AACO Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2026 Announced

News

Annapolis, MD - The Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame is pleased to announce its 2026 induction class consisting of six candidates. 

Being enshrined this year as Hall of Fame selections are Lyndsey Boswell (women’s lacrosse), Brian Burlace (men’s lacrosse), Harry Dobson (girls basketball coach), Pat Owen (men’s golf) and Bill Wagner (sports media personality). John Spinnenweber will be inducted as recipient of the Bernie Walter Memorial Award for longtime, exemplary service to Anne Arundel County athletics. 

“We are very excited about this year’s induction class, which is diverse and includes six very deserving individuals,” Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame president Dave Cassard said. “We are looking forward to welcoming a group of inductees whose tremendous accomplishments stood out to the members of our Board of Directors that vote on this honor.” 

Boswell, Burlace, Dobson, Owen, Wagner and Spinnenweber will be formally enshrined during the 35th annual Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame induction banquet, being held Thursday, November 12 at the DoubleTree Hotel off Riva Road in Annapolis. 

For further information about the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame or this year’s induction banquet, please email President Cassard (cassarddavid@verizon.net) or visit www.aacshof.org. 

Below are biographies of this year’s Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame inductees. Included as part of this press release are high resolution photos of the six inductees. 

LYNDSEY BOSWELL, FRIENDSHIP, LACROSSE PLAYER, COACH 

Boswell is being inducted for her accomplishments as both a women’s lacrosse player and coach. The Friendship native was a standout player at Pfeiffer University and is currently head coach at High Point. 

Boswell was a two-sport standout at Southern High (basketball, lacrosse) under head coach Linda Kilpatrick, a 2008 inductee into the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame. She was named first team All-County by both the Arundel Sun and Capital-Gazette in lacrosse. 

Boswell played lacrosse at Pfeiffer University and was a two-time, first team All-American attacker at the Division II level. She remains the program’s all-time leader in points (295) and goals (190). 

Boswell was named the Conference Carolinas Player of the Year as a senior and was inducted into the Pfeiffer Hall of Fame in 2013 

Boswell was hired in 2009 as the first head coach in High Point women’s lacrosse history and is now in her 16th year. Under her guidance, High Point has compiled a 184-104 record, including an 87-10 mark in Big South Conference regular season play. She has led High Point to 13 conference championships 

Boswell has been named Big South Conference Coach of the Year seven times and has led the Panthers to six NCAA Tournament appearances. She is the winningest coach in Big South Conference history. 

BRIAN BURLACE, EDGEWATER, LACROSSE 

Burlace was an imposing and physical close defenseman and key member of outstanding teams at St. Mary’s High and the University of Maryland. 

The Annapolis native was the lone returning starter and team captain of the 1988 St. Mary’s squad that reached the MSA A Conference semifinals. He was named team Most Valuable Player, first team All-County by Capital-Gazette and first team All-Metro by The Baltimore Sun. 

Burlace would later be named to the All-Decade team for boys’ lacrosse compiled by Arundel Sun sports editor Pat O’Malley. 

Burlace earned a scholarship to Maryland where he became a three-year starter under head coach Dick Edell. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound long sticker combined strength and power with quickness and agility — developing a reputation as a hard hitter who also played sound position defense. 

Burlace was selected first team All-Atlantic Coast Conference in 1991 and 1992 and had the honor of being the first player during Coach Edell’s coaching career to be chosen as team captain as both a junior and senior. 

After being named second team All-American by the United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association in 1991, Burlace earned first team honors in 1992. He reached the pinnacle of college lacrosse as recipient of the prestigious William C. Schmeisser Award as the Most Outstanding Defenseman in Division I. 

Burlace, who graduated from Maryland ranked Top 10 in ground balls, played in the Division I North-South Senior All-Star game then enjoyed a decorated club lacrosse career with the Green Turtle program. He is a longtime resident of Edgewater. 

HARRY DOBSON, ANNAPOLIS, GIRLS BASKETBALL COACH, OFFICIATING SUPERVISOR (DECEASED) 

Dobson oversaw the most successful era of St. Mary’s High girls basketball during a 21-year tenure as head coach. 

Under Dobson’s direction, St. Mary’s compiled a 306-184 record and captured five Catholic League championships.The Saints enjoyed a tremendous run from 1991-92 through 1993-84, posting a 72-11 record and claiming three consecutive Catholic League crowns. 

St. Mary’s had another impressive run of success from 1995-96 through 1998-99, fashioning a record of 104-21 during that four-year stretch. Those teams were led by four future Division I basketball players in Emily Lipton (Virginia Tech), Maria Smear (Yale), Terri Daniels (Maryland) and Felicia Holloway (Iona). 

That team captured the last Catholic League championship under Dobson in 1996 and also the Independent Schools state championship with a 27-2 record. The Saints set a program record with 24 straight wins and finished the season ranked No. 1 by The Baltimore Sun. 

Dobson grew up on Mill Creek in the St. Margaret’s area and was a three-sport standout at Annapolis High (1958 graduate). He was a left tackle in football, forward in basketball and midfielder in lacrosse 

Dobson also served as the longtime commissioner of the Chesapeake Lacrosse Officials Association, which covered all of Anne Arundel County 

PAT OWEN, ANNAPOLIS, GOLF 

Owen served as the head professional at the Naval Academy Golf Club for 34 years and as the head coach of Navy men’s varsity golf for 32 years. 

Owen led Navy men’s golf to seven Patriot League team championships (1998, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2018). The Midshipmen were the conference runner-up six straight seasons before breaking through. 

Owen developed eight Patriot League individual champions, including future PGA Tour professional Billy Hurley. Another notable conference champ during his tenure was Aaron Wright, an All-American and one of the most successful golfers in Navy history. 

Owen was named Patriot League Coach of the Year nine times — first earning that honor in his second season at the helm (1993). He earned NCAA District II Coach of the Year recognition in 1996. 

Navy had five players molded by Owen named Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Charlie Musto is the lone Midshipmen from the Owen era to earn Patriot League Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in the same season, doing so in 2018. 

Owen closed out his coaching career by leading Navy to victory over archrival Army in his final Star Match. That marked the 15th Star Series victory of his tenure. 

By the end of his tenure, Owen was the most senior head coach among Navy’s 36 varsity programs. In July, 2022, the lifelong Annapolis resident was promoted to Director of Navy men’s and women’s golf — a newly-created role that gave him oversight of both collegiate programs. 

Owen announced his retirement as head professional of the Naval Academy Golf Club in June, 2024. He served as a Navy assistant under predecessor Larry Ringer for four years. 

In 2009, Owen was the recipient of the prestigious Labron Harris Sr. Award that is presented by the PGA of American and the Golf Coaches Association of America. It is presented to the collegiate coach or PGA professional whose support of the golf has ensured the continued growth of the game. 

Owen was an accomplished golfer who captured the Anne Arundel County Junior Championship at the age of 11 and claimed the District V Championship as a senior at Annapolis High in 1977. He played varsity golf at Johns Hopkins University. 

BILL WAGNER, ANNAPOLIS, MEDIA PERSONALITY 

Wagner has worked as a reporter for Capital-Gazette Newspapers for 37 years with most of that time spent as a sportswriter. He was hired in March, 1989 as editor of The Brooklyn News and transitioned into being a news reporter for The Maryland Gazette when the aforementioned weekly newspaper was dissolved. 

Wagner served just shy of two years as sports editor of the Maryland Gazette before being moved to The Capital as high school sports editor. He took over as the sailing editor in 1991 and remains in that role to this day. 

Wagner was assigned to the University of Maryland Athletics in 1992. He covered Maryland varsity sports for just over a decade while simultaneously serving as high school sports editor. 

Wagner was moved to the Naval Academy Athletics in 2001 and has remained in that role to the present. He passed off the title of high school sports editor but continues to cover prep sports as needed. 

Wagner has earned dozens of first place awards for various articles from the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. (MDDC) Press Association. His work has been named “Best in Show” for various categories (feature writing, column writing, spot news) multiple times. 

Wagner has also received 18 first place awards for articles and reporting from the Associated Press Sports Editors (APSE) organization. He was presented with the Mark Twain Award for Best Feature Story from the Chesapeake Associated Press organization in 2006. 

Wagner was named the Maryland Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association in 2025. He has been presented with the Pascal Award by the Anne Arundel County Coaches Association, the Bildy Award by the Bilderback Lacrosse Foundation, the Jim and Rae Anne Morgan Award for longtime service to the Touchdown Club of Annapolis and the President’s Award for outstanding service from the Chesapeake Chapter of USA Lacrosse. 

In 2016, Wagner was recognized as a Distinguished Graduate of St. Mary’s High School (Class of 1983). 

Wagner has been affiliated with Touchdown Club of Annapolis since 1990, serving on the Board of Governors and as secretary for 20 years. He is the only three-term president of the organization and is currently a member of the past president’s advisory board. 

Wagner is the only remaining member of the inaugural Board of Directors that founded the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame in 1991. He has served as primary historian and archivist for the organization throughout its history. 

Wagner has also served on the Board of Directors for the Chesapeake Chapter of USA Lacrosse for 15 years. He has been the primary historian and archivist for the organization throughout tenure. 

Wagner has been the Maryland state director for the John R. Wooden Award for 20 years. He is also a longtime voter for the Fred Belitnikoff Award that is presented to the most outstanding wide receiver in college football and the Lou Groza Award that goes to the top placekicker. 

JOHN SPINNENWEBER, BERNIE WALTER MEMORIAL AWARD 

Spinnenweber served with distinction with the Anne Arundel County Recreation and Parks Department for nearly four decades. The lifelong Pasadena resident began his career in 1998 as the assistant aquatics director and retired in 2025 after ascending to a top leadership post. 

Along the way, Spinnenweber held the titles of sports complex supervisor for Joe Cannon Stadium in Harmans and facility superintendent for the Bachman Sports Complex in Glen Burnie. 

Spinnenweber was brought to Anne Arundel Recreation and Parks Department headquarters in Annapolis in 2008 to serve as Chief of Athletics and Facility Scheduling — a post he held for 17 years. 

Longtime Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame board member Franklin Chaney served as Spinnenweber’s supervisor for most of his tenure with the Recreation and Parks Department and said he always went above and beyond in all the roles he held. 

Spinnenweber is a 1977 graduate of Northeast High where he was a three-sport standout. He earned All-County recognition from Capital Gazette in soccer, basketball and baseball as a senior. 

Spinnenweber was the top pitcher for the Northeast baseball team that captured the state championship in 1975, leading Anne Arundel County in wins that season. He spent two years at Anne Arundel Community College as both a basketball and baseball player, earning All-Region XX honors in the spring sport as a sophomore. 

Spinnenweber earned a basketball scholarship to the University of Baltimore and was a starter and team captain as a senior in 1982. UB was a Division I program at the time. 

Spinnenweber has also served the community as a coach, beginning as an assistant in basketball at Chesapeake High. He was head coach of varsity basketball at Archbishop Spalding for three seasons. 

Following a part-time volunteer role with the Navy men’s basketball team, Spinnenweber served as an assistant at Broadneck before becoming head coach of Chesapeake boys basketball in 1993. 

Chesapeake reached the county championship game and was ranked as high as 10th in the Baltimore-metro area during his eight-year tenure. 

Spinnenweber returned to Chesapeake in 2001 as girls basketball coach. He led the Cougars to the Class 4A East Region championship in 2002. 

In 2015, Spinnenweber was presented with the Amateur Athletic Union of Maryland Governor’s Award. That is the highest civilian honor bestowed by the AAU. Spinnenweber has served on the Board of Directors for the Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame for more than a decade.