached 45 All-Americans on the men's side and 20 All-Americans on the women's side. He also guided two Olympians and three NCAA national championships. Two of his former runners won the Richmond marathon. Hardy guided Edwin Koech to the NCAA indoor 1,000-yard run and his two-mile relay team won the NCAA indoor event in 1983. He also guided a two-mile relay team to a world record (7:23.09) for an 11-lap track in the Milrose Games.
Hired during the summer of 1950, Hardy retired from Richmond on August 20, 1985. Before coming to Richmond, Hardy coached at John Marshall High School, where he had set the state record in the mile (4:33.3) in 1936. Hardy received both his bachelor's degree and master's degree from the University of North Carolina. He was one of the Tar Heels' top distance runners and served as team captain during the 1940 season.
Edmund G. Harrison
Inducted in the Class of 1980-81.
Edmund Harrison was a standout basketball player from Beltsville, Ohio. He started at guard for four straight years, 1952-56, and scored 1,843 points, a Richmond record for 26 years. At one point, he held the Richmond record for consecutive games played with 108. Ed was named All-Virginia all four years, served as captain of basketball squad during his junior and senior years, and was named to the All-Southern Conference team in 1956. In the 1952-53 season he played in 27 games, had 154 field goals, 149 free throws, 457 points and averaged 16.9 points a game. During the 1953-54 season he played in 31 games and had 477 points, and averaged 15.4 points a game. In his junior year he played in 28 games, scored 448 points and averaged 16.0 points a game. In his senior year he played in 28 games, scored 461 points and averaged 15.9 points a game. He is still ranked fifth on field goals made in a career with 605 field goals averaging 5.26 in 115 games. He is currently ranked ninth on the career scoring average list. In 115 games, he had a total of 1843 total field goals averaging 16.03. Harrison is also ranked 10th on the free throw percentage for a season (1955). He played in 28 games, made 148 free throws in 180 attempts with a percentage of 82.22. He also is ranked third, tied for eighth and tenth for free throws made in a season. He averaged 6.38 a game in 1956, 4.87 a game in 1954 and 5.52 a game in 1953. He is currently first on the all-time career free throws made with 633 averaging 5.50 a game.
In 1952-53 he was named First Team all-State; in 1953-54, First Team all-State and Second Team all-Southern; 1954-55, First Team all-State; Second Team all-Southern and in 1955-56, First Team all-State, First Team all-Southern and Southern all-Tournament.
Herbert H. Hash
Inducted in the Class of 1985-86.
Herbert Hash was a multi-talented athlete who played basketball, baseball, and was also a high jumper on the track team. He was a three-year letterman in basketball and a member of Richmond's 20-0 team in 1935. He earned three letters in baseball as an outfielder and pitcher and posted a 13-4 career record. He later played professionally in the Boston Red Sox organization where he was a 22 game winner as a rookie and was named "Rookie of the Year."
Dick Hensley
Inducted in the Class of 2012
Dick Hensley lettered four times on the Spider football team, where he was a three-year starter at wing back and fullback from 1948-51. Off the field, he was involved in Student Government, the President's Advisory Council, President of the Baptist Student Union and was selected Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities. Those experiences at Richmond paved the way for his post graduate career as a highly-respected educator, coach and community leader in Martinsville, Va.
Hensley was head football coach at Martinsville High School from 1969-1981, compiling a 101-40-1 record, including four undefeated seasons and the 1975 Virginia State AA Championship. His teams won six Piedmont District titles and finished as state runner-up twice. He served as assistant principal at Martinsville from 1974-1984 and coached at Fork Union Military Academy and Hargrave Military Academy for nine years. He was an avid weightlifter, and won several weightlifting competitions in the Masters 3 Division in the early 1990's. His wife, Helen, is also a University of Richmond graduate, Westhampton College, Class of 1951.
Tim Hightower
Inducted in the Class of 2012
Tim Hightower's record-shattering career as a Richmond running back began as a true freshman in 2004 and ended with All-American honors following his senior season in 2007, when he led the Spiders to a CAA Football Championship and a trip to the semifinals of the NCAA Division I playoffs. Hightower's name is etched in the Spider record books for most yards rushing in a game (295 at Bucknell 9/27/07), season (1,924 in 2007) and career (3,712). He also sits atop lists for rushing touchdowns in a season (20, 2007) and career (34).
His memorable 2007 season was highlighted by a four-touchdown, 295 yard rushing game at Bucknell and a four touchdown, 246 yard rushing game at Northeastern, which included a 90-yard TD run, the third longest run from scrimmage in school history. He amassed nine 100-yard games in 2007. Following the season, Hightower was named a Walter Camp Foundation and Sports Network First Team All-American, a College Sporting News and Associated Press Second Team All-American, runner-up for the Dudley Award as the Commonwealth of Virginia's top Division I football player and a finalist for the Payton Award as the nation's top FCS player.
He was selected in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft by the Arizona Cardinals and went on to score the winning touchdown in the 2008 NFC Championship Game, sending Hightower and the Cardinals to Super Bowl XLIII, where he played against the Pittsburgh Steelers. In July 2011, he was traded to his hometown team, the Washington Redskins, where he started five of the first six games of 2011 before a knee injury curtailed his season.
John Hilton
Inducted in the Class of 1990-91.
John Hilton was one of UR's finest tight ends ever to play. He was a member of the football team in 1961, 1962 and 1964. John was tenth on Richmond's career receptions list with 87, tenth on the career yardage list with 1,289, and fifth in career touchdown receptions with 14. He was selected All-State in 1961, 1962 and 1964, and was All-Southern Conference in 1964. John participated in the Senior Bowl and Blue-Gray All-Star Classic. He played 11 seasons in the National Football League. He was drafted by the Detroit Lions as a 6'5", 200 pound tight end. He played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 1965-69, the Green Bay Packers in 1970, and back to the Detroit Lions in 1972-73. He coached the Washington Redskins special teams in 1978. He is native of Richmond and attended Hermitage High School.
Peg Hogan
Inducted in the Class of 2003-04.
The longtime Richmond synchronized swimming coach, Peg Hogan is one of the most decorated individuals to grace the sport. Inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame on May 11, 2002, Hogan has earned 55 U.S. Synchronized Swimming Masters national championships and the gold at the 1985 Masters World Championships and 1987 Pan American Masters Championship. Hogan started coaching at Richmond in 1976 and guided the Spiders to varsity status in 1981. She led her team to a second-place finish at Nationals in 1988, Richmond's highest finish in program history. During her 23-year tenure at Richmond, Hogan coached nine all-americans.
The only Masters athlete ever to coach three teams in the same season, Hogan led the Octopi of Richmond and Ramapo Aqua Masters Synchro team in addition to the Richmond varsity squad. Hogan also founded the National Institute of Creative Aquatics, which emphasizes swimming-to-a-theme and creativity rather than accuracy in skills and strength as in more competitive synchronized swimming. Her swimmers went on to win many aquatic art awards. Dedicated to every facet of the sport, Hogan spent much of her time as an official. She served as the National Judges Committee Chairperson, Masters National Chairperson, Education Committee Member and Collegiate National Chairperson. She received the Lillian MacKellar Distinguished Service Award in 1998.
Lester Hooker
Inducted in the Class of 1998-99.
Lester Hooker (deceased) was Richmond's men's basketball coach from 1952-63. He compiled a record of 147-142 for a winning percentage of .509. Hooker is fourth on Richmond's all-time wins list with 147. Each of his first two teams compiled 20-win seasons. The Spiders were 20-7 during the 1952-53 season and 23-8 during the 1953-54 campaign. Following his time at Richmond, Hooker became Director of William & Mary.
Stuart Hoskins
Inducted in the Class of 1978-79.
Stu Hoskins earned 13 letters in football, baseball and basketball during his college career (1936-40). He was an All-State basketball honoree, captain his senior year, and garnered All-State football honors in 1940. Stu attracted the attention of major league baseball scouts as a catcher in baseball and received All-State and All-Southern Conference recognition his final two seasons.
Richard Humbert
Inducted in the Class of 1976-77.
Dick Humbert lettered in three sports at Richmond from 1938 to 1941. He was named All-State at offensive end in football. Dick played professionally with the Philadelphia Eagles form 1941 to 1950 and was named the NFL Rookie of the Year and All-Pro in 1941. He also played in three World Championship Games with the Eagles. Humbert captained the Richmond basketball team in 1940 and also lettered in track. He later coached at Richmond for 10 years and was the chairman of UR's Physical Education department at the time of his retirement in 1982. Humbert, who grew up in Suffolk, Va., was born on Dec. 31, 1918, in Reading, Pa.
Richard "Dickie" Irvin | Jackie Isreal | George Ivey
Richard "Dickie" Irvin
Inducted in the Class of 2001-02
Richard "Dickie" Irvin (deceased) was one of the most dominating interior defensive linemen of his era. Almost impossible to block, Irvin was the Spiders' nose guard during the 1967-69 seasons. He earned First Team All-Conference and All-State honors in 1968 and 1969. He also earned Second Team All-Conference honors in 1967. He helped lead Richmond to back-to-back Southern Conference Championships in 1968 and 1969.
Irvin was part of the 1968 Tangerine Bowl champion, one of the most celebrated teams in Richmond athletics history. The 1968 team went 8-3 on the season, and defeated Ohio University, 49-42, on Dec. 27. The Spiders finished the season ranked No. 18 in the UPI poll and No. 20 in the AP poll.
During his senior season, Irvin earned Sports Illustrated National Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors after making 16 tackles, six for loss, in a 17-10 win against Virginia Tech on Oct. 4, 1969. Following his collegiate playing career, Irvin signed with the Montreal Allouettes, of the Canadian Football League, in 1970.
Jackie Isreal Thomas
Inducted in the Class of 2013-14
|Jackie Isreal made her presence known at both ends of the court during her four-year career on the Spider women's basketball team. Offensively, she scored 1,067 points, good for 18th on the all-time Spider scoring list. But it is at the defensive end of the court where Jackie left her legacy.
Her record 10 steals in a game against Georgetown in 1984 is still the most ever by a Spider women's basketball player and she has four of the top eight marks for steals in a game. In her four seasons, she finished 2nd, 4th, 6th, and 8th for steals in a season. She is second on the school's all-time steals list with 289.
During her freshman season, the Spiders went 22-8 and captured the VAIAW State Championship. She went on to be part of three winning teams during her four years. Along with Hall of Famer Karen Elsner, Jackie was selected captain for her senior season in 1984-85.
George Ivey
Inducted in the Class of 2012-13
Colonel George Ivey served his country for nearly 30 years, and the University of Richmond for more than 25 years. In 1982, after 28 years in the U.S. Army, he joined the Spider Athletic Department in the newly-created position of Coordinator of Academic Advising for Student-Athletes. His mission was to ensure that every admitted student-athlete had what it took to not only do well athletically but to compete successfully in the classroom.
In 1985 he was elevated to the department's Chief of Staff, overseeing all athletic operations. In addition, he became Coordinator of Commencement in 1986. In February 1992, he was named Senior Associate Director of Athletics, a position he held until his first retirement in July 2003. In January 2005, Dr. Ivey was called out of retirement, serving as the University's Admissions Coordinator for Athletics. He remained in that post until September 2010.
Dr. Ivey's decorated military career included nearly 800 combat flight hours in Vietnam, resulting in 44 individual awards for valor and meritorious service, highlighted by the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was inducted into the U.S. Army Infantry OCS Hall of Fame in 1977.
Newton "Bucky" Jacobs | Albert "Petey" Jacobs | Eric Johnson | Kelvin Johnson |
Art Jones | Frank Jones | Bill Jordan | Brian Jordan | Pam Bryant Jordan | Matt Joyce
Newton "Bucky" Jacobs
Inducted in the Class of 1986-87.
"Bucky" Jacobs (deceased) was a two-sport standout during the mid 1930's. A former captain and All-State forward on Richmond's 1936-37 basketball team, he is best remembered for his exploits on the baseball diamond. He posted a lifetime 19-1 record with an 18-game win streak and three no-hitters; all current Richmond records. Bucky holds Richmond's record for single game (20) strikeouts and also held the record for most strikeouts in a season (98) until it was broken in 1994. He played in 20 basketball games in 1936, had 60 field goals, 46 free throws, scored 166 points and averaged 8.3 points a game. In 1936-37 he was named to the First Team all-state.
Albert "Petey" Jacobs
Inducted in the Class of the 1986-87.
"Petey" Jacobs (deceased) excelled in basketball and baseball during the late 1930's He was a two-time All-State guard who captained the 1938 squad. Petey was an All-Southern Conference selection in 1938. He led the baseball team in hitting as a sophomore and junior and captained the squad as a senior. He was the leading scorer in 1937-38 of his Spider team. In 12 games, he had 40 field goals, 31 free throws, scored 111 points, and averaged 9.3 points a game. He played at second and third base.
Eric Johnson
Inducted in the Class of 2006-07
An honored member of the prestigious 50th Anniversary All-Yankee Conference football team, Eric Johnson was a standout linebacker for the Spiders. A two-time Sports Network First Team All-American, he garnered a school-record 643 career tackles, more than 200 stops better than any player in program history. On the Spiders' single-season tackle list, Johnson is second (179 in 1991) and twice third (173 in 1990 and 1992). He was also selected as a Walter Camp All American and an Associated Press All-American in 1992, and a First Team All- Yankee Conference pick in 1991 and 1992. He was honored by Richmond faculty, coaches and administrators as the 1993 Humbert Award Winner for athletic, leadership and scholarly attributes and was the 1993 Spider Club Male Athlete of the Year.
Kelvin Johnson
Inducted in the Class of 2008-09.
A four-year men's basketball starter and two-time captain, Kelvin Johnson '85 was an integral member of the Spiders' first post-season team that appeared in the 1982 NIT, and the school's first NCAA team which defeated Auburn in the first round of the 1984 tournament. He scored 16 points in the triumph over the Charles Barkley-led Auburn squad, and followed that with a game-high 27 points in a second round NCAA game against Indiana. In 1985, Kelvin was named second team All-Colonial Athletic Association and CAA All-Tournament Team. He is second all-time at Richmond for free throw percentage in a season (87%) and sixth in a career (80%). He is also seventh in career assists with 324 and eighth in career steals with 129. A workhorse for the Spiders, Johnson is eighth on the all-time minutes played list, averaging 33.2 minutes per game during his career.
Art Jones
Inducted in the Class of 1975-76.
Art Jones (deceased) was an all-around athlete at Suffolk High School, lettering for three years in football, track, and tennis and four times in basketball. Jones holds the Suffolk High record for being awarded the most letters in sports, a total of 16.
Jones entered the University of Richmond where he was named to the All-State Team three consecutive years, 1938-39-40 and All-Southern in 1938 and 1940. He was the leading Southern Conference scorer as a running back in 1940 and leading punter in the nation in 1940.
Jones lettered three years in basketball and three in track at Richmond while running the 100-yard dash in 10 seconds flat in Southern Conference Meet. He ended his collegiate career by playing in the Blue-Gray game at Montgomery, Alabama in 1940, starting at halfback and scoring one touchdown in a 14-12 loss to the Blue. He played in the College All-Star game at Chicago in 1941 against the Chicago Bears with such stars as Tom Harmon, Jackie Robinson and Forrest Eveshevski. Jones was selected as a member of the University of Richmond All-Time backfield in 1963.
Jones' professional football career began with his selection in the first-round draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1941, averaging 55 minutes per game for eleven games. Jones was selected All-Pro in his rookie year and was chosen to play in the All-Pro game in 1941 against the Chicago Bears. He started this game in the backfield composed of Sammy Baugh, Toughy Lemmons and Biggie Goldberg. Jones was credited with being the first player in the National Football League to wear low-quarter shoes.
Jones entered the service as an Ensign in the Navy and during four years in the Naval Air Force serving in the Philippines during World War II. He returned to the Steelers in 1945, but while in the Navy played football with the Carolina Pre-Flight team that defeated William & Mary for their only loss in 1942.
Jones was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 1975.
Frank Jones
Inducted in the Class of 1989-90
Frank Jones was head football coach from 1966 to 1973 and also served as director of athletics for seven years. He was the only coach in UR history to record two eight-win seasons. Frank was named Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year following the 1967, '68 and '71 league championship seasons. He guided Spiders to two Tangerine Bowl appearances, the only Division I Top 20 appearance in the University's history. He compiled a 44-30-0 record over his eight year career as head coach.
He served as director of athletics for seven years from 1967-74. After coaching with great success in Georgia high schools, Jones was picked for the head football coach and athletic director's job at Presbyterian. His teams won the Little Four championship in 1958, 1959, and 1960. He was Coach of the Year in South Carolina in 1958 and 1959 and runner-up for the award in 1960. He then went to Mississippi State and served as assistant head coach from 1962 to 1965. The 1963 State squad went to the Liberty Bowl and posted their best record since 1946. The, in 1966, came the call from Richmond.
When he joined the Spiders, Richmond had the longest losing streak in the nation. That streak was broken in 1966, and the Spiders had a good year against tough opposition. In 1967, he guided the Spiders to a surprising 5-2 Southern Conference mark, and won his first Southern Conference Coach of the Year award. Despite 26 sophomore, the team finished 5-5. The Spiders went to their first bowl game in 1968. The Tangerine Bowl bid came after a perfect 6-0 Southern Conference mark and a 7-3 overall mark. The 49-42 victory over Ohio University capped the Spiders' best football season in thirty years. He won his second Southern Conference Coach of the Year award and was also named Coach of the Year for District Three by the American Football Coaches Association. His 1969 team tied with Davidson for the Southern Conference championship. He is a native of Macon, GA., and a 1948 graduate of North Carolina.
Bill Jordan
Inducted in the Class of 2007-08.
Credited with being a main force behind the success of the track & field and cross country programs, Bill Jordan's career as a student-athlete, coach and administrator has spanned nearly 40 years at the University of Richmond. As a student-athlete from 1948-53, he won awards in both cross-country and track, setting the UR cross-country course record, and earning a state championship in the Two Mile and Cross Country events. He was part of a group affectionately known as "Lumpkin's Lopers" - the 1949 cross-country team coached by William Lumpkin that is the only unbeaten cross-country squad in school history.
After a ten-year stint as head track coach at Wake Forest (1956-66), he returned to his alma mater, working for 19 years directly with his lifetime friend and Hall of Fame coach Fred Hardy. Under their guidance, the Richmond program grew to one of the premier programs in the NCAA. During their tenure, 10 National Champions were crowned, 65 All-Americans were honored, and they coached three Olympians. In 1976, Jordan '53 established the University of Richmond Women's Track & Field program as a varsity sport. His former student-athletes honored him with a plaque naming the Head Women's Track Coach's office for him. A commemorative plaque is currently on display outside the office in the Robins Center.
Brian Jordan
Inducted in the Class of 1994-95.
Brian Jordan played three years of varsity competition in football and baseball. He was a three-year starter at cornerback in football. He made 224 career tackles and had 11 career interceptions, which ranks third on UR's all-time list. He is UR's career punt return leader with 60 returns for 692 yards. Brian was second team All-Yankee Conference as a sophomore and first team All-State and All-Yankee Conference as a junior and senior.
A hard hitting centerfielder with a strong arm and good speed, he compiled a .321 batting average, with 32 home runs and 57 stolen bases. He set school records in 1988 with 66 runs scored and 27 stolen bases and was named first team American Baseball Coaches Association All-East Region in 1988. Brian played pro football for the Buffalo Bills and Atlanta Falcons where he became an All-Pro safety. Jordan gave up football in 1992 to concentrate on baseball and played professional baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals. He is currently with the Atlanta Braves. Born March 29, 1967 in Baltimore, Md., Brian graduated from Richmond with a B.A. in Sociology. Honors he has received are: 1987 Most Valuable Defensive Award Winner, Honorable Mention All-America, First Team All-Yankee Conference Defensive Back, First Team All-ECAC, Virginia All-State University Team and Virginia Sports Information Directors All-State Team
Pam Bryant Jordan
Inducted in the Class of 1994-95.
Pam Jordan is one of Richmond's finest basketball players ever. She scored 1,762 points in 120 games, second on UR's all-time scoring list. She was CAA Rookie of the Year in 1987, second team all-CAA in 1988 and CAA Player of the Year in 1989 and in 1990. Three times she was selected to the CAA all-Defensive Team. Richmond won the CAA Championship and made its first NCAA appearance in 1990, recording a 25-5 record. UR compiled a 70-22 mark during her final three seasons, winning more than 75% of its contests. Pam also graduated from UR with a B.A. in Sociology.
Accolades she has received:
1986-87 CAA Rookie-of-the-Year
1988-89 CAA Player-of-the-Year
1989-90 CAA Player-of-the-Year
Matt Joyce
Inducted in the Class of 2007-08.
He was big (6-8, 287 lb), but Matt Joyce '94 played even bigger during his career as the anchor of the Spiders' defensive line. He was named First Team All-Yankee Conference as a senior and Second Team as a junior. During those two years, he was credited with 10 quarterback sacks and nine tackles for loss. He never missed a game in his collegiate career, playing all 44 contests during four years.
He was signed as a free agent by the Dallas Cowboys, who switched him to offensive line, where he became a fixture during an eleven-year NFL career, also playing for Seattle, Arizona and Detroit. He played every position except center along the offensive line, primarily as a starter. He made a career-high 15 starts for Arizona in 1999.
Pat Kelly | Robert D. Kilpatrick
Robert D. Kilpatrick
Inducted in the Class of 1992-93
Robert Kilpatrick (deceased) pitched for Spiders in 1944, 47, and 48 and led all pitchers in wins in each of those three seasons. In 1944 he pitched in all of Richmond's eight games and won five of those games. He had a 16-5 record as a Spider and was named All-State in 1947. He appeared in 44% of the team's games and accounted for 42% of the Spiders 38 victories over his career.
George Lacy | Pat Lamberti | Dr. Nancy E. Lay | Paris Lenon | Robert E. Leitch | Roger Leverton |
Bill Long |Barbara Lovell Diane Lowder | Bill Lumpkin | Walter P. Lysaght
George Lacy
Inducted in the Class of 1982-83.
George Lacy (deceased) lettered in football, basketball and baseball and was captain of both the football and basketball squads in senior year (1936). He was named All-State in basketball three times and in baseball twice. He received honorable mention All-America honors after his junior year. Lacy played professional baseball with the Boston Red Sox .
Pat Lamberti
Inducted in the Class of 1996-97.
Pat Lamberti was a member of the football and baseball teams for the Spiders during the last 1950s. The tackle was all-state in football three times and was All-Southern Conference in 1959. He played in the National Football League for the St. Louis Cardinals and the Baltimore Colts and in the American Football League with the Denver Broncos and the New York Titans. Lamberti was also a pitcher on the UR baseball team.
Dr. Nancy E. Lay
Inducted in the Class of 1989-90.
Nancy Lay was a three-sport standout in field hockey, basketball and track. She was named the Blazer Winner for excellence in three sports and the Seal Winner for all around excellence in athletics, leadership, academics and citizenship. Dr. Lay graduated from Richmond in 1954 and is currently a Professor of Physical Education at the University of Tennessee.
Paris Lenon
Inducted in the Class of 2014-15.
As a Richmond Spider, Paris Lenon was part of an Atlantic 10 football championship team in 1998. Fifteen years later, at the conclusion of his 12th NFL season, he appeared in Super Bowl XLVIII with the AFC Champion Denver Broncos. At Richmond, Lenon was a four-year regular and three-year starter, appearing in 45 games for the Spiders, excelling at linebacker and on special teams. He was named first team All-Conference following his junior season in 1998 and second-team All-Conference following his senior season in 1999, when he was also named a team captain. Lenon recorded a career-high 15 tackles in a game in 1998, finishing the year with 95 tackles, five for loss and six quarterback sacks. He returned a blocked punt 80 yards for a touchdown in 1997, when he also amassed a career-best 104 tackles, with five for loss and six quarterback sacks. His time in professional football began with stints in the XFL and NFL Europe, before he landed in the NFL for a career that spanned from 2002-2013. He played with Green Bay, Detroit, St. Louis, Arizona and Denver.
Robert E. Leitch
Inducted in the Class of 1992-93.
Robert Leitch was a Richmond tennis player from 1937-1939 and captained the team in 1939. He also participated in varsity track and freshmen baseball. He held numerous City, State and Regional championships throughout his career.
Roger Leverton
Inducted in the Class of 1978-79.
Roger Leverton was a four-sport standout in football, basketball, baseball and track. He played forward on the 1934-35 basketball team which posted the only undefeated record (20-0) in Richmond basketball history.
Bill Long
Inducted in the Class of 2008-09.
Bill Long '49 stepped foot on the University of Richmond campus in the fall of 1940 but, before the end of his first semester, he found himself marching in the U.S. Army. He served his country during World War II, rising to the rank of 1st Sergeant. Undaunted, following an honorable discharge in 1945, he returned home and re-enrolled at Richmond in 1946, joining the Spider football team. He played from 1946-1949. In his senior season, he played strong side end in an unbalanced line in a single-wing style attack.
In 1954, he accepted a position at Douglas Freeman High School, just three miles from the UR campus. He was athletic director, and coached the football, basketball and track teams. He was 109-36-9 as football coach, including a state title in 1967. His basketball teams won nearly 60 percent of their games, and his track squads were victorious in 90 percent of their dual meets and won eleven consecutive district championships. Following his retirement as a coach, he remained at Freeman as an Assistant Principal, also spending time back at his alma mater as a volunteer assistant coach for the Spider football team.
Among his long list of honors, he was inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame in 1992 and received the Richmond Touchdown Club's Bunkie Trinite Lifetime Achievement Award in 2003. In October 2008, Douglas Freeman High School announced the creation of its own Athletics Hall of Fame, and named Bill Long as its first inductee.
Barbara Cronin Lovell
Inducted in the Class of 1997-98.
Barbara Cronin Lovell was a four-sport standout. she excelled in field hockey, basketball, tennis and track & field. She was captain of the 1953 field hockey team and an all-state selection. she was a 1954 Blazer winner for earning letters in three varsity sports and a 1954 Seal winner for outstanding leadership, sportsmanship and service to the college. She was President of the Athletic Association during her senior year.
Diane Lowder
Inducted in the Class of 2001-02.
Diane Lowder is one of the most decorated women's swimmers in Richmond program history. A three-year varsity letterwinner, Lowder earned All-American honors from 1980-82. At the time of her collegiate career, Lowder set nine individual records and three relay records. Going into the 2001-02 season, Lowder still ranked among the top-10 in the 500-yard free, 1,000-yard free and the 1,650-yard free. Following her swimming career, Lowder served as an assistant coach during the 1986-87 season. She received a Certificate of Merit from the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame. Following her career at Richmond, Lowder practiced law for 10 years before returning to the University of Richmond as its Director of Planned Giving.
Bill Lumpkin
Inducted in the Class of 1995-96.
Bill Lumpkin was an outstanding distance runner on the track team from 1934-37 and captain of the track team in 1937. He broke the Southern Conference record for the 2-mile at an indoor tournament in Chapel Hill with a time of 9:27, a record that stood for nearly 20 years. He was UR's first Southern Conference champion record holder. He broke 12 collegiate records while at Richmond. Lumpkin remained active at his alma mater following graduation, serving on the University of Richmond Board of Trustees and the Board of Associates. He was also President of the Baptist General Association of Virginia.
Walter P. Lysaght
Inducted in the Class of 1990-91.
Walt Lysaght was a four-year basketball starter from 1952-56. He was one of only two players in Richmond history to score 1,000 points and grab 1,000 rebounds. In 1953, he set the school record for rebounds in a game with 35 in a double overtime victory against North Carolina. He is eleventh on UR's career scoring list with 1,425 points and second on rebounding list with 1,190. Walt was named All-State four years, All-Southern Conference twice and Phi Beta Kappa.
Laura S. Mapp | A.B. Marchant | Eddie Martin | Erwin Matthews | Bob McCurdy | Patrica Kursch MeGehee |
Jim McKeon | Jane Dens McManigal | Leonard McNeal | T. Harold McVay, Jr. | Melvin Medved | Marc Megna |
Leland Melvin | Jo White Menk | Edwin J. Merrick | Louis "Weenie" Miller | Jim Miller | Mary Jane Miller |
Warren Mills | Warren Mitchell | Johnny Moates
Laura S. Mapp
Inducted in the Class of 1987-88
Laura Mapp was a member of the field hockey, basketball and tennis teams. She is currently at Bridgewater College where she is an associate professor of physical education and coach of women's field hockey, basketball, and tennis. A 1954 UR graduate, she has posted more career basketball coaching victories (344-184) than any other active Division III coach and ranks fifth among all Division levels. In 1986, she was awarded the first annual Carol Eckman Award by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. She was also selected the women's basketball Coach-of-the-Year in the ODAC in both 1986 and 1987.
A.B. Marchant
Inducted in the Class of 1985-86.
A. B. Marchant (1936-39) played both football and baseball for Richmond in the late 1930's. He was an All-State football selection in 1937 and captained the squad in 1938. He played baseball and was a pitcher and outfielder on the 1938 State Championship team. He was voted Best Athlete in 1939 and also served as president of the Kappa Sigma fraternity.
Eddie Martin
Inducted in the Class of 1993-94.
Eddie Martin was a four-year starter in football from 1981-84 and played all three interior line position - center, guard and tackle. He anchored the line on the 1984 team, which posted a 7-3 regular season mark and reached the second round of the NCAA I-AA Playoffs. His blocking led to a school record 33 rushing touchdowns. Martin was selected First Team All America by the American Football Coaches Association (Kodak) and the Football News and Second Team All America by the Associated Press. Martin is a native of Waldorf, Md.
Erwin Matthews
Inducted in the Class of 2008-09.
During his brilliant four-year Spider football career, Erwin Matthews '89 totaled exactly 4,000 yards as a runner, receiver and kick returner, ranking him second all-time in all-purpose yards. In 1987, he rushed for 1,234 yards, which is fifth on the Spiders' single-season rushing list. He scored a school record six touchdowns in a four-overtime, 52-51 victory against Massachusetts. His most memorable performance that season, however, may have come on the night of October 29. With a national television audience watching on ESPN, Matthews rushed for 206 yards and two touchdowns as the Spiders defeated Boston University, 33-24, to clinch their first and only Yankee Conference title. For his efforts, Matthews was named first team All-Yankee Conference and Honorable Mention All-American in 1987. He still holds the school mark for All Purpose yards in a game (365 vs. UMass 9/19/87) and his three career kickoff returns for touchdowns is also still a school record.
Bob McCurdy
Inducted in the Class of 1998-99.
Bob McCurdy was a member of the Spiders' men's basketball team from 1973-75 after transferring to Richmond from the University of Virginia. In just two seasons, he scored 1,347 points; averaging 24.9 points per game in 54 contests. A native of Deer Park, New York, McCurdy led the nation in scoring during the 1974-75 season, averaging 32.9 points per game, and was named Third Team Associated Press All-America. He was Second Team All-Southern Conference in 1974 and First Team All-Southern Conference in 1975. McCurdy holds Richmond records for points in a season 855 in 1974-75) and points in a game (53 against Appalachian State on February 26, 1975).
Patrica Kursch McGehee
Inducted in the Class of 2010-11
Defining student-athlete with her success in the classroom and on athletic courts and fields, Patricia Kursch McGehee excelled in four sports - playing field hockey, basketball and lacrosse for four years, and tennis for two seasons. She was named All Virginia College First Team in field hockey. On the basketball court, McGehee led the team in scoring her junior and senior years, averaging as much as 17.5 ppg with a single game high of 32 points. She also earned All-State First Team honors in lacrosse. Following her collegiate playing career, she went on to officiate field hockey for 13 years and basketball and lacrosse for 15 years.
McGehee was a Blazer & Seal winner, served as Athletic Association secretary, and was vice chair of the student section of the Virginia Association for Health, Physical Education and Recreation. She earned Dean's List honors all eight semesters and graduated Top 15 in her class with a degree in Physical Education.
Jim McKeon
Inducted in the Class of 2000-01.
McKeon lettered three times each in cross country, indoor and outdoor track from 1982-85 and was the Most Valuable Track Athlete in 1985. He was a two-time Division I All-American in the 1000-yard run and the 1500-meter run. McKeon ranked third in the nation in the indoor mile in 1985. He was three-time Virginia State Champion at 1500 meters and 1000 meters. McKeon was the 1985 Millrose Games Champion in the college mile. He was a two-time member of the U.S. National Track and Field Team, representing the United States against Great Britain and against Ireland in international competitions. McKeon was a three-time qualifier for the U.S. Olympic Trials at 1500 meters and was a semi-finalist at the 1984 U.S. Olympic Trials.
Jane Dens McManigal
Inducted in the Class of 2002-03.
A standout three-sport student-athlete and outstanding field hockey player, Dens McManigal earned All-Virginia honors in 1946. She also served as team captain for the basketball and track teams. She set the school record by running the 50-yard dash in 5.9 seconds. Her mark of 6.2 seconds in the event was recorded as the official school record because it happened in competition. In addition to her athletic accomplishments, Dens McManigal was heavily involved with the University. She was a class president, served in the student government and was a member of the May Court. Jane Dens McManigal also participated in cheerleading all four years at Richmond. The 1949 Head Cheerleader, Dens McManigal was dedicated to inspiring the college community to participate in and support Spider athletics. Dens McManigal was a recipient of both the Seal and Blazer awards for her spirit, leadership and service as well as her athletic prowess. The Seal winner was given to Westhampton College females that excelled in leadership, sportsmanship and service. The Blaze was a white blazer given to select Westhampton females.
Leonard McNeal
Inducted in the Class of 1992-93.
Leonard McNeal (deceased) was an athletic trainer, served as Physical Education teacher and tennis coach at Richmond. He coached the Southern Conference individual and doubles champions in 1956-57. A one-time chair of Physical Education Department, McNeal was named to the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1988. McNeal was born on November 7, 1923 in Brockville, Ontario Canada. The newly renovated UR Sports Medicine Center has been named the Dr. Leonard McNeal Sports Medicine Center in his honor.
T. Harold McVay, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 1987-88.
Harold McVay captained the football and track squads during the 1940-41 seasons. He was a three-year starter at tackle in football. He was a Third Team All-State selection during both his junior and senior campaigns and a Big 6 and Southern Conference runner-up in both the shot put and discus in 1941. He established a Richmond shot put record of 45' 8" as a junior.
Melvin Medved
Inducted in the Class of 2012-13
Mel Medved was an integral member of the Spiders' 1968 Tangerine Bowl Champion football team that defeated Ohio 49-42. It capped a season in which Richmond won seven of its last eight games and captured the first of back-to-back Southern Conference titles. A defensive end who never missed a game, Medved was a two-time All-Southern Conference standout in 1968 and 1969. He was also honored as an All-State selection and was a member of the All-Big 5 Team following his senior season in 1969. He was named Southern Conference Defensive Player of the Week following his final collegiate game in 1969, a 28-17 victory at arch-rival William & Mary.
Medved helped anchor a Spider defensive unit that included Pat Turchetta, John Barelli Dickie Irvin and Winston Whitehead, all University of Richmond Athletics Hall of Famers.
Marc Megna
Inducted in the Class of 2012-13
Marc Megna was a four-year starter at defensive end who culminated his Richmond football career with a conference championship and multiple All-America and Player of the Year awards. In 1998, Megna recorded 74 tackles, 13 quarterback sacks and 16 tackles for loss. He was part of a defense that led the Atlantic 10 in rushing, passing and total defense, and fewest points allowed. Following his senior season, Megna was selected as a Walter Camp, Sports Network, Don Hansen, Associated Press and Strength Team All-American. He was honored as Defensive Player of the Year by the Atlantic 10 and Roanoke Times. He was also tabbed Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive season by the Richmond Touchdown Club.
He received the top honor awarded to a college football player in the Commonwealth of Virginia when he became the first Division I-AA (now FCS) player to receive the Bill Dudley Award. Megna, a captain during his senior season when the Spiders went 9-3 and finished with a Top 10 National Ranking, was a two-time Atlantic 10 First Team Defensive standout and a two-time Buck Buchanan Award finalist, symbolic of the nation's top I-AA defensive player. He holds the school record for career quarterback sacks (32) and owns the top two single-season quarterback sack marks with 14 in 1997 and 13 in 1998. Megna was selected by the New York Jets in the sixth round of the 1999 NFL draft. He also spent time professionally with the New England Patriots, Cincinnati Bengals, Barcelona Dragons, Berlin Thunder and Montreal Alouettes.
Leland Melvin
Inducted in the Class of 1996-97.
Leland Melvin was an outstanding wide receiver on the football team from 1982-85. Melvin is first on UR's career lists with 198 receptions for 2,669 yards. He is fourth on Richmond's career touchdown receptions list with 16. He was an AP honorable mention All-America selection in 1984 and 1985 and second team Apple Academic All-America in 1985. A team captain during his senior season, Melvin had his best year in 1985, with 65 catches for 956 yards and eight TDs. His top game was in 1984 against James Madison, when he had 10 catches for 208 yards and one touchdown. Melvin caught at least one pass in every game he played as a Spider (39). Leland was a member of NASA's astronaut class in training for shuttle and space station missions. Before being selected for the program, he was a research scientist at NASA's Langley Research Center.
Jo White Menk
Inducted in the Class of 1993-94.
Josephine White Menk was a three time All America track star in the early 1980's who holds all school records - indoor and outdoor - from the quarter mile through the mile. White Menk captured the 1000-meter run in a record time of 2:43.33 as a freshman in the National AIAW Indoor Meet She placed second in the same event in the national indoor meet the following winter and also anchored the distance medley relay team to a second place finish. While at UR, she went undefeated in all dual meets in the 1982 cross country season plus captured the state and regional meets before finishing second in the national meet. During her career she placed well in prestigious meets such as the Colonial Relays, Penn Relays, ECAC Indoor Meet, Millrose Games, U.S. Olympic Invitational Meet and the TAC Meet.
Edwin J. Merrick
Inducted in the Class of 1976-77.
Ed Merrick (deceased) played center on the football team from 1936 to 1939. He was the first Spider player ever selected for All-Southern Conference honors and the first player from Virginia to play in College All-Star game in Chicago. Ed was head football coach at Richmond for 14 years and named Southern Conference Coach-of-the-Year in 1958. Ed Merrick was born Feb. 8, 1912 in Pottsville, Pa. He is also a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Louis "Weenie" Miller
Inducted in the Class of 1980-81.
Weenie Miller played basketball, football and baseball at Richmond from 1944 to 1947. He later went on to coach all three sports for the Spiders. Miller was an All-State performer in both basketball and baseball and captained both teams as a senior.
Jim Miller
Inducted in the Class of 2014-15.
Jim Miller's bold strokes have left an indelible mark on Richmond Athletics with unprecedented athletic and academic success during his 12-year tenure from 2000-2012. Miller spearheaded the move to the Atlantic 10 Conference in 2001, which resulted in 44 league titles in the A-10 and CAA Football. There were three men's basketball NCAA appearances, including the 2011 Sweet 16; four football titles capped by a national championship in 2008, plus multiple conference titles in swimming and diving, men's and women's tennis, field hockey, lacrosse and women's cross country. Head coaches hired during his tenure won 28 coach-of-the-year honors. More than 1,000 student-athletes passed through the Robins Center during his time, and they excelled in the classroom as well, with every team recording its highest annual GPA.
Every athletic venue was enhanced, including the recently-completed phase of the Robins Center renovations project. Miller was instrumental in bringing Spider football to campus after 81 years off campus, with the opening of Robins Stadium in 2010. Spider Club membership and donations, as well as corporate partnerships, reached an all-time high.
Miller transitioned from Athletic Director to Special Assistant to the President in 2012, focusing on athletic alumni relations and raising funds to address athletic priorities. He held that position until his retirement in October 2014.
Mary Jane Miller
Inducted in the Class of 2003-04.
For many years the women's athletic program at the University of Richmond has offered numerous opportunities for females to participate and compete at an elite level. Richmond's dedication to women's sports has not been a recent development, but rather a combined effort of many diligent leaders like Mary Jane Miller. A devoted teacher, Miller wore many hats and facilitated the development of several student-athletes. Not only was Miller a great coach but she led in the classroom as well.
Miller was a physical education instructor from 1949-53 before becoming an associate professor of physical education from 1954-70. She served on the Westhampton Athletic Association Board as well as being the physical education chairperson in 1971. On the playing field, Miller led her field hockey teams to an 89-77-2 record from 1949-71. She was an honorary seal winner in 1954 and earned All-Tidewater Team as the coach in 1955. She was also Richmond's lacrosse coach from 1961-71.
Warren Mills
Inducted in the Class of 1976-77.
Warren Mills starred on the basketball team from 1952 to 1955. He was the first Richmond athlete to have his jersey retired, was an All-Southern Conference selection twice and All-State three years despite being only 5'9" tall. He was among the top scorers in UR history. A Richmond native, Mills never missed a game in four years.
Warren Mitchell
Inducted in the Class of 2015-16.
More than 50 years after his record-breaking senior season in 1957, Warren Mitchell's name is still etched in the Spider men's basketball record book.
In addition to being team captain, and leading the Spiders in scoring and assists, Mitchell set a school record for best free throw percentage in a single-season (82.7%). That effort is still 10th on the all-time UR single-season list. He was 18th in the nation in free throw percentage in 1957.
His career free throw percentage was 77.8%, tops in school history at the time of his graduation, and just outside the top 10 currently. His 153 free throws made in 1957 is currently sixth on the single-season list. He set the mark for best free throw percentage in a single game, a record that stood for 39 years.
Mitchell was named First Team All-State and First Team All-Southern Conference and All-Tournament Team in 1957. He was also selected to the All-East Team squad which competed against the USA Olympic Team.
Following his stellar UR playing career, Mitchell moved to the sidelines, first as a high school coach in Newport News (1960-64). He then became a college assistant coach at Davidson (1964-66) and was head coach at the College of William & Mary from 1966-1972.
Mitchell was a four-year varsity basketball player at E.C. Glass High School in Lynchburg, Va., and was a member of the first undefeated high school championship team in Virginia in 1949. He was inducted into the Lynchburg Area Sports Hall of Fame in 2007.
Johnny Moates
Inducted in the Class of 2010-11
A prolific scorer for the men's basketball team, Johnny Moates scored 1440 points in just three varsity seasons, placing him 11th on Richmond's all-time scoring list. A three-year starter, his 25 points per game in 1967 is the fourth highest single-season average in school history and his 19.5 points per game career scoring average is 5th highest at Richmond.
He dominated the Southern Conference during his junior and senior seasons, being named 1st Team All Conference both years, highlighted by earning Southern Conference MVP and All Tournament Team honors in 1967. Moates was also named 1st Team All-State in 1966 and 1967 and was 1st Team All Big Five. He later coached on the men's basketball staff for six seasons.
John S. Newman, Jr. | Jeff Nixon | M. Jackson Null
John S. Newman, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 1991-92.
John Newman (1981-86) was a three-time Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America who led the Spiders to their first two NCAA Tournaments, including a win over Charles Barkley-led Auburn, and an NIT. The Danville, Va. native is still the Spiders' all-time leading scorer with 2,383 points and he did that prior to the three-point line. He shot 53.2 percent from the field for his career and finished as Richmond's all-time leader in FT% at 89.5%. Newman led the team in scoring in each of his four seasons from 1982-86 and was named to eight All-Tournament teams, including Most Valuable Player in the 1984 CAA Tournament. He was a two-time captain, twice named First Team All-State, a three-time CAA All-Conference selection and was conference Player of the Year in 1984. Born on Nov. 28, 1963, Newman,was drafted by the Cleveland Cavaliers as the 29th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. He scored 12,740 points in a 17-year NBA career, including scoring a then-franchise record 41 points for the Charlotte Hornets. He also played for the Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks.
Jeff Nixon
Inducted in the Class of 1989-90.
Jeff Nixon is one of the finest football players in UR history. He holds the season (eight) and career (23) records for interceptions at Richmond. He is a three-time All-America selection (1976-78), and was named First Team by five different organizations following his senior year. Born Oct. 13, 1956, in Germany, grew up in Triangle, Va. He played from 1979 to 1984 with the NFL's Buffalo Bills until a knee injury ended his career.
M. Jackson Null
Inducted in the Class of 1980-81.
A native of Staunton, Virginia, Jack Null participated in football, basketball and baseball throughout his years at Richmond. During the 1945 football season, as a two-way performer at center and linebacker, he made the Virginia All-State team weighing 152 pounds. He made the 2nd All-State AP team in 1946. He captained both the football and baseball teams in 1946 and 1947. After graduation, he served as freshman coach at Richmond for four years before returning to Staunton Military Academy for a three-year tenure as assistant football and head basketball and baseball coach. After leaving Staunton Military Academy, he coached at Lake Worth (Florida) High School and then went to VMI as head basketball and baseball coach before he entered the real estate business.
William "Buster" O'Brien | Louis A. Onesty
William "Buster" O'Brien
Inducted in the Class of 1978-79.
From Virginia Beach, Va., O'Brien was one of UR's all-time great quarterbacks. He is fourth in career total offense (4,302 yards) and led the Spiders to the 1968 Tangerine Bowl championship, passing for 447 yards on 39 completions. He is fourth in career passing yardage (4,424) and holds the record with 21 TD passes in 1968. Buster's 34 career TD tosses is third on UR's all-time list. He set an all-time record for total offense in one game with 486 yards. Buster is a two-time All-Southern Conference selection and Southern Conference Player of the Year in 1968.
Louis A. Onesty
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1990-91.
Lou Onesty earned three letters in basketball and track and was captain of the track team. He coached football, basketball and baseball at Benedictine High School from 1931-39 and coached Virginia Tech track teams to five straight state championships. He was head trainer for ten years at the University of Virginia.
Warren Pace | Frank Pajaczkowski | Michael Perry | Herbert C. Peterson |
Malcolm U. Pitt | Malcolm U. Pitt, Jr.
Warren Pace
Inducted in the Class of 1986-87.
Warren Pace (deceased) played in the Richmond backfield during the early 1940's and captained the team in 1942. He served as chairman of the University's Athletic Endowment Fund campaign which raised over $7 million to endow football scholarships at the University of Richmond.
Frank Pajaczkowski
Inducted in the Class of 1986-87.
Frank Pajaczkowski was a standout performer in football and track. He was the 1955 First Team All-Southern Conference fullback and an All-State selection following his junior season. He is co-holder of the record for longest touchdown run with a 93 yarder against VMI. He also established Richmond records in both the outdoor and indoor long jump He was first in the 1954 Big Six indoor meet and second in the Southern Conference meet.
Michael Perry
Inducted in the Class of 1999-2000
Michael Perry was an All-American men's basketball player from 1977-81. He led the team in scoring during each of his four seasons as a Spider. Perry is second on Richmond's career scoring list with 2,145 points and fifth with 738 career rebounds. Perry averaged over 36 minutes per game during his career. He ranked 17th in the nation in scoring (22.8 ppg) and field goal percentage (61.7%) during his senior season. Perry was selected to seven all tournament teams.
Herbert C. Peterson
Inducted in the Class of 1979-80.
Herbert Peterson (deceased) lettered in football and basketball during the late 1920's and led the state of Virginia in scoring in basketball in both his junior and senior years (1927-28). He was All-State both ways in football and All-State three straight years in basketball. He later became president of the Peoples Finance Company in Richmond.
Malcolm U. Pitt
Inducted in the Class of 1976-77.
Mac Pitt (deceased) played quarterback on the Richmond football team, third base on the baseball team, and ran track in 1915. He served as the Director of Athletics for 25 years and won 198 games as Richmond's basketball coach over 19 seasons. Coach Pitt coached the only unbeaten basketball team in UR history (20-0). He was the Spiders' baseball coach for 37 years. He is the namesake for UR's Pitt Field.
Career records:
Malcolm U. Pitt, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 1992-93.
Mac Pitt earned seven varsity letters at UR in three different sports and was the last athlete to be a starter in three sports in the same academic year. As a footballer he was a starter at offensive end and defensive halfback. He started at first base in 1941-42 on the baseball diamond. On the hardwood Pitt was a starter in 1941 and 1942 at guard, earning All-State honors in 1942. He played for the Richmond Barons from 1947-1951.
Edward E. "Sugar" Ralston | Jaclyn Raveia Schmitt | Richard Razzetti | Barry Redden | Carol Reese | Heather Rice | Al Rinaldi| Charlie L. Richards | E. Claiborne Robins, Jr. | Diana Robinson
Edward E. "Sugar" Ralston
Inducted in the Class of 1977-78.
"Sugar" Ralston , a 1942 graduate of Thomas Jefferson High School, Richmond, VA, where he won letters in track, baseball, and football. He was co-captain of the 1941 football team and made the All City team. Ralston enrolled in the University of Richmond in February 1942 and won freshman numerals in track, baseball and football. He entered the service in February 1943 and then returned to Richmond in February 1946 following three years service in the Army. He played football in 1946, 1947 and 1948. He made first team All-State in 1946, second team in 1947 and third team All-Southern Conference. He was co-captain of the 1948 team. He had 5.1 yards per carry in his career and was named the Back of the Week in 1946 against the University of Virginia - Richmond won 19-7. He also won Back of the Week in 1947 against VMI - Richmond won 21-20. Ralston played linebacker on defense and fullback on offense during his three years. He made the All Time UR Football team in November 1990 as a running back, and was honored by a select committee as the most valuable player on the Richmond team of 1946. As a running back, he gained 1,192 yards and scored 15 touchdowns. Ralston married in 1946 and had two sons before graduating in 1949.
Jaclyn Raveia Schmitt
Inducted in the Class of 2007-08.
One of the most award-winning student-athletes in school history, Jaclyn Raveia Schmitt becomes the first women's soccer player in the sports' 12-year existence to be inducted into the University of Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame. Raveia was named First Team All American following her 2000 senior season, when she helped lead the Spiders to their first NCAA Tournament appearance, and a home-field victory over West Virginia in the first round. She also garnered honors as NSCAA Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Spider Club Student-Athlete of the Year in 2000. She was named First Team All-CAA, All Mid-Atlantic Region, and Virginia Sports Information Directors All-State First Team in each of her four seasons. She was honored as a two-time CAA Defensive Player of the Year in 1999 and 2000. Raveia was a team captain of the 1999 and 2000 squads. During her four years, the Spiders compiled a record of 52-31-2.
Richard Razzetti
Inducted in the Class of 2005-06.
Richmond's all-time leader in men's tennis singles and doubles wins, Richard Razzetti lettered all four seasons for the Spiders before graduating in 1985. Razzetti was a two-time ECAC South doubles champion (1983-84) and also garnered the 1984 ECAC singles championship. In 1985 Razetti ranked as high as 17th in the USTA National Amateur Circuit in singles and was part of a doubles duo ranked fourth in the USTA National Amateur Circuit. The Spider men's tennis MVP in 1982 and 1985, he also helped the Richmond squad to a No. 35 NCAA ranking in 1985.
After graduating, Razzetti competed professionally for two years where he garnered two wins over players ranked in the Top-500. Since his professional playing days ended, he has found a home in Richmond and has worked more than 17 years in Federal Law Enforcement. He was assigned to the Richmond Joint Terrorism Task Force -- a multi-agency enforcement initiative to combat terrorism.
Barry Redden
Inducted in the Class of 1989-90.
Barry Redden holds Richmond rushing records for game (280), season (1,629) and career (3,324 - broken in 1994 by Uly Scott). He was a Heisman Trophy candidate his senior season being the third leading rusher in the nation his senior year behind Herschal Walker and Marcus Allen. Barry was announced to the first team All-America Strength and Conditioning Team his senior year (bench-505 lbs., ran 4.4 40-yd dash, 35" vertical leap). He scored 22 career touchdowns, with 21 of those on the ground, also a UR record. He was a first-round selection in the 1981 NFL draft by the Los Angeles Rams. Named a Third Team All-America in 1981. Following his senior season, he played in the Blue-Gray, Senior Bowl and East-West Shrine Bowl games. A 14th overall pick in the draft, he played nine seasons in the NFL (Rams, Chargers, Browns). Redden was born in Sarasota, Florida on July 21, 1960.
Carol Reese
Inducted in the Class of 2004-05
An outstanding all-around student-athlete, Carol Reese played five varsity sports during her Richmond career. Upon graduation, Reese stayed involved in sports; teaching, coaching and working in athletic administration for 11 years before joining Philip Morris. At Richmond, Reese played on the field hockey and lacrosse first teams all four years and was captain of both teams her senior year. She was on the tennis team for two years and the archery team for three years. In basketball, she played on the first team for two years and the second team during the other two years. Reese was selected to the Tidewater I hockey team three years, the Southeast III hockey team one year, the Virginia I lacrosse team three years and was a three-time state archery champion. Reese also earned the Westhampton College Blazer and Seal Awards.
From 1969-71, Reese taught physical education and coached basketball at Liberty Junior High School in Ashland, Va. For the next five years (1972-77), she taught physical education and coached field hockey, basketball, and lacrosse at Earlham College in Richmond, Ind. Her 1976 lacrosse team, with Reese as head coach, was inducted into the College's Hall of Fame in 2000. Reese returned to Richmond as the Assistant Athletic Director for Women in 1977. In 1980, she left to go to Philip Morris where she worked until she retired in 1998.
Heather Rice
Inducted in the Class of 2012
Heather Rice's name is prominent not only in the Richmond field hockey record book, but in the annals of two NCAA Division I conferences. Rice ushered out the Spiders' Colonial Athletic Association era by being named Third Team All-American and First Team All-CAA as a junior in 2000, when she scored 19 goals and garnered 51 points. Her goal total was seventh best in Division I and third highest in the highly competitive Colonial Athletic Association. As a senior in 2001, she introduced herself to the Atlantic 10 by being named A-10 Offensive Player of the Year, scoring 29 goals - second on UR's single-season list. She was the first of six straight Spiders to win the A-10 Offensive Player of the Year Award. She was ranked among the top 20 players nationally in both goals and points.
Rice is second on Richmond's career points list (133), along the way placing in the Top 10 in seven categories, including most goals in a career (61). She earned All South Region All-American First Team honors in 2000, All-South Region All-American Second Team honors in 1999 and 2001 and All-State honors in 2000 and 2001. She was also All-CAA First Team in 1999 and 2000 and a First Team All American in Strength and Conditioning. Following her senior season of field hockey, she joined the women's basketball team for the 2001-02 campaign, appearing in 23 games, making one start. She scored a career high eight points against Duquesne.
Charlie L. Richards
Inducted in the Class of 1998-99
Charlie Richards was an outstanding quarterback for the Spiders' football team. He was an All-Southern Conference selection in 1969 and 1970. A native of Miami, Florida, Richards ranks third on Richmond's career passing yardage list with 4,473, ranks fourth in career passes completed with 312 and is tied for second in career touchdown passes with 37. He threw for 2,556 yards in 1969, the second highest total in school history. He set a school record in 1969 with 21 touchdown passes. Richards appeared in the North-South Game in Miami, Florida in 1970 and played professionally for the Los Angeles Rams and the New England Patriots.
Al Rinaldi
Inducted in the Class of 2010-11
A veteran of the US Army in World War II who received two Purple Hearts and two Bronze Stars, Al Rinaldi found himself in Richmond recovering from war wounds in June 1945. Shortly thereafter, he accepted a scholarship to play football and basketball at the University of Richmond. He played just one football season - 1946 - when the Spiders went 6-2-2 in the Southern Conference, including the last UR victories over Virginia and Maryland. On the hardwood, he was a four-year starter. In the 1947 Southern Conference Tournament at Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium, he scored 16 points against North Carolina. He also participated on the track team in the long jump and was the Sports Editor of the school's yearbook, The Web, during his senior year.
Following his playing career at Richmond, Rinaldi spent five years as an assistant basketball coach to Hall of Famer Les Hooker, and at the same time became the head football coach at Highland Springs High School, where he would enjoy unprecedented success. His 29-year career high school football coaching record is 191-76, with seven unbeaten seasons and a state championship during two stints at Highland Springs, plus eight years in New Jersey and three seasons at nearby J.R. Tucker High School. In addition, he taught classes in Government. He didn't leave the game even after he stopped coaching, becoming a radio analyst for 15 years of high school football broadcasts in Richmond from 1992-2007.
Rinaldi was inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame in 1992. He was a member of the first class of inductees on the Highland Springs High School Wall of Fame in 1995. Mr. Rinaldi passed away April 20, 2016 at the age of 90.
E. Claiborne Robins, Jr.
Inducted in the Class of 2002-03.
The Robins name has been prominent in Richmond athletics for many years. Following in his father's generous path, E. Claiborne Robins, Jr. and his family have provided support in numerous ways to the University of Richmond and Spider athletics. A renowned philanthropist, Robins directs many community programs, including: Virginia Foundation for Independent Colleges, Robins Foundation, Virginia Historical Society, Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and the Maymont Foundation. He has served as the Chairman of the Board of the Richmond SPCA. Robins, Jr. earned his BSBA in 1968 and his LLD in 1986 from Richmond. He has served on the University's Board of Trustees since 1969. In 1985, the University of Richmond honored him with the Alumni Award for Distinguished Service.
E. Claiborne Robins, Sr.
Inducted in the Class of 1981-82.
E. Claiborne Robins', Sr. (deceased) donation of $10 million enable the University to build the athletic/academic complex which is now the Robins Center. This is just one of the many gifts presented to the University by the Robins family. Mr. Robins was a staunch supporter of a strong athletic program.
Diana Robinson
Inducted in the Class of 2013-14
Diana Robinson set the standard for Spider women's diving during a record-setting, highly-acclaimed four year career as a varsity standout. She was a four-time CAA Diving Champion, including being named CAA Diver of the Championship Meet twice, in 1986 and 1987. She was co-captain for the swim & dive team her senior season in 1987, when she became Richmond's first-ever qualifier for NCAA Division I Zone Championships.
She became the school record holder for the one and three meter boards in 1987 (11 dives) and set four diving records while at Richmond, two of which still stand today.
Aside from her records, accolades and championships, Diana became a part of Spider swimming & diving lore when she participated in an exhibition at the Robins Center pool with Olympian Greg Louganis in 1986.
Kristen Samuhel Clarey | John D. "Jack" Sanford | Taylor Sanford | Brooke Sands | Barry Saunders | Edward Schaaf | John Schweitz |Bobby Sgro | Ludwell Sherman | Mike Skroki | Barty Smith | Deborah Snagg | Frank Soden| Tim Stauffer | Margaret Stender |Elmo Stephenson | Aron Stewart |Robert G. Stewart | Earl W. Stoudt | Dr. Lindsay Struthers Bell
Kristen Samuhel Clarey
Inducted in the Class of 2015-16
Kristen Samuhel wore Spider uniform jersey number zero, more than appropriate for the UR women's soccer goalkeeper who holds the top three single-season records for shutouts.
A former captain and member of the school's first NCAA tournament team, Samuhel holds records as the all-time leader for games (81), starts (81), minutes played, saves (410), saves per game, wins (46 – 20 more than 2nd) and shutouts (28.5). She is number two all-time in save percentage (.802) and number three all-time in goals against average (1.22).
In addition, she is number one in single-season goalkeeper wins (13 in 2000) and single-season shutouts (10.5 in 1998). She is also second in single-season shutouts with nine in 1999 and owns the single-game record for saves (16 vs. Dartmouth in 1999).
She was honored with the prestigious Helen Reba Humbert Award as a senior, awarded for outstanding athletic, leadership and scholarly attributes. She went on to graduate from the University of North Carolina's Medical School.
John D. "Jack" Sanford
Inducted in the Class of 1978-79
Jack Sanford lettered in football, basketball, baseball and track at Richmond. He won All-State honors in football and baseball and captained the 1939 state championship baseball team. He had a career .430 batting average for the Spiders, one of the best in UR history.
Edward Schaaf
Inducted in the Class of 1990-91.
Edward Schaaf was co-captain of the football team in 1935. He played from 1934-1936 and was second team All State in 1936. The Richmond Newspaper referred to him as one of the greatest lineman in UR history and the best 165-pound center in the country. He led his 1934 team to an eight win season, having shut out six of those opponents.
Taylor Sanford
Inducted in the Class of 1978-79.
Taylor Sanford (deceased) was the first student-athlete in University of Richmond history to earn four major sport letters. He earned a total of 13 letters during his career. He was named to the All-Virginia football team twice and made the All-State baseball and basketball teams during his senior year in 1928. He later coached at Wake Forest University, where he was named Coach-of-the-Year by the Baseball Coaches Association.
Brooke Sands Roney
Inducted in the Class of 2012-13.
Richmond women's soccer's all-time career leader in goals and points, Brooke Sands made an immediate impression on the Spider program and an ever-lasting one. She was named Colonial Athletic Association Rookie of the Year in 1997, and then went on to become a four-time All-CAA First Team selection.
In her senior season, she led the Spiders to their first regular season conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament, where she scored the game-winning goal in a thrilling first round victory over West Virginia. Sands was named to CAA Women's Soccer 25 Year Anniversary Team, along with teammate and UR Hall of Famer Jaclyn Raveia.
Following graduation, she earned a degree in Sports Psychology at the University of Virginia, and then returned to her alma mater as an assistant coach for the women's soccer team from 2003-06. She later served as co-head coach at nearby Deep Run High School, where she helped guide the girls soccer team to an undefeated regular season, No. 2 State Ranking and No. 10 National Ranking.
Barry Saunders
Inducted in the Class of 2012.
Not only was Barry Saunders a two-sport standout, but he was a two-sport captain for both the Spider basketball and baseball teams. On the diamond, Saunders served as co-captain his junior season and captain his senior season, while earning All-State honors as a shortstop three times. Legendary Hall of Fame coach Mac Pitt also called upon him to take the mound on occasion, the most memorable of which was a 74-pitch, nine-inning complete game victory over arch-rival William & Mary.
On the hardwood, Saunders played four years, and was elected tri-captain his senior season, along with two All-State and All-Southern Conference guards, Ed Harrison and Warren Mills, both of whom are UR Hall of Famers. Off the field and court, Saunders was a campus leader. He was elected to the O.D.K. Honorary Fraternity, Who's Who in American Colleges and Universities, Varsity Club and Honor Counsel.
John Schweitz
Inducted in the Class of 2006-07.
Richmond men's basketball's fourth all-time leading scorer with 1,723 points, John Schweitz capped a brilliant four-year career by leading the Spiders to their first-ever postseason berth with an appearance in the 1982 National Invitation Tournament. A four-year starter, Schweitz averaged 17.7 points as a sophomore and 18.7 points as a junior, teaming with UR Hall of Famer Michael Perry, the school's second all-time leading scorer, to form one of the most prolific combinations in Spider basketball history. As a senior captain playing for first-year head coach Dick Tarrant, also a Hall of Famer, Schweitz led the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game.
He concluded his career with a team-leading 16 point effort in a 1982 first round NIT game against Maryland which attracted a sellout Robins Center crowd of 9,373. Schweitz was a two-time All-Conference selection in 1981 and 1982, a First Team All-State pick in 1982 and a Second Team All-State choice in 1981. He was selected in the sixth round of the 1982 NBA Draft by the Boston Celtics. He spent three seasons in the CBA, including playing a year and winning a championship at Albany for head coach Phil Jackson. He spent a full year with the NBA's Seattle SuperSonics and completed his playing career in 1986-87 with the Detroit Pistons. Schweitz was head coach at Francis-Marion College from 2000-2006. He guided the 2003-04 team to a program-best 27-4 record, a national Top-10 ranking, and the program's first NCAA Division II National Tournament invitation, during which the squad advanced to the Sweet 16. He was named the 2004 Peach Belt Conference Coach of the Year and the NABC South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year.
Bobby Sgro
Inducted in the Class of 2004-05.
A two-way star referred to as a "60-minute man" for never leaving the gridiron during a game, Bobby Sgro was an outstanding offensive lineman and middle linebacker during his Spider football career (1951-54). An All-State selection in 1953 and 1954, Sgro averaged 15 solo tackles per game during his senior season. He also served as team co-captain that year (1954). Sgro started 35 consecutive games and was a kick-off and extra-point specialist all four years. He was the defensive signal caller for two years. A two-time All-Southern Conference selection on the offensive line, Sgro moved to the sidelines as an assistant coach for Richmond following his playing days. He served on the staff from 1955 until 1959, spending the last two years as the line coach. Sgro was inducted into a regional branch of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1992 and is now being considered for the State Hall.
Following his collegiate career, Sgro was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army's Amphibious Transportation Corps before serving 30 years in the Army Reserves where he received a Meritorious Servie Medal. Sgro later retired as a Lt. Colonel. Sgro dedicated his professional life to his community and the insurance business. Sgro was active in many community organizations, including a stint as the Spider Club President.
Ludwell Sherman
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1982-83.
Ludwell Sherman lettered in basketball, baseball and football. He received All-Southern Conference basketball honors in 1932 and 1933. He was the first UR player ever to be named All-State. Sherman played semi-professional baseball in 1932. He was native of Roanoke, Va.,
Mike Skrocki
Inducted in the Class of 2014-15.
Mike Skrocki was not only a three-year starter and 1,000 point scorer on the men's basketball team, but was part of four post-season teams that accumulated 80 wins, culminating in an NCAA appearance his senior year in 2004.
He led the team in scoring his junior and senior seasons after finishing second on the squad his sophomore year. Mike finished with 1,408 points, 16th on Richmond's all-time list. His 78 three-point field goals in 2004 are sixth on the single-season list and his 220 three-pointers are fifth on the career list. Mike also holds the seventh-best single-season free throw percentage (.839) and the fourth-best career free throw percentage (.814) in Richmond history. A team captain in 2004, Skrocki averaged 16 points per game, helping the Spiders earn their second-ever at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament.
He was named All-State by the Richmond Times Dispatch and Virginia Sports Information Directors Association, and earned Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors.
Deborah Snagg
Inducted in the Class of 1989-90.
Deborah Snagg was an AIAW All-America cross country runner in 1979 and was also one of UR's all-time great track student-athletes. She recorded a fifth place finish in the 1979 national cross country championships. During her career, she established UR records for the 1,500 (4:36), 3,000 (9:53.4), 5,000 (17:01.0) and the 10,000 meters (35:37.0). Deborah was born on March 15, 1956, in Trinidad and attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond.
Barty Smith
Inducted in the Class of 1976-77.
Barty Smith starred in football from 1971 to 1973 as a fullback. He led UR to one Southern Conference title and an appearance in the Tangerine Bowl. He was the leader of the only Spider grid squad to be ranked in the Division I Top 20. Barty was a first-round draft choice of the Green Bay Packers in 1974 and won the Jacobs Blocking Trophy and the Coffman Award. He played in the East-West Shrine, Coaches All-America and College All-Star games. A graduate of Freeman High School in Richmond, Smith is considered to be the best blocking back in UR history.
Deborah Snagg
Inducted in the Class of 1989-90.
Deborah Snagg was an AIAW All-America cross country runner in 1979 and was also one of UR's all-time great track student-athletes. She recorded a fifth place finish in the 1979 national cross country championships. During her career, she established UR records for the 1,500 (4:36), 3,000 (9:53.4), 5,000 (17:01.0) and the 10,000 meters (35:37.0). Deborah was born on March 15, 1956, in Trinidad and attended Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond.
Frank Soden
Inducted in the Class of 1996-97.
Frank Soden worked for more than 30 years as a broadcaster and administrator for the University of Richmond Athletic Department. He served as the play-by-play man for Spiders basketball on radio from 1950-80 and broadcast football from 1969 to 1980. He joined the UR staff in 1969 and was an assistant athletic director when he retired in 1984. Soden has also been very active in community affairs and received honors from the March of Dimes for his humanitarian services, was named a "Volunteer of the Year" by the Richmond Times Dispatch and was the first recipient of the Sam Dibert Community Service Award by the Commonwealth Catholic Charities.
Tim Stauffer
Inducted in the Class of 2010
An All-American in 2002 and the Atlantic 10 Pitcher of the Year in 2002 and 2003, right-hander Tim Stauffer became one of the highest drafted Spider student-athletes in school history when the San Diego Padres selected him in the first round with the fourth-overall pick in 2003. Stauffer pitched the Spiders to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2002 and 2003, including the program's only Super Regional berth - a memorable three-game series at Nebraska in 2002. During those two years, the Spiders enjoyed their highest win totals in school history - a combined 101-28, with Stauffer earning 24 of those victories.
He won 31 games in three years, third on the all-time list. He is No. 1 in school history in career strikeouts (362) and complete games (24), fourth in innings pitched (346.1) and are second in ERA (2.32). Stauffer is about to begin his eighth season in the San Diego organization, including parts of four seasons with the Padres. He won his major league debut against UR Hall of Famer Sean Casey and the Cincinnati Reds in 2005.
Margaret Stender
Inducted in the Class of 2006-07.
A four-year letter winner in basketball, Margaret Stender, who also participated in field hockey, lacrosse and track, is believed to be the first female student-athlete to receive an athletic scholarship at the University of Richmond. Stender was a three-year basketball team captain who received state honors. She led the 1976-77 squad to a 13-5 record, which at the time, equaled the most victories in school history. Away from the playing venues, Stender was a freshman class officer and President of the Westhampton College Athletics Association during her senior year.
Following graduation from Richmond, Stender was a teacher, coach and Athletic Director at Norfolk Academy. She later received her Master's degree in business from the University of Virginia, and enjoyed a successful business career with PepsiCo and Quaker Oats. She is currently President, CEO and minority owner of the Chicago Skye of the WNBA.
Elmo Stephenson
Inducted in the Class of 1995-96.
Elmo Stephenson was a superb performer on the basketball court, Stephenson played from 1948-50 and during the 1951-52 season. He led the Spiders in scoring during each season, amassing 960 career points. He was second team All-State during each of his three seasons. He scored 40 points in a game against Mount Union on January 4, 1952, the ninth highest total in school history. He hit 18 field goals and four free throws as UR topped Mount Union 89-79.
Aron Stewart
Inducted in the Class of 2010
In just two seasons, Aron Stewart etched his name in the men's basketball record book by averaging 28.1 points per game, tops in school history. His 30.2 ppg in 1972-73 is second- best in school history, and his 26.5 ppg in 1973-74 is the third-best mark. He totaled 1,237 points in only 44 career games, 19th on UR's all-time list. Stewart was named to the Citizen Helms Foundation All-America Team and the All- Southern Conference First Team in 1973 and 1974. He was Southern Conference Player of the Year in 1973 and earned Southern Conference All-Tournament Team honors in 1974.
Robert G. Stewart
Inducted in the Class of 1993-94.
Bobby Stewart was a member of the Spider baseball team from 1960-63. He was a three year starter and was All Southern Conference as a junior and senior. Stewart was a captain in 1963 and batted .421 in 19 games and was an All America center fielder. UR was 33-17-1 during Stewart's three years as a starter. The Spiders were 16-6 against state opponents and 24-11 in Southern Conference play. Stewart posted a career batting average of .330 in 51 games.
Earl W. Stoudt
Inducted in the Class of 1988-89
During his four-year career, Earl Stoudt established himself as one of the all-time great running backs in Richmond history. He was second on UR's career scoring list with 160 points and was among the top five in career punt returns (49), and all-purpose running (3,749 yards). He was named Southern Conference Player-of-the-Year following the 1961 season and was an All-Conference and Honorable Mention All-America selection his last two seasons. Stoudt was 5'9" tall from Lancaster, Pennsylvania.
Dr. Lindsay Struthers Bell
Inducted in the Class of 2005-06.
Dr. Struthers Bell is the first-ever female student-athlete from the 70's decade inducted into the Richmond Athletics Hall after a long-standing athletic career for the Spiders. Struthers Bell played three seasons of field hockey from 1968-70, and two seasons of lacrosse in 1968 and 1971, all while playing four years of basketball at Richmond. Struthers Bell was a two-time captain for the Spider cagers, co-captain with Marilyn Bray as a junior, then lone captain of the 1970-71 squad as a senior. During her senior season she helped guide the squad to a perfect 13-0 record and a Virginia Federation of Intercollegiate Sport for College Women Championship. The team garnered four wins in four days over Hollins (36-31), Lynchburg (54-43), Roanoke (43-37) and Bridgewater (40-29) for the championship. After graduating from Richmond with a biology degree in 1971, Struthers Bell attended the University of South Florida's College of Medicine where she received her doctorate in 1974. She currently resides in St. Petersburg, Fla., where she practices medicine.
Dick Tarrant | Ray M. Tate | Bob Thalman | Lester Tharpe | Thomas G. Theodose | Glenn Thistlethwaite | Pat Turchetta | Hillary Tuwei
Dick Tarrant
Inducted in the Class of 1993-94.
UR's all-time winningest basketball coach, Dick Tarrant's teams posted a record of 239-126 over 12 seasons. Tarrant led the Spiders to eight 20-win seasons, four Colonial Athletic Association championships, five NCAA Tournament appearances and four trips to the National Invitational Tournament. Tarrant gained national notice with NCAA Tournament victories over Auburn in 1984, Indiana and Georgia Tech in 1988 on the way to the Sweet Sixteen, and, the biggest upset of all, over Syracuse in 1991, making Richmond the first #15 seed to defeat a #2 seed in the first round. Tarrant came to Richmond as an assistant coach in 1978, and he became head coach in 1981. A native of Montclair, N.J., Tarrant was the CAA coach of the year four times. He was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2013.
UR Statistics
Ray M. Tate
Inducted in the Class of 1998-99.
Ray Tate was a standout football player and assistant coach for the Spiders. An All-State lineman from Patrick Henry High School in Ashland, Virginia, Tate was an offensive guard and was a co-captain for Richmond in 1965. Tate was named All-Southern Conference and All-State in 1965 and then was an assistant coach for the Spiders from 1966-73 under Hall of Famer Frank Jones. He has stayed actively involved with Richmond athletics and has served as color commentator for Spiders' football radio broadcasts for 20 years.
Bob Thalman
Inducted in the Class of 2003-04.
A standout on the gridiron for Richmond in the 1940s and the most decorated coach in VMI football history, Bob Thalman left his mark on two of Virginia's most storied football programs. Thalman served as VMI football coach from 1971-84, the longest tenure of any Keydet coach. He led VMI to three straight wins over Virginia from 1976-78 and earned two Southern Conference Championships (1974, 1977). In 1981, Thalman led the Keydets to a 6-3-1 record, including road victories against Army and Virginia Tech. That squad is the last VMI team to finish the season with a winning record. Thalman earned Coach of the Year honors from The American Football Coach's Association, the Southern Conference and civic and sports clubs in Virginia. Following his coaching career, Thalman stayed involved, working on the Richmond Athletic Hall of Fame committee. For VMI, Thalman encouraged the formation of an Athletic Hall of Fame and formed the Big Brother Program.
Lester Tharpe
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1980-81.
Lester Tharpe was a crack Spider runner, setting South Atlantic records as a half miler, quarter miler and miler ... trained for the 1928 Olympics, but circumstances beyond his control prevented his participation. Tharpe attended Fork Union Military Academy before coming to UR.... he won 58 out of 60 career races at Richmond.
Thomas G. Theodose
Inducted in the Class of 1991-92.
Thomas Theodose was a two-sport standout. He was a key member of the football and track squads from 1952-55. He played quarterback and defensive back on the football team and was an All-Conference and All-State selection. He holds the school record for the longest pass interception return, going 95 yards with a pickoff in 1955 against Davidson. He was a pole vaulter on the track team.
Glenn Thistlethwaite
Inducted in the Class of 2000-01.
Thistlethwaite was head football coach and Director of Athletics at Richmond from 1934-41. The Spiders complied a 41-26-9 record during his eight seasons as head football coach, a winning percentage of .586, the highest career percentage for anyone who coached longer than one season at Richmond. He only had one losing season during his eight-year career with the Spiders. Thistlethwaite guided Richmond to a pair of the finest football seasons in school history. The 1934 Spiders defeated Wake Forest and William & Mary on their way to an 8-1 mark, the best campaign in Richmond history. In 1939, Richmond picked up a win over Virginia Tech on its way to a 7-1-2 record, the third-best winning percentage in the history of the program. The entire athletic department was strong during Thistlethwaite's tenure as Director of Athletics. The basketball and baseball teams had just one losing season each under the direction of head coach Mac Pitt. The Spider's basketball squad compiled a 20-0 record during the 1934-35 season, the only undefeated team in Richmond history. Thistlethwaite will be inducted posthumously.
Pat Turchetta
Inducted in the Class of 2005-06.
A member of Richmond's All-Time Football Squad as announced in 1990, Pat Turchetta was a highly-decorated Spider on the gridiron. Turchetta earned two Virginia All-State honors in 1968-69, while being part of the 1968 Tangerine Bowl Champion which was honored as the 2005 Richmond Athletic's Hall of Fame Team of Distinction. The Richmond linebacker, was twice named the Spider Athlete of the Week over his three-year career as well as earning World News College Defensive Player of the Week and Southern Conference Player of the Week honors. In 1969 he was awarded the University of Richmond Spider Club Award and was named part of the "Headknockers Club." The two-time All-Southern Conference selection, was awarded the University of Richmond Captain's Club Harold Ronick Memorial Scholarship in 1966 prior to attending Richmond. Turchetta now resides in State College, Pa.
Hillary Tuwei
Inducted in the Class of 1997-98.
Hillary Tuwei, a native of Kenya, was one of the greatest track and field runners in UR history. Kenya's Athlete of the Year in 1975 and its track and cross country champion from 1974-76, Tuwei was at the University of Richmond from 1976-80 and was captain of the track team in 1980. He was a seven-time NCAA All-American, four times in outdoor track in the 3000 meter steeplechase, twice in indoor track in the 3-mile run and once in cross country. Four four years he was undefeated in state competition in steeplechase and cross country. Tuwei finished fourth in the NCAA Steeplechase in 1977 and 1978 and finished third in 1979. He ranked seventh in the world in the steeplechase in 1979. He won the 1979 Richmond Newspapers Marathon in 2:22.26, a record at the time, the day after he won the State Cross Country Meet. he holds school records for the 5,000 meters (13:33.6 in Europe in 1979) and 10,000 meters (28:35.8 at the Colonial Relays in 1980) as well as the steeplechase (8:22.5 in Italy in 1980).
Bobby Ukrop
Inducted in the Class of 2004-05.
One of the most recognized names in the city of Richmond, Bobby Ukrop has maintained a distinguished relationship with Spider Athletics throughout the years. Known as the player "that made things happen" during his varsity basketball career (1967-69), Ukrop was the Spiders' spark who combined defensive prowess with precision passing. Maybe the Southern Conference's quickest player, Ukrop was among the leaders in steals. He enjoyed numerous stellar games on the hardwood, including the game-winning shot against Virginia Tech. Ukrop served as co-captain in 1969 for head coach Lewis Mills who said this about Ukrop's style: "I've never seen a player that can excite a team and the fans the way Bobby does." Ukrop also competed for the varsity golf team from 1967-69. He went undefeated in dual matches during the 1967 season and earned tri-medalist honors in the 1968 Virginia Intercollegiate Championship. Following his undergraduate years at Richmond, Ukrop earned his MBA from the Darden School at UVA in 1972.
A member of the University of Richmond Board of Trustees, Ukrop has also served as the Spider Club President. Ukrop serves as a community voice for the Department of Athletics and continually provides support as Spider Athletics increases its profile. Ukrop's is President and CEO of Ukrop's Supermarkets, recently ranked by Fortune Magazine as one of the top 100 places to work. He has served on the Board of the Salvation Army, Richmond First Tee, Richmond Sports Backers, Retail Merchants Association, Greater Richmond Partnership as well as vice chair of the Greater Richmond Chamber.
C. Porter Vaughan
Inducted in the Class of 1976-77.
Porter Vaughan was an outstanding left-handed pitcher for Richmond during the late 1930's. He holds UR season and career records for hits and strikeouts per nine innings. Vaughan joined the big leagues with the Philadelphia Athletics in 1941. He has served the University as chairman of the Athletic Council, and as a member of the Board of Trustees and Board of Associates. Born May 11, 1919, in Stevensville, Va., Vaughan founded C. Porter Vaughan Inc. Realtors.
Louis A. Wacker | Sue A. Wager | Richard C. Walden III | Harriet M. Walton |
Eric Ward | Lanetta Ware | Mike West| Winston Whitehead | Walter D. "Sonny" Wholey | John J. Wicker | Jack B. Wilbourne | Jesse J. Williams | Mike Winiecki | Carl Wood | Kenny Wood |Peter Woolfolk
Louis A. Wacker
Inducted in the Class of 1991-92.
Lou Wacker was a two-sport participant from 1952-55 as a member of the football and track team. He was All-Conference and All-State in football as a running back and defensive back. He set a school record for pass interceptions in a game with three against Wake Forest in 1954. Wacker was a hurdler on the Spider track team. He played professional football with the Detroit Lions following his career at Richmond. He was the head football coach at Emory & Henry College in Emory, Virginia from 1982-2004.
Sue A. Wager
Inducted in the Class of 1998-99.
Sue Wager is the first swimmer to be inducted in Richmond's Hall of Fame. She was an outstanding sprint freestyler for the Spiders. Wager was named the Athlete of the Year for women's swimming in the Colonial Athletic Association in 1986. At the 1986 CAA Championships, Wager won the 50-yard freestyle and 500-yard freestyle. She also won the 100-yard freestyle and 200-yard freestyle at the 1987 CAA Championships.
Richard C. Walden III
Inducted in the Class of 1978-79.
Dick Walden (deceased) lettered in baseball for three years (1920-22) as a centerfielder for the Spiders. He also ran on the track team. Dick served as chairman of the University of Richmond Athletic Council from 1931 to 1945.
Harriet M. Walton
Inducted in the Class of 1980-81.
Harriet Walton (deceased) lettered in field hockey, basketball and track at the University of Richmond between 1931-35. She later went on to play for the United States field hockey team. Born April 27, 1914 in Scottsville, Va., Walton was a pioneer in the advancement of women's field hockey.
Eric Ward
Inducted in the Class of 2013-14.
|Eric Ward guided the Spider football program through the most-successful four-year run in team history, including two CAA Football Championships (2007, 2009) and the 2008 National Championship. Ward was 41-12 in his career as Richmond's starting quarterback and owned every career passing record when he graduated. His name still appears in the Top 10 in 12 passing categories, and he currently remains tops in career passing yards (8,969), completions (784) and touchdown passes (61).
The 2008 national semifinal game at Northern Iowa may be remembered as Ward's shining moment. Trailing by six, Ward engineered "The Drive," starting at the Spider 38 yard line with 1:44 remaining and no timeouts. He completed six passes, including the game winner to Joe Stewart with 14 seconds remaining. He also threw a 40-yard touchdown pass to Kevin Grayson and scored on a 1-yard sneak. He finished 28-of-35 for a career-high 280 yards and no interceptions. The following week in the national title game, Ward completed the journey by throwing a touchdown pass and catching a touchdown pass in the convincing 24-7 triumph over Montana, securing the school's first national title.
Ward began his record-shattering career by being named CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006 and finished it as one of three finalists for the Dudley Award, symbolic of the top college football player in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
Lanetta Ware
Inducted in the Class of 1992-93.
Lanetta Ware played five sports at the University and became a driving force for the advancement of women's sports at Hollins College. At UR she played basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, tennis and ran track. In 1959 she was named to the field hockey Tidewater II team and was also a Seal and Blazer Richmond. She lettered in basketball, lacrosse, field hockey, tennis and track. Ware was named to the field hockey Tidewater II team and was a Seal and Blazer winner in 1959. She captained the 1960 basketball team and served three terms as Chair of PE Department at Hollins College. She has been a driving force for the advancement of women's sports at Hollins College.
Mike West
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1996-97.
Mike West was a multi-sport standout. He participated in basketball, boxing, football, swimming and track at Richmond. He was a guard on the football team from 1934-36 and was captain of the 1936 football squad. West was an All-South Atlantic selection in football in 1935.
Winston Whitehead
Inducted in the Class of 2010.
An integral member of the 1968 Tangerine Bowl championship team, Winston Whitehead was a three-year starter at defensive back for the Spiders. He was part of a Spider defense that recorded three consecutive shutouts against VMI from 1967-69 and back-to-back shutouts against Furman in 1968 and 1969. He recorded three interceptions during the 1968 campaign. Whitehead, who played for Hall of Fame coach Frank Jones, earned All Southern Conference honors in 1968 and 1969 and All-State accolades in 1969.
Walter D. "Sonny" Wholey
Inducted Posthumously in the Class of 1992-93.
Sonny Wholey led the Southern Conference in hitting three times and set a school record for stolen bases in one season in 1941. He was Second Team All-State in 1942, a .388 career hitter and three-time football letterman. He coached UR's freshman football team in 1943.
John J. Wicker
Inducted in the Class of 1977-78.
John Wicker (deceased) played football at Richmond from 1911 to 1914 as a quarterback and center and managed the first Spider basketball team in 1913. In his last six games as a Spider, Wicker played both ways in every minute of every game and blocked at least one kick in each of the six games. He was an active supporter of the Richmond athletic program for more than 60 years.
Jack B. Wilbourne
Inducted in the Class of 1985-86.
Jack Wilbourne was a standout running back on the Richmond football team during the 1940's. He was a Second Team All-State selection in 1942. He served in the Air Force from 1943 to 1945 and after returning to Richmond, was named All-State again in 1946. He was also an Honorable Mention All-Southern Conference selection that year and Honorable Mention All-State in 1947. He rushed for 1,299 yards during his career.
Jesse J. Williams
Inducted in the Class of 1999-2000
Jesse Williams was a heralded football and track performer at Richmond. He was used as a running back and wide receiver on the football field. Williams was one of the top kickoff returners in school history, with 1,773 career yards and three of the top ten season marks. Williams was one of the nation's top sprinters, with world-class speed of 4.3 seconds in the 40-yard dash and 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash. He ran 6.13 seconds in the 60-yard dash in the semifinals of the Virginia Intercollegiates as a freshman in 1978, the No.3 known auto 60 clocking ever to date. He clocked the fastest high school 100-yard dash in the nation his senior year with a 9.3 mark at the Atlanta Track Classic.
Mike Winiecki
Inducted in the Class of 2016-17
A local product from nearby Monacan High School, Mike Winiecki found a home close to home at the University of Richmond. His four-year career included two NCAA Tournament berths and one NIT appearance. He was a junior on the 1988 NCAA Sweet 16 team which beat defending national champion Indiana and Georgia Tech.
He finished his Richmond career 34th on the all-time scoring list with 1,031 points, following a breakout senior season in which he averaged 17.6 points per game and 8.1 rebounds per game. He shot 53 percent from the floor, 75 percent from the foul line, and led the team in blocked shots with 53. He was named First Team All CAA and All State, and a NABC District IV All American. He was captain of the 1989 squad which advanced to the second round of the NIT. The Spiders were 85-38 in his four seasons, as he amassed more than 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
Winiecki began a long coaching career as a graduate assistant to Richmond Hall of Fame coach Dick Tarrant in 1992. He returned as an assistant from 1994-1997 and again from 2002-2005. At the time of his induction in 2017, he was in his seventh season as an assistant at Clemson, and his fifth year as the Tigers' Associate Head Coach.
Carl Wood
Inducted in the Class of 2001-02
Carl Wood enjoyed a brilliant track career that garnered numerous accolades and still ranks among the best in program history. A seven-time All-American, Wood was Richmond's first First Team All-American, earning the honor in the 440-meter intermediate hurdles. During his collegiate career, Wood set the Southern Conference record in the intermediate and high hurdles. He won the Southern Conference and NCAA Championship in the 440-meter intermediate hurdles in 1969. Wood was a four-time state and SoCon champion in the intermediate hurdles. Wood won the 1969 U.S. Track & Field Federation hurdles title and went on to be a finalist in the 1972 U.S. Olympic Trials. He climbed as high as third-ranked in the world and was ranked as high as fifth in the end-of-the-year rankings. A Richmond, Va. native, Wood set six program records during his collegiate career. He still holds the school record in the indoor 400 and 440 and the outdoor record in the 400 intermediate hurdles and the shuttle hurdles. Wood came to UR on a football scholarship. He was a receiver on the 1968 and 1969 teams. Wood served as track captain during the 1969 and 1971 seasons.
Peter Woolfolk
Inducted in the Class of 2005-06
The sixth-leading scorer in Richmond men's basketball history with 1,604 total points, Peter Woolfolk will be honored as an individual and will join his 1988 teammates on the Hall of Fame Class of 2006 Team of Distinction. Woolfolk, the leading scorer for the 1988 Sweet Sixteen squad, ranks 10th on the Spiders' all-time single-season scoring list with 587 points in 1988. His 859 career rebounds rank fourth all-time at Richmond. He also ranks in Richmond annals in single-season field goal percentage (56.1), single-season field goals made (235), career field goals made (666), single-game rebounds (20) and single-season rebounds (294). The 1987-88 season is fondly remembered by Spider hoops fans, and Woolfolk's name reigns supreme helping Richmond to its first-ever NCAA Sweet Sixteen. Woolfolk, who now resides in Richmond, played perhaps his best game ever in the second round of the NCAA Tournament against Georgia Tech. The forward poured in a game-high 27 points, going 11-of-21 from the field, while grabbing nine rebounds en route to a 59-55 win over the Yellow Jackets to help secure a berth in the NCAA's Sweet Sixteen.
Kenny Wood
Inducted in the Class of 2010-11
A starter on three men's basketball post-season teams, including the 1991 squad that beat second-seeded Syracuse in the NCAA tournament, Kenny Wood scored 1427 career points, currently 12th on UR's all-time scoring list. From start to finish, Wood posted impressive numbers and earned deserving accolades. He was on the CAA All Rookie and All Tournament Team in 1990, earned CAA All Second Team honors in 1991 and 1992 and First Team honors his senior season in 1993, when he captained the Spiders and led the team in scoring at 16 ppg. He was also named Second Team All State in 1992. The four Spider teams on which he played posted an 81-40 record, with two appearances in the NCAA Tournament and one in the NIT.
Dr. Larry Zacharias
Inducted in the Class of 2008-09.
For more than 20 years, from 1971-1993, Dr. Larry Zacharias '52 served his alma mater in the role of football and men's basketball team physician. He devoted countless hours of his time to the well-being of all Richmond student-athletes, coaches and staff, who remember him for never saying no to any request. He was always available for diagnosis and treatment of injuries and illness. He is a graduate of the University of Richmond and a long-time, ardent supporter of the entire Spider athletic program.