YMCA to Induct Six into Sports Hall of Fame
The 49th annual YMCA of Frederick County Alvin G. Quinn Sports Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be held Friday, January 24, 2025 at 6 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.
Six new inductees will be recognized:
Bo Eskay, a Linganore High School graduate and Frederick County native, has been a trailblazer in soccer as a player, coach, and administrator. His achievements include being the first local player to help a team to the NCAA Division I tournament and the first coach to lead a local team to a State Cup title and a National Championship appearance.
Eskay’s playing career began at Linganore High School, where he was named Frederick News-Post Player of the Year in 1982, a First-Team All-State selection, and a three-time All-Area first-team honoree. He led Linganore to regional playoff appearances in 1980 and 1982 before continuing his career at Air Force and William & Mary. At William & Mary, he won the Coaches Award in 1987 and helped his team secure the CAA title and an NCAA Division I tournament berth.
Following college, Eskay played semi-professional soccer, spending three seasons in the USISL with the Phoenix Hearts and Arizona Cotton, and a season in the Continental Indoor Soccer League with the Arizona Sandsharks.
As a coach and administrator, Eskay has been a cornerstone of soccer development in the region. He has served as the Executive Director for FC Frederick since 2001, leading teams to seven State Cup titles, four regional appearances, and a national championship semifinal. More than 200 of his players have gone on to play in college. He was also instrumental in merging the YMCA-based Excel program with a girls’ club to form FC Frederick.
Billy Gross, a Frederick High School, and West Virginia University graduate, has carved an impressive path as a player, coach, and educator. A standout athlete from an early age, Gross achieved numerous accolades in baseball and football, excelling on local, regional, and national stages.
During his youth, Gross was a Frederick American Little League All-Star, contributing to the 1998 Maryland State Championship team. Gross played for the Frederick Hustler organization after playing for Frederick American Little League. He earned MVP honors at the 2004 Dizzy Dean World Series and later showcased his talent with the Mid-Atlantic Red Sox. At Frederick High School, Gross was a four-year varsity baseball player, earning titles such as Frederick News-Post Baseball Player of the Year and spots on the Washington Post All-Met Team. He also excelled in football and golf, securing all-state and regional honors as a punter.
Gross continued his athletic career at West Virginia University, where he was a four-year baseball letterman, earning Big East Third Team All-Conference honors and setting records as WVU’s Most Valuable Pitcher in 2008. After college, Gross played professionally for the Orioles organization, including stints with the Gulf Coast League Orioles and Bluefield Orioles.
Transitioning to coaching, Gross led the Governor Thomas Johnson High School baseball team to four state tournament appearances, culminating in a 3A State Championship in 2018. He earned MSABC Coach of the Year honors that same year. Today, Gross serves as MPSSAA 3A West Baseball Regional Director and co-founded the FCPS Student-Athlete Leadership Council.
A dedicated educator and community leader, Gross continues to inspire future generations both on and off the field.
Mike Mummert’s career in athletics, coaching, and education spans more than four decades, leaving an indelible mark on Frederick County sports. A standout athlete at Hanover High School (Pa.), Mike excelled in football, basketball, and track before continuing his basketball career at Shippensburg University his freshman year. After graduating, he embarked on a 39-year teaching and coaching journey in Frederick County Public Schools.
Mike’s coaching career is defined by versatility and success. He served as an assistant coach for football (11 years), basketball (11 years), and baseball (6 years) before taking on the role of varsity basketball coach at Walkersville High School in 1994. Over the course of his basketball career, he was part of a program as an assistant coach whose teams won six regional championships, seven league championships, two state runner-up finishes, and two state championships. As a head coach, he guided his teams to a 122-88 record. In 2000, Mike was named Frederick County Basketball Coach of the Year.
Equally accomplished in football, Mike contributed to three regional championships, two state runner-up finishes, and a state title as an assistant coach. His JV football teams posted a 66-13-3 record.
As Walkersville’s Athletic Director from 1998 to 2022, Mike earned the 1999 District I Athletic Director of the Year award and became a Certified Athletic Administrator. Beyond high school athletics, Mike coached 39 youth sports seasons across multiple organizations, promoting growth and sportsmanship in soccer, basketball, baseball, lacrosse, and softball.
A pillar of character, Mike embodies the YMCA’s core values and continues to inspire through his unwavering dedication to athletes and the Frederick County community.
David Stone is a celebrated three-sport student-athlete from Frederick County, excelling in baseball, basketball, and golf. A standout at Thomas Johnson High School (1996-1998), Stone was a two-time All-Area Baseball Player of the Year and a dominant force in Frederick’s American Legion baseball team, earning recognition as one of the best hitters in local high school history.
His high school and Legion performances earned him a scholarship to play at the University of Virginia, where he thrived both athletically and academically. Stone started all 57 games his senior year, leading the team in runs scored (53) and stolen bases (26) while ranking second in batting average (.360) and hits (76). Across his UVA career, he started 226 games, ranking second in hits (276) and runs scored (174) while setting the all-time record for walks (156) and stolen bases (83).
Stone’s achievements earned him induction into the UVA Athletic Hall of Fame in 2024. Academically, he graduated with a 3.902 GPA and was a two-time Verizon Academic All-American in 2001 and 2002.
Drafted by the San Francisco Giants in 2002, Stone spent one year in Minor League Baseball where he batted .281 for Salem-Keizer in the Northwest League. Rather than continue a professional baseball career, pursued his passion for medicine, earning his degree from UVA Medical School. Today, he practices pain management in Phoenix, Arizona.
Frank Strakonsky has dedicated more than four decades to coaching, mentoring, and fostering excellence in cross country and track and field. His storied coaching career began in the late 1970s as a volunteer coach at Brunswick High School and PVYA Track and Cross Country. Since then, he has become a cornerstone of Frederick County athletics, coaching at Frederick High School and establishing programs that promote youth participation in sports.
As the head girls’ cross country coach at FHS since 1987 and boys’ cross country coach since 2017, Strakonsky has guided his teams to two state championships, multiple regional and conference titles, and in 1989 ranked as the top team in Maryland by the Baltimore Sun. His efforts were recognized in 2023 when he was named Maryland Girls Cross Country Coach of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.
Strakonsky’s achievements extend beyond cross country. He led FHS to a rare “Triple Crown” in the 1995-96 school year with state championships in cross country, indoor, and outdoor track. His influence on youth athletics is equally profound, founding the Frederick Fury and Frederick Athletic Academy programs, which produced numerous state champions and national qualifiers.
He was the high school coach of NCAA All-American Valerie Williams (FHS ‘96), who still holds high school state records. Some of his other standouts and state champions include Jenny Novak (1989), Michelle Higgenbothom (1996), Imani White (2001), Anna Routzahn (2003), Grace McCallum (1996), Jada Smith (2016), and Caroline Gregory (2021).
Beyond sports, Strakonsky has been active in community service, from organizing charity races to contributing to church leadership. His dedication to athletics, education, and his community has made him a role model for generations.
Bruce Zimmerman, a Frederick County native, has dedicated his life to athletics, coaching, and community service. A graduate of Governor Thomas Johnson High School (Class of 1979), Zimmerman began his athletic journey in the Lewistown Baseball League, Frederick County Junior Baseball League, and Frederick Babe Ruth League, where he won state titles in 1976 and 1978. At TJHS, he excelled in basketball and baseball, earning First Team All-Area baseball honors during his senior year.
Zimmerman continued his academic and athletic career at Frederick Community College and Frostburg State University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Physical Education while making the Dean’s List at both institutions. Bruce was a Physical Education Teacher for 32 years.
As a coach, Zimmerman’s impact on Frederick County athletics is extraordinary. From 1984 through 2002, he was the head junior varsity and assistant varsity coach at Thomas Johnson, where the team compiled five state titles and four state runner-up finishes. He served as Walkersville’s head coach from 2002-2009, where his teams went 118-56 and won four MVAL titles. The 2005 team reached the state semifinals. In his 25 years as a basketball coach, his teams amassed a 409-112 record and had only one losing season. He also coached elite teams, including the 1999 Reebok Capitol Classic U.S. All-Star Team and the 2009 McDonald’s Roundball Classic Elite Division Team.
Zimmerman was also a highly successful golf coach at Thomas Johnson and Walkersville, with his Walkersville team winning the State Title in 1998 & 1999.
Beyond coaching, Zimmerman contributed to the Glade Valley Athletic Association, taught physical education for 34 years at Walkersville Middle School, and volunteered with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. His dedication to youth sports and community events, combined with his remarkable coaching success, has left a lasting legacy in Frederick County.
The induction ceremony will be held Friday, January 24, 2025, at the New Spires Arts in downtown Frederick (15 W Patrick Street). Doors open to ticket holders at 6 pm with a reception from 6-7 pm with the induction ceremony beginning at 7 pm. Tickets are available on a first-come-first-served basis, available in-person at either YMCA branch, or for purchase online. (Tickets purchased online will be available at New Spire Arts will-call window the night of.)
The Alvin G. Quinn Sports Hall of Fame collection is located at the Downtown campus of the YMCA of Frederick County, 1000 N. Market Street, Frederick. It is accessible to the public. Permanent and rotating displays of photographs and memorabilia honor Frederick County’s finest athletes, coaches, and athletic and community supporters.
