UMW Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts Five as 18th Induction Class

Posted: Feb 06, 2014

The University of Mary Washington capped a busy day in athletics on Saturday night by inducting five new inductees into the athletic hall of fame in its 18th annual event.

The induction class includes All-America high jumper Bobby Bergin (’03), basketball standout Dan Dupras (’03), former head baseball coach Tom Sheridan, All-America tennis star Conor Smith (’03), and the 1993 Field Hockey Team, which advanced to the national championship game.

Bergin competed in eight NCAA track and field championships in his four-year career, gaining All-America honors four times. He finished second at the 2002 indoor championships and second in the 2003 indoor championships. His leap of 7 feet, 1.75 inches at the 2003 indoor championships tied him for the fifth-best jump in NCAA Division III history, tying for the best distance at the Championship.

Dupras ranks as the fourth-leading scorer and sixth-leading rebounder in UMW basketball history, and gained All- Capital Athletic Conference honors three times. As captain of the 2002-03 team, Dupras led the Eagles to their best record ever at 24-5, defeating Division I VMI, winning the CAC Championship, and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

Sheridan built the UMW baseball program from scratch in 1987, and won 579 games in a 25-year career at UMW. His teams advanced to 11 NCAA Tournaments, won 10 conference titles, and won at least 25 games on 15 occasions. A nine-time CAC Coach of the Year, Sheridan is just one of a handful of NCAA Division III coaches to amass 500 victories, and the 15 players the program has produced into professional baseball ranks among the most in the nation among Division III schools.

Smith became the first UMW men’s tennis player to be recognized on the national level as the program evolved into a national power. A three-time CAC Player of the Year and two-time singles All-American, he also garnered individual awards such as ITA Player to Watch and ITA Senior Player of the Year in the region. Along the way, he helped the team to four NCAA Tournament berths, finishing in the top 15 nationally three times.

The 1993 field hockey team finished with a 22-2 record, and advanced to the NCAA Division III national championship game. The team rattled off 51 goals in 24 games, and limited opponents to just seven goals all season, still one of the best defensive seasons in Division III history. Aside from UMW’s two NCAA Championship women’s tennis teams, they are the lone Mary Washington athletic program to advance to a team national championship game.

The day began with a reception with current student-athletes at 11:00 a.m., followed by recognition at halftime of the men’s basketball game at 3:00 p.m. A cocktail hour commenced at 6:00 p.m., followed by the induction banquet at the Jepson Alumni Center at 7:00 p.m.