Hall of Fame induction: 2017

Melissa Grubb was one of Concord’s finest runners in its golden years of track and field. She was the “team leader” for three years when Concord went 25-0 winning three Blue Hen Conference titles, a New Castle County Championship and a State Championship in 1982, all under the coaching of Don Wood. She lost only one individual race in three years of competition. That race was the New Castle County Championship 800. She came back the following week at the State Meet to win the 800 in a state record time of 2:14.8. Thirty-five years ago was an era of no indoor track, and cross country for high school women was in its infancy.

Melissa played field hockey in the fall but would come to spring track with a solid training base having run with Joe McNichol in the winter months. Melissa garnered 5 individual New Castle County Championships as well as 6 Individual Outdoor State Championships – one in the 1500 meters; two in the 800 meters; two in the 1600 meters, and one in the 3200 meters. She also ran a leg on two first place 1600 relay teams. Up until 1988 competitors were limited to 3 events. In her junior year she ran the open 1500 meters at the Penn Relays, placing 6th. She came back moments later helping her teammates finish first in their heat in the 3200-meter relay. The following season, Concord’s 1600-meter relay team of Vicki Huber, Lisa Goehringer, Melissa Grubb and Terri Dendy qualified for the Penn Relays High School Championship of America final where they finished 5th in a then state record time, and achieved a national ranking in Track and Field News.

Melissa received a partial scholarship to run at Villanova University. There she competed in cross country and indoor track for the first time. She was consistently one of Villanova’s top 4 runners in cross country. In her sophomore year the Villanova cross country team had an undefeated season winning, the Big East Conference Championship, ECAC’s and the Paul Short Memorial, with Melissa finishing 7th, 16th and 12th overall respectively. Villanova also had its best finish as a team at the Division I National Championships (at that point in time), finishing 9th. Melissa credits years of playing tag at Brandywine State Creek Park with her success in cross country. On the track at Villanova, she moved up to the 5,000 and 10,000 meters, finishing 2nd in the 10K at the Big East Championships. While she loved to run, after her sophomore year, Melissa traded in her spikes for turf shoes and became a starter on the Villanova field hockey team in her junior and senior years. For 20 years, she ranked in the top 5 in the 800 and 1600 meters in the N5CTA all-time performer’s archives. Melissa still continues to run with her former Concord High School teammate Vicki Rudawsky, which she jokingly says may be in itself her biggest accomplishment!

Hall of Fame induction: 2017

As a college coach for over 30 years Gordon has a distinguish coaching career in Track & Field and Cross Country in programs such as Clemson University, University of Florida, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Loyola University & Saint Francis University. In Track & Field and Cross country he has coach multiple All-American, NCAA & Conference Champions. He was selected as the Midwestern Collegiate Conference (Horizon League), “Coach of the Year.”, twelve times and in 2011 was the Northeast Conference Men’s Cross Country “Coach of the Year.” Gordon also has international experience as the USA Track & Field, Men’s Development Broad Event Chair for distances.

Was selected as the USA Men’s Assistant Coach, Pan American Junior Championships that were held in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2006 was selected as the USA Men’s Assistant Coach, IAAF World Indoor Championship, held in Moscow, Russia. Was selected in 2004 as the USA Men’s Assistant Coach distance coach for the IAAF World Junior Championship, Grosseto, Italy. From 1997 to 2005 he was selected USA Track & Field, Men’s Olympic Development Chairman for the 3000m Steeplechase.

From 1998 to 2004 Gordan was camp director and clinician for USA Olympic steeplechasers at the Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, CA. he is also founder/owner of the NIKE Running Camp Midwest Trails, that are held in Kenosha, WI. From 1998 to 2000 he was President, United States Cross Country Coaches Association (NCAA Div. I) was also elected Vice-President USCCCA in 1994. Gordon presided over coaches’ meetings at NCAA Division I championships. Also, established national MI-Academic Team awards, and national website. Additionally, he has a USA Track & Field level 1 coaching certification.

Hall of Fame induction: 2017

Alexandra is a highly accomplished all around Track and Field athlete. Prior to establishing the Track and Field program at Wilmington Friends School in the winter of her sophomore year, Alexandra competed in age group track with USA Track & Field, AAU Track & Field and Colgate Women’s Games in New York City. Alexandra was a 14-time All-American in the high jump, 100/400 hurdles, pentathlon and heptathlon, collectively. In the Colgate Women’s Games Alexandra was awarded the Jackie Joyner Kersey “Most Outstanding Performance” in Madison Square Gardens and continues to reign as the recorder holder for high jump in the Mid-School Division (8th grade). In her freshman year Alexandra won the high jump in the High School Division at Colgate Women’s Games. In the winter of 2004, Alexandra competed in her first DIAA Track and Field meet, beginning her Delaware High School track and field career, as a sophomore.

During the three years Alexandra competed indoor she was a 4-time All-state Selection – High Jump, 55 Hurdles and Shot Put. Alexandra was awarded Female Athlete of the Year in 2005. Alexandra holds the fastest time in the 60MH, 2nd fastest time in 55MH, and the third highest high jump. Alexandra is a 3-time All-American in the Nike Indoor Nationals in the pentathlon. During the two years Alexandra competed Outdoor Track and Field she was a 3-time New Castle County Champion and a 7-time State Champion and a 5-time Meet of Champion winner as well as a High School All-American in the Heptathlon. She still holds the second fastest time in the 100m hurdles and third highest mark in high jump.

Upon graduation from Wilmington Friends School, Alexandra earned a full athletic scholarship to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to compete for the Tar Heels as a multi-event athlete on the Women’s Track and Field team. While at UNC, Alexandra was selected as captain her Junior and Senior years. Alexandra competed at every ACC Championship and scored in 7 of the 8 competitions. Alexandra was a two-time All-ACC athlete. Alexandra broke a more than 10-year old school record in the pentathlon, and her performance still stands as the second best of all time in UNC history. Alexandra placed second in the Heptathlon at the Penn Relays in 2010. Alexandra also was a 2010 NCAA National Championships qualifier.

Hall of Fame induction: 2017

Eric was a six-time State Champion while competing for Salesianum from 1996-2000. He was the cross-country Division I State Champion in 1998 and 1999. He established a number of cross-country course state records: Bellevue State Park, 15:40 (1998), Brandywine Creek State Park, 16:39 (1998), and White Clay Creek State Park, 15:58 (1998). He was also track and field Division I State Champion in the 4×800, 1-mile and 2-mile races at various times throughout his high school career, and was a member of the state record-setting 4×800 and 4×1600 teams; finishing in times of 7:50 and 17:58, respectively. It is well known amongst his Salesian teammates that, as a sophomore, Eric once finished an entire 5k at a major cross-country invitational with only one shoe and still placed among the top 10 finishers.

Eric later competed for the United States Naval Academy where he was a member of the Division I cross-country and track and field teams. As a senior, Eric achieved CoSIDA Academic All-America Third Team for cross country/track as a senior. Some of his other achievements include being named cross-country team captain his senior year, finishing the 2002 Penn Relays 10,000 meter run in a time of 30:01.78 as a sophomore, and winning the Army-Navy cross-country race his junior year on the Naval Academy’s home course. Eric served as assistant cross-country and track and field coach, under Theresa Marini, for Padua Academy during the 2005-2006 school year.