MM 6.12: Maryland athletics announces its Hall of Fame class of 2026

· Yahoo Sports

Maryland athletics honored some of its all-time greats Thursday, inducting nine successful alumni to make up its 2026 Hall of Fame class.

Three-time All-Pro defensive end Shawne Merriman remains one of Maryland’s greatest historical players over 21 years after being selected 12th overall in the 2005 NFL Draft. His 22 career sacks rank third on the all-time Terps leaderboard, while his 32.5 career tackles for loss rank ninth.

1995 first overall NBA Draft pick Joe Smith sits firmly on many Maryland fans’ men’s basketball Mount Rushmores. Smith had many memorable moments in his career, but his shining moment came with his 40-point performance and game-winning shot against Duke in 1995.

Coming off her 24th year at the helm of Maryland women’s basketball, head coach Brenda Frese is getting her much-deserved flowers. Frese coached the 2006 national championship team and has taken the Terps to the Final Four three times in her illustrious career.

One of the members of that 2006 team, Marissa Coleman, was also inducted Thursday. Coleman is one of four Terps to earn All-ACC honors four times in a row, and is one of the only to record a triple-double.

Two-time national champion Graham Zusi was a star for Maryland men’s soccer at the very height of its powers. Zusi was rostered on the U.S. men’s national team for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and made the ACC All-tournament team in 2006.

Taylor Cummings’ induction marks the latest honor in one of the most successful women’s lacrosse careers ever. Cummings remains third on Maryland’s all-time points list with 323 and fourth in career goals with 229. She also remains the only player to ever win the Tewaaraton Award three times.

Maryland men’s lacrosse defender Michael Howley earned his induction through his notably scrappy play on the backline. Howley snagged 179 ground balls in his time in College Park and was named the ACC Freshman of the Year in 2000.

Maryland track and field jumper Dennis Ivory to this day maintains the program triple jump record with a mark of 55 feet and three inches. He was also a first-team All-American in 1978 after finishing second nationally in the triple jump.

Maryland track and field jumper Thea LaFond rounds out 2026’s inductees and has perhaps made the most noise internationally in recent years. LaFond competed in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games in the long jump, capturing Dominica’s first-ever gold medal.

In other news

Five-star Maryland women’s basketball commit Jordyn Jackson put up solid numbers for the USA junior national team against Mexico.

Highly-touted Maryland men’s basketball recruit Baba Oladotun graduated from Blake High School.

Former Maryland baseball pitchers Jordan Crosland, Cristofer Cespedes and Case Gibbs are transferring to Virginia, Georgia and Charleston, respectively. 

Maryland football lands in four-star offensive tackle Kal-El Johnson’s top five destinations.

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