Press Releases
Willie Allen, John Bunting, Warren Crutchfield, Bill Dixon, Betty Holston Smith, Holy Cross Girls Basketball Team Selected for 2026 Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame
For Immediate Release: Monday, March 2, 2026
Induction Ceremonies to Be Held Sunday, April 26, at Silver Spring Civic Building
Five legendary figures from Montgomery County’s sports history and the team with the County’s longest all-time winning streak in any sport will be honored at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, April 26, when the Montgomery Sports Hall of Fame inducts its Class of 2026 at the Silver Spring Civic Building, located at 1 Veterans Place, in Silver Spring.
Joining 35 previous inductees will be three-time All-Met basketball star Willie Allen of Richard Montgomery High School; 11-year NFL veteran John Bunting; longtime official Bill Dixon; 93-time marathon runner Betty Holston Smith; and, posthumously, track and field standout and girls’ basketball coach Warren Crutchfield.
The first team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame will be the Academy of the Holy Cross girls’ basketball team, which won 115 consecutive games from 1977-82.
“Montgomery County has a great sports history, with athletes and teams that have stood out in the Washington region, nationally, and even worldwide," said Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich. “This year's list of honorees again represents the depth of athletic achievements that have been produced in our County. We offer congratulations to the entire Class of 2026 and look forward to the induction ceremonies in April.”
The Hall of Fame includes athletes and sports figures recognized locally, nationally, and internationally, including swimmer Katie Ledecky, gymnast Dominique Dawes, Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Walter Johnson, former NFL star Shawn Springs, tennis standout Jeri Ingram, soccer’s Bruce Murray, broadcaster Johnny Holliday, and ESPN anchor Scott Van Pelt.
The chair of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors is Bob Milloy, who was inducted after a 47-year coaching career that made him the winningest football coach in Maryland high school history.
The April 26 induction ceremony is free and open to the public. Public parking is available in the Ellsworth Street garage adjacent to the Silver Spring Civic Building, and the venue is located a few blocks from the Silver Spring Metro Station on the Red Line. Doors will open at 3 p.m.
More information about the Montgomery County Sports Hall of Fame and the Class of 2026 inductees is located on the organization’s website.
Class of 2026 Inductees:
Willie Allen: He led Richard Montgomery High School in Rockville to a Maryland state basketball championship and three County titles in the late 1960s. A three-time All-Met selection by The Washington Post, he earned All-Maryland and national high school All-America honors after averaging 25 points and 23 rebounds per game as a senior. He became the first African American scholarship basketball player at the University of Miami, where he averaged a double-double in points and rebounds in each of his three seasons and remains the university’s second all-time leading rebounder. He was inducted into the university’s Sports Hall of Fame in 2016. Allen was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in 1971 but played one season in the ABA before continuing his professional career in Belgium. After retiring in 1977, he pursued a career in marketing before becoming an urban farmer in his wife’s hometown of Milwaukee in 1993. He has received numerous grants and awards for his work in sustainable agriculture, written a book, and appeared in a documentary on farming. In 2012, he received an honorary Doctor of Agriculture from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
John Bunting: He starred at Springbrook High School in White Oak before playing at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. As a linebacker, he earned All-ACC honors and served as team captain when the Tar Heels won their first ACC championship in 1971. He went on to an 11-year NFL career with the Philadelphia Eagles, playing in 132 games and earning the team’s defensive MVP award in 1979. He was a member of the Eagles team that advanced to the 1981 Super Bowl, which they lost to the Raiders. He spent his last two seasons with the Philadelphia USFL team and was on the team that won the 1984 USFL championship. After his playing career, Bunting coached at the collegiate and professional levels, including serving as co-defensive coordinator for the 1999 St. Louis Rams team that won the Super Bowl. He later served as head coach of his alma mater, North Carolina, leading the Tar Heels to two bowl game appearances. He also worked as a football broadcaster on television and radio.
Warren Crutchfield (posthumous): Born and raised in Rockville, Crutchfield was a standout track and field athlete at the former Carver High School in Rockville and competed in the 1960 Olympic Trials. He was later inducted into the Athletic Hall of Fame at the University of Maryland-Eastern Shore. Crutchfield spent 33 years as a teacher and coach at Sherwood High School in Sandy Spring, mentoring hundreds of students. He coached basketball, track and field, and cross-country, and was the first African American track and field coach in Montgomery County. He coached girls' varsity basketball for 18 years. He was inducted into the Sherwood High School Hall of Fame in 2010. In 2020, the school gymnasium was named in his honor. Crutchfield passed away in 2019.
Bill Dixon: Over 62 years, Dixon officiated more than 6,000 football and basketball games, including some of the most significant contests in Maryland high school history. A graduate of Blair High School in Silver Spring, he played football, basketball, and golf before attending Montgomery College and serving four years in the U.S. Air Force. Dixon officiated 19 Maryland state basketball championship games and the McDonald's Classic. He also served 42 years as an official with Special Olympics and officiated five ECAC football conference championships, as well as the 2002 NCAA Division I-AA national championship game. He later worked for 13 years as a replay official for ACC football.
Betty Holston Smith: She was among the first Black students to attend Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School in 1956. She went on to build a distinguished career as a distance runner, competing in 93 marathons and 33 ultra marathons and logging more than 100,000 miles. She holds several age-group track-and-field records, including running 81 miles on her 81st birthday. After beginning her career at the U.S. Department of Labor, she became an educator, earning advanced degrees in teaching and later founding an education consulting company that she operated for 25 years. She has been a long-distance runner for more than 50 years, authored a book on healthy eating, and coaching runners with the Montgomery County Road Runners Club. She recently received Montgomery County’s African American Living Legends Award.
Academy of the Holy Cross Girls Basketball Team (1977-82): The Academy of the Holy Cross girls’ basketball team compiled a 115-game winning streak from 1977-82, the longest in Montgomery County high school sports history. Coached by Bill Sheehan with assistant Sonny Frankie, the team won five consecutive IAABO (International Association of Approved Basketball Officials) championships and five successive Catholic Girls Athletic Association titles. Among the players, Chrissy Reese and Karen Elsner were named Parade All-Americans, and Janet Hanrahan earned McDonald’s All-American honors. Fifteen players from the teams went on to earn college basketball scholarships.
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Media Contact: Neil Greenberger 301-445-234
Categories: Award