The University of Mary Washington Department of Athletics has received a significant donation for renovation of the outdoor tennis facility. The gift is from former UMW Athletic Director Edward Hegmann Jr., for whom the complex is named. Hegmann, UMW's three-time national championship tennis coach, is a member of the ITA Tennis and UMW Athletics Halls of Fame.
"Coach Hegmann's generous donation could not have come at a better time. The courts are top notch, but they are showing the impact of extensive wear over the years," said UMW Director of Athletics Patrick Catullo. "This renovation will significantly enhance the safety of the student-athlete experience, as well as provide opportunities for our community members."
Catullo added, "This gift will have a lasting and positive impact for years to come, and we could not be more grateful!"
A Pittsburgh, Pa. native, Hegmann earned his undergraduate degree from Bucknell University, his master's degree from Springfield College and a doctorate from Temple University. Beginning in 1976, he oversaw the expansion of the Mary Washington athletics program, which has grown from six sports to 23. He was a major catalyst in the development of the athletic facilities at UMW and watched 22 of the school's 23 programs advance to national championship competition.
"I sincerely hope my parents – mom, a physical education teacher in the 1920s and '30s; and dad, a CFO for the Power & Light Company in Pittsburgh – are looking down saying that they are really proud of me for making this renovation a reality," Hegmann said. "They were both responsible for providing the educational opportunities that brought me to Mary Washington, and they always insisted that we use the resources God has so generously provided us to make the world a 'better place.'"
Hegmann directed the women's tennis team for 23 years and led the Eagles to three national championships, including the AIAW national title in 1982 and NCAA Division III titles in 1988 and 1991. He gained eight Capital Athletic Conference Coach of the Year awards and captured nine straight CAC championships after the league was formed in 1990 through his retirement as coach in 1999. He was named the NCAA Division III National Coach of the Year in 1988 and again in 1999, and he was inducted into the ITA Women's Tennis Hall of Fame in 2010.
Hegmann was instrumental in the development of the Battleground Athletic Complex, the UMW outdoor facilities where five national championships have been held. He also supervised the construction of the state-of-the-art William M. Anderson Center, a basketball/volleyball arena that seats nearly 2,000 fans, which – for the past decade – has enabled UMW to host NCAA competition at the highest levels in those sports.
As for tennis, Hegmann was key to the planning of UMW's Indoor Tennis Center, built in 2005, as well as the 12-court lighted outdoor facility. The complex has allowed UMW to host national championships for both men's and women's tennis.