WHEREAS, in 1996, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame was designated the official Sports Hall of Fame of the Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum, located in Portsmouth, has honored many of Virginia's exceptional athletes, coaches, and media personalities since its inception; and

WHEREAS, dedicated to honoring, educating, and entertaining its visitors, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum inducts individuals who achieve greatness in their field and serves as a nonprofit educational resources center for math, science, health, and character development; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame is honored to present the Class of 2015 inductees as follows:

The Class of 2015

Fletcher Arritt

Fletcher Arritt became the head postgraduate basketball coach at Fork Union Military Academy in 1970. He was one of the most successful basketball coaches in the Commonwealth with at least 400 players advancing to the college ranks and many to professional careers. Fork Union won over 75 percent of its games during his tenure. After more than four decades at the helm, he retired with a career record of 890 wins and 283 losses.

Cherie Greer Brown

Cherie Greer Brown is a former Virginia women's lacrosse All-American. A three-time first-team All-American for the University of Virginia Cavaliers, she was the NCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Year in 1994 and her jersey was retired by the university. She was a member of the 1993, 1997, 2001, and 2005 U.S. Women's World Cup teams, winning three world championships. She was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Championship Game in the 1997 and 2001 World Cups. In 2000, she was named a member of the Lacrosse Magazine All-Century Team, and in 2009, she was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame.

Johnny Grubb

Johnny Grubb was born in Richmond and attended Meadowbrook High School. In 1971, he was selected with the 24th pick of the Major League Baseball draft by the San Diego Padres. He signed with the Padres and made his major league debut on September 10, 1972. Throughout his 16-year career in Major League Baseball, he played for the San Diego Padres, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers, and Detroit Tigers. He helped lead the 1984 Detroit Tigers to a World Series Championship. In 1,424 major league games, he collected 1,153 career hits and 99 home runs and achieved a career batting average of .278.

Paul Hatcher

A native of Bassett, Paul Hatcher attended Bridgewater College before becoming the winningest basketball coach in Virginia High School League history. In a 43-year career at Robert E. Lee High School in Staunton, he compiled a record of 897 victories and 174 losses—a win rate of 84 percent—and four state titles. He coached from 1968 to 2011 and never had a losing season. He was named the Virginia High School League State Coach of the Year 11 times and was a seven-time VHSL All-Star Game Coach.

Angela Hucles

A native of Virginia Beach, Angela Hucles attended Norfolk Academy, where she was a Parade All-American soccer selection in 1995. She attended the University of Virginia, where she became soccer All-American and was named to the All-ACC team for four straight seasons. She scored 59 goals and is the all-time leading goal scorer in Virginia Women's Soccer. After graduating, she embarked on an extraordinary professional and international career highlighted by two Olympic Gold Medals and two World Cup appearances for the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team.

Mike Stevens

For more than three decades, Mike Stevens has been working to put Virginia's athletes and their sports in the spotlight. During his 23-year tenure as the sports director of Southwest Virginia's CBS affiliate, he served as a reporter and lead anchorman and did live play-by-play broadcasts for high school football, college basketball, minor league baseball, and stock car racing. In addition, he was a fixture on the station's marquee sports program, Friday Football Extra. He hosted over 350 consecutive episodes of the half-hour high school football show that became the model for hundreds of other such programs around the country.

Ben Wallace

Ben Wallace was an All-American at Virginia Union University in Richmond before becoming one of the most feared players in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Over his 16-year NBA career, he played for the Washington Bullets/Wizards, Orlando Magic, Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers. He led the Detroit Pistons to an NBA Championship during the 2003–2004 season. Over his career, he was a four-time NBA All-Star, four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, three-time All-NBA Second Team selection, five-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection, and two-time NBA rebounding champion and an NBA blocks leader. He amassed career totals of 6,254 points, 10,482 rebounds, and 2,137 blocks; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That Fletcher Arritt, Cherie Greer Brown, Johnny Grubb, Paul Hatcher, Angela Hucles, Mike Stevens, and Ben Wallace hereby be commended as the 2015 inductees into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare copies of this resolution for presentation to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and its 2015 inductees as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's congratulations and admiration for the inductees' many contributions to the world of sports.