George Washington University Athletics
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Photo by: William Atkins / The George Wash
Hall of Fame Memories Shared at GW
11/9/2019 6:25:00 PM | Baseball, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Basketball, Women's Swimming and Diving
Coincidentally held at GW's Lerner Health and Wellness Center, a facility named for the Lerner family who owns the District of Champions' World Series winning Washington Nationals, GW Athletics celebrated its own Champions on Friday night.
Stories of friendship, determination and personal growth were on display, as eight individuals and one team were formally added to the David and Abbie Friedman Family Foundation Hall of Fame.
Elisa Aguilar (women's basketball), Juan Bocanegra (men's swimming), Mike Hall (men's basketball), Ed McKee (administration), Pops Mensah-Bonsu (men's basketball), Meghan Mitchell Olson (women's swimming), Anna Montañana (women's basketball), Tom Walter (former Head Baseball Coach) and the 1996-97 women's basketball team were enshrined in front of a record crowd of family members, teammates, friends and fans.
Hosted by Director of Athletics and Hall of Fame member Tanya Vogel, inductees were enshrined by current student-athletes. President Thomas LeBlanc also addressed the night's honorees as "role models for our communities, not just for our student-athletes."
Anna Montañana was inducted by her fellow Spanish national, men's basketball student-athlete Javier Langarica. She said that she was able to live her family's dream of playing in the United States. "I think that this is a perfect college in a perfect city for international players," she said.
Elisa Aguilar preceded Montañana at GW, and would eventually become her teammate at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In her remarks, Aguilar noted that she and Montañana were joining Noelia Gomez as three Spanish women's basketball Hall of Famers at GW. "The university gave me the opportunity of a lifetime," she said. "With three Spaniards in the Hall of Fame, I can assure you that Spain is Buff and Blue."
Mike Hall was unable to attend the ceremony, as he continues his professional playing career in Italy. In a video he sent for the ceremony, he thanked GW for the opportunity, and coaches Steve Pikiell and Karl Hobbs (now on the staff together at Rutgers University) for their dogged commitment to recruiting him. Hall's award was accepted on his behalf by his wife, a former GW gymnast and his next door neighbor in Guthridge Hall, and their son MJ.
Ed McKee was honored for his decades of investment in GW's community, both in engaging fans and in creating bonds among athletics alumni with their alma mater. He spoke fondly of many of his favorite teams, and expressed his gratitude for his family and the supportive community of staff and student-athletes who were with him in challenging moments in his life.
Tom Walter joined GW as an assistant coach, and later amassed one of GW's greatest coaching resumes. He credited the culture and vision of the GW Baseball alumni community as well as the support and investment of GW's administration, with his success.
Meghan Mitchell Olson, one of the two swimmers who made GW's debut at the 1994 NCAA National Meet, said that while her academic pursuits evolved and changed at GW, swimming was a stable and strong force in her life. "I grew to love swimming more and more during my time here," she said. After a brief stint as a professional swimmer, Mitchell Olson continues her commitment to the sport as a coach.
Juan Bocanegra, a two-time GW alumnus, thanked his family for accidentally starting his Olympic-level swimming career by idly asking if he would survive falling off a boat at the age of three. He thanked GW for not only his swimming career, but for the opportunity to meet his wife, fellow GW swimmer, Kristen. His life and career have carried him around the world, but in his friendships, studies and family, "the one common thread has always been GW," he said.
Pops Mensah-Bonsu was joined at the Athletics Hall of Fame by a large community of family members, GW teammates and coaches, and colleagues at the Capital City Go-Go, where he serves as the G-League Team's General Manager. "I'm not supposed to be here," Mensah-Bonsu said, reflecting on his humble background and extremely raw talent. Because of his teammates, his coaches, and mentors like Leroy Charles, he was able to pursue a successful NBA and international playing career.
The 1996-97 GW Women's Basketball team is the second team in the history of the Hall of Fame. The squad reached the Elite Eight. Head Coach Joe McKeown was joined by Tajama Abraham, Lisa Cermignano, Chastity Myers, Vesna Perak, Marlo Egleston, Colleen McCrea, Khadija Deas and Mandisa Turner.
"This team started the season 1-4," McKeown said in his remarks. "When I asked the team what was going wrong, they said, 'we're going undefeated the rest of the way.' And that's what they did."
Tanya Vogel thanked the Class of 2019 for their example to the program's current student-athletes, coaches and staff. "It is upon their shoulders that we define our championship culture."
Stories of friendship, determination and personal growth were on display, as eight individuals and one team were formally added to the David and Abbie Friedman Family Foundation Hall of Fame.
Elisa Aguilar (women's basketball), Juan Bocanegra (men's swimming), Mike Hall (men's basketball), Ed McKee (administration), Pops Mensah-Bonsu (men's basketball), Meghan Mitchell Olson (women's swimming), Anna Montañana (women's basketball), Tom Walter (former Head Baseball Coach) and the 1996-97 women's basketball team were enshrined in front of a record crowd of family members, teammates, friends and fans.
Hosted by Director of Athletics and Hall of Fame member Tanya Vogel, inductees were enshrined by current student-athletes. President Thomas LeBlanc also addressed the night's honorees as "role models for our communities, not just for our student-athletes."
Anna Montañana was inducted by her fellow Spanish national, men's basketball student-athlete Javier Langarica. She said that she was able to live her family's dream of playing in the United States. "I think that this is a perfect college in a perfect city for international players," she said.
Elisa Aguilar preceded Montañana at GW, and would eventually become her teammate at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. In her remarks, Aguilar noted that she and Montañana were joining Noelia Gomez as three Spanish women's basketball Hall of Famers at GW. "The university gave me the opportunity of a lifetime," she said. "With three Spaniards in the Hall of Fame, I can assure you that Spain is Buff and Blue."
Mike Hall was unable to attend the ceremony, as he continues his professional playing career in Italy. In a video he sent for the ceremony, he thanked GW for the opportunity, and coaches Steve Pikiell and Karl Hobbs (now on the staff together at Rutgers University) for their dogged commitment to recruiting him. Hall's award was accepted on his behalf by his wife, a former GW gymnast and his next door neighbor in Guthridge Hall, and their son MJ.
Ed McKee was honored for his decades of investment in GW's community, both in engaging fans and in creating bonds among athletics alumni with their alma mater. He spoke fondly of many of his favorite teams, and expressed his gratitude for his family and the supportive community of staff and student-athletes who were with him in challenging moments in his life.
Tom Walter joined GW as an assistant coach, and later amassed one of GW's greatest coaching resumes. He credited the culture and vision of the GW Baseball alumni community as well as the support and investment of GW's administration, with his success.
Meghan Mitchell Olson, one of the two swimmers who made GW's debut at the 1994 NCAA National Meet, said that while her academic pursuits evolved and changed at GW, swimming was a stable and strong force in her life. "I grew to love swimming more and more during my time here," she said. After a brief stint as a professional swimmer, Mitchell Olson continues her commitment to the sport as a coach.
Juan Bocanegra, a two-time GW alumnus, thanked his family for accidentally starting his Olympic-level swimming career by idly asking if he would survive falling off a boat at the age of three. He thanked GW for not only his swimming career, but for the opportunity to meet his wife, fellow GW swimmer, Kristen. His life and career have carried him around the world, but in his friendships, studies and family, "the one common thread has always been GW," he said.
Pops Mensah-Bonsu was joined at the Athletics Hall of Fame by a large community of family members, GW teammates and coaches, and colleagues at the Capital City Go-Go, where he serves as the G-League Team's General Manager. "I'm not supposed to be here," Mensah-Bonsu said, reflecting on his humble background and extremely raw talent. Because of his teammates, his coaches, and mentors like Leroy Charles, he was able to pursue a successful NBA and international playing career.
The 1996-97 GW Women's Basketball team is the second team in the history of the Hall of Fame. The squad reached the Elite Eight. Head Coach Joe McKeown was joined by Tajama Abraham, Lisa Cermignano, Chastity Myers, Vesna Perak, Marlo Egleston, Colleen McCrea, Khadija Deas and Mandisa Turner.
"This team started the season 1-4," McKeown said in his remarks. "When I asked the team what was going wrong, they said, 'we're going undefeated the rest of the way.' And that's what they did."
Tanya Vogel thanked the Class of 2019 for their example to the program's current student-athletes, coaches and staff. "It is upon their shoulders that we define our championship culture."
Players Mentioned
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