Kas Allen

James D. Barbe grew up in Arlington and was arguably the greatest Little League baseball player in County history.  At 12 years old he batted .703, a then all-time record, and hit 9 home runs, then second all-time.  As a pitcher, in 61 innings he gave up only six hits and recorded 154 strikeouts.  Translation: Out of the 183 outs made by opponents, Jim struck out 154 batters.  He had similar statistics in junior and senior major ball leading up to a stellar high school career.

He began his high school career at Wakefield in the 1970-71 academic year, then transferred to Washington-Lee for his junior and senior years, where he graduated in 1973.  He was a starter in basketball and baseball his junior and senior years at W-L, and started at quarterback in football his senior year.  In 1973, he was voted high school pitcher of the year in the state of Virginia, and was named All-District and All-Region.  He went on to star at James Madison University in baseball and became the school’s all-time leader in home runs, RBIs, and walks. He was an All-America baseball selection in 1975 and voted JMU’s most valuable player, and named the 1977 Offensive MVP.

Jim was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the 19th round of the Major League Baseball Draft and went on to lead the Western Carolina League in home runs and RBIs, and was 2nd in batting average in 1978.  That season he was voted the league’s Player of the Year.

As a result of his baseball career, Jim was inducted into the W-L High School and James Madison University Athletic Halls of Fame.  Currently, as a professional Super Senior Pickleball player, he is rated in the top 3 of players 65 and older in the United States.

Robert J. “Doc” Bonaccorso grew up in Massachusetts. He attended St. John's Prep in Danvers where he played hockey (goalie) and baseball (pitcher/outfielder). He went on to Boston College and earned a B.S. in Biology where he also played baseball for three years. He coached youth baseball in Peabody, Massachusetts for six years (1962-1967), winning the state’s Little League championship in 1964.

Between summer baseball seasons, Bob went to Dental School at Georgetown, graduating in 1969. Except for a brief tour in Korea in 1970 with the Army Dental Corps, Bob's volunteer youth coaching career in Arlington spans 31 years.

Bob joined the Optimist Club of Arlington in 1971 and has served continuously as the club's director of youth activities. The one constant in his coaching career has been his philosophy regarding youth: "give kids a chance to learn enough about a sport to enable them to move up to the next level, and allow them to have enough fun so they want to move up.”

Known more for his achievements in baseball, Bob also coached youth basketball for 22 years (1975-1996) and Arlington Bearcats 70-lbs football for five years (1973-1977). In 1975, along with ASHOF Hall of Famer Bob Rusevlyan, Bob founded the highly successful Optimist Club youth basketball program which grew from 20 players initially to more than 550 players by the mid-80s.

In the early 1980's, Arlington's youth baseball program was suffering from a dearth of participation by players, coaches and sponsors. Following a tireless search for a baseball program that would best fit the community's needs, Bob was a founder, in 1985, of the Arlington Babe Ruth Leagues, in cooperation with the county recreation department. After obtaining a charter from the national Babe Ruth organization, the Arlington league which began with several hundred players in 1985, grew in 15 years to over 2,000 participants in the springtime, making it one of the largest programs in Virginia. The fall program exceeds 500 players. Bob had earlier spearheaded the notion of a no-cut county baseball program in the mid-70s. The Arlington Babe Ruth program has proven to be an ideal solution.

In Bob's 31 years coaching baseball in Arlington, his teams amassed over 550 wins, including eleven undefeated seasons, 19 county titles, seven Babe Ruth district championships, four state Optimist Invitational crowns and three Virginia state Babe Ruth championships. In 1992, 1993 and 1998, his Arlington All-Star Babe Ruth state champs went to the Southeast Regionals, the last stop on the way to the Babe Ruth World Series.

Candice Brown is a native of Arlington. She graduated from Washington-Lee where she earned National District honors. Candice is a graduate of Marymount University in Arlington. While at Marymount, Candice had the opportunity to play in a NCAA Sweet 16 and Final Four. She was named a Kodak AII-American both her junior and senior years, as well as All-Capital Athletic Conference (CAC) 1st Team. Candice sprinkled her name in the record books finishing her career with 1,310 points, 650 rebounds, 182 assists, and 270 steals. It was her ability as an all-around player that made her such a tremendous player on the court.

Candice started her coaching career at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU) where she earned a Master's of Science degree in Sports Administration. After spending two years at SNHU, she came back to the Arlington area to work with her legendary coach (and ASHOF inductee) Bill Finney at Marymount. While on staff at Marymount, she helped the team to a CAC semifinal game, as well as a first-round trip to the NCAA tournament.

Candice was fortunate to get her first head coaching job at the age of 24 at Manhattanville College in Purchase, New York. Candice spent three seasons at Manhattanville and had a huge impact on their program. She took a program that had only won seven games prior to her taking over the program to 18 wins and an opportunity to compete for the first time in program history in the conference championship game.

Candice's next move was to the Hudson Valley in 2009 to take over the women's basketball program at Vassar College. Since her start at Vassar, she has comprised a composite overall record of 109·76 (.697) and a 63·46 (.730) mark within the Liberty League. She is the only coach in school history with a winning career record. The 2013·14 campaign was one of the best in program history, as the team won its third Liberty League title and advanced to the NCAA Tournament Second Round for the first time ever, thanks to a win over Williams College. Vassar also set the program record for wins in a season with 23.

Alward V. Burch, retired in July 2004, as principal of Bishop Denis J. O'Connell High School, after having served the educational needs of the students, families and surrounding communities of the school for 43 years.

AI Burch is a native Washingtonian, raised in Anacostia and educated at St. Theresa's parochial school and St. John's College High School where he lettered in baseball (All-Prep three years), basketball and football (All-Prep two years). He attended Montgomery Junior College 1955-57, starring in baseball, basketball and football. In 1956, he was named an All-American in Football.

Burch received an athletic scholarship from the University of Corpus Christi, Texas, where he played three sports and hoped to become a coach after graduation. He earned his B.S. at Corpus Christi in 1959, and at graduation, received the Good Fellow Award for academic and athletic accomplishments.

Early in his educational career, Burch served as instructor in History, Science and English at Surrattsville Junior High in Surrattsville, Maryland. In 1961, he began his lengthy association with O'Connell after being hired by athletic director, Bob RusevIyan, and became the freshman football, freshman basketball and JV baseball coach. In 1963, he became the varsity baseball coach. Under Burch's guidance, the varsity baseball team won 42 consecutive games during the 1963·65 seasons, a feat that was recognized in 1965 by the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. During that same period, O'Connell never lost a game in the Washington, D.C. Catholic League, winning three consecutive Catholic League championships.

In 1972, Burch, while continuing his baseball coaching duties, became assistant principal of O'Connell. During his tenure as assistant principal, he earned his M.Ed. from American University in 1975. His baseball teams won five consecutive Virginia State Catholic League championships (1973-77). In 1977, he became the first lay principal of the school and had to relinquish his position as head baseball coach. His fifteen-year (1963-1977) varsity baseball coaching record was 262-52.

Burch received Coaching Achievement Awards from the Better Sports Club (1964 & 1976), was named Coach of the Year by the Northern Virginia Umpires Association (1977), and elected to the Sandlot Hall of Fame by the Washington, D.C. Home Plate Club (1977).

During his lengthy academic and administrative career, Burch, through his leadership, coordination and many innovative ideas, helped O'Connell modernize and expand its facilities, enrich its programs, increase its enrollment and develop a strong professional staff, to become one of the largest and finest coeducational institutions in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area. In 1992, the school was named a "Blue Ribbon Secondary School of Excellence" by the U.S. Department of Education. In 1998, Burch was presented with "The Washington Post Distinguished Educational Leadership Award."

"Clem" was born in Arlington, son of a sheriff who himself later became Arlington County sheriff. Clem played baseball, basketball and football at Washington-Lee and was a letterman on the track team where he threw shot put and javelin. He was a four-time letterman at Washington-Lee for three years. He was the first center that ever played high school football in Arlington, as Washington-Lee was the first high school team. At the same time, Chick MacPherson was the first and only quarterback. 

Clem won a scholarship to Catholic University, at that time coached by Dutch Bergman and Fod Cotton at the time Dutch developed his great teams and won the Orange Bowl on Jan. 1, 1936, beating Ole Miss 20-19. Clem was thus the first member from Washington-Lee to be selected to a Bowl game.

Clem went on to teach and coach. He coached the line at St. John's College. He coached some at Washington-Lee, where he helped a great deal. He played for the first professional football team then known as the Washington Presidents, which preceded the Washington Redskins. He contributed to almost every athletic endeavor or organization in Arlington.

At the time when the community was looking into the possibility of re-establishing rowing as a high school sport, it was Clem and Bill Hillenbrand who spearheaded the effort and eventually established the sport which became one of the great sports in the high schools of Northern Virginia.

Joe D'Emidio has been a force in Arlington gymnastics for over 50 years, as a dedicated, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable coach, leader, educator, and mentor. A 1973 alumnus of Yorktown, he made an early mark in his junior year, winning first place in the state championships in the still rings event. He has been working with youth and sports-focused programs since 1976, developing boys and girls gymnastics programs at Washington-Lee, Yorktown and Wakefield. His gymnastics teams have won numerous district championships, three regionals, and had two state runner-ups. He was head coach of the Virginia High School Men’s Gymnastics Team from 1992-2002, winning the National Championship in 2002. In 1984, Joe was an international official as a Training Officer for gymnastics at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.

Founder and Director of the YMCA Arlington Woodmont Gymnastics Center, which includes both recreational classes and competitive teams, he has nurtured many gymnasts and coaches, providing a safe environment for kids and professional growth opportunities for young coaches. Joe also dedicates his time toward youth development, particularly with the YMCA Teen Club, meeting twice a week, as well as providing international traveling and educational exchange experiences with other YMCA branches around the world. He encourages participation by all young athletes, regardless of skill level or experience. He motivates and helps Arlington's youth work towards achieving their goals in both sports and life.  

Tom Dolan was born and raised in Arlington. He attended school in Arlington, graduated with honors from Yorktown in 1993, and earned a swimming scholarship to the University of Michigan.

Tom was an exceptional swimmer before college setting many scholastic records but gained immediate success as a freshman at Michigan. There he was a member of the Wolverines NCAA Championship 800m freestyle relay squad and earned All-American honors in the 500m freestyle, 800m freestyle, 1,650m freestyle and 400m individual medley. For his efforts, Dolan was named both Big Ten Swimmer of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Tom capped his spectacular season by representing the United States at the 1994 World Championships in Rome where he established the world record and won a gold medal in the 400m IM (4:12.30).

As a sophomore, Dolan continued to dominate and to set even more records. At the Pan Pacific Championship, he captured first place honors in the 200m IM and set a meet record in the 400m IM. Tom continued his excellence at the collegiate level, becoming the first swimmer in seven years to set three American records at the NCAA Championships. As a result, he was named the U.S. Swimming "Swimmer of the Year" for a second time, and added the NCAA Swimmer of the Year award to his trophy case.

In the spring and early summer of 1996, Tom qualified as a member of the U.S. Olympic Team in the 200m individual medley, 400m IM and 400m freestyle competitions by winning all three events at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Indianapolis. At the NCAA Championships, he repeated as a triple winner in the 500m freestyle, 1,650m freestyle , 400m individual medley and anchored the championship 800m freestyle relay team that broke a 12 year-old American record.

At the 1996 Summer Olympics, Tom Dolan captured the United States' first Gold Medal by winning the 400 IM. Not only did this achievement earn him both the cover of Sports Illustrated and a Wheaties box, but it also confirmed his reputation as one of the world's most talented swimmers. 

At the 2000 Olympics, he defended his Gold Medal in the 400 IM and picked up a Silver in the 200 IM.

Tom has had to overcome severe allergy problems to achieve success and is an inspiration to us all. Arlington is proud to claim him and the Arlington Sports Hall of Fame is doubly proud to honor him.

He was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2006, followed by induction into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

He now runs Tom Dolan Swim School in Northern Virginia.

Michelle Duhart Robinson is a native of Arlington, Virginia, who grew up with a passion for sports. From a young age, she could be found on the playground, blacktop, basketball court, on the field or in the gym.

In high school, Michelle was a standout athlete at Wakefield High School, where she played varsity basketball for four years. She played a pivotal role in leading the team from last place in the conference during her freshman year to National District Champions by her senior year. Michelle earned numerous accolades, including being named Arlington County 1st Team in her freshman and sophomore years, and Arlington County and District Player of the Year in her junior and senior years. She was also recognized multiple times as the Washington Post Player of the Week and earned All-Region and Honorable Mention All-Met honors. Over her high school career, she scored over 1,220 points, grabbed 750 rebounds, dished out 400 assists, made 425 steals, and blocked 115 shots.

In addition to basketball, Michelle played both recreational and travel soccer in Arlington and earned All-District and All-Region honors while playing varsity soccer for Wakefield. 

Michelle continued her athletic career at Purdue University from 1996 to 2000. She became a three-year starter as an undersized power forward and was named co-captain in her senior year. During her time at Purdue, the team won two regular season Big Ten titles (1997 & 1999), three Big Ten Tournament titles (1998, 1999 & 2000), and the 1999 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship. Michelle graduated with impressive stats, including being 8th in career rebounding, 10th in rebounds per game, 1st in field goal percentage for her career, and 5th in career steals. She also ranked 5th in games started, minutes played, and tied for second in games played. She achieved career highs of 18 points and 16 rebounds in a game against Northwestern in 1999, set a Big Ten tournament record of eight steals in a game, and was named Honorable Mention All-Big Ten in 1999 and 2000.

Michelle graduated from Purdue with a double major in Political Science and Public Relations.

She was named Academic All-Big Ten in her junior and senior years.

Currently, Michelle is in her 20th year as a special education teacher at Wakefield High School, where she co-teaches Physics and Chemistry. She received her National Board Certification in 2019 and serves as a teacher facilitator for new staff at Wakefield. She has coached basketball at both the high school and collegiate levels. Michelle has also coached her children in soccer and basketball. She loves cooking for her family and is the biggest fan of her two kids, Michael and Maya.