The 50th annual YMCA of Frederick County Alvin G. Quinn Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Saturday, January 31, 2025 at 4 pm at the New Spire Arts. Each year the YMCA recognizes individuals who, through their accomplishments and contributions in the field of athletics, have brought honor to themselves and to Frederick County. Alvin G. Quinn was the Executive Director of the YMCA of Frederick County from 1919 to 1960. No individual has ever had such an impact on so many of the area’s young people during his 40-year career as did Mr. Quinn.

This year, seven new inductees will be recognized. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

Lucas McCollum: Multi-sport athlete stars in baseball and cycling.

Lucas McCollum is one of Frederick County’s most accomplished multi-sport athletes, distinguished across high school, collegiate, professional, endurance, and elite cycling competition. A three-sport performer at Thomas Johnson High School, he played football, basketball, and baseball, earning First Team All-Gazette and First Team All-Area honors in 1997 and 1998 for baseball. McCollum continued his baseball career at Shepherd College, starting as a freshman pitcher in 1999, before earning First Team All-Conference recognition at Frederick Community College in 2000. He later received a full NCAA Division I scholarship to Jacksonville State University and went on to play professionally in the Southeastern Independent League, highlighted by an invitation to Seattle Mariners Spring Training in 2004.

After completing physical therapy assistant training, McCollum embarked on a remarkable endurance career. Between 2006 and 2013, he competed in more than 100 multisport events worldwide, earning age-group podiums at Ironman 70.3 races in Oceanside, St. Croix, Eagleman, and Savageman. He qualified for and competed in the Ironman World Championship in Kona in 2008, 2009, and 2013. In 2010, McCollum won multiple duathlon national titles, earning the No. 1 U.S. ranking in the 30–34 age group. His performances led to selection for Team USA at the ITU Long Course World Championship.

From 2014 to 2022, McCollum transitioned to competitive cycling, rapidly advancing to earn his USA Cycling Category 1 license in 2016. He captured victories at the Elkridge Spring Classic, Tour of Page County, and Tour of Washington County, and earned top finishes at the USA Cycling National Championship and the Green Mountain Stage Race. He also competed internationally at the Vuelta Costa Rica, where he claimed a stage points lead and a podium in the time trial.

Across every discipline, McCollum has demonstrated exceptional versatility, discipline, and competitive drive. 

 

Barbara Taylor: Pioneering Advocate for Girls’ Softball in Frederick County

Barbara Taylor has been a force in girls’ softball and youth sports in Frederick County for more than four decades. In 1982, she played a pivotal role in founding the Frederick County Girls Fast Pitch Softball League (FCGSL). What began with just four teams has grown into a thriving county-wide league with more than 100 teams participating each spring and fall. Her work coincided with the post–Title IX expansion of opportunities for female athletes. Fast-pitch softball in Frederick County reflects this growth, largely due to Barbara’s vision and leadership.

She has devoted her life to advocating for equal opportunities for girls in sports. She has served as an unpaid volunteer on the Frederick County Parks and Recreation Commission for more than 20 years, including four years as chairwoman, helping to plan and develop parks such as Urbana Park, Urbana District Park, Utica District Park, and Old National Park. She was an assistant coach at Frederick Community College for three years and has coached teams in the county for over 35 years.

Taylor founded and continues to run the Araby softball program, which she revitalized in 2013, and created the Maryland Express travel softball program in 1997, now a successful organization with five teams. She has organized winter clinics for pitching, hitting, catching, and skill enhancement, built indoor facilities on her property for free use by local youth, and donated countless hours, equipment, and registration support to ensure participation is accessible to all girls.

Beyond coaching, she has helped secure government grants to improve facilities at Araby Park, Carroll Manor Elementary, Urbana Elementary, and Urbana High School. She maintained league records for 20 years, started the Fall Softball League in 1997, and continues to serve on the planning committee for Frederick County Girls All-Star Games.

Her dedication has created opportunities for generations of young athletes, including her five daughters, three of whom became top collegiate pitchers. 

 

Jim Dorsch: Building Champions and Shaping Frederick County Volleyball

Jim Dorsch is a transformative figure in Frederick County volleyball, whose coaching career has spanned decades and reshaped the sport locally. He was the head coach at Thomas Johnson High School from 1997 to 2008, helping lead teams to remarkable achievements, including two state final appearances in 1998 and 2008, four state semifinal appearances, and a flawless 14-0 regular season in 2006. During this period, Dorsch developed players such as Erin Maldo, who earned a Division I scholarship to Cincinnati.

Building on this foundation, Dorsch became the head coach at Oakdale High School in 2010, taking over a fledgling program with a 1-12 record. Under his leadership, Oakdale volleyball rapidly evolved into a state powerhouse. By 2014, Oakdale captured a state title, a first for Frederick County, and went on to win a second state title in 2017, with a state finalist appearance in 2019. Dorsch’s teams have consistently performed at a high level, posting multiple seasons with 17-2 and 18-2 records. His mentorship produced outstanding athletes, including Liz Twilley, a Division I recruit to the University of Maryland and Maryland Gatorade Player of the Year.

Beyond high school competition, Dorsch founded the Frederick Volleyball Club in 1998 and served as its director until 2018, inspiring hundreds of young athletes to participate in volleyball and elevating the competitive level in Frederick County. Since 1999, he has also served as the 4A North State Volleyball Director, contributing to the broader development of the sport.

Dorsch has earned six Frederick News-Post Coach of the Year awards (1998, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2006, and 2008) and has coached numerous athletes who went on to play at the collegiate level, including Erica Buls (FCC), Haley Gieck (FCC), Abbie Harry (Central Arkansas), Emily Chomiak (FCC), Megan Ray (Muhlenberg College), Amani Walker (Hampton University), Jess Twilley (UAB), and others.

 

Charles B. Davis, Sr.: Football Champion, Community Leader, and Veteran Trailblazer

Charles B. Davis, Sr., a distinguished athlete, veteran, and community leader, has left an indelible mark on collegiate and semi-professional football. The Frederick High grad attended Bowie State College from 1972 to 1975, where he majored in Business Administration while excelling on the football field. Playing multiple positions – linebacker, running back, and center – Davis was a two-year letterman and starter on the 1975 Bowie State Black College Champion Football Team. That team was nationally recognized by Jet Magazine as the top independent Black college football program and ranked fourth among all HBCUs.

Davis played a pivotal role in setting school records during the 1975 season, helping the team achieve unprecedented offensive feats: averaging 504 yards per game, scoring 385 points for the season, and setting a single-game scoring record with 83 points against Fairleigh Dickinson University. His individual performance earned him multiple honors, including honorable mention on the Baltimore Sun Newspaper All-State All-Star Football Team and NAIA District #19 Offensive Line recognition.

Following his collegiate career, Davis continued to dominate on the field with a 10-year semi-professional career for the Frederick Falcons. His contributions to the sport were formally recognized with induction into the Bowie State University Sports Hall of Fame.

Off the field, Davis has served his community and country with distinction. A retired U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant Major (E9), he worked as a senior enlisted adviser and continued to serve veterans through multiple organizations, including the American Legion, Marine Corps League, AMVETS, and Congressman John Delaney’s Veterans Advisory Panel. He has also contributed to local civic life as president and treasurer of the Bartonsville Community Cemetery and as a member of the NAACP.

 

Mike Franklin: Winning Coach, Trailblazing Educator, and Champion of Student Athletes

Mike Franklin’s coaching career spans nearly three decades, highlighted by his 25 years as baseball head coach at Catoctin High School (2000–2024). During his tenure, he guided more than 60 players to collegiate baseball careers or the professional draft. Under his leadership, Catoctin won state championships in 2013 and 2021. His teams have consistently performed at the highest level, claiming multiple regional titles and earning him the NFHS Maryland Baseball Coach of the Year award in 2021. Franklin has also been recognized as the MSABC Coach of the Year in 2013 and 2021, a testament to his enduring excellence and impact on the sport.

A graduate of Salisbury University with a Bachelor’s degree in Physical Education and a Master’s in Exercise Science from McDaniel College, Franklin has been a cornerstone of Catoctin High School since 1996, serving as a teacher, department chair, and mentor to hundreds of students.

Beyond baseball, Franklin has broken new ground in athletics and education. He co-coached Middletown High’s girls’ flag football team to the first-ever Frederick County and State Championship in 2023, demonstrating his versatility and commitment to student-athlete opportunities across sports. He also pioneered Maryland’s first Unified Physical Education class in 2013, integrating students with and without disabilities into a shared PE experience.

Franklin’s influence extends to youth sports and community programs, including coaching travel baseball, girls’ fastpitch softball, and organizing the Robbie Siedel III Baseball Tournament, honoring a former player lost in Iraq. He has also served as MPSSAA Region Baseball Chairman and a mentor through programs like CHS ROAR Club and Special Olympics events.

Recognized nationally and locally, Franklin is a two-time Frederick County Public Schools Teacher of the Year (2016, 2019–2020) and a finalist for Maryland Teacher of the Year. He is also an Amazon best-selling author for Changing the Game: How Teachers Enthusiastically Build Powerful Student Relationships and Amazing School Culture (2020).

 

Vikas Gowda: Four-Time Olympian, Record-Breaking Discus Champion

Vikas Gowda, a Frederick High School graduate, is one of India’s most accomplished track and field athletes and a four-time Olympian. Born on July 5, 1983, in Mysore, Karnataka, India, Gowda moved to Frederick, Maryland, at age 6. Initially drawn to sprinting and jumping, he transitioned to the shot put and discus as he matured, displaying extraordinary talent in throwing events from a young age.

At Frederick High, Gowda dominated the state scene, winning seven Maryland state titles in shot put and discus. He set the state discus record in 2001 at 200’2”, a mark that still stands today. His achievements included a National Scholastic meet victory in discus, where he broke the meet record, and he earned recognition as Maryland Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year and Track & Field News All-American in both shot put and discus.

Highly recruited, Gowda attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he majored in mathematics and continued his dominance in throwing events. He set school records in indoor shot put (64’3.75”) and discus (211’3”), earned multiple All-America honors, and was a four-time Atlantic Coast Conference champion. In 2006, he became the NCAA National Champion in discus, solidifying his place among collegiate track and field’s elite.

Gowda’s international career is equally distinguished. Holding dual citizenship in India and the United States, he represented India in four Olympic Games: 2004 (Athens), 2008 (Beijing), 2012 (London), and 2016 (Rio de Janeiro), with his best finish coming in London, where he placed eighth in the discus final. He set the Indian national discus record at 66.28 meters in 2012. He earned a silver medal at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and a historic gold in 2014, the first for an Indian male in athletics in 56 years. Gowda also claimed multiple gold medals at the Asian Championships and medaled at the Asian Games.

For his contributions to Indian athletics, Gowda received the Arjuna Award in 2014 and the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian honor, in 2017. He retired from competition in 2018.

 

Wayne Main: Frederick Baseball Leader and Builder of Champions

Wayne A. Main, a lifelong Frederick resident, has spent more than three decades shaping the landscape of youth and high school baseball in the region. Born on September 10, 1960, Main began his journey as a student-athlete at Thomas Johnson High School, excelling in baseball, golf, and soccer.

Main’s passion for coaching has left an indelible mark on Frederick County athletics. He began as head coach in the Frederick American Little League from 1986 to 2002, leading his teams to multiple championships, including Maryland State Little League District 2 titles and a 9-10 State Championship in 1998. In 2001, he founded the Frederick Hustlers Baseball program, which he has led as head coach ever since. Under his guidance, Hustlers teams achieved national recognition, including NABF National Runner-up (2002), Dizzy Dean World Series Champion (2004), NABF National High School Runner-up (2006), USA Baseball Wood Bat Cup Champion (2018), and Perfect Game Super 25 Champion (2019). 

He also has served as an assistant varsity coach at Thomas Johnson High School (2011–2013) and Middletown High School (2014–present), helping guide state championship teams and mentoring athletes at the highest levels of local high school competition. His dedication as a private hitting instructor has further developed players from ages 8 through college.

During his career, Main has coached more than 100 athletes who earned college baseball scholarships at institutions such as Old Dominion University, University of Pennsylvania, University of Maryland, Florida International University, West Virginia University, and Mount St. Mary’s University. Five of his players have gone on to professional baseball careers, including MLB AAA player Danny Smith.

In recognition of his coaching excellence, Wayne Main was named Maryland State Association of Baseball Coaches High School Assistant Coach of the Year in 2024.