10 Terp Greats to Be Inducted Into Athletics Hall of Fame

Katie (O’Donnell) Bam ’10 is considered one of the top American field hockey players in the history of the sport. A two-time winner of the Honda Award, she was one of only three Maryland student-athletes named a four-time, first-team All-American. Bam led Maryland to the 2008 and 2010 NCAA championships and ranks first all-time at Maryland in points (306), goals (99) and assists (108, also an NCAA record). A member of the 2012 and 2016 U.S. Olympic teams, she also led the U.S. National team to gold medals at the 2015 and 2011 Pan American Games. “OD carried a flair of confidence that lit up the arena,” said coach Missy Meharg. “Her name, her numbers and her passion and style as an attacker are imprinted in our history of Maryland field hockey.”

Hurdler Dominic Berger ’07 is one of the best track athletes ever to compete at Maryland, earning honors as a three-time All-American and a NCAA runner-up in the 110-meter hurdles. Raised in nearby Mitchellville, Md., the homegrown talent also became a four-time ACC champion and six-time All-ACC selection and held the second-fastest time in Maryland history in the outdoor 110-meter hurdles when he graduated, behind only Renaldo Nehemiah. He still holds the school record in the indoor 60-meter hurdles and continued to compete after graduation, finishing second in that event at the 2014 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships, then in the European-based professional track and field circuit. He recalls heading to athletic study hall in the Xfinity Center and passing the photos of past Hall of Fame inductees. “The greats of Renaldo Nehemiah, Frank Costellos, the great Greg Robinson, seeing those pictures on the wall, I said that was one of my goals to get there one day.”

Vernon Davis ’07 redefined the tight end position as a Terp and throughout his 14-year NFL career. An exceptional receiver as well as a blocker, the D.C. native was named a 2005 first-team All-American. He finished his career tied for 15^th in career receptions with 83 and led the team in receptions and receiving yards in 2004 and 2005. Davis was selected with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL draft by the San Francisco 49ers and played in the NFL for 14 seasons, including for Denver and Washington. He was a two-time Pro Bowl selection and Super Bowl 50 champion with the Broncos in 2016. “Maryland helped me in so many ways,” he said. “It taught me to take advantage of every opportunity and to give my all to everything that I’m doing.”

Bob Grossman ’72 pitched just once in high school in Bethesda, as a fill-in his senior year, and struck out almost everyone. The infielder loved it, went on to repeatedly pitch no-hitters with a local league and signed at age 18 with the Pittsburgh Pirates—until his father pointed out he was legally too young to enter a contract. Instead, he came to Maryland, where he was a first-team All-American in 1972, All-ACC and the only Terp ever named ACC Player of the Year. Grossman recorded the first two no-hitters in Maryland history, both in 1972, and led Maryland to ACC Championships in 1970 and 1971. He was drafted by Cleveland after his junior season and played seven years in the minors, until suffering an elbow injury. Grossman recently retired from 30 years as owner and clinical director of Sports and Orthopaedic Therapy Services in Silver Spring, Md. “You don’t get to accumulate any kind of records without good teammates,” he said. “It’s just impossible. I was very fortunate I fell into a time when there were a lot of good players at Maryland.”

Sascha Newmarch ’98: The Maryland women’s lacrosse program won seven consecutive national championships under Coach Cindy Timchal in the 1990s and 2000s, and Sascha Newmarch stood at the center of that dominance, helping to lead the Terps to the first four titles in that run. She racked up a 75-4 record over her time at Maryland and finished her career fourth all-time in points (223), fifth in goals (149) and sixth in assists (74). Newmarch was a three-time All-American and named the 1998 National Player of the Year. The West Lakes, Australia, native played for the national team from 1992-2005, was third all-time in career groundballs and set the path for many other Aussie Terps. Coach Cathy Reese, who played with Newmarch all four years, said she’s excited for her to return to UMD after 24 years. “It will be really cool for me to celebrate with her that night and to thank her for all her contributions.”

Caitlyn McFadden Phipps ’10 grew up watching Maryland women’s lacrosse, cheering for stars like Cathy Nelson, Quinn Carney and Jen Adams, and even styling her hair like Adams did. Then she came to UMD and led the team to the 2010 NCAA championship, earning Most Outstanding Player of the tournament, the Tewaaraton Award and the Honda Award. Selected as a finalist for the 2010 National Sportswoman of the Year, she was two-time National Midfielder of the Year and a three-time All-American. After graduation, she joined the U.S. National Team, and helped the U.S. win gold medals in the 2009 and 2013 FIL World Championships. Now an assistant coach, Phipps has helped lead Maryland to four NCAA championships, seven regular-season conference championships and five conference tournament titles. “The culture here—having the best teammates who are there supporting you day in and day out—is what brought us to our success,” she said.

Hudson Taylor ’10 is perhaps the most successful wrestler in Maryland history. Weighing in at 197 pounds, Taylor went a record 165-28—never losing a match at home—and is the only three-time All-American in Maryland wrestling. He finished third at the NCAA championships twice and fourth once; he remains the Maryland record holder for career falls (87); and holds four of the top six spots on the single-season falls list. Upon graduation, he founded Athlete Ally, a nonprofit organization with the mission of educating, encouraging and empowering straight athlete allies to combat homophobia and transphobia in sports. “Hudson represents the best of Maryland Wrestling,” said coach Alex Clemsen, who remembers Taylor from his time coaching at ACC rival Virginia. “Not only is he an incredible wrestler, but he’s an even better person working toward a better society.”

Kristi Toliver ’09 hit the biggest shot in Maryland women’s basketball history. Her game-tying three-pointer with six seconds remaining forced overtime against Duke in the 2006 national championship game, and the Terps went on to win their first title. Her final three years on the team were filled with more success: Toliver was a two-time WBCA and USBWA All-American, a three-time All-ACC selection, and the 2009 ACC Player of the Year. Toliver also set the program record with 300 career three-pointers and finished as the all-time leader in three-point percentage (.408), where she currently stands fourth. She still ranks No. 1 all-time in free throw percentage (.866), career assists (751) and assists in a season (275). Selected third overall in the 2009 WNBA draft by the Chicago Sky, she played 14 seasons, winning titles in 2010 with the Los Angeles Sparks and 2016 with the Washington Mystics, and becoming a three-time All-Star. One of the first women to earn a coaching position in the NBA, she worked for the Wizards and now the Dallas Mavericks. “Back in April of 2006, Kristi was just an innocent, wide-eyed freshman from little old Harrisonburg, Virginia,” said coach Brenda Frese. “But on our game’s biggest stage, she etched her name into the hearts of the Maryland faithful forever.”

Taylor Twellman ’99 was an all-star athlete at Saint Louis University High School in football, basketball, soccer and baseball, in which the Kansas City Royals offered him a contract. Instead, he came to Maryland to play both soccer and baseball. His freshman season in soccer was a stunner—he was the leading point and goal-scorer on a team that earned a berth in the 1998 College Cup, the first of coach Sasho Cirovski’s legendary career, and scored the game-winning goals in the first- and second-round NCAA tournament games. Twellman set aside baseball and in two soccer seasons at Maryland was a two-time, second-team All-American and a finalist for the Hermann Trophy and MAC Player of the Year Award. He also finished 10^th in career goals (28), tied for sixth in career assists (17) and tied for seventh in career points (73). Twellman then signed with 1860 Munich of Germany’s Bundesliga, and was later selected second overall by the New England Revolution in the MLS SuperDraft. He totaled 101 goals from 2002-10 as a five-time MLS all-star and was named MVP in 2005. After a concussion ended his career, he launched the nonprofit ThinkTaylor to highlight traumatic brain injuries. Twellman now serves as lead analyst for ESPN’s MLS coverage. “The energy and attitude of what it means to be a professional athlete, a professional human being, that started at Maryland with Sasho,” he said.

Greivis Vasquez ’10, one of the most beloved players in Maryland sports, earned those chants and cheers. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, he came to the U.S. to play high school basketball in Montgomery County. He won the 2010 Bob Cousy Award as the nation’s top point guard and was the first men’s basketball player in Maryland history to win a national position player of the year award. A 2010 All-American and ACC Player of the Year, he led Maryland to the 2010 ACC regular season championship and was a three-time All-ACC selection. He is second on the all-time points list at Maryland (2,171) and is just the third player in school history to surpass 2,100 points, along with Juan Dixon and Len Bias. He holds the school record for double-figure scoring games (117); is second on the all-time assists list (772); and is one of only two players to surpass 700 assists in their careers and record a triple-double. Selected with the 28^th pick of the first round of the 2010 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, he played seven seasons in the NBA for Memphis, New Orleans, Toronto, Sacramento, Milwaukee and Brooklyn. “What made Greivis special was his ability to lift a team up to play better as a team,” said Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams.