The Old North State has produced its fair share of superstars in the sporting world. And some more folks are about to be recognized for their contributions.
The N.C. Sports Hall of Fame recently announced the 2018 class of inductees. This year's class includes people involved in sports as diverse as baseball, golf, tennis, volleyball -- and even speedskating - though this year's class skews to baseball.
“The achievements of this year’s class of inductees enrich North
Carolina’s remarkable sports heritage, and the individuals have
certainly earned the honor of joining the 336 men and women who have
been previously enshrined,” said Nora Lynn Finch, president of the Hall.
“This is our 55th class, and we look forward to celebrating this
special time in our state’s sports history."
Here, courtesy of the N&O, is a bit more about this year's inductees, who will be enshrined on May 4 in Raleigh:
DONNA ANDREWS: An outstanding
golfer, Andrews won a major title on the LPGA Tour and five other
tournaments during her time on the tour from 1990 to 2005. She finished
in the top 10 in money earned in a season three times. The Lynchburg,
Va., native is now a teaching pro in Pinehurst.
SCOTT BANKHEAD:
Bankhead, an All-American pitcher at North Carolina, had a 10-year
major league career, including six with the Seattle Mariners, with whom
he won 14 games in 1989. The Raleigh native and Asheboro resident
produced two of the best seasons in Tar Heel history.
HAL “SKINNY” BROWN *:
Brown pitched for six teams in his major league career, which spanned
from 1951 to 1964. His best season came in 1960 with the Orioles.
Baltimore battled the Yankees all summer for first place in the American
League race before finishing second. Brown, born in Greensboro, went
12-5 with a 3.06 ERA that season.
CHRIS CAMMACK*: Almost 50
years after graduation, Cammack still ranks as one of N.C. State’s best
all-around baseball players. The Fayetteville native starred at third
base for four years, earning all-ACC honors four times and set the
Wolfpack record for single-season batting average with a .429 mark in
1969. He was also a point guard on a state championship high school
basketball team at Fayetteville High.
JOEY CHEEK:
Cheek, a Greensboro native, has won three Olympic medals in speed
skating. He began as an inline skater as a teen before switching to
speed skating. He won medals in the 2002 and 2006 Olympic Games. He is
also a well-known humanitarian, co-founding Team Darfur, an
international association of athletes devoted to raising awareness of
humanitarian crises related to the war in Darfur.
WES CHESSON:
Chesson, a native of Edenton, played for former Duke star Jerry McGee
in high school at Holmes High and then went on to Duke himself. He was a
star receiver and punter for the Blue Devils in the late 1960s. By the
time he graduated, he was the leading receiver in ACC history and was
drafted by the Atlanta Falcons.
LAURA DUPONT *:
A native of Louisville, Ky., Dupont moved to Charlotte as a teenager
and quickly dominated the state’s junior tennis tournaments. She
attended North Carolina, where she won the pre-NCAA national collegiate
championship. After graduation, she joined the WTA Tour, where she was a
standout in both singles and doubles.
MINDY BALLOU FITZPATRICK:
Fitzpatrick, a native of Sea Level, was a volleyball and basketball
standout at West Carteret High School. She went on to become a
collegiate basketball star at South Carolina, where she played from
1983-86 and was a three-time All-American. She later became a
championship surfer.
BILL HAYES:
Hayes spent 27 years as a college head football coach and won 195
games, including stints at N.C. A&T (1988-2002) and Winston-Salem
State (1976-87). After his coaching career, he served as athletic
director at his alma mater, N.C. Carolina Central, Florida A&M and
Winston-Salem State.
JACK HOLLEY*:
Holley was an outstanding athlete at New Hanover High School and
graduated from Guilford College. He coached 46 years at the high school
level, and his football teams won 412 games, which placed him in the top
10 nationally at one time. His stops included Tabor City and two long
stints at Wallace-Rose Hill, among others.
PAUL JONES*: Jones,
born in Thomasville and a graduate of East Carolina, compiled a
brilliant basketball coaching record at Kinston High School. He spent 38
seasons there, from 1957 through ’95, and his teams won 662 games and
18 conference championships along with two N.C. High School Athletic
Association state titles and four runner-up finishes. He also coached a
team to a state title in baseball.
MIKE MARTIN: Martin
has built one of the greatest collegiate baseball programs in the
country in his 38 years at Florida State. The Gastonia native has the
most wins and the highest winning percentage of any active coach. Under
his direction, Florida State has become a fixture in the national polls
and NCAA Tournament play.
FRANK “JAKIE” MAY*: A
Youngsville native, May had a 14-year major league career. The
left-hander pitched for three National League teams between the 1917 and
1932 seasons. He had 72 major league wins, including 15 for Cincinnati
in 1927, and finished his career with a 3.88 ERA.
JOE WEST: West was born in
Asheville, graduated from Rose High in Greenville and played football at
Elon. He is the longest tenured umpire currently working in major
league baseball, with over 40 seasons, and prior to his induction in the
Hall has worked in six World Series, nine League Championship series
and three All-Star games.
FRED WHITFIELD:
Whitfield has teamed with Michael Jordan to run the Charlotte Hornets.
President and chief operating officer of the franchise, which he joined
in 2006, the native of Greensboro graduated from Campbell University and
is in that school’s sports Hall of Fame. Thousands of young people in
Charlotte have benefited from his civic work over the years.
*Inducted posthumously
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