Greensboro, NC: The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame is proud to announce 10 members in the Class of 2024.
This is the 19th class of athletes, coaches and contributors to be inducted into the Hall, which was created in 2005, and increases the membership to 207.
The newest inductees will be introduced at a press conference Wednesday, May 22, at the Greensboro Coliseum at 11 a.m. The Class of 2024 will be enshrined at the induction reception and banquet on Tuesday, Sept. 10, at the Greensboro Coliseum. Tickets for the reception and banquet are $100 and tables for 10 are $950. Table and ticket order forms will be available online at the GCSHOF website (gcshof.org).
The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame was established in 2005 to honor the outstanding achievements of individuals in the sports arena from Guilford County. The inductees represent a wide range of sports from basketball to motorsports to baseball to sports journalism. Some of the honorees have been recognized by having stadiums or gymnasiums named after them while others are recognized mostly in the hearts of the children they have coached. Each honoree has left a unique footprint and represents the diversity and heritage of Guilford County.
In the class of 2024 are eight laureates and two Legends, a designation which honors deceased members. Their biographies follow, in alphabetical order.
Sarah Judy Denton– Soccer
An under-16 National Team star, Sarah was All-Conference in soccer four years, leading Ragsdale High to two state championships, earning All-State twice and tournament MVP in 1996. She won two state cups with the Greensboro Twisters for club soccer and captained UNC Charlotte to the 1998 Conference USA championship, while being honored with the Bonnie Cone Award for Academic Excellence. After earning her master’s degree in Special Education, Sarah coached men’s and women’s soccer at A.L Brown High School in Kannapolis, joined the FC Carolina Alliance staff, won Conference Coach of the year by leading Pfeiffer University to the Carolinas Conference championship, and coached at UNCC, the Carolina Dynamo and the Piedmont Triad Football Club before becoming head girls’ soccer coach and teacher at Wesleyan Christian Academy. Sarah enjoys serving her church and community.
Kim Furlough - Basketball
Southeast Guilford alumnus Kim Furlough’s career basketball coaching record of 364-104 plus her countless awards for coaching excellence and legendary performances as a player have secured her place among Guilford County's greats. Kim won All-Conference honors twice 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, leading the girls' teams to back-to-back state championships in 2017 and 2018, three regional titles and eight conference championships. Kim is a 3-time NC Basketball Coaches Association Coach of the Year, 6-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, among many other honors.
Lee Culp Henry- Basketball, Soccer, Tennis and Swimming
A standout performer in basketball, soccer, tennis and swimming, Lee Culp Henry’s athleticism was renowned. At High Point Central, Lee led her basketball teams to state championships in 1997 and 1999, being named MVP of the state tournament in ‘99 after scoring 20 points in the championship game. She also won state titles with the Bison soccer teams in 1998 and 1999 and was named MVP of the state soccer championship game in 1998. In tennis, Lee helped Central to state championship tournament berths in 1998 and 1999, and even plunged in with the varsity swim team in 1998. Lee was honored as North Carolina State High School Female Athlete of the Year in 1999, before heading to the Ivy League to play basketball at Princeton.
Alfred Lowe (Legend) - Boxing
Alfred Lowe always had a fighting spirit. A veteran of the United States Army and Marine Corps, Alfred fought with distinction in World War II and Korea, before coming home to lead the fight in a different arena: boxing. Alfred helped organize the Greensboro Boxing Club in 1972 and was a USA Olympic Boxing Team Board member in 1988. He trained America’s best as a US Olympic Training Center coach and gave special joy to our community as North Carolina Special Olympics Development Team coach in 1979. Alfred also served as a volunteer on the Greensboro Parks and Recreation Commission. In 2012, the Boxing Club at Lindley Recreation Center was named in his honor.
Sally Kaufmann Newton (Legend) - Gymnastics
Thanks to Sally Newton, thousands of children, many of whom have become champions, have discovered the joy of sports in Guilford County. After coaching gymnastics, field hockey and softball in Pennsylvania, Sally moved to Greensboro in 1984 and founded Tumblebees Gymnastics in 1986. Since its founding, over 40,000 area children have participated in Tumblebees’ programs, putting the FUN in the fundamentals of gymnastics, tumbling, rock wall climbing and other sports. Sally also played a pivotal role in bringing regional and national gymnastics events and championships to Greensboro. 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.”
Eddie Robinson - Soccer
In Guilford County, the name "Eddie Robinson" is synonymous with soccer. A star defender at Page High School, Eddie was an NSCAA Umbro All-American and first-team All-Conference, All-State and All-South selection, before becoming 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 two MLS championships. The franchise moved to Houston in 2006 and he was named Defender of the Year for the Dynamo in 2006 and 2007 and was selected to the MLS All-Star team in 2006. Perhaps his greatest thrill was donning the red, white and blue of the US National Team from 2002-2008 and scoring a goal for Team USA against Sweden in 2008. Since his retirement in 2012, he has coached and been a soccer commentator for the Dynamo. Eddie was inducted into the NC Soccer Hall of Fame in 2013.
Lee Rouson - Football and Basketball
Lee Rouson was instrumental in establishing Page High School’s state championship football dynasties under Coach Marion Kirby in the 1970s and 80s, rushing for over 2,000 yards. He also helped the Pirates’ basketball team to a state championship in 1979. Lee went on to star as a running back at the University of Colorado, where he was All-Big 8 Conference and honorable mention Big-8 Player of the Year. Selected by New York Giants in the 1985 NFL draft, Lee was named 1986 Special Teams Player of the Year and won two Super Bowls under Coach Bill Parcells, establishing a then-Super Bowl record for all-purpose yards in 1991. Now a motivational speaker with Sports World, Lee has won numerous civic awards in the New York/New Jersey area.
Dr. Steven Rush- Basketball
On the court and off, Dr. Steven Rush has set very high standards. A basketball and academic prodigy, Steven was a member of the Greensboro Gaters' 2002 19-Under National Championship team and also led Greensboro Day School to two state championships and two Little Four titles, earning first-team All-State twice, plus All-Region and All-Conference honors. He then starred for UNC Asheville, where he held the school record for steals in a game, 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 and holds several three-point records, averaging nearly 20 points per game and being named team MVP twice, claiming two MEAC All-Conference and All-Academic laurels, two school Athlete of the Year honors, and graduated Magna Cum Laude with a degree in chemistry. Dr. Rush later earned his Doctor of Pharmacy degree and became a commissioned officer in the United States Public Health Service.
Aprille Shaffer – Basketball
Aprille Shaffer starred for High Point Andrews High School and UNC Chapel Hill during her remarkable basketball career. All-Conference as a junior and senior at Andrews, Aprille 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 and chosen as the first female Andrews athlete to compete in the East-West All-Star game. Aprille was a 4-year starter for UNC and named All-ACC as a sophomore, junior, and senior, becoming one of the Tar Heel’s all-time assists leaders. Inducted into the inaugural High Point Andrews Hall of Fame in 2014, she enjoys a successful career as an insurance executive in Charlotte.
Greg Ward- Baseball
Although he was a starter in basketball and football at Grimsley, Greg Ward's best sport was baseball. In his senior year he had an 8-0 record and 0.47 ERA, helping the Whirlies win the state 4-A championship in 1971. Ward signed with South Carolina and helped the Gamecocks build the foundation for one of the best programs in the country. With his outstanding breaking ball as his signature pitch, he compiled a 34-13 record that included 25 complete games, still a school record. At the end of his sophomore season, he pitched complete games in both ends of a double-header against Georgia Tech. As a senior, Ward went 14-3 and helped USC make its first-ever College World Series en route to a team record of 51-6-1. He still ranks third in career wins and fifth in career strikeouts. Greg was inducted into the South Carolina Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.