Ten new members and the first Team of Distinction of the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame were honored Sunday during a pregame ceremony at Nationals Park, before the Nationals play the Atlanta Braves.
The following honorees were inducted:
o Andrew Beyer – covered horse racing for The Washington Post for four decades, created the Beyer Speed Figure
o Tom Brown – two-sport professional athlete, played with the Washington Senators and Washington Redskins
o Sasho Cirovski – winningest coach in U. of Maryland men’s soccer history, three-time NCAA champion
o Tom Dolan – two-time Olympic gold medal-winning swimmer (1996 and 2000) and former world record holder
o Danny Ferry – men’s basketball national player of the year at DeMatha Catholic High School and Duke University
o Ray Flaherty (1903-1994) – first head coach of the Washington Redskins, two-time NFL champion
o Charles Mann – two-time NFL Super Bowl champion during 11 seasons with the Washington Redskins
o Kevin Payne – first president and CEO of DC United and four-time MLS Cup champion
o Cathy Reese – three-time coach of the year with U. of Maryland women’s lacrosse, 12-time NCAA champion
o Allie Ritzenberg (1918-2018) – fixture of D.C.’s tennis community for nearly eight decades
o 2017-18 Washington Capitals – 2018 Stanley Cup champions, brought first NHL title to D.C.
The inductees were selected based on their outstanding accomplishments in the world of sports, thereby bringing honor and recognition to the nation’s capital. They join a select group of distinguished athletes, coaches, owners, executives, media members, contributors, and sports personalities in the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame, which was founded in 1980.
Each honoree received a Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame plaque commemorating their induction and their names will be added to the Hall of Fame display at Nationals Park, overlooking the left field concourse.