Hall of Fame induction: 2005

This Woodbridge High School athlete who not only raced to fame in Delaware, but qualified for, and ran in the National Indoor Championships at Madison Square Gardens against the best in the world in 1975. As a high school sprinter, Jim is considered to be the best ever from downstate Delaware. Jim won three division II state championships at 100 yards and 220 yards, running windy :09.5 100 yard dash in 1974 as a junior and :09.7 as a senior. He led three 440 yard relay teams to victory for Woodbridge between 1972 and 1975.

An opposing coach reminisced that Weal never had the lead when he received the baton, but terrorized the other anchormen in the race who knew Jim would quickly blow by them. He still ranks seventh on the all-time list in the 200 meters with a converted time of :21.60.

Hall of Fame induction: 2004

As an outstanding athlete, Jim was an All State basketball player at Felton H.S. and at West Chester University , he competed on the track team and was a member of the Conference Championship Cross County team. At Lake Forest High School , Jim coached for 33 years where his girls’ and boys’ teams won a combined total of 16 state championships while being the runner-up 25 times. He was the “Coach of the Year” in the conference 25 times and four times in the state. In 1988, he was awarded the Region 2 cross country “Coach of the Year” by the National High School Athletic Coaches Association. Jim served as the state cross country chairman and was a member of the state track & field committee.

He founded the hugely successful Lake Forest Cross Country Invitational and the Keith Burgess Track & Field Invitational. He was a major force in not only the southern part of the state, but was greatly influential in the progress of our sports in the entire state for more than three decades. Jim was one of the most respected high school track & field coaches in memory.

Hall of Fame induction: 2004

Keith has been extremely important in the promotion of cross country and track & field in Delaware in the 50’s and 60’s, instrumental in starting programs at Harrington, Greenwood, Milton, and Felton and is considered by many as the father of cross country in lower Delaware. He secured an entry for Dwight Hackett of Harrington as an individual in the 1957 state cross country championship. Over the years, he transported hundreds of young people to and from practice and organized teams for the Jr. Olympics.

Keith promoted our sports and wrote about them in the Harrington Journal, now known as the Journal, for 47 years. He has been honored with an invitational in his name at Lake Forest High School.

Hall of Fame induction: 2004

During her High School career at William Penn H.S., Connie won the State Division I Championship in the 300m low hurdles 4 straight times (1984-87). She set a new State Record each time and still holds the State Record of :42.4, ranking her as 1st on the Delaware H.S. All-Time Performance List (Outdoor). Connie was 4-time New Castle County Champion in the 300m low hurdles. She also won the 200m dash in the State Division I Championship in 1987. She ran a leg on the State Record 4 x 400m relay team in 1984 with a time of 3:49.3 which still stands as the State Record.

In 1987, she was the State Indoor Track “Athlete of the Year”. Connie moved on to West Virginia University where she had an outstanding career. She was 4-time Collegiate All-American. In 1988, she won the Penn Relays 400m hurdles event with a time of :57.75. In 1992, Connie was 2nd in the 400m hurdles at the NCAA Champions with a time of :55.87 and she finished 4th in 1991. Connie placed 5th in the 1992 Olympic Trials.

Hall of Fame induction: 2004

Charles was the first Delaware schoolboy to break :50 in the 440yd dash, running :49.9 in 1965 (cinders) while representing Tower Hill. He was a double and triple sprint winner in state meet competitions, while being a triple sprint winner, three years in a row, and a triple sprint record setter in 1965 in the Independent Conference and a multiple sprint winner at the Church Farms Invitational. He set two records at Church Farms in 1964, including a :21.7 in the 220yd dash. He had one dual meet loss in three years and that was because of a pulled hamstring.

He moved on to Yale University where he earned an NCAA medal in 1968 in the Indoor Mile Relay (4th) and in the Outdoor 4 x 110yd. relay (5th). In 1967, he was part of a 4 x 440yd relay that set records in the Heptagonal Meet, 3:12.4, and at the IC4A’s in 3:09.7. He set Florida Relays meet records in the 1968 Sprint Medley and the 1969 Distance Medley. In 1968 he ran his best open time, :47.5.