Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame Inducts Class of 2026, Honors Legendary Coaches, Athletes

The Montgomery County (Maryland) Sports Hall of Fame inducted five individuals and the Academy of the Holy Cross girls basketball dynasty into its Class of 2026 during a ceremony in Silver Spring recognizing decades of achievement in athletics, coaching, officiating and community leadership.

The Hall of Fame includes athletes and sports figures recognized locally, nationally and internationally, including Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, Olympic gymnast Dominique Dawes, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson, former NFL star Shawn Springs, former tennis standout Jeri Ingram, former soccer star Bruce Murray, legendary broadcaster Johnny Holliday and ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt.

“Montgomery County has a great sports history, with athletes and teams that have stood out in the Washington region, nationally, and even worldwide,” said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “This year’s list of honorees again represents the depth of athletic achievements that have been produced in our county.”

Class of 2026 Honorees

The new members include Willie Allen (basketball), John Bunting (Football), Bill Dixon (referee), Dr. Betty Holston Smith (runner) and Coach Warren Crutchfield (posthumous) who were enshrined in the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame’s Class of 2026.

Willie Allen was a three-time All-Met basketball star who played at Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville, Maryland. He made history when he became the first African-American to play men’s basketball at the University of Miami. During his senior campaign at Richard Montgomery, Allen averaged 25 points and 23 rebounds while helping lead the Rockets to a Maryland state championship.

John Bunting, who played at Springbrook High School (Silver Spring, Maryland) and the University of North Carolina, enjoyed an 11-year career in the National Football League where he played for the Philadelphia Eagles. He also had a stint as the head coach for the University of North Carolina Tar Heels football program. Bunting also worked as an NFL assistant coach with the Kansas City Chiefs, St. Louis Rams and New Orleans Saints.

In 2000, Bunting won a Super Bowl ring when he served as the co-defensive coordinator for the St. Louis Rams.

Holy Cross Dynasty Recognized

The Academy of the Holy Cross girls basketball team became the first team inducted into the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame. That team won 115 consecutive games from 1977-82. Chrissy Reese and Karen Elsner were named Parade All-Americans, and Janet Hanrahan earned McDonald’s All-American honors. Fifteen Holy Cross student-athletes earned college basketball scholarships including Jackie Israel who went on to play at the University of Richmond.

Head Coach Bill Sheahan was the architect who guided Holy Cross to five consecutive IAABO (International Association of Approved Basketball Officials) championships and five consecutive Catholic Girls Athletic Association titles. “He was the Morgan Wootten of women’s basketball quite honestly,” Jackie Israel said about Bill Sheahan. “I think he loved the game, he loved the girls and he loved giving back to his community.”

Remembering Warren Crutchfield

Warren Crutchfield, a legendary track and field athlete and basketball coach who died in 2019, spent most of his career as a teacher at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, Maryland. He was widely recognized as the first African-American track and field head coach in Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) history.

Crutchfield, who who spent his entire life in Rockville, Maryland, began his basketball coaching career as an assistant boys basketball coach at Sherwood and Montgomery Blair High School (Silver Spring, Maryland).

“My dad was tough, he was an educator meaning we had to go to college and that was also something that he instilled in his players,” said Warren Crutchfield’s daughter LaShane Crutchfield. “It was very important that they got an education.”

Those sentiments were echoed by Natalie Thomas who played for Warren Crutchfield at Sherwood in the 1980’s. She was a team captain along with her cousin, Danni Thomas, and Kristen Slater. Tara Brooks was also a teammate at Sherwood.

“He had a vision, and he was able to inspire us in what he was telling us,” said Natalie Thomas, who walked on at Bowie State University and later became a girls head basketball coach at Wilde Lake High School in Howard County, Maryland. “He demanded respect but he wasn’t a hard person to get along with.”

Warren Crutchfield, who began his career in Montgomery County Public Schools as an elementary school physical education teacher, graduated from George Washington Carver High School in 1952 which was the only high school for black students in Montgomery County at that time.

During his career at Sherwood, Crutchfield coached various sports including boys and girls basketball, cross country and track and field teams.

At Sherwood, Crutchfield was honored as Teacher of the Year, girls basketball and track coach of the year and became the first teacher in MCPS history to speak at a high school graduation. Crutchfield earned the Mann Award from the Montgomery Journal newspaper for Outstanding Educator of the Year. He was also named Grand Marshal in the Olney parade, Olney Citizen of the Year and was inducted into the Sherwood Athletics Hall of Fame.

“He loved teaching, he loved mentoring,” added LaShane Crutchfield, “so he made sure that was something that he did.”

After retiring from MCPS, Crutchfield continued to coach basketball and track at various private schools including The Barrie School (Silver Spring, Maryland), The Bullis School (Potomac, Maryland) and The Academy of the Holy Cross (Kensington, Maryland). He also coached girls basketball at St. Vincent Pallotti High School in Laurel, Maryland before ending his coaching and teaching career at the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C.

In 2020, Sherwood High School named its gymnasium in Crutchfield's honor. “It is apropos that his name is on the gymnasium,” said LaShane Crutchfield.

Honoring Lifetime Achievement

Dr. Betty Holston Smith, a longtime marathon runner, was a student-athlete at Bethesda Chevy-Chase High School in the 1950’s. She was among the first African-American students at B-CC in school history.

Bill Dixon, a legendary basketball referee from Maryland who graduated from Montgomery Blair High School, has officiated for more than five decades and is a familiar face to area sports fans.

The Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame honors individuals, teams, coaches, managers, organizations and supporters who merit recognition and distinction for their outstanding contributions through inspiring achievements and leadership in sports and athletic endeavors in Montgomery County and beyond.

Unsung Sports Heroes Recognized

The Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame has partnered with the Montgomery County Sports Advisory Committee and the Montgomery County Department of Recreation to honor the 2026 Unsung Sports Heroes:

Sarah Albus (Open Door Sports)

Eric Moreno (Impact Silver Spring)

Amani Echols and Mary Figueroa (Hoop As You Are)

The Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame is seeking nominations for the Class of 2027 and is looking for athletes, coaches, journalists, officials and others who have made a significant contribution or brought notoriety to sports in Montgomery County.

Nominations can be made online and must be submitted by Wednesday, July 1, to be considered.

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