DC Sports Hall of Fame to add seven area greats as 2021 Inductees

Washington, D.C. - Five individuals who had distinguished careers in a variety of sports are among seven people who have been selected for induction into the Washington DC Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

The formal induction into the DC Sports Hall of Fame is conducted at Nationals Park prior to a Washington Nationals game. A date for the induction ceremony to recognize this year's honorees, as well as those selected to the Class of 2020, has yet to be scheduled.

The 2021 DC Sports Hall of Fame class includes Olympic gold medalist, former world record-holder, and two-time World Swimmer of the Year Mike Barrowman, the founder and coach of the Ft. Dupont Ice Hockey Club Neal Henderson, the late Washington Senators pitching star Fred "Firpo" Marberry, Washington Bullets NBA championship-winning head coach Dick Motta, and legendary lacrosse athlete and executive Paul Rabil. Joining them this year are two renowned Washington Post columnists, John Feinstein and Sally Jenkins.

The members of the DC Sports Hall of Fame selection committee are chairman Bobby Goldwater, a Georgetown University Sports Industry Management master's program faculty member and sports industry consultant; co-chairman emeritus and veteran D.C. sports executive Charlie Brotman; former radio and TV reporter/producer Brenda J. Curtis-Heiken; journalist David Elfin; communications executive and adjunct instructor Meredith Geisler; television and radio personality Chick Hernandez; attorney Phil Hochberg; Washington Nationals Managing Principal Owner Mark D. Lerner; former Shirley Povich Center for Sports Journalism Director at the University of Maryland George Solomon; basketball executive and former coach Ed Tapscott; attorney Mark Tuohey; radio and television personality and former Washington pro football tight end Rick "Doc" Walker; baseball commentator and historian Phil Wood; and journalist and Merrill College visiting professor Joe Yasharoff. Andy Ockershausen, the committee's other co-chairman emeritus who also participated in this year's selections, recently passed away.

"We are very pleased that five different sports are receiving well-deserved recognition this year with the selection of honorees who represent the impressive range of sports excellence in the Nation's Capital area," said Goldwater. "Also this year, the roster of media members in the Sports Hall of Fame has been notably enhanced with the inclusion of John Feinstein and Sally Jenkins."

"We sincerely look forward to working closely with our supportive host organization, the Washington Nationals, and the Lerner family ownership to have the privilege of recognizing the extraordinary achievements of this newest group of DC Sports Hall of Fame honorees, as well as the Class of 2020, at an induction ceremony in the near future," Goldwater added.

Individual nominees for inclusion must have gained prominence in the Washington area through their achievements in sports as an athlete, coach, owner, executive, member of the media, or contributor. A professional, collegiate, or high school team that has made a significant and positive impact in the Greater Washington community through outstanding achievement is eligible to be recognized as a Team of Distinction.

The 2021 inductees:

MIKE BARROWMAN: One of the greatest-ever swimmers from this area, Barrowman was the world record-holder and 1992 Olympic gold medalist in the breaststroke and the World Swimmer of the Year in 1989 and 1990. He represented the U.S. in two Olympic Games, Seoul in 1988 and Barcelona in 1992.

JOHN FEINSTEIN: An acclaimed columnist at the Washington Post for which he has written for more than 40 years. He is the author of 42 books, including 24 New York Times bestsellers. Additionally, he is a contributor to several other media outlets, has been inducted into four halls of fame, and was one of the organizers of the BB&T Classic, the Washington-based college basketball event held annually from 1995 to 2017 that benefited the Children's Charities Foundation.

NEAL HENDERSON: The founder and head coach of the Ft. Dupont Ice Hockey Club, the Cannons, the highly regarded minority youth hockey program based in Southeast Washington, and the oldest minority-led ice hockey program in the country. He was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2019 for his commitment to youth and the sport.

SALLY JENKINS: Recognized four times as the best sports columnist in the country by the nation's sports editors, Jenkins has worked at the Washington Post for 26 years. She was the first woman inducted into the National Sportscasters and Sportswriters Hall of Fame in 2005 and has written 12 books, four of which were New York Times bestsellers.

FRED "FIRPO" MARBERRY: One of the first great relief pitchers in baseball, Marberry was with the Washington Senators from 1923-1932, including four relief appearances in the 1924 World Series won by the Senators. After stints with the Detroit Tigers and New York Giants, he returned to the Senators to finish out his career in 1936. In his time with the Senators, he recorded a total of 470 appearances as a starter and reliever, and became the first pitcher to have 100 career starts and 100 saves.

DICK MOTTA: The respected head coach who led Washington's NBA franchise to its only championship in 1978, along with consecutive Eastern Conference titles (1978, 1979). He joins star players Elvin Hayes and Wes Unseld in the DC Sports Hall of Fame.

PAUL RABIL: Widely considered to be the greatest lacrosse player in the world, the Gaithersburg native was a three-time WCAC champion and two-time All-America with DeMatha Catholic High School. He was a four-time All-American, two-time national champion, and NCAA Midfielder of the Year at Johns Hopkins University. Rabil was a two-time world champion with Team USA, three-time professional champion and MVP, and is a successful executive and co-founder of the Premier Lacrosse League.

The previously announced 2020 DC Sports Hall of Fame class includes the late sports radio personality Ken Beatrice, the late high school football coach Herman Boone, basketball great Austin Carr, Washington pro football wide receiver Gary Clark, the late high school basketball coach Bob Dwyer, two-time FIFA World Cup and former United States Women's National Soccer Team coach Jill Ellis, the late high school and collegiate basketball star and coach Wil Jones, and University of Maryland basketball standout John Lucas, along with the 2019 WNBA champion Washington Mystics and the 2019 World Series champion Washington Nationals as Teams of Distinction.

The names of all DC Sports Hall of Fame inductees are prominently displayed at Nationals Park, the site of the induction ceremony. Information about the DC Sports Hall of Fame, including the honor roll of all inductees, is available on the organization's website, dcsportshall.com.