Delaware Sports Museum Hall of Fame announces 2020 class

Ten prominent men and women whose outstanding accomplishments in the world of athletics have brought distinction to the state of Delaware over the last eight decades have been selected for induction into the Delaware Sports Museum and Hall of Fame.  

The 10 standouts, seven of whom made major contributions as coaches at the high school and college levels, will be honored at the state’s premier sports banquet Wednesday, Oct. 14, at the Chase Center on the Riverfront in Wilmington. The traditional spring date for the event was moved to the fall due to the existing COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets to the 45th annual banquet are $65 each, with tables of 10 available for $600. Social hour and silent auction will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the dinner and ceremony at 6:45.

Tickets to the event are on sale now and can be purchased online at www.desports.org/events. The deadline for reserving tickets is Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Advertising opportunities for the souvenir program are also available. Contact DSMHOF Executive Director Scott Selheimer for details.  

This versatile group of inductees covering all three counties in Delaware represents the sports of football, men’s and women’s basketball, men’s and women’s track & field, distance running, baseball and softball, as well as the fields of sportswriting and officiating.  

The DSMHOF Class of 2020 includes:

Mel Gardner - A member of both the National High School Baseball Hall of Fame and Delaware Baseball Hall of Fame, he enjoyed outstanding success as head baseball coach at William Penn High School for 30 years and coached several major leaguers.

Jack Gregory – The first organizer and administrator of the Delaware Blue-Gold High School Football All-Star Game, he was a standout coach at P.S. DuPont HS before moving to the college head coaching ranks at East Stroudsburg, Villanova and Rhode Island and as athletic director at Bowling Green. He passed away in 2014.

Jerry Kobasa – Enjoyed outstanding success as an athlete, coach, and administrator at the high school and college levels in Delaware in the sports of football, basketball, and baseball over a half-century. He is a member of four other athletic halls of fame within the state.

George Kosanovich – Over a span of 42 years as a high school football coach, he won 264 games at Wilmington, McKean, and Concord to rank third all-time in state history. His teams won three state titles and made 11 tournament appearances, and several of his players went on to NFL careers.  

Tom Lemon – A member of the St. Mark’s High School and Delaware Baseball halls of fame, he served as baseball coach at Saint Mark’s for 16 years and led the Spartans to four state titles and eight championship game appearances.

Art Madric – His name is synonymous with success in track & field. He helped found the successful Wilmington Track Club, led Howard and Glasgow boys’ and girl’s high school teams to 11 state titles, and was named state Coach of the Year eight times. 

Charles Rayne – One of the top high school basketball players in state history, he led Indian River HS to two state titles, earned All-State honors three times, and was a four-year standout in college at Temple University, eventually being drafted by the NBA Phoenix Suns.

Lou Romanoli – Made his mark as a standout baseball player at UD and the Wilmington Semi-Pro League, in football with the Wilmington Football League, as general manager of the Wilmington Blue Bombers in basketball, and as a marathon runner. Also contributed as a high school basketball official and officer with DSMHOF. 

Gary Smith – One of the nation’s most prominent sportswriters, the Dickinson HS graduate has won four National Magazine Awards, the highest honor bestowed on magazine writers, the magazine equivalent of the Pulitzer Prize. He joined Sports Illustrated in 1982.

Tyresa Smith – A two-time All-State pick at Polytech High School, she went on to a Hall of Fame career at the University of Delaware where she earned all-conference honors, set numerous school records and led the team to the NCAA Tournament. She played in the WNBA and overseas.