The Washington-Lee Athletic Hall of Fame recognizes those individuals who, through their accomplishments, have brought a measure of distinction and pride to our school and community as an athlete, coach, administrator or as a contributor to the development and success of the Washington-Lee athletic program. Inductees are honored at a ceremony at the school, and a plaque is displayed in the hall outside the gym listing their accomplishments.
Many inductees continued their athletic pursuits long after their high school days.
Wayne Ballard (Class of 1957)
Wayne Ballard was quarterback and place-kicker for the Generals football team. In the 1956 Thanksgiving Day class between Washington-Lee and George Washington High Schools, Ballard kicked a 42-yard field goal the hit the crossbar and bounced over, giving W-L the 3-0 win, allowing them to maintain their undefeated season and win the state championship.
Ballard went on to play football at the University of Virginia.
Charlie Butt (Coach)
Charlie Butt was a successful crew coach at W-L from 1949, when he started the program, to 1991.
Butt graduated from MIT and was an aeronautical engineer for the U.S. Government.
While at W-L, Butt’s boats won 19 national championships. In 1964, the W-L Varsity 8 was the first American boat to win the Princess Elizabeth Cup at the Henley Royal Regatta in England.
Butt also coached at the Potomac Boat Club at the national level, and was president of several crew organizations.
He is the namesake for the annual Charlie Butt Regatta sponsored by the Virginia Scholastic Rowing Association and is considered the father of scholastic rowing in the Washington area for his instrumental role in the creation and development of many programs in the region.
Michael Callahan (Class of 1992)
Michael Callahan won a gold medal as part of the Junior Men’s Eight in the 1992 World Rowing Championships. He went on to row at the University of Washington where his boat won four PAC-10 Championships and the Ky-Elright trophy in the Men’s Varsity Eight three times.
He was also a member of the U.S. Mens National Team, winning a bronze medal in the 1995 Under-23 Nations Cup Regatta, followed by a gold medal in the 1996 Under-23 Nations Cup Regatta, and was a member of the 2004 U.S. Olympic Rowing Team.
Callahan is now the head coach of men’s crew at the University of Washington. In June 2015, his team made history by winning their fifth straight and 18th overall IRA National Championship and ninth straight Ten Eyck trophy (team points title). He has been named the PAC-10/12 Coach of the Year six times and was named U.S. Rowing’s Man of the Year in 2013.
Tom Chisnell (Class of 1969, Teacher, Coach)
Tom Chisnell was a varsity rower for three years while at Washington-Lee. During his senior year, his boat competed in the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta in England and Chisnell was named MVP for the boys crew team.
Chisnell returned to W-L to teach and coach and started the W-L girls crew program in 1975. He coached the team for 23 years and was named a Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year in 1989.
Chisnell made additional contributions to girls sports programs at W-L. He coached the JV girls Basketball team before starting the freshman girls program in 1984. In 2002, Chisnell started the W-L girls field hockey program.
Guido “Guy” Cavallo (Teacher and Coach)
Guy Cavallo coached multiple sports at Washington-Lee. As wrestling coach, he helped lead the team to the AAA State championship in 1959, interrupting Granby High School’s streak of 21 titles.
He was also the boys’ assistant coach in crew in the 1960s.
He was actively involved in sports his entire life (Coach Cavallo died in 2016). In 1997, he was a Florida medalist at the sixth edition of the U.S. National Sports Classic, winning the silver in golf in the 75-79 age group. In the 2002 Northern Virginia Senior Olympics, he place first in golf in the 80+ age group. In 2003, he was one of three gold medal winners in golf and one of two gold medal winners in miniature golf.
Cavallo’s athletes remember him as teaching valuable personal skills such as good sportsmanship, good moral character, goal setting, and team spirit.
Susan Harrick Congable (Class of 1995)
Sarah Harrick Congable was a three-year varsity coxswain at Washington-Lee and team captain for the girls crew team her senior year. While at W-L, she was also selected to attend the U.S. Junior National Team camp.
She joined the rowing team at the University of Virginia, where she was a four-year varsity member who won three ACC Championships, one NCAA Championship, was named team captain and received the UVA Oarmanship Award. In 2000, Congable was selected to the ACC 50th Anniversary team.
Congable served on the UVA coaching staff from 1999-2001 during which her crews won medals at the ACC and NCAA Championships.
She returned to W-L in 2001 to teach and coach the girls crew team. During her tenure as head coach of 2001-2006, her varsity boats earned four state championship medals. Congable was named the Washington Post All-Met Coach of the Year in 2006.
Lori Grimm (Class of 1976, Teacher, Coach)
Lori Grimm was a varsity athlete in soccer, basketball, and softball while was was a student at Washington-Lee. She was the captain and MVP in all three sports during both her junior and senior years and was named captain of the basketball and softball teams during her senior year. Additionally, she was named W-L’s Most Outstanding Female Athlete in 1976 and was a High School All-American for basketball. W-L retired her basketball jersey in 2002.
Grimm went on to play basketball and softball at Longwood College.
Grimm returned to W-L to teach and coach after her graduation from Longwood. She was the head girls basketball coach for 12 years the head girls softball coach for 14 years.
Grimm continues to play basketball and softball today and was inducted into the Washington Metropolitan Slow Pitch Hall of Fame in 2014. Her team was inducted in 2015.
Sean Hall (Class of 1985)
Sean Hall competed on the Washington-Lee crew team for three years and on the Rutgers University team for four years. He went on to compete on the U.S. Olympic rowing team in 1992, 1996, and 2000 and was on the U.S. National Team from 1991-2000.
His awards and accolades include: one gold and two bronze medals at the the World Championships; two silver and one bronze at the World Cup; two gold medals from the Pan Am Games; one gold and one bronze medal from the Goodwill Games; and he was the 1994 winner of the Grand Challenge Cup, Henley Royal Regatta. He is also an eight-time U.S. National Champion, a four-time winner of the Champ 8’s Head of the Charles, and five-time winner of the Head of the Schuykill.
Halls has coached in the United States, China, Taiwan, and Hong Kong. He is currently the head coach for the Penn AC Rowing Association.
John Harocopos (Teacher, Coach)
John Harocopos was a Washington-Lee teacher, chair of the English Department, and debate team coach. He was also the faculty advisor for The Penman literary magazine from the 1960s until 1999.
In 1993, Harocopos received the Virginia Gazette Award in recognition of his years of continued service to journalism education and publications advising, and for consistently maintaining journalism standards and setting high goals for achievement for both himself and his staff.
In 2002, Harocopos received the Virginia High School League Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions as debate coach and magazine adviser at Washington-Lee.
Kamal Ali Salaam-El (Reggie Harrison, Class of 1969)
Kamal Ali Salaam-El was a running back on the football team at Washington-Lee from 1966-1968. He scored six touchdowns in the final “Old Oaken Bucket” game against George Washington, which was held his senior year.
He was also an athlete on the indoor and outdoor track teams from 1967-1969, and broke the Virginia state shotput record his senior year.
He continued his football career at the University of Cincinnati, where he rushed for 25 touchdowns in his career.
Ali Salaam-EL was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the ninth round of the 1974 draft and later picked up by the Pittsburgh Steelers. While playing with the Steelers, he was in Super Bowl X and 1976, where he set the record for most safeties in a game.
Frank Havens (Class of 1943)
Frank Havens played football at Washington-Lee and at the University of Maryland. He was also a U.S. Olympic Canoe and Kayak Team member in 1948, 1952, 1956, and 1960. At the 1948 London Olympic Games, Frank won a silver medal in singles canoeing (C-1). Havens won a gold medal in the singles canoeing (C-1) 10,000 meter event at the 1952 Helsinki Summer Olympics. He remains the only American to win a gold medal in single canoeing.
More recently, Havens competed in the 2002 Washington Canoe Club races and in July 2002 won six gold medals in his age group at the United States Masters National Championship.
Havens is a member of the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and the Arlington Sports Halls of Fame, and was named one of CNNSI.com’s top 50 Virginia athletes of the 20th century.
Ed Hummer (Class of 1963)
Ed Hummer played varsity basketball from 1960 through 1963, leading Washington-Lee to consecutive 1A state titles in 1962 and 1963. Hummer played a pivotal role in the championship victory in 1963 and in the General’s 24-0 season. He was awarded All-Tournament recognition and earned the Virginia Sportwriters and Sportscasters Associations’ Top Scholastic Player Award that season.
Hummer went on to play basketball at Princeton University, where he was part of the 1964-1965 team that went to the NCAA Final Four and twice earned All-League Honorable Mention.
After graduating, he was drafted by the Boston Celtics in the sixth round of the NBA draft, but chose to attend Georgetown University for law school, instead of pursuing a career in the NBA.
John Hummer (Class of 1966)
John Hummer played varsity basketball from 1964 through 1966, and in 1966, was voted the best player in the state of Virginia, a High-School All American, and an All-Metropolitan for the DC area.
The 1966 W-L team won the state basketball championship held at UVA. In that tournament, he was a unanimous All-Tournament selection and the high scorer.
Hummer went on to play basketball at Princeton University, where in the 1969-70 season, he was an All-Ivy League participant.
Hummer was a first-round pick by the Buffalo Braves in the 1970 NBA draft, and continued to play with the Braves and the Seattle Supersonics until 1976.
Vincent Kirchner (Class of 1941)
Vincent Kirchner was a three-sport athlete at Washington-Lee, playing baseball from 1938 through 1940, football in 1939 and 1940, and basketball for one year in 1940. Kirchner was one of the founders of the Better Sports Club of Arlington. When he was honored by the Kiwanis Club of Arlington in 2006, Kirchner was referred to as “one of the greatest athletes that Washington-Lee High School ever produced.”
Kinchner served in World War II after graduation.
Clay Kirby (Class of 1966)
Clay Kirby played football, basketball and baseball for Washington-Lee. He was also very active in clubs, including the Blue and Gray Club and the Varsity Letterman Club.
Clay was was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in 1966, in the third round of the MLB draft. However, he was chosen by the San Diego Padres in the 1968 expansion draft and became a starting pitcher for that team in 1969.
He went on to pitch for the Cincinnati Reds, who won the World Series in 1975 against the Boston Red Sox. His eighth and final year was spent with the Montreal Expos.
Morris Levin (Teacher, Coach)
Morris Levin was a history teacher and coach at Washington-Lee for 33 years.
He was the Varsity Basketball coach for 17 years, starting in the 1956-1957 season.
During the 1960s, Levin led his team to win three Virginia State Championships (1962, 1963, and 1966). His teams had a 42-game winning streak during his tenure as a coach. Levin credits the program’s success to the leadership of his teams’ captains.
Bridget Mahle (Class of 1999)
Bridget Mahle (Mallon) was a four-year varsity swimmer at Washington-Lee and a team captain her senior year. She was the district, region, and state champion in the 100 fly her freshman, sophomore and junior years. She set state and district and state meet records in the 100 fly as a sophomore. During her senior year, she placed second at the State meet, swimming the 100 fly in an All-American automatic qualifying time of 56.36 seconds. This time remains the W-L record.
Mahle went on to swim for the University of Maryland, where she competed in the 100 fly, 200 fly, and on several medley relay teams. She set school records in the 100 fly, earned All-ACC honors, and was the ACC champion in the 100 fly as a junior. Mahle competed in the U.S. Olympic trials in 2000 in the 100 fly and 200 fly, and the Swimming World Cup in 1999 and 2000, placing third in 2000.
Shelley Mann (Class of 1955)
Shelley Mann began competitive swimming at age 12. By the time she was 14, she had won her first of 24 national titles.
She excelled in all the strokes, and in the 1950s, won the national championships in the 100m backstroke, freestyle, and butterfly, the 250m freestyle, the 200m butterfly, and the 200m individual medley. Mann was also a world record holder in the 100m and the 200m butterfly.
She went on to win a gold medal in the 100m butterfly, and a silver medal in the 4x100m freestyle relay at the 1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, Australia.
James Mon (Teacher and Coach)
James Mon, known as “Mr. Mon” or “Mon,” coached a variety of sports at Washington-Lee for 36 years. During his time as a teacher and after he retired, he coached basketball, softball, football, track — and most notably — wrestling.
Mon was quick with a smile or a joke, beloved by students, and always on the lookout for new wrestlers. He led by example, believed in his athletes, and held those he coached to the highest standards of excellence.
Mon led many wrestlers to local, regional, and state medals.
Del Norwood (Teacher and Coach)
Del Norwood was a teacher and coach at Washington-Lee for 32 years. He coached JV baseball in 1956-57 and started the rifle program in 1957. Most notably, he coached the varsity baseball team from 1958-1989.
Additionally, he started the varsity soccer program in 1966, coached JV basketball from 1972-1973, varsity girls basketball from 1974-1989, and cross country from 1988-1989.
John Randolph (Class of 1960)
John Randolph was a member of the track team at Washington-Lee from 1957-1960. He attended the College of William and Mary and graduated in 1964.
Randolph coached track at the University of Florida, the U.S. Military Academy, and William and Mary. He became athletic director at the College of William and Mary in 1985.
He served in this position until his death in 1995.
Randoph also served as a Marine Corps Captain in the Viet Nam Conflict.
Barbara Reinwald (Teacher, Coach)
Barbara H. Reinwald was a physical education teacher who spent 32 years at Washington-Lee High School before retiring in 1992. Reinwald coached gymnastics, track, soccer, swimming and diving at Washington-Lee. She also started the school’s invitational gymnastics meet.
She was a Virginia high school rule interpreter and clinician from 1962 to 1991 and an officer of other professional organizations. In 1992, she was inducted in the Virginia High School Hall of Fame, which honors student athletes, coaches and administration. In 1973, she participated in a study tour of the Soviet Union on training and facilities in physical education.
In 1981, she co-coached soccer teams in France, Switzerland and Austria.
Eric Sievers (Class of 1976)
Eric Sievers played football and basketball at Washington-Lee from 1973-1975. He was MVP of the track team in 1976 and played baseball in 1974.
He went on to play football for the University of Maryland, where he was named Offensive Lineman of the Year in both his junior and senior seasons.
Sievers was selected by the San Diego Chargers in the fourth round of the 1981 NFL draft. He was named to the 1981 NFL All-Rookie team. Sievers played as a tight end for ten years in the NFL with the Chargers, the Los Angeles Rams, and the New England Patriots. He was New England’s leading receiver in the 1989 season.
Sievers was inducted into the Virginia High School Hall of Fame in 1997.
John Youngblood (Teacher, Coach, Athletic Director)
John Youngblood was a teacher, coach, and athletic director at Washington-Lee for 27 years. He coached softball, football, wrestling, and track.
He led the football team to three Northern Region championship and his 1960 football team won the state championship.
Youngblood became the athletic director in 1964 and was named Virgina Athletic Director of the Year for 1975-1976. He was also the first president of the Virginia State Athletic Directors Association.
He was inducted into the National High School Sports Hall of Fame in 1988.
Inductee Class of 2017
Steve Buckhantz (Class of 1973)
In 1973, Steve Buckhantz graduated from Washington-Lee where he was a three-year football student/athlete. It was also at W-L that Steve began fostering his love for broadcasting. Young Buckhantz was the announcer for home Boy’s Basketball games as well as the school’s morning announcements.
After graduating from W-L, he took his talents to James Madison University, where he became the Sports Director for the local campus radio station. After stops in Chattanooga, TN and Atlanta, GA he moved back home. For the past 20 years, Steve has held the play-by-play duties for the Washington Wizards on Comcast SportsNet.
Warren Doles (Class of 1987)
Warren Doles graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1987 as a three-sport letterman in football, basketball, and baseball. Warren is the only W-L athlete to ever win Player of the Year honors in football and basketball during the same school year. As a senior on the football team, he led the Northern Virginia Region in yards and catches. Leading the Generals to the Northern Virginia Regional Basketball Tournament, he was selected first team All-Region point guard.
After graduation, Warren took his talents to Shepard University on a full scholarship to play basketball, where his records still stand today. After playing in college, he joined National Basketball Association Summer League for a stint before returning to graduate school at United States Sports Academy.
Wanting to give back to our community, he created a non-profit organization focusing on working with high school students in order to obtain athletic scholarships: UDesignateMe.org.
Anthony (Tony) Johnson (Class of 1958)
Graduating with the Class of 1958, Tony Johnson was among the first members of the boys’ crew team to compete at the prestigious Henley Royal Regatta held in Henley-on-Thames, England. During his senior campaign, he led the Washington-Lee Varsity Eight to an undefeated season which culminated in winning the Northern Virginia Championship, the Stotesbury Cup Regatta, and the Scholastic National Regatta.
Continuing his efforts on the water, he attended Syracuse University for four years. Following his dream of competing in the Olympics, he was invited to join The U. S. Olympic Team for the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo, then again for the 1968 games Mexico City. Along with his teammate Larry Hough, he brought home the Silver Medal for the United States in 1968.
Given encouragement by another Washington-Lee Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, Charlie Butt, he continued to stay involved by coaching at Georgetown University, then Yale University. He earned many accolades for his efforts on the collegiate and Olympic coaching level, and was awarded the 2014 U. S. Rowing Medal of Honor.
Tony continues to strive to be a champion in the sport, on and off the water. He prides himself for his integral role in bringing women’s rowing into the national spotlight.
John Leypoldt (Class of 1965)
John Leypoldt graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1965, where he was a formidable kicker for the football team. John made 64 out of 65 field goals or extra point tries during his high school career.
He continued his efforts in the National Football League from 1971 to 1978. He currently holds team records from his time with Buffalo Bills with total field goals (74) and extra points (147) made. Furthermore, he scored the second highest amount of total points on the team during his tenure (369).
Lynn Moore (Class of 1963)
Lynn Moore graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1963, where he was a football, basketball, and baseball standout. He was a starter on a Boys’ Varsity Basketball Team that won 42 consecutive games, including two Virginia State Championships in 1962 and 1963. As an All-State Quarterback for the football team, he guided the Generals to a 17-2-1 record during his final two seasons, capping off with a Northern District Championship in 1962. He help complete a trifecta for the baseball team, winning the Northern District Championship in 1961, 1962, and 1963. Hailed as a perfectionist by his coach, Lynn prided himself as being the most versatile member on the basketball court.
After W-L, he attended Princeton University as a member of the football and baseball teams, while earning a degree a degree in politics. After graduation, he continued his education at University of Oklahoma College of Law in 1970. residing in Tulsa, OK, he has achieved numerous accolades throughout his professional career.
Lynn recently commented that “my scholastic and athletic experience at W-L was absolutely tops. The lessons taught regarding the importance of commitment, effort and teamwork have been invaluable to me.”
Jake Scott (Class of 1963)
Jake Scott was a member of the Washington-Lee Class of 1963. He was a superior student-athlete for the football team during his time at W-L.
While at the University of Georgia, he amassed numerous records, and went on to play professionally in the Canadian Football League, then the Miami Dolphins, where he was a
key member of the undefeated 1972 team. He was voted MVP of Super Bowl VII, intercepting two passes during the game. During his Dolphins career, he was an All-Pro five consecutive years, from 1971-1975. Late in his career, he played for the Washington Redskins.
Inductee Class of 2018
Ronald Deskins (Class of 1964)
Ronald Deskins graduated from Washington-Lee in 1964. He was a member of the varsity football and baseball teams. During both the 1962 and 1963 seasons the football and baseball teams won the Northern Virginia Regional Championship. Deskins played running back on the football team and was the starting center fielder on the baseball team. He was named a Washington Post football player of the week during his senior year. He was also voted MVP of the baseball team during his senior year, based on fielding and being the leading power hitter. After graduation, Deskins played football at Morgan State University in Baltimore. Deskins was one of four students who became the first black students to integrate a Virginia school on February 2, 1959 at Stratford Jr. High School. He was one of the first black students to participate in varsity inter-scholastic athletics in Virginia.
Robyn Johnson-Ross (Class of 1964)
Robyn Johnson-Ross graduated from Washington-Lee in 1964. She was a swimmer with the Northern Virginia Aquatic Club, and as a competitor she traveled all over the world and was at one time considered the best women’s freestyle swimmer in the United States. Among her other accomplishments she both won, and set American records in, the 100-yard freestyle, 250-yard freestyle and the 500-yard freestyle at the 1962 National Amateur Athletic Union Senior Women’s Indoor Swimming Championships in Sacramento, CA. At the 1963 Pan American Games in Sao Paolo, Brazil she won a gold medal in the 200-meter freestyle and a bronze medal in the 400 meter freestyle. Johnson-Ross was featured in Sports Illustrated, Swimming World, and Listen Magazine for her success in the sport.
Henry Kerfoot, Jr. (Class of 1952)
Henry Kerfoot, Jr. graduated from Washington-Lee in 1952. He was a three-year member of the varsity golf team, playing in the number one position for all three years. In his senior year, he won the Metropolitan School Boy Championship. He received a full athletic scholarship to play golf at Wake Forest University, where he started all four years and was captain when the team won the ACC Championship during his senior year. Kerfoot continued to play golf competitively after college and has won the Virginia Senior Amateur Championship along with three Middle Atlantic Golf Association Senior Championships. He also worked to support the sport of golf by founding the Northern Virginia Amateur Championship in 1974 and serving as president of the Middle Atlantic Golf Association. He is a founder of The First Tee of Washington, an organization that uses golf to promote character and leadership to youth.
David J. Morgan (Class of 1970)
David Morgan graduated from Washington-Lee in 1970. He was a member of the varsity wrestling team and played American Legion Baseball. He was also a leader in the Student Government Association. After attending the University of Virginia, he returned to Arlington where he taught history and geography at W-L as well as coached freshmen, JV, and varsity football and JV softball for the Generals. Morgan achieved great success as an Athletic Director in Fairfax County and has been influential throughout the country in that field. He was a president of both the Virginia and National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Associations. He has been honored by the Better Sports Club of Arlington with a Coaching Achievement Award, been voted Virginia Athletic Director of the Year, and was the first recipient of the VIAAA’s John Youngblood Lifetime Achievement Award. He is also a member of the VHSL Hall of Fame, the Arlington Sports Hall of the Fame, and the NIAAA National Hall of Fame.
Crawford Palmer (Class of 1988)
Crawford Palmer graduated from Washington-Lee in 1988. He was a member of the varsity basketball team. In 1988 he was honored as an All-District, All-Region, and All-Metro selection. He was also a McDonald’s All-American and participated in the Capital Classic. After graduation, he attended Duke University where he played during the 1989, 1990, and 1991 seasons. He was a member of the 1991 National Championship Team. After university, he had a 13-year professional career in France and Spain, playing for the French National Team from 1998-2001 and earning a Silver Medal with France during the 2000 Sydney Olympics. After his playing career, he served as General Manager of the French National Team and as an NBA Liaison from 2008-2012.
Walter Palmer (Class of 1986)
Walter Palmer graduated from Washington-Lee in 1986. He was a member of the varsity basketball team and President of the Thespian Club. After graduation, he attended Dartmouth College where he played basketball from 1986-1990. He was named 2nd team All-Ivy in 1989 and 1st team All-Ivy in 1990, setting an Ivy League record of 11 blocked shots against Harvard. Palmer was selected 33rd in the 1990 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He also played for the Dallas Mavericks and, until 2003, in the professional leagues in Spain, Italy, France, Argentina, and Germany. After his playing career, he became an activist for athletes rights founding a players association in Germany and umbrella organizations for player unions at the European and global levels. He later worked as the Deputy Executive Director of the NBA Players Association and as a consultant for player unions.
Inductee Class of 2019
Brian Blados, Class of 1980
Brian Blados graduated from Washington-Lee HS in 1980. He was a varsity athlete on the football, wrestling, and track teams. He was a district champion in wrestling during his senior year and was honored as an All-District football player in his junior and senior years. After graduating from W-L, Blados attended the University of North Carolina, where he played offensive tackle. During his senior season there were two 1000-yard rushers and he is credited with creating the space for that yardage to occur. The Tar Heels won three bowl games, had a record of 37-11, and were ranked in the top 10 during all four of his years with the team. In the 1984 NFL draft, Blados was selected in the first round by the Cincinnati Bengals. That year he was chosen for the 1984 NFL All-Rookie Team. He played guard and offensive tackle for the Bengals from 1984-1991. He played in Super Bowl XXIII in 1988. He also spent one year each with the Indianapolis Colts and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Mary Lynn Clark, Class of 2013
Mary Lynn Clark graduated from Washington-Lee in 2013. She was a two-sport athlete participating in varsity gymnastics and diving. Clark was a stand-out on the gymnastics team during her four years at W-L. She was team captain for two years and led the team to its first region championship in 2012 and to a second-place finish at the state meet that same year. At that state meet in 2012, Clark won the vault and bars championships and was runner-up in individual all-around. She was the Northern Region all-around champion in 2011 and the runner up in 2010 and 2012. Clark was recognized by the Washington Post as the All-Met Gymnast of the Year in 2012, also earning All-Met first team honors in 2010 and 2013 and All-Met honorable mention in 2011. Clark was also a decorated club gymnast with Apollo Gymnastics, where she qualified for Eastern Nationals in 2013 and won the vault title. She went on to pursue Division 3 diving at Scripps College where she was awarded the Boucquey Outstanding Student Athlete Award.
Tyrone Epperson, Class of 1967
Tyrone Epperson graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1967. He was a three-sport athlete, participating on the varsity teams in football, basketball, and track. He was an outstanding shooter as a member of the 1966 state basketball championship team. He was selected as a captain during his senior year. On the football team, he played full back and running back and had 900 career rushing yards. He was selected to the first team All-Met his senior year and voted Best Football Player in the Washington Metropolitan area for the 1966-67 season. In track, he set the school record for the Triple Jump. As of his induction in 2019, this record still stands.
George McQuinn, Class of 1929
George McQuinn graduated from Washington-Lee in 1929. McQuinn played first base and was named the first captain of W-L’s baseball team. He played in the minor leagues after graduation and was picked up by the Cincinnati Reds in 1936 to start his Major League baseball career. That career lasted 12 years and McQuinn played with the Reds, the St. Louis Browns, the Philadelphia A’s, and the New York Yankees. In the 1938 season with the Browns, McQuinn hit safely in 34 consecutive games and had a .324 batting average. In 1947, McQuinn earned the starting first baseman job with the New York Yankees. He had a batting average of .304 that season, driving in 80 runs and homering 13 times. He helped lead that team to a World Series Championship over the Dodgers. McQuinn was a seven time All-Star and finished sixth in MVP voting in 1947. He retired after the 1948 season.
He is a member of the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
James Spriggs, Class of 1966
James Spriggs graduated from Washington-Lee High School in 1966. He played varsity basketball in 1965 and 1966, and was a starter on the 1966 state championship basketball team. After graduation, Spriggs attended Northern Virginia Community College for one year and played basketball there. He was drafted into the Army and was stationed in Germany. While there he started at center for the U.S. Army basketball team. His team went 26-3 and were Company Champions and Battalion Champions. Spriggs was named to the USAREUR All-Star Team. Upon his return to the U.S., Spriggs earned a scholarship to King’s Business College, where he attended and played basketball for two years.
Harry L. Thomas, Jr., Class of 1972
Harry Thomas graduated from Washington-Lee in 1972. He was a three-sport athlete, competing on the varsity football, basketball, and baseball teams. He earned first team All-Met honors for football and first team All-Region honors for football and baseball during his senior year. His senior year, he was named the Northern Region Player of the Year for baseball, earned an Arlington County Athlete of the Year honor from the Better Sports Club of Arlington and was named the Washington-Lee High School Athlete of the Year. Thomas went 9-0 as a pitcher his senior year and had a team leading batting average of .381. That baseball team won the district and region championships and was runner-up in the state championship. Thomas went on to play football and baseball at the University of Virginia. He earned 2nd team All-ACC honors in 1974 in baseball and was named co-captain of the baseball team in 1976.