Vol. 18, No. 9	Oct. 29, 1998

Athletes, coaches to be honored this weekend

The new inductees also will be recognized at halftime during the Delaware vs. Maine football game, Oct. 31, in Delaware Stadium.

Those to be recognized this year include standout football running backs Mike Brown HN '64 and Gerald "Doc" Doherty HP '48; former member of the UD Board of Trustees and UD Athletic Council the late John J. DeLuca AS '22; longtime golf coach and associate director of athletics the late R. B. "Scotty" Duncan HP '48; baseball and basketball standout and former major league baseball manager Dallas Green BE '56; softball All-American Audie Kujala-Showalter HN '77; All-American field hockey and lacrosse player Missy Meharg HN '85; and longtime head athletic trainer and men's tennis coach Roy "Doc" Rylander.

"We are proud to announce such an accomplished group for our second induction into the University of Delaware Athletics Hall of Fame," Edgar N. Johnson, athletics, said. "We are excited to recognize yet another outstanding group representing such a wide range of backgrounds and talents."

Brown, a native of Wilmington, was one of the greatest runners in Delaware football history. A three-time, All-Middle Atlantic Conference selection, he earned All-East and first team All-American honors in 1963 when he rushed for 838 yards and led the Blue Hens to the United Press International small college national title.

The 1964 UD Outstanding Senior Male Athlete, he rushed for 1,647 career yards in football and also held five school sprint records in track and field. A doctor of psychology, he lives in the San Francisco area.

Mr. DeLuca, a native of Wilmington, was a key figure in UD athletes for more than 35 years, as a football player and member of the UD Athletic Council. He was a standout guard for the Blue Hens from 1918-20 and served as a member of the athletic council for 25 years. He worked closely with Bob Carpenter in bringing Blue Hen football to the national forefront among small college teams in the 1940s. He died in 1985 at the age of 86.

Doherty, who still lives in his native Wilmington, was a three-year starter in both football and baseball during the 1940s. He earned third team All-American honors as a halfback in football and led the Blue Hens to the 1946 small college national title. He rushed for a then school record of 220 years yards on six carries in the game against Gettysburg that season. In baseball, he led the Blue Hens to the 1946 Middle Atlantic Conference title and set a school record with 25 stolen bases in 1947.

Mr. Duncan, a native of Cheshire, Conn., was associated with the UD athletic program for more than 40 years as an athlete, coach and administrator. He lettered in four sports at Delaware and was a member of the 1946 small college national champion football team. He served as men's golf head coach for 27 years and recorded a dual record of 365-94 from 1964 until his death at age 71 in 1990. Mr. Duncan's teams never had a losing season and won six conference titles and the 1977 Eastern title. One of the most respected coaches and administrators in the nation, Mr. Duncan also served as assistant and associate director of athletics from 1955-1988.

Green, a native of Newport, was a standout pitcher in baseball and a talented rebounder in basketball for the Blue Hens before embarking on a 13-year, major league baseball player career and success as a big league manager. He posted a 6-0 record, with a school record 0.88 earned run average, in 1955 for the UD baseball team. As a 6-5 center, he averaged 9.2 points and 7.9 rebounds per game for Delaware's basketball team in 1953-55. He played in 185 major league games with Philadelphia, Washington and the New York Mets. He managed the Phillies when the team won the 1980 World Series and later served as manager for the Mets and New York Yankees.

Kujala-Showalter, a native of Wilmington who still lives in Delaware, is the most honored player in UD softball history. She was named the national Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Player of the Year in 1977, the highest honor ever earned by a UD female athlete. A two-sport standout, she set 15 school records in softball and still holds marks for batting average in a season (.560) and career (.530). In field hockey, she was a four-year starting defender and led the Blue Hens to a fourth place AIAW national finish in 1976. Named UD's 1977 Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year, she was a professional softball player and served as head coach of the 1980 UD team.

Meharg, a native of Landenberg, Pa., was a standout at Tatnall School and earned All-American honors in both field hockey (1983) and lacrosse (1985) while at Delaware. A four-year starter in both sports, she was named East Coast Conference (EEC) Player of the Year in field hockey in 1983 and 1984 and also was a two-time All-ECC pick in lacrosse, leading Delaware to the 1983 NCAA title.

The 1985 UD Outstanding Senior Female Athlete of the Year, she still ranks among the top five goal scorers in both sports. Following seven years as a member of the U.S. National Field Hockey team, she was twice named NCAA Coach of the Year in field hockey and led the University of Maryland to the 1993 NCAA title.

Rylander, a native of Brooklyn now living in Newark, was a pioneer in the field of athletic training and served as a trainer and coach at UD for 42 years.

As Delaware's head athletic trainer from 1946 until 1988, he treated thousands of UD athletes and was inducted into the National Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame in 1986. His 41-year tenure as men's tennis coach from 1953-1993, the longest for a head coach in University history, was highlighted by a dual record of 343-176-1 and the 1974 Middle Atlantic Conference title. A professor emeritus, Rylander also served as director of intramural sports and men's gymnastics coach (1947-51).

He is a 1942 graduate of Southern Illinois University and earned his master's and doctoral degrees from New York University.