2010 Hall of Fame Class Inducted Friday
10/1/2010 8:00:00 AM | Terrapin Athletics
Oct. 1, 2010
COLLEGE PARK, Md. - The University of Maryland inducted six new members into its Athletics Hall of Fame on Friday night during a ceremony at the Campus Marriott Inn & Conference Center.
Leo Cullen, Christine Debow-Mitchell, Laura Harmon, Marchelle Payne-Gassaway, Eric Wilson and Peter Worstell received Maryland's highest honor, while several others were also given awards.
Rick Jaklitsch, Joel Ryerson and Susan Bayly were honored with Honorary `M' Letters.
John B. "Jack" Flynn was presented the Robert C. James Distinguished Citizen Award.
The Hall of Fame Class will be announced to the crowd at halftime of Saturday's football game between Duke and Maryland.
Brief features on the members of the Hall of Fame class are below:
Leo Cullen
Men's Soccer `98
When Leo Cullen arrived at the University of Maryland in the fall of 1994, the Terps were coming off a 3-14-1 season and men's soccer head coach Sasho Cirovski was entering just his second season.
Four years later, the Terps had captured their first Atlantic Coast Conference Championship and made four consecutive trips to the NCAA Tournament. Cullen earned All-America honors in '97 and was an All-ACC selection in each of his final three seasons.
To say Cullen had a profound impact on the Terrpain soccer program would be an understatement, at least in Cirovski's mind.
"I give him a great deal of credit for transforming our program," said Cirovski. "He's certainly one of the pillars who built the foundation of what our great program is now. He chose to come to a 3-14-1 team. He could have gone to any school in the country. They were all after him. But he had the humility and vision that he wanted to come and build something special, to revitalize Maryland soccer. He was certainly, if not the most important component, one of the great pillars who built this program."
Cullen not only had the selflessness and vision to head to a program that previously was unspectacular, he was very coachable and accepted a position change his freshman season.
His physical gifts were evident, but his ability to understand the game made him exceptional.
"Leo had tremendous technical qualities as a player, but he also had what we call a soccer brain," said Cirovski. "He really was a very intelligent soccer player. That's why he's currently coaching and had a great career professionally as well. He was very gifted technically. He was a great passer of the ball, could get out of tight spaces, really was the type of player that could play anywhere on the field with a great deal of comfort and ease because he knew the game."
He also possessed an uncanny ability to connect with people.
"Leo loves people and people love Leo. It became very clear that when I brought recruits here they usually stayed with Leo," said Cirovski. "And they all came (to Maryland). From Steve Armus and Keith Beach and later on to Taylor Twellman. He was a person that drew you to him because he was a great competitor and he liked to have fun. He was committed to his academics and he came to Maryland in the honors program. It set a good culture right from the beginning of what we're going to be like.
"He's a person with a really good heart and a tremendous amount of talent. But also the humility that goes with it to accept a new position and come to a program that was nothing and now to stay connected to it and continue to make it greater."
Currently an assistant coach at Army, Cullen remains very much involved with the soccer program and the University of Maryland. His impact, from the time he played until now, will be remembered by all those around Maryland soccer.
"He helped make soccer very important at this university through the risks that he took and also the talent he displayed on the field," said Cirovski. "Now, even after he's left, the connection he continues to have to this university, the staff and the players here. He certainly has all the values that we want in our Hall of Fame."
Career Highlights
- Named ACC player of the year and first team All-American in 1997
- Earned first team All-ACC honors each of his final three seasons in College Park (1995, '96, '97)
- Helped lead Maryland to its first-ever ACC Tournament Championship in 1996
- Terps advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of his four seasons
- Miami Fusion selected him first overall in the 1998 MLS College Draft
Christine DeBow
Field Hockey `97
A leader on the field and off, Christine DeBow literally got the ball rolling for the Terps' recent success in field hockey.
DeBow's personal and team accomplishments undeniably set the standard for winning and not just qualifying, but advancing in the NCAA tournament.
"Certainly her and the team's successes on the field during their time here, getting to the finals and the championship games, that was something pretty much every team since then set as their goal," said Missy Meharg, Maryland's head field hockey coach. "They want to get to that championship game every year and they want to win it."
After earning a starting role as a freshman when Maryland's went 10-9-2, DeBow helped lead the Terps to a 52-16 combined record her final three seasons, where they advanced to at least the NCAA quarterfinals each year.
DeBow's success while at Maryland can be credited to her complete understanding of the game and her overall intelligence.
"Christine was bright. She saw the whole field," said Meharg. "She took in the coaching, the cues and the strategy. I think she really enjoyed that part of it as well as the competition."
DeBow finished her career as a three-time first team All-American and four-time All-ACC performer and her play in the 1995 NCAA tournament earned her All-Tournament honors. DeBow was just as impressive in the classroom - she was a four-time member of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Academic Squad.
"When she got to Maryland, she pretty much started from the time she was here until she left," said Meharg. "She was a fierce competitor, both on the field and off the field in the classroom...[the team] was in a transition period and Christine was one of the players that helped get them to the finals. She was a leader on the field and someone you wanted on your side."
After graduating, DeBow played on the U.S. National Team for three years, earning a total of 53 caps. While playing for her country, DeBow participated in the 1997 U.S. World Cup and helped the team to a bronze medal at the 1997 Junior Pan American Championships.
Though she has since retired from the game, DeBow's achievements accomplished while representing both the University of Maryland and United States represent her work ethic and overall drive.
Said Meharg, "Christine was a leader [and had] a dynamic personality. Her work ethic both on the field and off the field in the classroom epitomized what the Maryland field hockey program is all about."
Career Highlights
- Three-time first team All-American
- Four-time All-ACC performer
- Member of the NCAA All-Tournament team in 1995
- Member of the 1997 U.S. World Cup team
- Earned 53 caps for U.S. national team, 1997-2000
Laura Harmon
Women's Lacrosse/Field Hockey `95
To earn All-America honors in a varsity sport at the collegiate level takes hard work, dedication and an enormous amount of talent. To earn All-America honors in two sports is nearly unheard of, but not for Laura Harmon.
While at the University of Maryland, Harmon was a two-time All-American in field hockey (1993-94) and a three-time All-American in lacrosse (1993-95). In four years, the standout from Haverstown, Pennsylvania won two national championships in lacrosse and one in field hockey.
With such rare athletic accomplishments, it's no surprise that Harmon's career at Maryland will always be remembered as special.
"I think Maryland holds a huge place for Laura with respect to her contributions to women's sports," said Maureen Dupcak, Harmon's teammate on both Maryland's lacrosse and field hockey squads. "Being a dual athlete, being a highly competitive and highly successful athlete, not many people can say they won a national championship in two different sports and I think that's really cool. I think people like [Laura] don't come around too often."
Though her accomplishments in field hockey earned her All-America honors, her strides on the lacrosse field gave her near immortality in the record books. In four years on the women's lacrosse team, Harmon recorded 150 goals, 34 assists and 184 total points. She ranks eighth all-time on Maryland's goals scored list and is among the 15 most prolific Terrapins in terms of points.
Harmon's ability to lead her team to multiple NCAA championships, as well as leave Maryland as one of the all-time greats spawned from a number of equally important intangibles.
"You really just had to have a natural athleticism. She had a great knack for reading the field, where to be and where to go at any given time," said Dupcak. "Laura was a great teammate. You always wanted her on your team, and not playing against her. I played against her in high school and she was very intimidating to play against. She was hard working in practice and always brought out the best in you...what else could you ask for?"
Harmon's versatility lent itself useful off the playing field as well; her character was inspiring to everyone around her.
"She is just a well-rounded person," said Dupcak. "She is super nice, very caring and really intense. She is intelligent and hard working; she just has it all."
A member of the U.S. national team, 1997 U.S. World Cup Championship team and ACC 50th Anniversary lacrosse team, Harmon's sheer body of work throughout her entire career make her an easy choice for selection to Maryland's Athletic Hall of Fame.
"I think the University needs to have a place for her, a multi-talented athlete," said Dupcak. "She showed that there are athletes out there that can handle two sports who don't have to play one sport all year. She's one of the best."
Career Highlights
- Field Hockey first team All-American in 1994 and second team in 1993
- Member of the 1993 NCAA All-Tournament team
- Lacrosse three-time All-American (1993-95)
- Three-time national champion (lacrosse 1992 and 1995, field hockey 1993)
- Member of the ACC 50th Anniversary lacrosse team
Marchelle Payne-Gassaway
Women's Track & Field `94
One of the best track and field athletes to ever attend the University of Maryland, Marchelle Payne-Gassaway has achieved outstanding success in athletics and academics in her life.
Participating in the triple jump at Maryland, Payne-Gassaway was a three-time All-American and two-time ACC indoor and outdoor champion. After all was said and done, she owned Maryland's all-time marks in indoor and outdoor triple jump.
"Marchelle is a perfectionist," said Bill Goodman, Payne-Gassaway's former head coach. "Anything she does, she wants to be the best at it. She's also very competitive. She hates losing. At the same time, she's one of the most fun people to be around you could ever have."
Striving to be the best she could be and never giving up on herself helped make Payne-Gassaway one of Maryland's best athletes in the program.
"She had a lot of pride in whatever she did," said Goodman. "We made everyone run cross country in the fall...she beat a lot of our distance runners and she was a triple jumper. It was because anything she did, she took pride in. That's what made a difference in her."
Payne-Gassaway's path to success is one that took hard work, dedication and talent.
"No one ever handed her anything, she has earned everything and then some," said Eleanor Green, Payne-Gassaway's former academic advisor in the athletic department. "When she finished her undergraduate, she put herself through graduate school, she put herself through all her post-grad education working toward her doctorate...It's hard to underscore that, how truly pleasant of a human being she is, but she'll beat you anytime she can, anyway she can and love you too."
Payne-Gassaway's accomplishments, which range from athletic to academic are unquestionably dwarfed by her proudest of all.
"She earned her master's degree, is just a step away from her doctorate and had many honors as an athlete," said Green. "But she is the mother of a wonderful little boy, and to her that's number one."
Payne-Gassaway is a well-rounded individual and was a model student-athlete; her versatility and competitive spirit propelled her through the record books, but her humanity and genuine positivity set her apart.
"Marchelle is loving and charming and she'll beat you to death on the tennis court, on the basketball court and certainly as a triple jumper," said Green. "But you'll walk away with a smile on your face, arm-in-arm because she's a warm human being at the core. She's golden."
Career Highlights
- Three-time All-American in triple jump in 1990, '92 and `93
- All-ACC outdoor performer from 1991-93
- Won the ACC indoor and outdoor championships in 1992 and `93
- Named ACC Indoor Meet MVP in 1992
- Competed in Olympic Trials
- Ranked No. 9 internationally in triple jump in 1992
Eric Wilson
Football `85
Eric Wilson is best remembered by Maryland fans for being one of the greatest defenders to ever suit up for the Terrapin football team. But he is also known by those closest to him as a devout family man who puts others before himself.
A vital part of Maryland's 1983 and '84 ACC Championship teams, Wilson was named first team All-ACC in each of those seasons and was a first team All-American in '84. Wilson still ranks first in career tackles at Maryland with 481, having led the team with 178 in '83 and 160 in '84.
Even with all his numbers and individual accomplishments, it was Wilson's intangible attributes that made him so great.
"Eric was an outstanding teammate. He was a great leader and the ultimate team player," said Kevin Glover, a teammate of Wilson's. "It wasn't about his numbers. It was about the success of the team and the defense."
George Gardner, a childhood friend who remains close to Wilson to this day, agreed.
"Leader always comes to mind," Gardner said, when asked to describe Wilson. "Hard working. He was always going to give you 110 percent. You were never going to have to ask him to do anything twice. Vicious on the field, you wouldn't know that if you talked to him off the field. But on the field he just transformed and was always doing whatever needed to be done, striving to be better."
In addition to being a leader on the field, Wilson is described as being caring, polite and generous. He currently serves as the junior varsity boys basketball coach at Albemarle High School in Charlottesville, Va.
"Eric has a passion for people," said Glover, who is currently the director of character education for the Maryland Athletics Department. "He took his academics seriously. Early on, he made it clear that he was going to graduate from Maryland. I think when you take academics seriously and you care about the people, the rest kind of falls in place. So if you have the physical talents to be a good player, and obviously Eric did... he worked hard to train and condition his body. But he made it look easy on the field because he was such a good player."
Wilson also had the pleasure of playing with his brother Mark while at Maryland, something that makes the university hold an even more special place in his heart.
"I think one of the biggest things was being able to play with his brother here," said Gardner. "That's big wherever you go if you can share that with one of your siblings, so he was awfully proud of that and very excited about being able to do that. Maryland plays a big role in his life, being from here. This (honor) is a culmination of that time."
Wilson's work ethic, tenacity and pure talent have left a lasting mark at the university, and his career is one that will be remembered for a long time.
"Eric is deserving of this honor because his numbers have stood the test of time. If you look at the great players who have played at the University of Maryland, and the fact that we're sitting here 26 years later and Eric's record still stands...that speaks for itself."
Career Highlights
- Two-time first team All-ACC selection in 1983 and 1984 and first team All-American in 1984
- Ranks first in career tackles at Maryland with 481
- Led the team in tackles with 178 in 1983 and 160 in 1984
- Vital part of Maryland's 1983 and 1984 ACC Championship teams
- Selected in the seventh round of the 1985 NFL Draft by the Green Bay Packers
Peter Worstell
Men's Lacrosse `81
A four-time All-American and All-ACC selection, Peter Worstell is the only player in the storied history of Maryland lacrosse to earn such an honor at two positions, attack and midfield. His success came from his everlasting intensity.
"He's incredibly intense. He's one of the most passionate guys I've ever had the opportunity to know," said John Lamon, Worstell's former teammate. "He played the way he lived, from the time he cracks his eyes open in the morning to the time he lays his head down at night, the guy just goes full-steam ahead. He was that kind of kid and that kind of guy when he was back in school. Thirty years later, he's still that same kind of guy."
In Worstell's five years at Maryland - he redshirted in 1979 due to injury - the Terrapins held a combined record of 40-16, losing only three games in the ACC.
Worstell's constant drive and passion became contagious on the lacrosse field and motivated his teammates to match his energy. The intense team attitude which was established through Worstell contributed to great success.
"When you went out on the field every game, you knew that you were going to get 110 percent," said Lamon. "He was just overloaded with energy, commitment and dedication. It was never about him. It was about winning. That's the one thing that the guy carries above all, and that's winning."
Named to the ACC's 50th Anniversary team, Worstell ranks fifth in career goals and 14th in career points with the Terps. Twice, as a freshman and junior, Worstell led the team in goals while playing from the midfield. After moving to attack in 1981, he scored 43 goals and led the Terps in points with 67.
Worstell's accolades reflect his competitiveness and love for lacrosse, which he still embodies today.
"Peter goes to battle everyday of his life, the battle of work, the battle of everything he does," said Lamon. "He runs a lacrosse camp out in California and you go there and you think you're a soldier. The guy runs things with this competitive atmosphere. That's what he is about."
With such a positive, spirited attitude, there is no question that an athlete and teammate such as Worstell has earned the right to enter the University of Maryland Athletics Hall of Fame.
"Peter is deserving of this honor unquestioned. There is no qualification of a University of Maryland Hall of Fame player that Peter does not meet," said Lamon. "He carries the qualities, the essence, the integrity of anybody in this Hall of Fame. Everything he does, everything he did at the University of Maryland as a student-athlete, everything he's done from when he graduated from the university to now [qualifies him for the Hall of Fame]. He carries the Terrapin name very highly."
Career Highlights
- Only Maryland lacrosse player to be named All-American at two positions
- Four-time All-American and All-ACC selection
- Member of the ACC's 50th Anniversary team
- Ranks fifth at Maryland in career goals and 14th in career points
