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| Vol. 19, No. 5 | Sept. 30, 1999 |
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| Vol. 19, No. 5 | Sept. 30, 1999 |
Two of the most successful coaches in UD history and five former All-Americans- including three who went on to professional careers-make up the third class of the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame, Edgar N. Johnson, athletics, announced this month.
The Class of 1999 consists of football standout Harold "Buck" Thompson, former football All-American and National Football League standout Conway Hayman, All-American swimmer Mary Pat Johnson Jordan, the late swimming head coach Harry W. Rawstrom, three-time All-American lacrosse Randy Powers, All-American pitcher and former No. 1 draft pick Steve Taylor and current UD athletics administrator and former field hockey and basketball coach Mary Ann Hitchens.
The seven will be inducted into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame in Ceremony, Nov. 12, at the Bob Carpenter Sports/ Convocation Center. The group also will be recognized at halftime of the Delaware vs. Rhode Island football game on Nov. 13. Plaques recognizing each of their accomplishments will hang in the Hall of Fame wing of the Bob Carpenter Center, along with plaques of the 18 previous inductees.
"We are excited to once again induct another class into the UD Athletics Hall of Fame," said Johnson. "Much like our first two groups of inductees, these seven represent a wide range of sports and accomplishments, all of them impressive. Each has made a valuable contribution to the Blue Hen tradition of athletics."
Conway Hayman, AS '71, was one of the top offensive linemen in Delaware football history. He led the Blue Hens to three consecutive Lambert Cup titles, three straight Boardwalk Bowl wins and two straight Middle Atlantic Conference championships during his career from 1968-70. 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. A member of the all-time Delaware football team selected in 1989, Hayman is also a member of the state of Delaware Sports Hall of Fame. He served as head football coach at NCAA I-AA Prairie View A&M from 1983-86 and currently resides in Missouri City, Texas.
Mary Ann Hitchens, HNS '67, CHEP '71M, is a pioneer in the growth of the University of Delaware's women's athletics program. She enjoyed great success as a coach and continues to gain notice as a nationally respected administrator. Hitchens posted a record of 71-35 with six postseason 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, including 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. She was inducted into the Delaware Sports Hall of Fame in 1997. She has served in the positions of assistant director of athletics, associate director of athletics and currently senior associate director of athletics at Delaware since 1982.
Mary Pat Johnson Jordan, CHEP '82, is the most honored female swimmer in UD history. Johnson 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. A four-year standout, Johnson 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 cocaptain, she held eight school records upon graduation, including marks in the 50 freestyle (24.84), 100 freestyle (53.82), 200 freestyle (1:58.54) and the 50 breaststroke (33.40). She is a special education supervisor and lives in Woodbine, Md.
Randy Powers, BE '86, a high- scoring attackman, ranked among the nation's top offensive players during his career at Delaware. He 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 and to their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 1984. Powers still holds UD records for goals (161) and shots (558) in a career, and he held the school career point record (241) until 1995. He is currently vice president of investments at A.G. Edwards and Sons Inc. and lives in Camillus, N.Y.
Harry W. Rawstrom, who died in 1994, was one of the nation's most respected collegiate swimming coaches. 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 two-time collegiate All-American, 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. He was a professor of physical education at UD from 1948-81 and was the cofounder of the UD men's lacrosse program with Milton Roberts, serving as head coach for the first two seasons in 1948-49. He is a member of the state of Delaware Sports Hall of Fame, and the pool in the Carpenter Sports Building is named in Mr. Rawstrom's honor.
Steve Taylor, HNS '78, was a standout both on the UD pitching mound and in the classroom. He was a dominating righthander during his only season with the Blue Hens in 1977. 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 the New York Yankees in the 1977 June draft selected him. He moved on to a successful career as a business executive and state representative in Delaware and was inducted into the prestigious CoSIDA Academic All-American Hall of Fame in 1990. He currently lives in Wilmington.
Harold "Buck" Thompson, CHEP '50, was one of the great players of the Coach Bill Murray football era at Delaware. Thompson played on teams that had a three-year record of 25-0-1 in 1941-42 and 46 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 the UD Board of Trustees and is chairperson of the UD Athletic Visiting Committee.
