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In their own ways, the six people being inducted into the University of Maine Sports Hall of Fame on Friday night at the Wells Conference Center helped put the institution on the map.
Men’s hockey coach Shawn Walsh and longtime trainer Wes Jordan (Class of ’63), who both died of cancer within the last 13 months, will be joined as inductees by multi-sports stars Nat Crowley (’42) and Ann England Maxim (’84), game-breaking wide receiver Sergio Hebra (’88), and soccer goalie extraordinaire Jeff Spring (’87).
Walsh transformed the hockey program into a national power during his 17 years at the helm. A charismatic workaholic whose teams were known for their intensity, work ethic, and discipline, Walsh posted a 399-215-44 record. He led his teams to 11 NCAA Tournament appearances, seven Frozen Fours, and two national championships. He died of complications from kidney cancer on Sept. 24, 2001.
Jordan, well-liked and well-respected across the country, served as the trainer at the university for 32 years and was also a fixture at the Eastern Maine basketball tournaments at the Bangor Auditorium. He retired from the university in 1997, but went on to serve as the athletic trainer at Brewer High School.
This will be his fourth hall of fame induction as he has also been named to the National Athletic Trainers Association, Maine Baseball, and State of Maine halls of fame. Jordan, who died of pancreatic cancer on Feb. 26, launched the careers of several trainers who studied under him.
Crowley was a halfback and punter on the 1940 and ’41 Maine football teams, a forward-center on the 1940-41 and 1941-42 basketball teams, and led the baseball team in hitting in ’41 and ’42.
He went on to play semipro basketball and baseball before embarking on a distinguished high school coaching career in all three sports in Maine. He is also a member of the Lewiston-Auburn, Maine Sports, and John Bapst halls of fame.
England-Maxim earned 12 varsity letters at Maine and was a two-time New England champion in the 1,000-meter run. She was also a member of the New England championship 880-yard relay team in 1985.
She ran cross country and was captain of the field hockey team in 1982 and the track and field teams in ’84 and ’85. She holds the UMaine records in the mile, 1,000 meters, and 2,500 meters. She served as a cross country and track coach at Maine for eight years.
Hebra led the Black Bears in receiving for three consecutive seasons (1985-87), owns the school records for career receptions (189) and receiving yards (2,612), and is the only Bear in history to catch 50 or more passes in three straight seasons.
He led Maine to a Yankee Conference title and NCAA tournament appearance in 1987 and was a first team All-Conference selection that year. He caught 70 passes in 1987 and also earned the Woody Carville Senior Achievement Award that year.
Spring is one of only 13 student-athletes at Maine to have his number retired.
He holds the school record for shutouts with 27 and tied the single-season mark with eight. He was a four-time member of the All-Maine collegiate soccer team and led the Bears to a 38-27-5 record and four straight New England top-10 rankings.
He is the owner of Modern Art Foundry Inc., the company that crafted the Harold Alfond statue at Alfond Stadium.
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