NOTABLE ATHLETES FROM THE PAST INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
Cara Hodge | Editor in Chief
The athletic department recently inducted nine former County students into the Hall of Fame, ranging from past football quarterbacks and basketball stars to current New York lawyers and business owners. “It brought back fond and proud memories with my teammates and classmates who were avid Raiders’ fans,” said Jack Barrett, one of the inductees who was named “Most Athletic” by the Class of 1961 and went on to be a history teacher for 33 years.
“My athletic success enhanced my desire to experience similar satisfaction in other life adventures,” said Barrett, who was not only a teacher but the president of Quality Pool Company and Loudoun Golf and Country Club, as well as the author of five books on the history of Loudoun County. “Success in athletics leads to success in other elements,” Barrett said. It is clear that his drive for success is rooted in earlier accomplishments.
“It feels great to be on the wall with all the other accomplished athletes to come through LCHS,” said inductee Brian Fixx, Class of 1989, who was captain of the football, basketball, and baseball teams during high school. Fixx went on to play basketball at California University of Pennsylvania where his team advanced to the Final Four in the 1991-1992 season. “I tend to lean on my athletic experiences to help with my business approach as well as in helping others that I coach,” Fixx stated, giving merit to how he was able to apply athletics to his professional life as well as to influence the future generation of athletes.
“The Hall of Fame is a great testament to the rich history of our school and our athletic accomplishments,” said Athletic Director Kate Cassidy. The Hall of Fame was started six years ago. Every year from February to May a committee of eight staff members meet to look through nominations and choose who is most notable.
Applications are submitted by family or friends of past Loudoun County athletes who have gone on to accomplish many things in their athletic careers. The family or friends are required to provide documentation of past and present accomplishments and records of success.
“Having our athletes walk by the Hall of Fame pictures everyday is a great motivator for them to perform their best and strive to one day be on the wall,” said Cassidy. In addition to Brian Fixx and Jack Barrett, the Class of 2019 Hall of Fame Inductees include:
Bill Oblas, Administrator: Oblas was involved in Loudoun County Public Schools for over 40 years. He served as principal of Loudoun County from 2004-2014, where he helped form the infamous “Raider Riot.” He was actively involved in VHSL and served on the District Council for nine years.
Katie Baldwin, ‘02: Baldwin was a four-year letter winner for Raider basketball and broke multiple records during her high school career. She went on to play Division 1 basketball at St. Francis College and the University of North Carolina, where she would later coach as well as at Tusculum College. She now owns her own in-home personal training company.
Dennis Duff, ‘74: Duff earned seven varsity letters during his career at LCHS for his participation in football, basketball, and baseball. He was best known for his accomplishments in baseball where he led the team with a .491 batting average senior year. He went on to play baseball at VA Tech, where he would break the record for home runs. He is now a career firefighter in Fairfax County.
Joe Hembrook, ’98: Hembrook ran four years of varsity cross country and track and field for the Raiders. He broke multiple school records in track and field as well as a state title and earned All-State honors in both sports as a senior. He went on to run at Christopher Newport University where he is still in the top ten all time in the 800.
Nancy McBride, ‘76: McBride was an eight-time letter winner for the Raiders. She helped the basketball team win District Championships three years in a row and pitched for the softball team all four years. She won All-District honors three years for basketball and was named the Northwestern District Player of the Year as a senior. She played on the Loudoun Women’s Fastpitch Softball League before heading off to Radford University.
Morgan Petkovich, ‘08: Petkovich was a member of the first LCHS volleyball team to capture a state title in 2007. As a senior she was named First Team All-District, All-Region, and All-State, then earned a full-ride to play volleyball at Villanova University, where she gained Big East All-Conference honors and joined the 1,000-killclub. She graduated from Columbia Law School and now works as a sports and antitrust lawyer in New York.
James Wynn, ‘98: While in high school Wynn was captain for football, wrestling, and baseball. He received many honors in all three sports and placed 5th in the state for wrestling. He was elected Most Athletic by his senior class and was awarded the Donald F. Larson Scholarship for Citizenship, Honesty, Integrity, Loyalty, Sportsmanship, and Human Decency. He went on to attend law school at the University of Virginia.
