Five former All-Americans, including three who went on to professional careers, and two of the most successful coaches in school history, make up the third class of the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame.

The Class of 1999 consists of football standout Harold “Buck” Thompson, CHEP ’50, of Rehoboth Beach, Del.; former football All-American and National Football League standout Conway Hayman, AS ’71, of Missouri City, Texas; All-American swimmer Mary Pat Johnson Jordan, CHEP ’82, of Woodbine, Md.; the late Harry W. Rawstrom, longtime UD swimming head coach; three-time All-American lacrosse Randy Powers, BE ’86, of Camillus, N.Y.; All-American pitcher Steve Taylor, HNS ’78, of Wilmington, Del.; and current UD athletics administrator and former field hockey and basketball coach Mary Ann Hitchens, HNS ’67, ’92M/CHEP, of Landenberg, Pa.

CONWAY HAYMAN: One of the top offensive linemen in Delaware football history, Hayman led the Blue Hens to three consecutive Lambert Cup titles, three straight Boardwalk Bowl wins and two straight Middle Atlantic Conference championships during his stellar career from 1968-70. A Newark, Del., native, Hayman was a consensus first team All-American at offensive guard in 1970 and was a two-time All-Middle Atlantic Conference selection. He was a sixth round pick in the 1971 National Football League draft and went on to play six seasons with the Houston Oilers. He served as head football coach at NCAA I-AA Prairie View A&M in 1983-86.

MARY ANN HITCHENS: A pioneer in the growth of UD’s women’s athletics program, Hitchens enjoyed great success as a coach and continues to gain notice as a nationally respected administrator. A native of Milford, Del., Hitchens posted a record of 71-35 with six post-season appearances in basketball (1969-78) and recorded a 16-year mark of 196-76-30 in field hockey (1973-88) that included six national playoff appearances, with a second-place Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) national finish in 1978. During her tenure, she coached nine All-Americans and was East Coast Conference Coach of the Year four times. Hitchens served two terms as president of the America East Conference from 1992-94 and was the first woman to hold that post. Since 1982, she has served in the positions of assistant director of athletics, associate director of athletics and currently senior associate director of athletics.

MARY PAT JOHNSON JORDAN: The most honored female swimmer in UD history, Jordan led the Blue Hens to a dynasty in 1978-82 that included two EAIAW Eastern regional titles, a ninth-place AIAW national finish in 1981 and two undefeated dual-meet seasons that began a school record 42-meet winning streak. Jordan is the only four-year All- American in UD women’s athletics history, earning 10 All-American citations during her career, including an AIAW national title in the 200 freestyle relay in 1981. A 1981-82 co-captain, she held eight school records upon graduation. She is currently a special education supervisor and resides in Woodbine, Md.

RANDY POWERS: A high-scoring attackman, Powers ranked among the nation’s top offensive players during his career at Delaware. A native of Syracuse, N.Y., Powers earned USILA All-American honors three times as a Blue Hen, including second-team selections in 1985 and 1986. He also played in the North-South Senior All-Star game in 1986. The only two-time East Coast Conference Player of the Year in UD history, he earned All-ECC honors three times and led the Blue Hens to three straight league titles. He led the Blue Hens to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984 and still holds UD records for goals (161) and shots (558) in a career and held the school career point record (241) until 1995. He is currently vice president of investments at A.G. Edwards & Sons Inc.

HARRY W. RAWSTROM (1917-94): One of the nation’s most respected collegiate swimming coaches during his tenure, Mr. Rawstrom served as head coach at Delaware for 35 years from 1946-81—the second longest head coaching tenure in any sport in UD history. A Montclair, N.J., native and two-time collegiate All-American at Springfield (Mass.), Mr. Rawstrom posted a 35-year dual record of 211-154 and led the Blue Hens to the 1947 Mason-Dixon Conference title and the 1954 Middle Atlantic Conference title. Mr. Rawstrom was a professor of physical education at Delaware from 1948-81 and was the co-founder of the UD men’s lacrosse program with Milt Roberts, serving as head coach for the first two seasons in 1948-49. The UD pool in Carpenter Sports Building is named in his honor.

STEVE TAYLOR: A standout on both the pitching mound and in the classroom, Taylor was a dominating right hander during his only season with the Blue Hens in 1977. A native of Newark, Del., Taylor was unstoppable in 1977, posting a 12-1 record and 1.59 ERA, with 114 strikeouts, while leading Delaware to the East Coast Conference regular season title. He earned first-team American Baseball Coaches Association All-American honors and was a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American. He became Delaware’s first-ever first-round draft pick, when he was selected by the New York Yankees in the 1977 June draft. He moved on to a successful career in business and as state representative in Delaware and was inducted into the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-American Hall of Fame in 1990.

HAROLD “BUCK” THOMPSON: One of the great players of Coach Bill Murray’s football era at Delaware, Thompson played on teams that had a three-year record of 25-0-1 in 1941, 1942 and 1946 and won the 1946 Associated Press Small College national title. A standout end from Manasquan, N.J., Thompson earned AP honorable mention All-American honors during the 1946 season when he set school records for the longest rush (98 yards vs. Washington College) and longest kickoff return (99 yards vs. Western Maryland). He went on to a two-year professional career with the Brooklyn Dodgers of the All-American Football Conference in 1947-48. A member of the state of Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, Thompson served as a member of UD’s Board of Trustees and currently chairs the UD Athletic Visiting Committee.

–Scott Selheimer