Tommy Long’s involvement with baseball and softball extends over 35 years. In 1975, Long was a co-founder of the Frederick Baseball Association and for nine years managed the 8–12-year-olds teams, which won five league championships. In 1982, he co-founded and managed the Frederick Bambino Babe Ruth Program. From 1985 to 2002, Long was the 13–15-year-olds’ Kiwanis Babe Ruth manager, with eight league championships and eight state all-star championships during that period. From 2002 to 2010, Long managed the FSK Post 11 American Legion baseball team program and established various age-level teams for fall baseball. In 2008, Long reached a coaching milestone with 700 baseball victories. With his 35 years of unconditional service to community youth, Tom Long has touched the lives of countless young athletes.

The best tennis player to come from Frederick County, Bresha Mogar is unmatched in her accomplishments in tennis. As a high school athlete, she was a three-time county and regional champion. During her senior year, Mogar never lost a game to an opponent and was as late as 2010 the only state tennis champion to come from Frederick County. During her career, Mogar was ranked no. 1 in the state in 1990 and 1992. Mogar placed first in various Frederick County adult competitions in the Frederick Tennis Club: Catherine Dykstra Singles 1991 and 1995, J. Richard Remsburg and Maxine Murray Doubles tournaments 1998. She earned ranking from 1984 through 1992 in the U.S. Tennis Association Mid-Atlantic Section and was ranked no. 15 nationally. She can still be found on the courts giving free lessons and tutoring young females in the basics of the game.

A Frederick County native, Bill Siedling has been involved in athletics for 50 years as of 2010. Beginning his sports career in baseball, he played Little League, Babe Ruth and Babe Ruth All-Stars, American Legion, Maryland State League and Washington, D.C., Industrial League baseball. In 1967, Siedling signed professionally with the Washington Senators as a catcher. Employed by the Frederick County Public Schools system, Siedling worked as a physical education teacher, guidance counselor, and classroom drivers education teacher. He is probably best known for his basketball officiating and for 44 years has been a member of the Frederick IAABO Board officiating, interpreting rules, and instructing new recruits. As an expert official, Bill is involved in all levels of the sport—AAU, high school and college tournaments in Maryland, D.C., Pennsylvania and Virginia.

As a youth in Frederick County, Ken Smith played soccer, basketball, and baseball, but had baseball in his blood. Starting in the Woodsboro

Little League, Smith earned honors throughout his youth and high school careers. With a full baseball scholarship to West Virginia University, Smith had a 10–0 record his junior year to earn All-Atlantic 10 Honors and won the Outstanding Pitcher Award during the Atlantic 10 Conference Tournament, as well as All East Honors and the MVP award. In 1987, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals. He earned Pitcher of the Week three times and was listed in USA Today as one of the top five pitching leaders in the organization. Today, Smith is active in youth baseball in the Thurmont area and is an excellent coach for youth wanting to play the game he loves.

An outstanding athlete in the 1940s, Frank Wilders made his claim to fame in baseball as a left-handed pitcher for Thurmont High School and played for three different leagues during his senior year. Drafted by the Brooklyn Dodgers, he had the opportunity to work with professional players like Jackie Robinson in camp. Wilders was observed to have the best curve ball within the Brooklyn camp that season. During this two-year period on the Dodger’s Class C Team, he averaged 10 strike-outs per game with an ERA of 3.2 and a batting average over .300. In 1950, Wilders was contracted to the Yankees and remained with them until 1954. During the Korean War, he played with the Air Force team that competed throughout Europe and the Mediterranean. Returning home, Wilders continued to play locally and managed the Thurmont American Legion Team.

A Middletown High School graduate, Tim Fawley is considered one of the best three-sport athletes ever to graduate from the school. He began his incredible career with Myersville Youth Baseball. As a high school player, he was a three-position player: pitcher, shortstop, and backup catcher. As a senior shortstop, Fawley committed no errors and had a .314 batting average. Fawley was a four-year soccer player and as of 2011 still held the record for most goals scored in one game, as well as the Frederick County record for most seasonal goals (40). As a skillful basketball player, he is still the school’s leading scorer with 1,524 points as of 2011. He is tenth in the MPSSAA total points accumulation for semi-final and final games. Fawley is currently sharing his vast knowledge of sports as he coaches youth teams.

A Frederick High School graduate, Keith Lee excelled in football and is considered to be one of the best players who ever represented the school. As a three-year letterman, he was selected All-Conference and All-City for two consecutive years. He was the Baltimore Chapter of the National Football Conference’s Scholar Athlete as well as Frederick High’s Scholar Athlete in 1978. As a proficient basketball player, Lee was selected All- Conference Team and All-City Team, and was voted Player of the Year by the Frederick News-Post and the Hagerstown Herald Mail. Continuing his football career at the University of Virginia, Lee was a four-year starter and led the team in tackles and interceptions. In 1982, he was an undrafted free agent for the Dallas Cowboys and a free agent for the New England Patriots in 1982–1983.

A Walkersville High School graduate, Gary Rubeling was considered a first-class athlete in all of his years of sports involvement. After playing sports during his formative years, he continued his success as a four- year member of the Walkersville basketball, baseball, and football teams. Excelling in football, Rubeling was a 1978 All-MVAL linebacker. As a Towson University player, he was a four-year starter, an Academic All-American, established the school’s record for single-season interceptions, and had a four-year career record for interceptions (25). He was selected for numerous awards, named Male Athlete of the Year in 1983, and was inducted into the Towson University Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.

Nicole Teasley began her prominent basketball career at St. John’s at Prospect Hall. Her impressive accomplishments during her four-year enrollment include no. 1 ranked recruit by Blue-Star National Ranking, Maryland three-year Gatorade Player of the Year, and Parade and Gatorade National Player of the Year. Earning a full scholarship to the University of North Carolina, Teasley continued to establish records that advanced her into a professional career. In 1998, she was ACC Rookie of the Year, assist leader for four years, and First Team All-ACC. In1999, she was First Team All-ACC, ACC Tournament MVP and in 2002 was drafted into the WNBA by the LA Sparks. During this time she was the two-year WNBA assist leader. After a two-year period with the Mystics, Teasley’s future as of 2011 is with the Detroit Shocks.

A graduate of Middletown High School, Beau Weibel is considered the best swimmer ever from the Frederick County area. By age 10, he established his career by ranking in meets on local, regional, state, and national levels. As a high school swimmer, Weibel broke every MHS swimming record, was a four-time Frederick County MVP, broke Metro and state records, placed three consecutive years in the Washington-Metro Championships, and placed second in the U.S. Nationals. A swimmer for the University of Georgia, he won championships in the 1,650-yard freestyle and the 400 individual medley, and broke school records in the 1,000 and 1,650 freestyle. Weibel was a five-time NCAA All-American, ranked worldwide in the 200- and 400 individual medleys, and was a 2000 Olympic finalist.

Considered to be “Mr. Lacrosse” in Frederick County, David Baldwin has been involved with lacrosse as a player, coach, official, and administrator for more than 30 years. After an outstanding high school and University of Maryland-Baltimore Campus lacrosse career, he moved to Walkersville. With a love for the sport, he promoted and organized youth lacrosse club programs for the Frederick and Washington County areas. Visualizing the future need for interscholastic lacrosse in Frederick County, Baldwin organized and led a campaign to raise $30,000 to start county high school programs. Because of his efforts and guidance, teams, officials, and coaches were established for the Frederick County Public Schools program. In 2008, his Walkersville High School team was the first county team ever to make a bid for the state title.

As a young athlete and graduate of Urbana High School, Zach Mills excelled far beyond his high school years as a gifted athlete in basketball and football. During his four-year basketball career, he was a four-year varsity starter and established and still maintained as of 2012 the school record for most career points and career rebounds. As a football player, Mills was the starting quarterback in the 1998 2-A state championship; he established a MPSSAA career record by passing for 5,638 yards and throwing 59 TD passes. He earned numerous recognitions from local, state, and national media. As a Penn State four-year starter, Mills set 18 offensive school records, ranked ninth All-Time in the Big Ten for career total yards, was selected three years as an All-Big-Ten player, and won numerous prestigious Penn State awards during his four-year career.

Kyle Pritts has been involved with youth for more than 60 years as of 2012. As a Frederick County Public Schools teacher, coach, referee, and administrator, he committed himself to youth, helping them to reach athletic and life success. One very important aspect of his life was volunteering with youth. Community-oriented, he earned the privilege of becoming the greatest volunteer for youth activities in Frederick County. As a college baseball and track athlete, he embraced the vision that athletic involvement was a means to success in life. For more than 20 years, he volunteered as a basketball timer for Middletown High School and regional tournaments and as an athletic timer for the University of Maryland men and women. Pritts has been forever giving his time and energy to support all young athletes, and his greatest joy is to see any young athlete succeed physically, mentally, and socially.

A lifelong Frederick County resident, Derek Shackelford has epitomized excellence in basketball. As a distinguished Walkersville High School player, he led the Lions to three Maryland state championship appearances with a title in 1986. He is one of two WHS players ever to have a basketball number retired. He continued his basketball prowess at Frederick Community College and George Mason University. Upon graduation, he returned to Frederick County to coach at Frederick High School and FCC. During his 16-year coaching career, Shackelford volunteered to coach youth groups, to mentor Frederick County youth, and to help them see opportunities available to them in dealing with life-changing decisions. As an ordained minister, Shackelford has successfully guided youth to achieve the six Pillars of Character Counts! Program.

Dedication, hard work, and overcoming adversity were a way of life for Kathy Messner Stevens. As a Catoctin High School graduate, she began an outstanding career involved in Catoctin youth track and field and developing proficiency in high jump, long jump, and triple jump that led to outstanding high school and college achievements. High school performances in cross-country and track earned her recognition as All- Area First Team in cross-country and track for four years. She was a 12- time Maryland state champion in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump, and held the Class 1A state record for the 300 meters, high jump and triple jump. With a scholarship to Penn State, a near fatal accident put her life on hold for more than seven months. Competing for Penn State, Messner- Stevens overcame a tragedy and again developed that gift of victorious competition and conquering a devastating misfortune.

A Frederick County native, Don Frost began his golfing career very early and was soon recognized as an outstanding golfer by qualifying three years for the Maryland State High School Championship. Attending Frederick Community College, Frost was a two-year no. 1 player, a starting golfer for the University of North Carolina-Wilmington, and won the Maryland Pro-Am Tournament. Turning pro in 1988, Frost played three years on the Florida Pro-Mini Tour. He began teaching golf in1992; in 1996, he became the Clustered Spires Head Professional and has given more than 16,000 golf lessons. In 2000, Frost was named the top golf instructor in the Mid-Atlantic region and has been nominated five times for Mid-Atlantic Professional Teacher of the Year. He is known in the golf world as the best teaching professional in the game of golf.

A Middletown High School graduate, Mark Miller was a multi-talented athlete who excelled in soccer, basketball, and baseball. He began his coaching career in 1980 as an MVAA intramural assistant coach and quickly advanced to being the MHS girls’ varsity basketball coach for 11 years. During that time, his teams advanced to state competition five times, won in 1989 and 1993 (26–0 record) and were finalists in 1990, 1994, and 1998. Miller began his collegiate coaching in 2007 at Norwich, followed by Mount St. Mary’s, Georgia Tech, Loyola, and as of 2012 was head women’s coach at Holy Family in Pennsylvania. He has maintained an 83% win average and has been ranked no. 13 nationally. Through his coaching leadership, all of Miller’s teams have become champions.

A graduate of Frostburg, Paul Nolan was a teacher and coach for the Frederick County Public Schools system for more than 32 years in the Catoctin area. He began at Thurmont High School teaching history, but ended his career in physical education. At Thurmont Middle, he organized the first intramural program and the seventh- and eighth-grade basketball teams that played in the county league. In 1971, Nolan helped to organize the Catoctin High School football program and was an assistant coach for 22 years. In 1979, he was appointed Catoctin’s athletic director. As AD, Nolan established a family coaching attitude with all of the school coaches and organized a highly successful Football Mothers’ Club. He was instrumental in unifying students, parents and athletes as a sports community.

A graduate of Walkersville High School and the University of Maryland, Peggy Trimmer was a Frederick County Public Schools physical education teacher for over 30 years. She began her coaching career in field hockey and basketball at WHS. Prior to Title IX, female championships were limited to a few sports at the county level. Trimmer coached her hockey teams to county titles in 1968, 1969, and 1970. In 1976, her team was the District Champion. Under her leadership in basketball, her teams were tops in the county, with a 40-game winning streak from1969 to 1973. Trimmer was an advocate for women’s sports and adamant that newspaper coverage should be equal for both male and female sports. Through her efforts, female sports became a vital part of the county’s sports coverage.

A Frederick County native, Fred Young, Jr., was an excellent athlete who participated in football, softball, and baseball. With roots in the YMCA, Young began his baseball career in 1947 with the YMCA League. He played baseball three years at Frederick High School, four for the Frederick Hustlers, and seven for the Ijamsville baseball team. During his career in the Maryland State League, Young set a league record for going two years without an error, won MVP one year, leading hitter another year, and made the All-Star Team for 13 straight All-Star games. He returned to his roots by working with youth on the local, district, and state levels. In the early 1970s, he was made the Babe Ruth Maryland State Commissioner of Babe Ruth baseball (ages 16–18).

Robert Bofinger was the captain of his high school soccer team at Woodrow High School in Levittown, Pennsylvania, and played college soccer at Penn State-Abington and Penn State- Harrisburg. Locally, he was a member of both the Frederick and Walkersville soccer clubs and was a USSF referee and a youth soccer coach in Frederick County.

Tina Leatherman Jones was an outstanding sprinter for the Frederick Track and Field Club, the Governor Thomas Johnson High School team, and at Penn State University, where she received a four-year track scholarship. She set the meet record for the 220-yard dash at the first Maryland State High School Girls’ Championships held in 1972. While competing for Penn State, she set numerous meet and stadium records in the 100-yard dash, the 440 and 880 relays, and in the long jump. In 1974 and 1975 she was named the Nittany Lions’ Outstanding Woman Track Athlete. She competed internationally in 1974 in the U.S.A.–Canada meet and in 1975 in the U.S.A.–Bermuda meet.

Vernon Myers, once labeled as Thurmont’s “Mr. Baseball,” was largely responsible for the growth of youth baseball and softball in the Thurmont community. He was president of the Thurmont Little League for 26 years, and under his leadership the program grew from four teams to 26 teams, with more than 400 participants. During his tenure, the number of playing fields in the league increased from one field to five. He was instrumental in the development of Thurmont’s Community Park and Eyler Park. Myers also was largely responsible for starting the Little League Softball program for the girls in the area. His philosophy was “Do what is best for the kids.”

John Shade got his start in swimming at age eight with the Monocacy Aquatic Club. By the end of his high school years at Walkersville High School, he had won seven of eight individual county championships and was undefeated in the 50 Freestyle. Earning a four-year swimming scholarship to La Salle University, he medaled in all of the Metro Atlantic Conference and National Catholic Championships in which he competed. He swam on conference record-setting relays and was named to the All-Conference Academic Swimming Team. In 1986, he was recognized by Swimming World Magazine as the sixteenth fastest 50-meter swimmer in the U.S.A. As a teen, he set numerous Maryland state age group records.

Pick-up games of baseball, football, and basketball in the back yard with his three brothers played a key role in the early developmental years of Lewistown native Chuck Wills. He participated successfully in Little League baseball, junior high school basketball, and high school football at Governor Thomas Johnson High School, but it was in track and field that Wills truly excelled. After winning his first Maryland state championship in the high hurdles as a Patriot sophomore, he went on to win four more state titles and set Maryland records in the 50-yard high hurdles and the 180-yard low hurdles. Although blessed with exceptional speed, it was his technique and work ethic that later earned him a full scholarship to Notre Dame, where he lettered three years.

Lifelong Frederick County resident Stan Biggus started participating in organized sports at an early age. He ran track for the AAU Frederick Track Club and played Little League and Babe Ruth league baseball. An outstanding athlete at Frederick High School in football, basketball, and baseball, Biggus was the first recipient of the Sertoma Club Inter-City Football MVP Award in 1968. He was selected to the All Tri-State League on both offense and defense. After starting at halfback in his freshman football season at Bluefield State College, Biggus served six years in the Navy before returning to Frederick and playing 12 years of football with the semi-pro Frederick Falcons. He was named to several All-Star teams while with the Falcons.

Though many Frederick residents will remember Richard Burgee as being one of the area’s finest lawyers, he also was accomplished in the field

of athletics. At Frederick High School, he lettered in football, basketball, baseball, and track in each of his three years. He was captain of the 1949 Cadet football team. The following year Burgee attended Mercersburg Academy, where he played on an undefeated football squad. He received a football scholarship to the University of Maryland and played in two Orange Bowl games for the nationally ranked Terps. He was a three-year letter winner and held the Maryland record of 90 yards as the longest run from scrimmage for 24 years.

Kim Wivell Gerrie has set softball records at every level she has played. A versatile athlete during her middle school years with blue ribbons in several track events, it was softball where Wivell-Gerrie excelled the most. She was a member of the Little League All-Stars that played in the Maryland State Tournament. At Catoctin High School, she participated on the varsity soccer team for four years, played basketball all four years, and was truly outstanding in her four varsity years playing softball. She was a First Team MVAL selection, starting in her sophomore year and repeated every year afterwards. In her senior year she was All-Area Player of the Year. She went on to a record-setting career at Shepherd University, where she was inducted into the SU Hall of Fame in 2007. As of 2015, she still held five Shepherd pitching records.

Stan Goldberg was the Frederick News Post sports editor for more than 40 years. After graduating from the University of Maryland where he was the sports editor for the school newspaper the Diamondback, he started as a part-time sports writer for the local paper. After a year, he became the sports editor. During his career he oversaw the expansion of the sports department from one fulltime position to five fulltime writers. He won numerous awards for his features and covered every aspect of sports, from Little League to professional sports. Goldberg’s featuring of top Frederick County athletes on the sports pages greatly improved scholarship opportunities for our local youth.

As a member of the Frederick Track and Field Club, Cheryl Poirier won several national age group titles and set national records in her hurdle events. From the age of 10 until she was 14 years old, she was the nation’s top hurdler. At 15, competing in the Maple Leaf Indoor Games in Toronto, an invitational event that attracted world-class athletes, she finished fourth in the hurdles, although she beat former Olympian Mamie Rollins. In the same year, Poirier was a member of the team that competed in the U.S.A.–U.S.S.R. Junior Track and Field Meet in Austin, Texas, where she won the bronze medal. She earned a track scholarship to the University of Florida.

Bill Stup took an unusual path to becoming one of Towson University’s most decorated football players. After an outstanding Frederick

High career in which he was Defensive Lineman of the Year, Frederick Touchdown Club Outstanding Player of the Year, and was All Tri-State, he by-passed college and played for the Frederick Falcons’ semi-pro team. In 1982, he played for the Chambersburg Cardinals when they won the National Semi-Pro Championship. Stup was later convinced to enroll at Towson University, where he was a standout for four years. In 1987 he was Lineman of the Year for the Tigers and in 1988 Street and Smith’s magazine named him to the All-Atlantic Coast team.

Although Guy Whidden grew up in nearby Pennsylvania, he has spent most of his adult life living in Frederick County, where he has had a great impact on athletics. After serving his country in World War II, parachuting into Normandy on D-Day with the 101st Airborne, he later achieved recognition as a competitor, a coach, and as an official in multiple sports. Whidden played baseball and boxed during his military service, was an outstanding collegiate wrestler, and coached or taught a wide-ranging variety of sports here in Frederick County. In appreciation of his helping to establish wrestling programs in several county high schools, the county wrestling trophy was named in his honor. Even though in his 90s, Whidden still swims and participates in track and field masters competition.

David Reaver was a four-year starting shortstop for the Linganore Lancers baseball team, led his team to Central
Maryland Conference titles in 1998 and 1999 and was selected as first-team All-CMC and All-Area, while compiling a
.587 batting average. At the University of Richmond, David was a four-year starter, winning the Atlantic 10 regular
season championships in 2002 and 2003 and the Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship in 2003. In 2002, the baseball
team won the most games in school history, going 53–13, and the team was inducted into the University of Richmond
Hall of Fame. David set the school record for consecutive games hit streak at 34, holds the all-time University of
Richmond and Atlantic 10 Conference single-season hits record with 104 and 30 doubles. In 2003, David was selected by
the New York Mets in the 10th round of the MLB draft. He played three seasons in the Mets organization with the
Brooklyn Cyclones, the Port St. Lucie Mets, and the Capital City Bombers.