George Washington University Athletics
GW Announces Hall of Fame Class of 2019
8/8/2019 12:00:00 PM | Baseball, General, Men's Basketball, Men's Swimming and Diving, Women's Basketball
Six Former Student-Athletes, Coach, Administrator and Decorated Team Earn Entrance Into GW Athletic Hall of Fame
The George Washington University Department of Athletics and Recreation proudly released today the eight individuals and one team who will comprise the GW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2019. Tom Walter (Head Coach, baseball), Mike Hall (men's basketball), Pops Mensah-Bonsu (men's basketball), Elisa Aguilar (women's basketball), Anna Montañana (women's basketball), Juan Bocanegra (men's swimming & diving), Meghan Mitchell Olson (women's swimming & diving), Ed McKee (administration) and the 1996-97 women's basketball team will comprise the 2019 Class. When they are officially inducted on November 8, 2019, the GW Athletic Hall of Fame will see its membership rise to 177.
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"The Hall of Fame is our greatest honor and this group represents a commitment to discipline and excellence at the highest degree," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Tanya Vogel. "Their achievements were made possible through sheer determination, and we look to use their example to inspire our current and future generation of champions."
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Tom Walter (GWSB, MBA '94) ushered in a new era of GW baseball as the bench boss from 1997-2004, becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history. Walter won 275 games in eight seasons as GW's head coach, averaging 39 wins a season over his final five years and collecting 30-plus victories six times. Walter guided his teams to four regular season West Division championships and won the A-10 Championship in 2002, advancing the Colonials to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. Walter is responsible for four of the five winningest seasons in program history, including a program-record 42 wins in 2002. His 2002 squad also set the school records for hits, RBI, runs, doubles, home runs, total bases, extra-base hits and strikeouts by a pitching staff. Walter tutored the highest draft pick in program history, Anthony Raglani, who was selected in the fifth round in 2004, and coached 18 First Team All-Conference selections, three A-10 Rookies of the Year and one Pitcher of the Year. Walter was an assistant coach at GW from 1992-94, serving on the staff of the 1992 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
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Mike Hall (GWSPH, BS '06) was the glue-guy of GW's star-laden teams of the mid-2000s that won an A-10 Tournament Championship and league regular season championship. He led the Colonials in rebounding all four seasons - one of three players to accomplish that feat - and posted 25 double-doubles during a 117-game career in which GW went 79-40. He was a member of the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team and A-10 All-Tournament Team in 2003 after averaging 9.7 points and team-best 8.2 rebounds as a freshman. As a sophomore, he earned Team MVP honors while averaging 10.3 points and 7.8 rebounds for a GW team that reached the postseason with a berth in the NIT. He followed up with Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a junior in helping GW to the 2005 A-10 Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament, averaging 10.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. He was one of GW's four All-Conference picks in his final season, earning Second Team honors again as well as All-Defensive Team honors with 11.0 points and 7.6 rebounds on the Colonials' legendary 2005-06 team that went 27-3 overall, a perfect 16-0 in the A-10, ranked as high as No. 6 nationally and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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Pops Mensah-Bonsu (CCAS, BA '06) averaged double figures and led his team in blocks all four seasons at GW from 2002-06. Among the league's top rookies with 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman starter in 2002-03, Mensah-Bonsu provided 11.6 points and 5.4 boards in a reserve role en route to being named the Atlantic 10's Chris Daniels Most Improved Player as a sophomore on GW's 2004 NIT team. He then averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds as a junior, earning Second Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Championship Team honors as he helped GW capture its first-ever A-10 Championship title and make the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Mensah-Bonsu cemented his legacy on GW's banner 2005-06 team, capturing First Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Defensive Team honors with a career-best 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. Pops, whose professional playing career spanned nearly a decade in the NBA, Europe and the 2012 Olympics with his native Great Britain, ranks 25th all-time at GW with 1,308 points on 58.4 percent shooting, fourth with 141 blocks and just outside the top 10 with 676 rebounds.
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Elisa Aguilar (CCAS BA '00) served as the catalyst for the Colonials from 1997-2000 as one of the most dominant point guards to ever don the Buff & Blue. Aguilar was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams in 1998 and 2000, appearing in 84 games with 82 starts. She burst onto the scene in the 1997-98 season, being named the A-10 Rookie of the Year after averaging 17.2 points per game, the 10th-highest total in program history. She was also named Second Team All-Conference, All-Rookie, All-Tournament and a five-time Rookie of the Week pick that season. Aguilar scored 37 points in a regular season game against Duquesne in January of 1998, tied for the third most in program history. The game before against St. Bonaventure she posted 32, and later in the year, she added 31 in an NCAA Tournament win over Georgia, the second-most by a Colonial in an NCAA Tournament game. Aguilar was then a two-time First Team All-Conference performer in 1998-99 and 1999-00. She finished her career third in program history, averaging 15.7 ppg and ranks 18th all-time in with 1,322 points in just three years. She is also GW's all-time leading free throw shooter by percentage at .843, is fourth in career made three-pointers and 12th in career assists.
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Anna Montañana (GWSB BA '06) was a part of four championship teams during her time in Foggy Bottom, as one of the greatest all-around threats in GW history. Hailing from Valencia, Spain, Montañana was an All-Rookie selection in 2001-02, averaging 4.8 ppg while appearing in 26 games and starting eight. She hit a buzzer beater in a regular season win over Temple to highlight her first year. She then took her game to the next level, starting 93 of a possible 94 games during her final three years. She was an All-Tournament selection in 2002-03 after averaging 11.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 2.3 apg for a GW team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. Montañana then was a First Team All-Conference choice in 2003-04 and 2004-05. As a junior she averaged 12.0 ppg and was second in the A-10 with 7.6 rpg and 2.3 spg, also finishing third in the league in assists per game and assist to turnover ratio. She became just the second Colonial to record a triple double on Jan. 31, 2004 against La Salle with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists. Montañana then enjoyed an All-America season as a senior, averaging 16.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 4.0 apg for an NCAA Tournament squad. Montañana still ranks fifth all-time in program history in assists and is also in the program's top 15 in rebounds, steals, and 3-pointers.
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Juan Bocanegra (CCAS, BA '00 and SEAS, MS '04) won six individual gold medals at the Atlantic 10 Championships during his GW swimming career, including four in the 200-yard individual medley from 1997 to 2000. In 1998, he was named the conference's most outstanding performer after placing first in the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medleys and second in the 200-yard butterfly. He broke four individual and three relay records during his time with the Colonials, and he remains a fixture in the record book with Top 10 times in five different individual events. He also represented Guatemala at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, in addition to the FINA World Championships and Swimming World Cup.
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Meghan Mitchell Olson (CCAS, BA '95) carved out her place in GW swimming & diving history, excelling in the distance events from 1991-1995 as a three-time All A-10 performer and two-time NCAA qualifier. In 1994, the Redmond, Wash., native and teammate Bambi Bowman became the first Colonials to advance to the national meet. She held as many as eight program records during her career in Buff and Blue and remains among the all-time top five in the 200-, 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events. Mitchell Olson claimed team MVP honors as a freshman before winning three individual conference titles during her sophomore season in 1993. She took the next step, qualifying for NCAA competition in her final two seasons. As a senior, she helped the Colonials finish runner-up at the 1995 A-10 Championship to equal their best-ever team performance at the conference meet. Her career-best time of 16:35.59 in the 1,650 free there still ranks second on the program's all-time list and third in A-10 history. Mitchell Olson also shined in the classroom, earning A-10 All-Academic honors three times.
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Prior to his arrival at GW as and administrator, Ed McKee was a draftee of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, and enjoyed a brief basketball career playing semi-pro ball. He then served from 1971-1980 as sports information director at Indiana State University, where he helped introduce the world to a young Larry Bird. After moving to Washington, D.C., in 1983 and serving as director of basketball for Special Olympics International, McKee built a lasting legacy in Foggy Bottom.A fixture at GW Athletics events who played an integral role in the execution of basketball games for decades, McKee spent over 25 years at GW in communications, athletic administration, athletic development and alumni relations, before retiring in 2012 to be with his wife, Linda. His presence is still felt today as an unofficial GW Athletics historian. University alumni spanning the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and up to his retirement, remark about how integral McKee was and is during their time at GW and since they have graduated in keeping them feeling connected to the program.
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Led by the most successful senior class (Tajama Abraham, Lisa Cermignano and Colleen McCrea) the program has seen, the 1996-97 women's basketball team advanced to the Elite Eight for the only time in program history. After a perfect 16-0 A-10 regular season, GW earned the #5 seed in the East Region and took down #12 seed Northwestern (61-46) and #4 seed Tulane (81-67) at the Smith Center before advancing to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. The Colonials knocked off the #1 seed (No. 4 nationally), North Carolina (55-46) for the highest-ranked win in program history before bowing out to #6 seed Notre Dame. GW finished 28-6 with a 4-4 record against nationally ranked foes behind A-10 Coach of the Year Joe McKeown and Abraham (19.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg), the A-10 Player of the Year. Abraham also was tabbed the only WBCA/Kodak First Team All-American in program history. Noelia Gomez (17.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) was the A-10 Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-League selection. Cermignano and McCrea were third team selections. GW finished 10th in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest final ranking in program history.
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The 2019 GW Athletic Hall of Fame class was voted in by a committee of 11 former George Washington students, coaches and administrators, who represent a diverse background of sports and eras.
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Further details on location, time and pricing for the 2019 GW Athletic Hall of Fame Induction will be released at a later date.
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"The Hall of Fame is our greatest honor and this group represents a commitment to discipline and excellence at the highest degree," said Director of Athletics and Recreation Tanya Vogel. "Their achievements were made possible through sheer determination, and we look to use their example to inspire our current and future generation of champions."
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Tom Walter (GWSB, MBA '94) ushered in a new era of GW baseball as the bench boss from 1997-2004, becoming the all-time winningest coach in program history. Walter won 275 games in eight seasons as GW's head coach, averaging 39 wins a season over his final five years and collecting 30-plus victories six times. Walter guided his teams to four regular season West Division championships and won the A-10 Championship in 2002, advancing the Colonials to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in a decade. Walter is responsible for four of the five winningest seasons in program history, including a program-record 42 wins in 2002. His 2002 squad also set the school records for hits, RBI, runs, doubles, home runs, total bases, extra-base hits and strikeouts by a pitching staff. Walter tutored the highest draft pick in program history, Anthony Raglani, who was selected in the fifth round in 2004, and coached 18 First Team All-Conference selections, three A-10 Rookies of the Year and one Pitcher of the Year. Walter was an assistant coach at GW from 1992-94, serving on the staff of the 1992 team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
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Mike Hall (GWSPH, BS '06) was the glue-guy of GW's star-laden teams of the mid-2000s that won an A-10 Tournament Championship and league regular season championship. He led the Colonials in rebounding all four seasons - one of three players to accomplish that feat - and posted 25 double-doubles during a 117-game career in which GW went 79-40. He was a member of the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie Team and A-10 All-Tournament Team in 2003 after averaging 9.7 points and team-best 8.2 rebounds as a freshman. As a sophomore, he earned Team MVP honors while averaging 10.3 points and 7.8 rebounds for a GW team that reached the postseason with a berth in the NIT. He followed up with Second Team All-Atlantic 10 honors as a junior in helping GW to the 2005 A-10 Tournament Championship and NCAA Tournament, averaging 10.6 points and 8.0 rebounds. He was one of GW's four All-Conference picks in his final season, earning Second Team honors again as well as All-Defensive Team honors with 11.0 points and 7.6 rebounds on the Colonials' legendary 2005-06 team that went 27-3 overall, a perfect 16-0 in the A-10, ranked as high as No. 6 nationally and reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
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Pops Mensah-Bonsu (CCAS, BA '06) averaged double figures and led his team in blocks all four seasons at GW from 2002-06. Among the league's top rookies with 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds per game as a freshman starter in 2002-03, Mensah-Bonsu provided 11.6 points and 5.4 boards in a reserve role en route to being named the Atlantic 10's Chris Daniels Most Improved Player as a sophomore on GW's 2004 NIT team. He then averaged 12.6 points and 6.6 rebounds as a junior, earning Second Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Championship Team honors as he helped GW capture its first-ever A-10 Championship title and make the 2005 NCAA Tournament. Mensah-Bonsu cemented his legacy on GW's banner 2005-06 team, capturing First Team All-Atlantic 10 and All-Defensive Team honors with a career-best 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds. Pops, whose professional playing career spanned nearly a decade in the NBA, Europe and the 2012 Olympics with his native Great Britain, ranks 25th all-time at GW with 1,308 points on 58.4 percent shooting, fourth with 141 blocks and just outside the top 10 with 676 rebounds.
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Elisa Aguilar (CCAS BA '00) served as the catalyst for the Colonials from 1997-2000 as one of the most dominant point guards to ever don the Buff & Blue. Aguilar was a part of two NCAA Tournament teams in 1998 and 2000, appearing in 84 games with 82 starts. She burst onto the scene in the 1997-98 season, being named the A-10 Rookie of the Year after averaging 17.2 points per game, the 10th-highest total in program history. She was also named Second Team All-Conference, All-Rookie, All-Tournament and a five-time Rookie of the Week pick that season. Aguilar scored 37 points in a regular season game against Duquesne in January of 1998, tied for the third most in program history. The game before against St. Bonaventure she posted 32, and later in the year, she added 31 in an NCAA Tournament win over Georgia, the second-most by a Colonial in an NCAA Tournament game. Aguilar was then a two-time First Team All-Conference performer in 1998-99 and 1999-00. She finished her career third in program history, averaging 15.7 ppg and ranks 18th all-time in with 1,322 points in just three years. She is also GW's all-time leading free throw shooter by percentage at .843, is fourth in career made three-pointers and 12th in career assists.
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Anna Montañana (GWSB BA '06) was a part of four championship teams during her time in Foggy Bottom, as one of the greatest all-around threats in GW history. Hailing from Valencia, Spain, Montañana was an All-Rookie selection in 2001-02, averaging 4.8 ppg while appearing in 26 games and starting eight. She hit a buzzer beater in a regular season win over Temple to highlight her first year. She then took her game to the next level, starting 93 of a possible 94 games during her final three years. She was an All-Tournament selection in 2002-03 after averaging 11.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg and 2.3 apg for a GW team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round. Montañana then was a First Team All-Conference choice in 2003-04 and 2004-05. As a junior she averaged 12.0 ppg and was second in the A-10 with 7.6 rpg and 2.3 spg, also finishing third in the league in assists per game and assist to turnover ratio. She became just the second Colonial to record a triple double on Jan. 31, 2004 against La Salle with 11 points, 12 rebounds and 13 assists. Montañana then enjoyed an All-America season as a senior, averaging 16.7 ppg, 6.8 rpg and 4.0 apg for an NCAA Tournament squad. Montañana still ranks fifth all-time in program history in assists and is also in the program's top 15 in rebounds, steals, and 3-pointers.
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Juan Bocanegra (CCAS, BA '00 and SEAS, MS '04) won six individual gold medals at the Atlantic 10 Championships during his GW swimming career, including four in the 200-yard individual medley from 1997 to 2000. In 1998, he was named the conference's most outstanding performer after placing first in the 200-yard and 400-yard individual medleys and second in the 200-yard butterfly. He broke four individual and three relay records during his time with the Colonials, and he remains a fixture in the record book with Top 10 times in five different individual events. He also represented Guatemala at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, in addition to the FINA World Championships and Swimming World Cup.
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Meghan Mitchell Olson (CCAS, BA '95) carved out her place in GW swimming & diving history, excelling in the distance events from 1991-1995 as a three-time All A-10 performer and two-time NCAA qualifier. In 1994, the Redmond, Wash., native and teammate Bambi Bowman became the first Colonials to advance to the national meet. She held as many as eight program records during her career in Buff and Blue and remains among the all-time top five in the 200-, 500- and 1,650-yard freestyle events. Mitchell Olson claimed team MVP honors as a freshman before winning three individual conference titles during her sophomore season in 1993. She took the next step, qualifying for NCAA competition in her final two seasons. As a senior, she helped the Colonials finish runner-up at the 1995 A-10 Championship to equal their best-ever team performance at the conference meet. Her career-best time of 16:35.59 in the 1,650 free there still ranks second on the program's all-time list and third in A-10 history. Mitchell Olson also shined in the classroom, earning A-10 All-Academic honors three times.
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Prior to his arrival at GW as and administrator, Ed McKee was a draftee of the NBA's Indiana Pacers, and enjoyed a brief basketball career playing semi-pro ball. He then served from 1971-1980 as sports information director at Indiana State University, where he helped introduce the world to a young Larry Bird. After moving to Washington, D.C., in 1983 and serving as director of basketball for Special Olympics International, McKee built a lasting legacy in Foggy Bottom.A fixture at GW Athletics events who played an integral role in the execution of basketball games for decades, McKee spent over 25 years at GW in communications, athletic administration, athletic development and alumni relations, before retiring in 2012 to be with his wife, Linda. His presence is still felt today as an unofficial GW Athletics historian. University alumni spanning the 1960s, 70s, 80s, 90s and up to his retirement, remark about how integral McKee was and is during their time at GW and since they have graduated in keeping them feeling connected to the program.
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Led by the most successful senior class (Tajama Abraham, Lisa Cermignano and Colleen McCrea) the program has seen, the 1996-97 women's basketball team advanced to the Elite Eight for the only time in program history. After a perfect 16-0 A-10 regular season, GW earned the #5 seed in the East Region and took down #12 seed Northwestern (61-46) and #4 seed Tulane (81-67) at the Smith Center before advancing to the Sweet 16 for the second time in three years. The Colonials knocked off the #1 seed (No. 4 nationally), North Carolina (55-46) for the highest-ranked win in program history before bowing out to #6 seed Notre Dame. GW finished 28-6 with a 4-4 record against nationally ranked foes behind A-10 Coach of the Year Joe McKeown and Abraham (19.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg), the A-10 Player of the Year. Abraham also was tabbed the only WBCA/Kodak First Team All-American in program history. Noelia Gomez (17.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg) was the A-10 Rookie of the Year and a Second Team All-League selection. Cermignano and McCrea were third team selections. GW finished 10th in the final ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll, the highest final ranking in program history.
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The 2019 GW Athletic Hall of Fame class was voted in by a committee of 11 former George Washington students, coaches and administrators, who represent a diverse background of sports and eras.
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Further details on location, time and pricing for the 2019 GW Athletic Hall of Fame Induction will be released at a later date.
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