June 23, 2003

BALTIMORE, MD. - The US Lacrosse Board of Directors recently approved 10 nominees for induction into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, including former University of North Carolina head coach Willie Scroggs. The 46th class will be inducted in a ceremony on Nov. 22 at The Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley, Md.

In 1978, UNC went to the hotbed of college lacrosse, Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, and hired the Blue Jays' top assistant, Willie Scroggs, as the Tar Heels' new head coach. It was a move that bore fruit for a dozen years until Scroggs retired from coaching at the end of the 1990 season to become associate athletic director for games operations and outdoor facilities at UNC. The decision to pursue Coach Scroggs, a Baltimore, Md. native who went to City College High School, was made by then athletic director Bill Cobey whose philosophy was that you go to the best program in the game and recruit a top assistant to build your program.

Tar Heel teams were 120-37 during the Scroggs era and were invited to the NCAA Tournament 11 straight seasons from 1980 through 1990. In nine of Scroggs' 12 years, UNC made the NCAA Tournament semifinal round and the 1981, 1982 and 1986 squads won the NCAA Division I championship. The Tar Heels were 17-8 in NCAA post-season play during his tenure. Scroggs' teams won ACC titles in 1981, 1982, 1985, 1988, 1989 and 1990. In addition, the 1982 team finished the season ranked #1 in the nation in the final USILA poll.

Brief biographies of this year's other inductees follow:

John Cheek is one of the most prolific scorers lacrosse has ever seen. Cheek finished his career at Washington College with 212 goals. Cheek earned All-America honors three times, including first team honors in 1976 and 1977. He was named the Division II/III Player of the Year in 1976 and the Division II/III Attackman of the Year in 1976 and 1977. Cheek was a member of the U.S. team in 1978.

Aggie Bixler Kurtz is a 1962 graduate of Smith College who went on to play at the club level and played on U.S. touring teams that went to Great Britain in 1964 and 1970. She started the lacrosse program at Dartmouth College, coaching at the school from 1973 to 1986. She was a nationally rated umpire and also wrote two books about women's lacrosse.

Jane Miller led the University of Virginia to NCAA championships in 1991 and 1993 while serving as the school's head coach. She coached at the school from 1983 to 1995, compiling a record of 144-44. Miller also coached at Longwood College and Milton Academy. She is a 1972 graduate of Northeastern University and played for the U.S. team from 1972 to 1976.

Alison Hersey Risch was a standout player on the U.S. teams from 1961 to 1970, serving as the team captain from 1964 on. She played on U.S. touring teams that visited Australia, Great Britain and Ireland. An internationally-rated umpire, she has been officiating for 41 years and is still active at the Division III level.

Jerry Schnydman was a dominant face-off specialist and midfielder at Johns Hopkins. He was named an All-American three times, earning first-team honors in 1966 and 1967, and he helped the Blue Jays to the 1967 national championship. Schnydman was an assistant coach at Johns Hopkins from 1968 to 1978 and served as commissioner of the Baltimore inner city lacrosse leagues.

Tom Sheckells had a distinguished career as a player and official. He was a three-time All-American at Army, earning first-team honors in 1964 and 1965. For 30 years he served as commissioner of the Capital Area Lacrosse Officials Association, and through his work as president of the Potomac Chapter of US Lacrosse, he helped develope the sport in the Washington area. He passed away in 2002.

Bernard Ulman was one of the most well-known officials in the sport. He officiated for more than 20 years and also served in several leadership positions in the officiating ranks. Ulman, who was a midfielder at the University of Maryland from 1938 to 1943, also served as an NFL official for 15 years, officiating in Super Bowl I and Super Bowl IX. He passed away in 1986. Joan Wagner is one of the most respected officials in the women's game. She has been officiating for over 30 years and served as an official at the World Cup in 1986, 1989 and 1993. She was also the head technical delegate for the 1997 World Cup. A 1963 graduate of Millersville University, she helped start a club team during her undergraduate days.

Merle "Mike" McCallister Werley was captain of the 1972 team at West Chester University and went on to play for several U.S. teams in the 1970s, serving as captain of the 1978 touring team. Werley has also coached high school lacrosse for three decades, serving as a coach at Baldwin, Conestoga and Springfield High Schools in Pennsylvania.

US Lacrosse, a 501(c) 3 nonprofit organization, is the national governing body of men's and women's lacrosse.