FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 25, 2005


Evert, Collinsworth, Cheeseborough headline Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame’s 2005 induction class

GAINESVILLE – Tennis great Chris Evert, former Cincinnati Bengal Cris Collinsworth and track & field standout Chandra Cheeseborough head the list of 10 individuals selected for induction this year into the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame.

Joining them in the Class of 2005 are former Astronaut High School principal Fred Bynum; Florida Today sports writer Barbara Caywood; former pro football player George Mira; Jacksonville area contest official Beryl Napoleon; The Bolles School head football coach Corky Rogers; St. Thomas Aquinas High School head football coach and athletic director George Smith; and Miami area contest official Virgil Valdez.

This is the 14th group to be inducted into the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame, formerly the FHSAA Hall of Fame. Founded during the 1990-91 school year, the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame keeps alive the tradition and spirit of high school athletics, and honors each year those persons who through distinguished achievement have excelled in one or more high school programs sponsored by the Association and its member schools. This year’s 10 inductees bring to 93 the number of deserving individuals who have been enshrined in the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame. They include student-athletes, coaches, administrators, contest officials and other contributors, such as sports writers, who have raised the level of awareness of high school activities through their efforts, achievements and dedication. The 2005 Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony and Awards Banquet will be held June 16 at the Wyndham Westshore Hotel in Tampa.

Evert, 50, was a three-time state tennis singles and doubles champion for St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale from 1970-72. She went undefeated in both her junior and senior seasons. Evert amassed six U.S. Junior titles and was a three-time member of the Wightman Cup Team, winning more matches than any player in Cup history. She went on to win six U.S. Open titles, three Wimbledon titles, seven French Open titles and two Australian Opens, and was ranked No. 1 in the world for seven years. Evert holds 18 Grand Slam titles and 157 singles titles. She is a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame, the National High School Hall of Fame and the Florida Sports Hall of Fame.

Collinsworth, 46, was a three-year letterman in football and track & field and a four-year letterman in basketball at Astronaut High School in Titusville from 1974-77. He was Astronaut's first football All-American, was the state champion in the 100-yard dash, and was an All-State selection in basketball. Collinsworth was a football All-American again for the University of Florida, where he played wide receiver. He was the second-round draft choice for the Cincinnati Bengals in 1981, and was selected as the AFC Rookie of the Year. Collinsworth made three trips to the Pro Bowl and played in two Super Bowls. After retiring in 1989, he obtained a law degree from the University of Cincinnati and currently serves as a football television analyst. Collinsworth is a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame and the National High School Hall of Fame.

Cheeseborough, 46, was a standout in track & field at Ribault High School in Jacksonville, where she was the state champion and record holder for the 100-yard dash and 220-yard dash in 1977. She also was captain of the basketball team, averaging 26 points and 13 rebounds per game and making the Parade All-America team. Cheeseborough won a gold medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1975 Pan American Games, and was a member of the record-setting 400-meter relay at the AAU Junior Women's Track & Field Championships. She was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in 1976 and placed sixth in the 100-meter dash. Cheeseborough also made the Olympic team in 1980 and 1984, winning two gold medals and one silver in Los Angeles. She is now the head women's cross country and track & field coach at Tennessee State University in Nashville. Cheeseborough is a member of the National Track & Field Hall of Fame and the National High School Hall of Fame.

• Fred Bynum. Bynum, 68, retired in 1997 as the principal of Astronaut High School in Titusville, a position he held for 20 years. Bynum, a former football, basketball and track & field coach, was active on the high school athletic scene in Brevard County for 25 years, coordinating the junior high school athletic program and serving on the executive boards for the Cape Coast Conference and the FHSAA. He was the first senior high school principal to be inducted into the state of Florida's Principals Hall of Fame in 1990.

• Barbara Caywood. Caywood, 68, is the prep sports editor for the Florida Today newspaper in Melbourne. She was the first female sports writer in both Kansas and Florida, and has covered high school sports in Brevard County for more than 20 years. Caywood was selected the 1986 National AAU Media Person of the Year for her coverage of youth sports, received the South Orlando Kiwanis Bob Davis Service Award for Outstanding Contribution to High School Football in 2001, and received the Hartwell Conklin Service Award for Outstanding Contributions to High School Track & Field in 2003.

• George Mira. Mira, 63, was a football, basketball and baseball player for Key West High School from 1956-1960. As the quarterback for the Conchs, he was captain of the All-State team and led the team to a 21-8-1 record during his three varsity years. Mira also helped the baseball team to state championships in 1958 and 1959, pitching two consecutive no-hitters in one state tournament. He went on to become the quarterback at the University of Miami, where he was a two-time All-American and finished fifth in Heisman voting in 1962. Mira played professionally in the NFL for seven years and was a backup quarterback for the Baltimore Colts team that won Super Bowl V in 1970. He also played in the World Football League and Canadian Football League. Mira is a member of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame and the University of Miami Hall of Fame.

• Beryl Napoleon. Napoleon, 67, has been a Jacksonville area contest official in basketball for 36 years and softball for 28 years. He was the first African-American member of the Southern Association of Basketball Officials, and the first to represent the association in the FHSAA State Series. Napoleon has officiated more state basketball championship contests than any other active FHSAA contest official, with 10 boys and 16 girls championships. He currently serves as a state evaluator for the FHSAA in basketball and was recently elected to the FHSAA Officials Advisory Committee.

• Corky Rogers. Rogers, 61, is the head football coach for The Bolles School in Jacksonville. He has a total career record of 326-65-1 and is the winningest high school football coach in Florida. Rogers has won six state championships and was state runner-up twice, and was a 2002 nominee for the NFL High School Football Coach of the Year Award. As an athlete at Robert E. Lee High School in Jacksonville, he played for the 1960 state championship football team and the 1961 state baseball championship team. Rogers is a member of the Florida Athletic Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

• George Smith. Smith, 56, is the athletic director and head football coach at St. Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale. His football teams have won three state championships and have been state runners-up five times. Smith is a five-time Football Coach of the Year for the Sun-Sentinel and a six-time winner for the Miami Herald. He was also named Wrestling Coach of the Year by the Miami Herald in 1974. Smith has received the Meritorious Service Award and the Lifetime Membership Award from the Florida Athletic Coaches Association and is a member of its Hall of Fame.

• Virgil Valdez. Valdez, 62, was a Miami area football contest official for 15 years and a basketball official for 20 years. He officiated in 13 FHSAA Basketball Finals. Valdez still officiates college football for the Atlantic Coast Conference and college basketball for the Atlantic Sun Conference, and has officiated 13 bowl games, including the Rose Bowl twice. He is a member of the Florida A&M University Sports Hall of Fame, the Florida Community Colleges Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Louis Bing Scholarship Fund Hall of Fame.

Two separate committees comprised of active and retired administrators, coaches, officials and news media representatives evaluated the nominations of the 10 individuals selected for induction to the Florida High School Athletic Hall of Fame this year. A seven-member screening committee first reviewed all nominations received and determined which nominees were viable candidates for induction into the Hall of Fame. The nominations of those candidates then were forwarded to a 16-member selection committee, which rated the nomination of each candidate to determine the candidates who would be inducted.

The Florida High School Athletic Association is the governing body for interscholastic athletic competition in Florida. It has a membership of more than 700 middle and senior high schools.

Contact:
Jack Watford
Director of Communications, FHSAA
(352) 372-9551 ext. 170
jwatford@fhsaa.org