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Oct. 15, 2002--Nine former Blue Hen athletics legends, including one of the most successful coaches in college football history, a pivotal figure in the formation of University of Delaware women's athletics, four All-Americans and three conference individual champions make up the 2002 class of the University’s Athletics Hall of Fame announced Monday afternoon, Oct. 14.
The fifth class of the UD Athletics Hall of Fame brings to 52 the total number of former UD athletes, coaches and friends who have been honored. The Class of 2002 will be inducted during a ceremony Nov. 22 at the Bob Carpenter Sports/Convocation Center and will be recognized prior to the Delaware-Villanova football game Nov. 23 at Delaware Stadium.
The class includes: Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond, a college football coaching legend who retired after 36 years as Blue Hen football head coach last winter; diver Bauduy R. Grier, who won two conference titles in the late 1940s; outstanding rebounder and All-American basketball player Nate Cloud; All-American soccer goalkeeper Dave Whitcraft; 14-time conference track and field sprint champion David Sheppard; high-scoring All-American field hockey forward Sharon Wilkie; Beth (Manley) Symes, a two-sport All-American in field hockey and lacrosse; six-time conference track and field distance champion Jody (Campbell) Fagnano; and UD women's athletics pioneer Barbara Kelly.
"We are proud to honor yet another first-rate class into the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame," said UD Director of Athletics Edgar Johnson. "Again, we have a well-rounded group that represents 11 sports and every decade since the 1940s. Each has represented UD athletics in a very positive way."
Below are biographical capsules of the nine inductees:
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Jody E. (Campbell) Fagnano still ranks among the finest long distance runners ever to compete for the Blue Hens, setting impressive standards in three sports and earning 11 letters in her career that spanned 1980-84. A native of Hershey, Pa., she competed at the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) nationals three times in two sports and captured six East Coast Conference (ECC) individual titles. She competed in the 3,000 meters at the AIAW outdoor track and field meet twice, earning a 14th place finish in 1982, and also competed at the AIAW cross country championships. Campbell won the ECC cross country title in 1982 and was second in 1983, captured two titles at the 1983 ECC indoor meet, won back-to-back ECC outdoor titles in the 3,000 meters in 1983 and 1984, and helped the Blue Hens win four conference track team titles during her career. A 1984 UD honors graduate with a degree in education, she still holds school indoor records in the two-mile run (10:52.6) and sprint medley relay (4:13.6). She resides in Leonardtown, Md., with her husband, Mike, and their two children. She has worked the last 19 years as fifth grade teacher at Leonardtown Elementary School. She briefly coached cross country and track and field at Chopticon High School.
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Nathan "Nate" Cloud was a prolific scorer and rebounder, dominating the inside for the Blue Hen men's basketball team in 1960-63 and becoming UD's first All-American basketball player. A 6-6 center from Conrad High School in Wilmington, Cloud led the team in scoring and rebounding all three varsity seasons and was Delaware's No. 1 all-time leading rebounder (882, 14.2 rebounds per game) and No. 2 scorer (1,167, 18.8 points per game) when he graduated in 1964. He earned All-East honors twice and was an honorable mention All-American in 1962-63 when he averaged 21.2 points and 14.5 rebounds per game as team captain. He led the Blue Hens to a school record 18 wins as a junior in 1961-62. He was later drafted by the NBA’s New York Knicks and enjoyed a standout pro career locally with the Wilmington Blue Bombers in the Eastern Basketball League from 1964-69. The 1963 UD Outstanding Senior Male Athlete of the Year, he was inducted into the State of Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1984. He earned his degree in mechanical engineering from Delaware in 1964 and later added his master's degree. He worked for 40 years with the DuPont Co. and for the last four years has owned and operated Cirrus Engineering Co. He resides in Wilmington with his wife, Carolyn. They have four children and three grandchildren.
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Bauduy R. Grier was one of the top divers in University of Delaware history, dominating on the boards in the late 1940s. A 1950 mechanical engineering graduate of Delaware, he was a four-year letter winner under UD Hall of Fame coach Harry Rawstrom and won 35 of the 40 dual meets in which he competed during his career. He won the Mason-Dixon Conference title as a freshman and was the Middle Atlantic Conference champion as a senior in 1950. He set school diving records six times and the Delaware pool record twice during his career. He led the team to the 1947 Mason-Dixon team title and advanced to the Eastern Diving Championships in 1950. In addition to his diving exploits, Grier lettered for the UD track and field team as a freshman pole vaulter in 1947 and was a member of the Delaware cheerleading squad. He became well known for his acrobatic cheers and the series of back handsprings he performed after every Delaware touchdown in football. A mechanical engineer, he retired in 1989 after 39 years, including a stint with the Hercules Co. in Utah. He resides in Sandy, Utah, with his wife, Monir. They have four children, six grandchildren and one great grandchild. A World War II hero, Grier was shot down by the Japanese over the South China Sea in March 1945, and he was rescued after 23 days floating on a life raft.
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Barbara J. Kelly was a driving force in the formation and development of women's athletics at the University of Delaware and continues to be a strong supporter of women's athletics on the regional and national level. A native of Dover, she earned her bachelor's degree from Bridgewater (Va.) College in 1955 and her master's degree from the University of Maryland in 1961. She seized the opportunity at Delaware and joined others to serve a pivotal role in developing plans for what has become a successful program for women student-athletes. She served as national representative for the International Association of Physical Education and Sports for Girls and Women for eight years, received the Pioneer Award from the Delaware Women's Alliance for Sports and Fitness, received UD's E.A. Trabant Award for Equity and earned the Pathfinder Award from the National Association of Girl's and Women's Sports. She served UD as chair of the then-Department of Women's Physical Education and as associate dean in the then-College of Physical Education, Athletics, and Recreation (PEAR); program director, chair and associate dean of the college; and acting dean of the college. She currently resides in New Castle.
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Beth (Manley) Symes was a team captain and four-year starter in field hockey and lacrosse during her career in 1983-87. She still holds the distinction of being the only University of Delaware athlete to be named conference Player of the Year in two different team sports. A versatile player with outstanding speed, she was equally effective on offense and defense. She was a three-time All-East Coast Conference midfielder in lacrosse and was named ECC Player of the Year while also earning first team All-American honors in 1987. In field hockey, she also earned All-ECC honors three times and was named league Player of the Year in 1986. She set a school record with 11 assists in 1985 and still ranks among the top 10 all-time leaders for field hockey in career goals (33) and assists (18). A native of Gilbertsville, Pa., and a 1987 UD graduate in elementary and special education, she led Delaware teams to six conference titles during her career and led the 1984 lacrosse team to a third place NCAA finish. She currently resides in Middletown with her partner, Susan Symes, and has four children, including triplets. She currently serves as a district manager in the circulation department with the News Journal Co. in Wilmington. She previously coached high school field hockey, lacrosse and basketball on a part-time basis locally at the Tatnall School, Sanford School and Concord High School.
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Harold R. "Tubby" Raymond capped one of the most successful coaching tenures in the history of college football when he retired after the 2001 season. A member of the UD coaching staff since 1954, Raymond served as assistant coach under Hall of Famer David Nelson for 12 years before taking over the head coaching position in 1966. He went on to a stellar 36-year career that saw him lead the Blue Hens to a record of 300-119-3, three national titles, 16 NCAA playoff appearances, 14 Lambert Cup trophies, nine Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Team of the Year awards, and nine conference titles. A native of Flint, Mich., he earned his 300th victory with a win over Richmond last Nov. 10, making him just the ninth coach in college history to reach that milestone and only the fourth to accomplish the feat at one school. Raymond coached 15 National Football League draft picks and 34 first team All-Americans and led his teams to small college national titles in 1971, 1972 and 1979. He was national coach of the year four times and regional coach of the year seven times. He also served as head baseball coach at Delaware in 1956-64, leading the Blue Hens to a record of 142-54-2 and guiding the team to four league titles and a 1956 NCAA tournament appearance. He was inducted into the State of Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1993 and should be a certain candidate for the National College Football Hall of Fame in the coming years. Raymond resides in Landenberg, Pa., with his wife, Diane, and has four children and 12 grandchildren.
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David L. Sheppard is the most prolific runner in Blue Hen track and field history, winning more conference titles than any athlete in any sport at Delaware. A native of New Castle and a 1990 University of Delaware graduate with a degree in accounting, Sheppard specialized in the sprint and middle distance events and was nearly unbeatable, capturing 14 East Coast Conference individual and relay titles, including nine outdoors and five indoors in 1986-90. He was named the ECC championship meet Outstanding Performer an unprecedented three times and set seven school records, including still standing marks in the 400 meters both indoors (47.98) and outdoors (47.02). A member of the state's Delaware Track and Field Hall of Fame (2001), he earned College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) District II All-Academic honors as a senior in 1990 and twice earned All-East honors for Intercollegiate Association of Amateur Athletes in America (IC4A) Top 10 finishes during his career. He now resides in Suwanee, Ga., and is the owner of Techsoll, a computer software consulting firm. He and his wife, Susan, have two children.
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P. David "Dave" Whitcraft was a two-time National Soccer Coaches Association third team All-American for the Blue Hen soccer team under head coach Loren Kline. Whitcraft was a fortress in the nets for the Blue Hens, allowing just 65 goals in 57 career games (1.19 per game) as a four-year starter. A native of Gibbsboro, N.J., he used his 6’-5” height and quick reflexes to consistently frustrate opponents, setting school records for saves in a game (17), season (162) and career (441) while posting a school record 20 shutouts. He was a three-time All-Region selection, a three time All-East Coast Conference All-Star, and earned ECC West Section Player of the Year honors in 1983 as a junior. The 1984-85 UD Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year, he played in the 1984 Senior Soccer Bowl and later played several seasons of professional soccer locally with the Delaware Wizards for three seasons. He earned his degree in physical education from Delaware in 1985 and later earned his master's degree from Temple University. He currently resides in Wilmington with his wife, Susie, and two children. He has served as a physical education teacher and head boy's soccer coach at Avon Grove, Pa., High School for the past 15 years. Susie is the daughter of former UD and major league pitcher Al Neiger.
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Sharon Wilkie is the most prolific scorer in University of Delaware field hockey history, using her consistent knack for scoring goals to lead the Blue Hens to national prominence under head coach Mary Ann Hitchens in 1979-82. Wilkie still holds school records for goals in a game (4), career goals (59) and career points (123) and never scored fewer than 13 goals in a season, including a then-school record 17 her freshman year. A U.S. National Team member and a native of Endwell, N.Y., she twice earned College Field Hockey Coaches Association and Mitchell & Ness All-American honors and was the 1982 East Coast Conference Player of the Year. She led the Hens to a four-year record of 49-19-8, the 1982 ECC title and two national tournament third-place finishes. She also was a distance runner for the 1980 UD outdoor track team. A 1984 UD graduate with honors in physical education and health, she was selected to the CoSIDA Academic All-American second team in 1983. She earned her master's degree in 1986 from the University of Massachusetts, where she was an assistant field hockey coach for one season. She currently resides in Plymouth Meeting, Pa., and manages employee health support programs with the GlaxoSmithKline pharmaceutical company in Philadelphia.
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