THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, April 19, 1996 TAG: 9604170146
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 19 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Sports
SOURCE: BY BILL LEFFLER, CURRENTS SPORTS EDITOR
LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
FOR THE FIRST TIME, an active athlete will be inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
The six individuals selected for induction at next month's banquet include professional golfer Lanny Wadkins.
Also to be inducted are former college and pro basketball star Ralph Sampson, ex-Old Dominion basketball standout Anne Donovan, former Clintwood High School coach Ralph Cummins, women's college athletics pioneer Caroline Sinclair and the late George Lacy, a three-sport performer at the University of Richmond.
The 25th annual VSHF banquet will be at the Holiday Inn-Portside Friday, May 3.
Wadkins, a native of Richmond who now lives in Dallas, was captain of the United States' Ryder Cup team. He has been a member of the PGA Tour since 1972 and has won more than $6 million. He was Player of the Year in 1985.
Wadkins attracted earlier attention locally when he won the 1969 Eastern Amateur at Elizabeth Manor.
Until this year, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame required that athletes or coaches had to be retired from their sport for at least five years to be eligible for induction.
``We've amended this rule,'' said VSHF executive director Eddie Webb. ``With the start of the Seniors Tour, a professional golfer could excel in his sport for most of his lifetime and still not be eligible for our Hall of Fame.
``Most certainly, Lanny Wadkins already has qualified and, since he has just served as Ryder Cup captain, the Honors Court feels this is an appropriate time for his induction.''
Five other golfers already have been enshrined - pro golfers Chandler Harper, Sam Snead and Lew Worsham and amateur champions Vinny Giles and Wynsol Spencer.
Four of the other new inductees had long associations with basketball.
Sampson, a native of Harrisonburg who now lives in Richmond, was a four-time All-American at the University of Virginia. He led the Cavaliers to the NIT championship in 1980 and to the NCAA's Final Four in 1981. Virginia was 112-23 during Sampson's four years there. He was a three-time selection as Division I player of the year and was the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1983.
Donovan, the women's basketball coach at East Carolina, recently was selected to the Basketball Hall of Fame. She played on three Olympic teams and is the all-time leading scorer and rebounder at Old Dominion. Her NCAA record of 801 blocked shots still stands.
Lacy, the only deceased inductee this year, excelled in basketball, baseball and football at Richmond. In the early 1930s, he sparked the Spiders to an undefeated basketball season. He later played professional baseball.
Sinclair helped establish women's athletic programs at both William and Mary and James Madison. She lives in Gloucester.
Cummins holds the state record for most victories by a high school football coach. His Clintwood teams won 267 games in a 15-year span. He later was named both national coach of the year and national athletic director of the year by the National Coaches Association.
Tickets to the induction dinner are on sale at the Sports Hall of Fame. Tickets in advance are $30. Tickets at the door will be $35. ILLUSTRATION: Photos
Golfer Lanny Wadkins will be the first active athlete to be inducted
into the Hall of Fame.
File photo shows Lanny Wadkins when he won the 1969 Eastern
Amateur.
by CNB