SARAH JUDY DENTON

A soccer all-star at Ragsdale High School, Sarah Judy Denton earned All-Conference each of four years, leading Ragsdale to two state championships while earning All-State honors twice and being named tournament MVP in 1996. She was also a member of the U-16 US National Team. Sarah won two state cups with the Greensboro Twisters in club soccer and captained UNC Charlotte to the 1998 Conference USA championship and first bid to the NCAA Tournament, while being honored with the Bonnie Cone Award for Academic Excellence. After earning her undergraduate degree (2001) and master’s degree (2006) in Special Education at Charlotte, Sarah coached boy’s and girls’ soccer at A.L. Brown HS in Kannapolis (2001-2004), was a member of the Region III Olympic Development staff in 2009, joined the FC Carolina Alliance staff (2002-2007), won Conference Coach of the Year (2007) honors by leading Pfeiffer University to the Conference championship, and coached with UNCC, the Carolina Dynamo, and Piedmont Triad Football Club before beginning her coaching and teaching career at Wesleyan Christian Academy in 2015. Her mother, Sharron Frahm, is a 2010 inductee into the GCSHOF.

KIM FURLOUGH

Southeast Guilford alumnus Kim Furlough’s career basketball coaching record of 364-104 (2007-2023) plus her countless awards for coaching excellence and legendary performances as a player have secured her place among Guilford County’s greats. Furlough earned All-Southern Conference honors twice (1988, 1989) as a player at Appalachian State, then averaged over 30 points a game professionally for the Irish National Champions Waterford Wildcats. She was an assistant coach at UNCG before becoming head coach at Northern Guilford in 2007, its inaugural season, and leading the girls’ teams to back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018, three regional titles and eight conference championships. Kim is a three-time NC Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, six-time Mid-State 3-A Conference Coach of the Year, Metro 4-A Coach of the Year, and NC Associated Press Coach of the Year in 2017. She retired from coaching in 2023 and was inducted in the inaugural Northern Guilford HS Hall of Fame, Class of 2023.

LEE CULP HENRY

A standout performer in basketball, soccer, tennis, and swimming, Lee Culp Henry’s athleticism was renowned. At High Point Central, she led her basketball teams to state championships in 1997 and 1999, being named MVP of the state tournament in 1999 after scoring 20 points in the championship game and being named to the All-State team. Henry also won state titles with the Bison soccer teams in 1998 and 1999, was MVP of the state soccer championship game in 1998, and was named All-State and All-South in 1999. In tennis, Lee helped Central to a state championship tournament berth in 1998, and was a member of the varsity swim team in 1998 where she won All-State honors as a member of her medley relay team. Henry was honored as North Carolina High School Female Scholar- Athlete of the Year in 1999, before heading to the Ivy League to play basketball at Princeton University. Upon her graduation, Henry earned a graduate degree from Catholic University in social work. In her professional life, she has been a counselor for adolescents experiencing personal challenges. Henry is a 2017 inductee into the High Point Central Hall of Fame.

EDDIE ROBINSON

In Guilford County, Eddie Robinson is synonymous with soccer. A star defender at Page High School, he was an NSCAA Umbro All-American and first-team All-Conference, All-State, and All-South selection in 1995. He became a four-year starter at UNC Chapel Hill where he helped the Tar Heels win the 2000 ACC Championship. The 20th selection in the 2001 MLS draft by San Jose, Eddie starred for the Earthquakes, winning MLS championships in 2001 and 2003. The franchise relocated to Houston in 2006 and Robinson was selected to the 2006 MLS All-Star team while being named Defender of the Year for the Dynamo in 2006 and 2007 and helping Houston win two MLS championships (2006, 2007).  He was a member of the US National Team (2002-2008), earning an international cap and scoring a goal against Sweden in 2008. Since his retirement in 2012, he served as an on-air television commentator for the Dynamo (2012-2023) and an assistant coach for the MWSL Houston Dash (2018-2019). Robinson was inducted into the NC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013.

lee rouson

Lee Rouson was instrumental in establishing Page High School’s state championship football dynasty, rushing for over 2,000 yards, in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was a member of the Page basketball team (1977-1980) and helped the Pirates’ basketball team win a state championship in 1979. His senior year, Page was undefeated until an upset loss in the state semi-finals. Rouson went on to star as a running back at the University of Colorado where he is ranked 4th all-time in rushing for the Buffaloes. He was named to All-Big 8 Conference and honorable mention Big-8 Player of the Year, playing in the Blue-Grey Classic All-Star game as a senior. Selected by the New York Giants in the 1985 NFL draft, Rouson was named 1986 Special Teams Player of the Year and won two Super Bowls (1986, 1991) under Coach Bill Parcells, establishing a then-Super Bowl record for all-purpose yards in 1991. Now a motivational speaker with Sports World, Rouson has won numerous civic awards in the New York/New Jersey area. He was inducted into the Page High School Athletics Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2022.

dr. steven rush

On the court and off, Dr. Steven Rush has set high standards. A basketball and academic prodigy, Rush was a member of the Greensboro Gaters’ 2002 U-19 National Championship team. He also led Greensboro Day School to two state championships and two Little Four titles, earning first-team All-State honors twice, in addition to being named All-Region and All-Conference. Rush then starred for UNC Asheville (2003-2005) before transferring to North Carolina A&T. As an Aggie, he ranked 3rd in the nation in three-pointers made per game as a junior (2006-2007) and holds several three-point records. He averaged almost 20 points per game and was twice named team MVP while also being selected to two MEAC All-Conference and All-Academic teams, two school Athlete of the Year honors, and graduating Magna Cum Laude with a degree in chemistry. He played professionally in Germany (2008-2009) and England (2009-2010). Dr. Rush later earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree and became a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service. He was inducted into the NC A&T State University Hall of Fame in 2022.

aprille shaffer

During her storied and remarkable basketball career, Aprille Shaffer starred for High Point Andrews High School, graduating in 1977. Selected to the All-Conference team as a junior and senior, Shaffer was named Conference Player of the Year as a senior and was selected to the exclusive Parade Magazine Women’s High School All-American team in 1977. She was chosen as the first female athlete from Andrews High School to compete in the East-West All-Star game. Shaffer was a four-year starter for the University of North Carolina (1977-1981) and named to the All-ACC team as a sophomore, junior, and senior. She was a team captain as a junior and senior and scored 1,053 points, including 19 points against Kentucky as a freshman, and handed out 395 assists during her 128-game career, ranking among the top-ten all-time in assists at UNC. Inducted into the Andrews HS Hall of Fame in 2014, she enjoys a successful career as an insurance executive in Charlotte.

greg ward

Although he was a starter at Grimsley High School in basketball, being named all-city in 1969-1970, and football, twice a member of the all-city team, Greg Ward’s best sport was baseball. As a junior, he posted a 5-2 record but, it was as a senior that he had his greatest season. Ward fashioned an 8-0 record and 0.47 ERA, helping the Whirlies win the state 4-A championship in 1971. After winning the McDaniel Lewis Award for the best all-around athlete at Grimsley as a senior, he signed with the University of South Carolina and helped the Gamecocks build the foundation of one of the best programs in the country. With an outstanding breaking ball as his signature pitch, Ward complied a 34-13 career record that included 25 complete games, still a school record. As a senior, Ward went 14-2 and helped USC earn its first College World Series appearance enroute to a team record of 51-6-1. He still ranks third in career wins and fifth in career strikeouts at South Carolina. Ward was drafted in the 13th round of the 1975 MLB draft by the Baltimore Orioles, being chosen for the California League All-Star team as a rookie, and playing for the Charlotte Orioles in 1976. He was named Georgia Junior College Baseball Coach of the Year (1980, 1981) and served as AD at Dekalb College/Georgia Perimeter College between 1985-2008. Ward was inducted into the University of South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015. 

sally kaufmann newton (legends class)

Thanks to Sally Newton, thousands of children, many of whom have become champions, discovered the joy of sports in Guilford County. A graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania, she coached gymnastics, field hockey, and softball at three high schools in Pennsylvania before moving to Greensboro in 1984. Newton founded Tumblebees Gymnastics in 1986 and became a “champion of youth sports” in Greensboro. Since Tumblebees’ founding, over 40,000 area children have participated in its programs. Putting the “FUN” in the fundamentals of gymnastics, tumbling, rock wall climbing and other sports, Tumblebees’ quickly becoming the most lauded and versatile program on the East Coast. Newton played a pivotal role in bringing regional and national gymnastics events and championships to Greensboro during her career. Despite her passing in 2014, the Tumblebees’ philosophy lives on “making a difference in the lives of students, families, and community through education, promoting health, fitness, self-esteem and sports development by a caring, professional staff.”

alfred “al” lowe (Legends class)

Al Lowe always had a fighting spirit. A veteran of the United States Army and Marine Corps, Lowe fought with distinction in World War II and Korea, before coming home to lead the fight in a different arena: boxing. He helped organize the Greensboro Boxing Club in 1972 after observing fights between rival high school students, wanting to teach them to box with skill and by the rules, thereby helping their self-confidence and self-discipline. He eventually trained amateur boxers at the Boxing Club for 39 years, traveling with them to state, regional, and national tournaments, including events with the American Boxing Federation and Golden Gloves. Lowe was selected as a coach for the USA Boxing Team in 1988 as the team made several international trips to compete, including a memorable journey to the Soviet Union. He was named to the USA Boxing Team Board that same year. A few years later, Lowe began training America’s best as a US Olympic Training Center coach while giving special joy to our community as a NC Special Olympics Powerlifting Development Team coach. Lowe also served as a volunteer on the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Commission from 1977 until 1988 and was named “Senior of the Year” in 1994 by Greensboro Parks and Recreation. In 2012, the Boxing Club at Lindley Recreation Center was named in his honor.