PORTSMOUTH, VA – The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum announced its class of 2014 on Thursday at the Virginia State Capitol in Richmond as chosen by the statewide Honors Court committee. The Class of 2014 features: · Rondé Barber, former University of Virginia standout who enjoyed a 16-year career in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and five-time Pro Bowl selection; · Sean Casey, a graduate of the University of Richmond who had a 12-year career in Major League Baseball, was a three-time All-Star, and posted a career batting average of .302; · LaTasha Colander Clark, a native of Portsmouth, an All-American at the University of North Carolina and gold medalist in the 4x400 relay in the 2000 Summer Olympics; · Marty Miller, former Norfolk State coach who is the winningest baseball coach in Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association history and 15-time CIAA Coach of the Year; · Ticha Penicheiro, two-time Kodak All-American and Wade Trophy recipient at Old Dominion University; she played 15 years in the WNBA and was named to four All-Star teams; · David Teel, a decorated sports writer for the Daily Press and has been honored more than 50 times by the Associated Press Sports Editors and other organizations; · Lou Wacker, head football coach for 23 seasons for the Emory & Henry Wasps where he won nearly 70-percent of his games and was named ODAC Coach of the Year five times. President of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, Eddie Webb notes, “This outstanding class has reached the pinnacle of success in their respective sports. Their extensive careers have set them apart from the rest of the pack.” The 43rd Annual Induction Banquet will take place on Saturday, April 26, 2014 at the Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel & Waterfront Conference Center in Portsmouth, VA as the headline event of Hall of Fame weekend. Tickets are now on sale. For more information, call (757) 393-8031 or visit vshfm. More on the Class of 2014: Rondé Barber, a native of Roanoke, VA, graduated from Cave Spring High School in 1993 before heading to the University of Virginia where he was a three-time All-ACC selection for the Cavaliers. After the 1994 season, Barber was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year. Barber made 15 career interceptions at the University of Virginia and following the 1996 season, he declared for the NFL Draft. Rondé Barber was taken in the third round of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Barber spent his entire 16-year career with the Buccaneers and accumulated five Pro Bowl selections, three first-team All-Pro selections, and helped capture the team’s first Super Bowl in franchise history in Super Bowl XXXVII against the Oakland Raiders. On January 31, 2010, Barber was named to the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team. At the time of his retirement in 2012, Barber was the Buccaneers all-time interceptions leader, had recorded the most quarterback sacks by an NFL cornerback and was the only member of the 40/20 club (over 40 interceptions and over 20 sacks). Career totals include 1,025 tackles, 28 quarterback sacks, 47 interceptions and 12 touchdowns. Sean Casey is a graduate of the University of Richmond, where he was a three-time All-CAA selection and captured the NCAA batting title during the 1995 season with a .461 batting average. Casey helped lead the Spiders to their first win in the NCAA Tournament in 1995 when they defeated Jacksonville 8-2. Casey was a second-round pick in the 1995 MLB Draft by the Cleveland Indians. Over his 12-year Major League career, Casey played first base for the Cleveland Indians, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox. Casey was a three-time All-Star selection, and posted a career batting average of .302, while hitting 130 home runs and driving in 735 runs. In 1999, Casey received Major League Baseball’s Hutch Award, given to the player who “best exemplifies the fighting spirit and competitive desire.” Casey was selected to the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2012. LaTasha Colander Clark, a native of Portsmouth, VA, is a graduate of Wilson High School and later went on to run track at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. At UNC, Colander Clark won 14 ACC titles, was an All-American, and led the Tar Heels to eight ACC team championships. Colander Clark was a member of both the 2000 and 2004 United States Olympic Teams, and won a gold medal as part of the 4x400 meter relay team in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia. In 2000, Colander Clark was the U.S. champion in the 400 meters and was part of the relay team that broke the world record in the 4x200 meters. Colander Clark repeated as U.S. champion in 2001. Marty Miller, a native of Danville, VA, is considered one of Norfolk State University’s greatest ambassadors. Starting at Norfolk State in 1965 as a baseball player, Miller became the first Spartan to be named an NCAA College Division All-American and played until 1968 before joining the U.S. Army. Returning to Norfolk State as an assistant baseball coach in 1972, Miller took over the team full-time the following season as head coach where he stayed until 2005 before being named the University’s Director of Athletics. In his 32 years as head baseball coach, he went 718-543-3, including 17 conference championships. Miller was named the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association’s (CIAA) Coach of the Year 15 times, and is the winningest baseball coach in CIAA history. Miller is a member of the John B. McLendon (CIAA) Hall of Fame and the Norfolk State Hall of Fame. Ticha Penicheiro was a standout women’s basketball player at Old Dominion University from 1994-1998 and led the Lady Monarchs to the NCAA Championship game in 1997. At Old Dominion, Penicheiro was a two-time Kodak All-American, four-time All-CAA honoree, and was named the CAA’s Player of the Year twice. In 1998, Penicheiro was the Wade Trophy recipient, awarded annually to the best womens basketball player in NCAA Division I competition. After her prestigious college career, Penicheiro was the number two overall pick by the Sacramento Monarchs in the 1998 WNBA draft. In her 15-year career in the WNBA, Penicheiro was a four time WNBA All-Star, captured the WNBA championship in 2005, and is the all-time record holder in assists. Penicheiro was an honoree of the WNBA’s All-Decade Team in 2006. David Teel graduated from James Madison University in 1981 with a degree in communications before becoming one of the most decorated sports writers in Virginia. Teel came to the Daily Press in 1984 and has covered numerous NCAA Final Fours, ACC championships, college bowl games, NFL playoff games including the 2009 Super Bowl, two U.S. Opens, the 2002 Ryder Cup in England and the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games. Before he was promoted to columnist, he was the Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia beat writer for the paper. Teel has been honored more than 50 times by the Associated Press Sports Editors, the Football Writers Association of America, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association, and the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Association. Lou Wacker, a native of Richmond, VA, was an outstanding football player at the University of Richmond before starting his football coaching career. Wacker coached at Midlothian High School before joining the staff at Hampden-Sydney College, where he built a defensive powerhouse over the next two decades as a defensive coordinator. After his 24 years with Hampden-Sydney, Wacker moved on to become the head football coach at Emory & Henry College in 1982. Coach Wacker spent 23 seasons with the Wasps and won nearly 70-percent of his games with an overall record of 164-76. The Wasps had only one winning season before Wacker’s arrival in their 13 years of existence. Wacker enjoyed 17 consecutive winning seasons with Emory & Henry. Wacker was voted Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Coach of the Year five times and recorded more football wins than any other conference coach, on his way to a record of eleven conference championships. His leadership also produced five ODAC Players of the Year, 136 First Team All-ODAC players and 17 All-Americans. Wacker is a member of the Highland Springs High School Hall of Fame, the University of Richmond Hall of Fame, the Hampden-Sydney College Hall of Fame and the Emory & Henry College Hall of Fame. ### The Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum is located at 206 High Street in Portsmouth. Winter hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday – Friday, Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from 1 p.m. – 5 p.m. The museum is closed Mondays after Labor Day until Memorial Day and on select winter holidays. Admission is $7 per person; $6 military; $6 seniors 65 and older and free for ages 2 and under. Parking is located behind the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame & Museum in the Middle Street Parking Garage. FREE parking is available on weekends and after 6 p.m. on weekdays.
Posted on: Thu, 16 Jan 2014 18:08:47 +0000
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