Oct. 25, 2011

COLLEGE PARK, Md. - Maryland women's basketball legend, Tara Heiss, will be inducted into the Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame on Nov. 10. Heiss led the Terrapins to their first Final Four in 1978 and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.

She was the first-ever ACC Tournament MVP, as she led Maryland to its first league championship in 1978. She dished 249 assists in that season and her No. 44 jersey hangs in the rafters at Comcast Center.

Heiss played on the U.S. national team and won three gold medals and one silver medal with the team. She competed in the R. Williams Jones Cup, the World Championships, the Pan American Games and the World University Games. She was a member of the 1980 Olympic team that boycotted the Moscow games.

The Maryland State Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1956 to honor native Marylanders for accomplishments in their sports. It is recognized by the Maryland General Assembly as the state's official sports hall of fame. A permanent display, including photos and a biography, will be put in the Sports Legends Museum in Baltimore. The inductees' names will be displayed on the Eutaw Street wall at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, along with other previous honorees.

This year's class includes former NFL punter Sean Landeta, former NBA star and world champion Sam Cassell, MLB pitcher Geoff Zahn, heavyweight boxing champion Hasim Rahman, PGA pro golfer and Terrapin alum Fred Funk, and X-games gold-medalist Travis Pastrana.

The banquet will begin at 6 p.m. on Nov. 10 and will be held at Michael's 8th Avenue in Glen Burnie, Md. Tickets are $50 and include dinner, open bar and the ceremony.

To get your tickets, please contact Barbara Walter at 410-859-0151. For interviews, please contact Pat O'Malley at 410-647-2499 or patomalleysports@aol.com.