NORFOLK, VA.-- (Dec. 24) The December 27th issue of SPORTS ILLUSTRATED magazine hasselected wrestling coach Gray Simons, and Lady Monarch basketball greats AnneDonovan ('83) and Nancy Lieberman-Cline ('80) as the greatest 50 athletes intheir respective states where they were born.
Anne Donovan, now the interim head coach for the new WNBA franchise inIndiana was selected the eighth greatest athlete from New Jersey. The two-timegold medal winner for the United States, Donovan completed her career at OldDominion with 2,719 career points, 1,976 career rebounds and 801 career blockedshots. The blocked shots are still and NCAA career record. She was a three-timeAll-American and the 1983 Naismith National Player of the Year. Donovan helpedthe Lady Monarchs capture the 1980 National Championship. She was inducted intothe Basketball Hall of Fame in 1995 and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in1999. She is also a member of both the Old Dominion Sports Hall of Fame and theVirginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Nancy Lieberman-Cline, currently the General Manager and head coach of theDetroit Shock in the WNBA was selected the 26th greatest athlete from the Stateof New York. "Lady Magic", as she was known helped Old Dominion teams collect anastounding 72-2 record during their back-to-back National Championships in 1979and 1980. As a 16 year-old, she competed for the United States in the 1976Montreal Olympics. The three-time All-American at Old Dominion completed hercareer with 961 career assists, 512 career steals, 2,430 career points and 1,167career rebounds. She is the only two-time winner of the Wade Trophy in 1979 and1980, and is also a recipient of the Broderick Cup in 1980. Lieberman wasinducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 1996, the Women's Basketball Hallof Fame in 1999 and is also a member of the Old Dominion Hall of Fame and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame.
Gray Simons, a two-time Olympian wrestler was selected the 33rd greatestathlete from the state of Virginia. Simons was 91-2 during his four-year careerat Lock Haven, including 84 straight victories. In four years he won four NAIANational Championships and three NCAA National Championships and was twice votedas the Outstanding Wrestler at the NCAA Tournament. As a head coach, he ledLock Haven to a 59-10-1 record and two NAIA Champion ships and was NationalCoach of the Year in 1966 and 1967. At Tennessee, he was 92-56-2 and trained tenAll-Americans. After Tennessee dropped the sport in 1986, Simons came to OldDominion in 1988 and has coached four All-Americans, one National runner-up,and 19 different Monarch wrestlers have qualified for the NCAA Championships.
Simons has been inducted into the following Hall of Fames. The HelmsFoundation (1971), the NAIA (1975), National Wrestling Hall of Fame (1978), theU.S. Achievement Hall of Fame (1982), the Pennsylvania State Wrestling Hall ofFame (1983), the All-Time Collegiate Wrestling Team by Amateur Wrestling News(1988), and the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (1992).