The world of sports is constantly changing.The Washington County Sports Hall of Fame is going with the flow.
The area’s shrine to local sports greats will induct a wide and diverse range of talent with the Class of 2025. It reflects a huge industry that isn’t just games and scores, coaches and athletes anymore.
The four newest members reflect a huge impact in different realms of sports, locally, nationally and internationally.
The group will be honored at the WCSHOF’s 37th banquet on July 19 at Elks Lodge No. 378 on Robinwood Drive in Hagerstown.
The inductees and other honorees:
Aaron Brooks
Brooks has created an international identity through his wrestling, faith and goodwill.
After vastly-successful prep and collegiate careers, Brooks represented the United States at the 2024 Paris Olympics, winning a bronze medal in wrestling as the pinnacle of his decorated career.
The North Hagerstown graduate attended Penn State and became one of only seven college wrestlers to win four NCAA titles through 2024. He posted an 89-3 record at PSU, with four Big Ten championships and four All-American honors. He went undefeated as a senior and was named Big Ten wrestler of the year.
He was the Outstanding Wrestler at the 2024 NCAA Tournament and won the Dan Hodge Trophy — wrestling’s version of the Heisman Trophy.
With a combined interest in freestyle and Greco Roman wrestling, Brooks has competed in and earned a number of national and international titles and has trained at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo.
Brooks amassed a 163-2 record while wrestling for North Hagerstown, where he was awarded four letters and was a three-time team captain. He is a four-time Maryland State 4A-3A champion — each at different weight classes — and also won four Washington County, 4A-3A West Region and NHSCA National Championship titles. He was a two-time Hub Cup champion.
Greg Slick
Slick turned limited playing experience into an influential coaching career by applying the lessons and disciplines learned in football, wrestling and rugby. They became the standards for coaching and life.
Slick was unable to participate in organized athletics because of job-related family relocations, until entering North Hagerstown in 1969. He lettered in football and wrestling for the Hubs and competed in open wrestling tournaments from 1975-80.
At Frostburg State, he had an injury-shortened football career. He pivoted to help create and play three years for Frostburg’s fledgling rugby program.
After his 1976 graduation, Slick returned to North to help coach football and wrestling. He was appointed the Hubs’ head wrestling coach in 1979, and the program has thrived under his reign. North has 561 victories, and has endured just seven losing records, in his 45-year tenure through 2025. Slick’s work earned a 2025 induction to the MPSSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame. Previously, he received the “Lifetime Service to Wrestling” award and entered the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2007.
Slick guided North to the 2014 MPSSAA 4A-3A team title, and the Hubs finished second in 2015 and third in 2016. North also has four MPSSAA state dual meet tournament berths, finishing second twice. To date, 56 North wrestlers have made the state tournament podium, including 26 who have wrestled in weight-class finals under Slick. Eight wrestlers, including Brooks, have accounted for 13 championships and 13 runner-up finishes.
Jerry Spessard
Spessard took his love of sports into a different direction — as an inventor and entrepreneur, creating groundbreaking products to promote athletic safety and advances worldwide.
He owns 18 patents for various sporting-equipment inventions, highlighted by his most successful product, the GameFace Sports Mask. In 2005, the infielder’s mask for facial protection became the top-selling product for girls softball in 62 countries. Since the patent protection expired, 13 companies have made versions of the mask competing with Spessard’s, which still sells millions annually.
Spessard spearheads two other revolutionary inventions. One, which is being tested, is a chest protector using tennis racket stringing principles to prevent heart injuries in lacrosse and other sports. The second is an electronic home plate, which earned Spessard two national honors.
Spessard has been recognized by Virginia Tech, his alma mater, as one of the school’s 100 top graduates in the 20th Century.
Spessard was raised in Hagerstown and spent his childhood playing through its youth baseball and basketball leagues. He played baseball and football at North Hagerstown — and was a football captain in 1966 — before playing football at Virginia Tech.
Cheryl Wilkes
Wilkes has been one of the driving forces leading to the establishment, growth and success of girls and women’s sports in Williamsport and Washington County.
She began her 36-year teaching career at the advent of Title IX, the landmark federal civil rights law of 1972. It opened the doors to girls and women’s sports in Williamsport, and during her 34 years (1970-2004) at Williamsport/Springfield Middle School, Wilkes helped provide the foundation for success.
A number of Wilkes’ students have won state championships before becoming teachers and coaches who successfully carried on her influences and fundamentals to continue the grass roots growth of girls and women’s sports.
The movement expanded with the start of National Girls and Women in Sports Day, observed annually in February. In 1996, Wilkes helped create the Washington County Girls and Women in Sports Foundation, which gives recognition along with sponsor and scholarship awards.
Wilkes is a major figure behind Williamsport’s rise to volleyball prominence. She started volleyball play days at middle schools, which fostered multiple generations of Wildcat players. Those players went on to win state volleyball, track and cross country championships, along with a state basketball and softball title.
Wilkes’ influence grew through the development of the annual Springfield Middle Gymnastics Show and middle school cross country meets and volleyball tournaments. She co-organized after-school intramurals and taught swimming at Fountain Head Country Club in her earlier years.
Wilkes played sports, was a county champion and graduated Williamsport before attending High Point (N.C.) University, where she played on its first volleyball team and on the basketball squad.
Honors and scholarship awards
The WCSHOF also will present the following honors and scholarships to local administrators and high school athletes:
Donald Stoner Coach of the Year Award: Susanna Barnhart, Grace Academy
William Lightner Official of the Year Award: Steve Moyer, umpire
Sara “Skip” Ward Scholarship Award: Grace Ellis, Smithsburg
Harry L. Cunningham Jr. Scholarship Award: Brody Stratton, Hancock
LOS ANGELES – No. 5 USC men’s volleyball (1-0) opens league play on the road with a Thursday-night (Jan. 15) match at Vanguard (1-1). The Trojans and the Lions—also USC’s first MPSF opponent last spring—will meet at the Freed Center for Leadership in Costa Mesa for a 7 p.m. PT contest that will be shown live on Big Ten Plus. The Trojans then host EIVA foe No. 18 Princeton (0-0) on Friday (Jan. 16) at Galen Center. USC takes on the Tigers under the Galen Night Lights featuring a neon t-shirt giveaway for the first 500 fans in attendance. The USC-Princeton match is also a Kids Corner night, which features free attendance for guests under the age of 18. Visit USCTrojans.com/promos for more information.
MATCH #2 • Thursday, January 15 • 7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (1-0, 0-0) at Vanguard (1-1, 0-0)
Freed Center for Leadership • Costa Mesa, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 3-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (Feb. 28, 2025 • Galen Center)
STREAK: Won 3 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 3-0
TV/STREAM: B1G+
OPPONENT WEBSITE: VanguardLions.com
MATCH #3 • Friday, January 16 • 7 p.m. PT
No. 5 USC (1-0) vs. No. 18 Princeton (0-0)
Galen Center • Los Angeles, Calif.
SERIES RECORD: USC leads, 5-0 (1.000)
LAST MEETING: W 3-0 (Jan. 11, 2025 • Galen Center)
STREAK: Won 5 • LAST 10 MEETINGS: 5-0
TV/STREAM: B1G+ (Avi Singh & Makena Arteaga)
OPPONENT WEBSITE: GoPrincetonTigers.com
FIRST SERVE (TL;DR)
USC is led by 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard, a three-time Olympian in indoor and beach volleyball and a two-time NCAA champion.
The Trojans are ranked fifth in the AVCA Coaches Poll; the program’s 504th appearance in the national poll.
USC is 36-20 all-time in conference openers and defeated Vanguard in its first MPSF match in 2025 (3-0 at Freed Center for Leadership, Feb. 26).
The Trojans are 1-0 at Galen Center. Last year, they won 11 home matches. USC will play 16 times at home in 2026 and plays in Southern California for all but two regular-season matches (at BYU, April 10-11).
USC returns five players in 2026 that were recognized by the AVCA All-America committee in 2025 including first-team choice OH Dillon Klein and second-team MB Parker Tomkinson. S Caleb Blanchette, OH Sterling Foley, and LIB Johnny Dykstra each received All-America honorable mention.
The Trojans lead the MPSF (2nd in the NCAA) in opponent hitting percentage (.056) and are second in the league (4th NCAA) for hitting (.417).
LAST TIME OUT: The Trojans collected their first sweep of the season with a win over St. Thomas Aquinas at Galen Center. Dillon Klein led all players with 12 kills on 16 swings without an error to register a .750 hitting percentage. In his first action as a Trojan, Thiago Zamprogno went straight to work and collected nine kills on 10 swings (.900) to go with four blocks. Caleb Blanchette had 28 assists and shared team-high honors with Johnny Dykstra with five digs apiece.
POLL POSITION: The Trojans were ranked No. 5 in the AVCA Preseason Poll. USC ranks fifth in the Jan. 12 poll for the Trojans’ 504th time in the coaches poll. Last season, the Trojans reached fifth on Feb. 3 to mark their highest position since they were also ranked No. 5 in 2022 (April 18). On March 10, USC’s spot at No. 5 marked the 200th time the Trojans had been ranked in the poll’s top five; now 209 times. The Trojans’ reached the top three (March 24) for the first time in over 10 years and were previously ranked as high as third on Feb. 16, 2015.
EXTENDED: 11th-year head coach Jeff Nygaard had his contract extended through the 2028 season. He is the longest-tenured coach in program history and has collected 124 wins at USC. In 2025, he led the Trojans to their highest ranking in over a decade.
1K DK: OH Dillon Klein has reached double-digit kills in 62 of 79 career matches and reached the 1,000-kill mark in his career on April 17, 2025, in a match at UCLA. He now has 1,057 career kills and counting.
2K GOLD: S Caleb Blanchette crossed the 2,000-assist mark in his career in the Trojans’ season opener against St. Thomas Aquinas (Jan. 10). He dished out 28 assists in a 3-0 win over the Spartans and is now up to 2,011-career assists. In 2025, he led the MPSF—ranked fourth in the NCAA—in assists (10.61 aps) and equaled his career-high (61) twice.
RECORD HIGH: USC set a new single-match hitting record in 2025 with a .691 hitting percentage against Dominican (Feb. 8). Last seaosn, the Trojans hit north of .300 in 19 matches with 10 matches over the .400 mark. Six times, USC logged a hitting percentage higher than .450.
MOUNTAIN SPECIFICS: USC was picked to finish second in a preseason poll of Mountain Pacific Sports Federation head coaches and tied with defending league champion Pepperdine with 72 points each. The Trojans had two first-place votes while the Waves had four. UCLA also received four first-place votes and finished in first with a narrow three-point margin (75 points). In 2025, the Trojans were also chosen to finish second and went 8-4 to take second. The Men of Troy are 36-20 all-time in conference openers.
Major League Volleyball (MLV) is partnering with LTN to power live video production and distribution for its most expansive broadcast schedule to date in 2026.
With a record 50-match broadcast slate across major national networks, streaming services and local stations, the collaboration enables continued audience growth for MLV, providing fans with wider access to their favorite teams and high-quality live experiences on multiple viewing platforms.
After the unification of Major League Volleyball and Pro Volleyball Federation (PVF) in 2025, MLV is continuing to elevate professional women’s volleyball in the United States.
As an evolution of PVF, its 2026 campaign will be recorded as the league’s third season following a high-growth year where broadcast coverage grew 350%. LTN will again serve as MLV’s live production and distribution partner, powering the largest media rollout in league history through a suite of on-site and remote production, live event customization and intelligent video transport services.
“We’re kicking off a milestone season for MLV with new energy, closer fan connection and our widest broadcast coverage to date,” says Rob Carolla, Vice President, Public & Media Relations at MLV. “LTN has been a vital part of our growth journey, advancing our production quality, working across any venue and enabling new graphics and viewing features to enhance the fan experience — all while simplifying customization and distribution for multiple rights partners.”
Purpose-built IP infrastructure for live sports
MLV will harness a comprehensive range of LTN production and transport services, leveraging a multi-camera setup and ultra-reliable remote transmission technologies while enabling fully centralized production from LTN’s state-of-the-art Kansas City technical operations center (TOC). LTN manages all the complexities of live event production, from announcer integration to audio mixing, replay, custom graphics insertion and playout. LTN’s purpose-built global IP network provides 99.9999% reliability and <200ms latency, providing seamless signal transport from all venues, real-time customization, and delivery to all downstream rights partners.
“We’re seeing huge growth in a new generation of dynamic, innovation-first sports leagues,” says Bryan McGuirk, Chief Revenue Officer at LTN. “With rights models evolving and demand for live events surging, MLV is a standout example of how sports organizations can harness agile production models and purpose-built IP distribution to enhance reach and monetization.”
The 2026 MLV season builds on a breakthrough year for professional volleyball broadcasting. Last year, LTN supported the league in delivering over 45 linear broadcast matches and 70 live digital events, including generating 4.7 million YouTube views, up one million year-over-year, and an All-Star Match with 455,000 viewers on CBS.
As a start to the current season, LTN also underpinned the annual MLV Draft of collegiate players, which was broadcast live on the Roku Sports Channel for the first time. The California-based studio production was managed remotely from LTN’s centralized production facility, seamlessly connecting distributed draft teams to participate with presenters in real-time from locations nationwide with ultra-low latency, IP-based video transmission.
Enhanced volleyball viewing experiences
MLV is leveraging innovative technologies, supported by LTN’s flexible video infrastructure and production expertise, to elevate fan engagement and enhance the depth of data for viewers. Its latest advances include:
An enhanced tracking system that delivers real-time ball tracking, improving officiating accuracy and powering advanced performance analytics — enabling teams and fans to better understand attacking patterns and player dynamics.
Displayed for the first time on opening weekend, viewers will see enhanced visuals including ball speed and jump height metrics on matches aired by CBS Sports, offering deeper insights into the athleticism of the game.
In another league-first, teams like the Indy Ignite will now air both home and away games in their local market outside of the national broadcast schedule, offering fans unrivaled access to their teams via local stations.
Alongside CBS Sports and the Roku Sports Channel, which aired opening weekend games this January 9, 10 and 11, MLV’s media partners include ION — the national network from The E.W. Scripps Company with exclusive rights for the championship finals — and VICE, both new for 2026. The second MLV All-Star Match will air live on CBS and Paramount+, with all other matches available via MLV’s YouTube channel and team-led local market agreements.
Molly Schotzko, an assistant professor with the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication, is now serving as Washington State University’s faculty athletics representative.
On Jan. 1, Schotzko was appointed to a three-year term by President Betsy Cantwell following an extensive search process.
“Serving WSU and our student-athletes in this role is an honor and responsibility I deeply value, Schotzko said. “As a former student-athlete and now mentor to students, my experience allows me to understand the unique challenges they face. I will be an advocate for their health, well-being, and support equipping them for success in the classroom and in life.”
During her time as a WSU student, Schotzko earned four varsity letters across track and field as well as cross country and served as the Student Athlete Advisory Committee president.
As a former student-athlete and now mentor to students, my experience allows me to understand the unique challenges they face.
Molly Schotzko, assistant professor and faculty athletics representative Washington State University
“Molly has filled a vital role in bridging the university’s academic mission with the success and wellness of our student-athletes,” Cantwell said. “As a current Murrow College professor and now key advisor for intercollegiate athletics, she brings the necessary credibility, judgment, and strong commitment to academic integrity to advocate for student-athletes as scholars and members of our university community.”
The university’s faculty athletics representative acts as a liaison between the academic enterprise of the institution and its athletics program, ensuring academic standards, integrity and student-athlete welfare are maintained. The faculty athletics representative also ensures compliance with NCAA and Pac-12 regulations as well as university policies, in cooperation with the director of intercollegiate athletics and the department’s chief compliance officer.
Schotzko succeeds Nancy Swanger, who was appointed to the role of faculty athletics representative in 2017. WSU is deeply grateful to Swanger, who served in this role in three consecutive terms, for her nearly decade-long commitment and tireless advocacy for Washington State’s student-athletes.
Women’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Lola Gitlin
Lola Gitlin won the 3,000-meter race by more than 12 seconds at Cornell’s Southern Tier Invitational as she clocked a time of 10:37.55. Gitlin’s time is good for 24th nationally.
Women’s Track & Field – Field Performer of the Week – Lily Seyfert
Lily Seyfert placed third in the shot put at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational with a mark of 12.72 meters, which is just shy of her top mark of 12.78 this season (17th in Division III). Seyfert also finished third in the weight throw at 16.20 meters and ranks eighth in the country after that performance.
Men’s Track & Field Rookie of the Week – Raphael Campanile
Raphael Campanile placed fifth in the pole vault with a mark of 4.50 meters at the Cornell Southern Tier Invitational on Saturday and currently ranks 25th in Division III with that performance.
HONOR ROLL
Matthew Zenker totaled 44 points on 18-of-31 shooting, to go along with nine rebounds and three steals in a 1-1 week for Ithaca. Zenker netted 20 points on 8-of-16 shooting in a 101-72 win over RIT and followed up with 24 points and eight rebounds as he shot 10-of-15 from the floor in a loss to Union.
Junior forward McNamara delivered a pair of strong performances despite setbacks against RIT and Union. Against the Tigers, she was flawless from the floor, going 3-for-3 while adding seven rebounds and two blocks. She carried that momentum into the Union matchup, coming just shy of her first career double-double with nine points and eight boards.
Shenandoah University men’s volleyball freshman Simon Bellenbaum was named the ODAC’s Defensive Player of the Week on Monday.
The York, Pennsylvania, native accumulated six solo blocks and eight digs in SU’s two matches against Randolph and Regent, with three blocks in each game and five digs versus the Royals.
Boys’ basketball: Sherando 48, Strasburg 44
STEPHENS CITY — Sherando defeated Strasburg for its fourth straight win on Monday. The Warriors are 9-4.
Girls’ basketball: Strasburg 39, Sherando 29
STRASBURG — Strasburg completed a season sweep with a win over Sherando on Monday.
The Warriors (3-11) trailed 18-7 after one quarter, 23-10 at the half and 29-22 after three quarters.
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Two Keene State College student-athletes honored by the Little East Conference for their achievements accomplished for the week of January 5-11.
Men’s Swimming and Diving
Freshman diver Keegan Johnson (Durham, N.H.) was named the LEC Diver of the Week and the Rookie Diver of the Week from his dives across the Owls’ final two home meets this season over the past weekend. Against Eastern Connecticut State University, Johnson placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 129.75 on Friday afternoon, and on Saturday morning against Norwich University, he placed first in the 1M diving with a score of 141.38 and first in the 3M diving with a score of 170.31.
Johnson and the Owls return to action for a double-dual meet against Brandeis University and Bridgewater State University on Saturday, January 17 at 12:00 PM.
Men’s Indoor Track and Field
Senior Eden Damis (Nashua, N.H.) was named the LEC Field Athlete of the Week from his performance at the Middlebury Snowflake Invitational on Saturday for the Owls. In the long jump, Damis posted a mark of 14.00 in the triple just for a new personal record in his final attempt of the day. His mark became the 21st best mark in NCAA Division III on the season, just one position for qualifying for nationals later this season.
Damis and the Owls return to action at the Panther Invitational I at Plymouth State University on Saturday, January 17, at 10:00 AM.
The world of sports is constantly changing.The Washington County Sports Hall of Fame is going with the flow.
With a record 50-match broadcast slate across major national networks, streaming services and local stations, the collaboration enables continued audience growth for MLV, providing fans with wider access to their favorite teams and high-quality live experiences on multiple viewing platforms.
