Athletes honored at the Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame

Ten people were inducted as part of the Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame’s 2024 class. The induction ceremony was held on Oct. 19th at the Mary E. Rittling Center on the campus of Davidson-Davie Community College. The class of 2024 is highlighted by Ronnie Beverly, Gina Rosser Bradley, Damane Duckett, Cory Holt, Kelly Ann Baird McKechnie, David Thomas, Heather Thompson VanderMyde and Chase Younts.

Jimmy Bryson and Randy Hege were both inducted posthumously. Randy Hege was also inducted as an Unsung Hero.

Beverly was a standout running back during Lexington Senior High’s glory days in football in the mid-1980s. The Yellow Jackets won back-to-back state championships in 1985 and 1986. Beverly continued his career at Winston-Salem State University, helping the Rams to four consecutive CIAA championships.

He also served in the U.S. Air Force and was Lexington Senior High’s athletic director for 10 years. Beverly was awarded the Dave Harris Athletic Director of the Year Award from the state in 2016. In addition, he is a former executive board member of the N.C. High School Athletic Association and a member of the Lexington Senior High Athletic Hall of Fame and WSSU’s Clarence ‘Big House’ Gaines Hall of Fame.

Bradley was a two-sport star for South Davidson in the late 1990’s. She was an all-everything center for the Wildcats’ basketball team, scoring more than 1,000 career points and grabbing more than 1,000 career rebounds. She led South to the state semifinals in 1999.

Rosser also was a two-time state champion in track in the high jump. She went to High Point University on a basketball scholarship but also competed in track as well, winning a silver medal in the high jump at the Big South Championships in 2000.

Bryson was a standout quarterback at the old Dunbar High School in the early 1960s, helping lead the Blue Devils to district championships and one state championship. He went to Johnson C. Smith to play football and ultimately ended up on the swim/diving team. In 1968 he was an All-CIAA diver in the one-meter board competition. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and later went to work for the Lexington Police Department, where he rose to the rank of lieutenant. Bryson died in 2018.

Duckett was a multisport standout at North Davidson in the late 1990s, but football is where he really shined. An imposing defensive end with his 6-foot-6 frame and quickness, Duckett helped the Black Knights to winning seasons and state playoff appearances. He went on to play at East Carolina and later in the NFL with the Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and San Francisco 49ers, appearing in 20 games altogether. Duckett later played in the Canadian Football League with the BC Lions in Vancouver for two seasons (2009 and 2010). North has since retired Duckett’s jersey.

Holt is one of the most accomplished and talented athletes ever to play for the Yellow Jackets. He finished his career in 2003 and left his name in the record books for both the basketball and football programs at Lexington. His senior year alone he was named Central Carolina Conference Player of the Year in both sports. He was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball and a key contributor on Lexington’s 2001 state runner-up team. Holt also was a three-year starting quarterback in football and still holds many passing records for the Yellow Jackets. Holt also played in the annual North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star football game and continued his football career at Virginia Tech. He is a member of the Lexington Senior High Athletic Hall of Fame.

McKechnie set the bar for swimming excellence in Davidson County by winning an incredible 10 state championships during her career at West Davidson. No swimmer in county history has ever won more. She won four titles in her senior season (2010) when the Green Dragons captured the state championship. McKechnie went on to swim at Ohio State and won a Big 10 conference championship and also competed in the U.S. Olympic Trails.

Thomas was a three-sport all conference athlete at Ledford in football, basketball and baseball in the early 2000s. His collegiate career at Catawba College brought about tremendous success, for Thomas individually and for the Indians as a team. He is widely considered one of the best players in Catawba program history and was recently inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall of Fame. His jersey is retired at Ledford and Catawba. Thomas was drafted by the Oakland A’s and spent several seasons in the minor leagues. He was the inaugural baseball coach at Oak Grove High School and led the Grizzlies to the fourth round of the state playoffs in just their third season, without any seniors on the roster.

VanderMyde was an all conference performer in volleyball and basketball at Thomasville Senior High in the late 1980s. She was the CCC player of the year in both sports in her senior season of 1988-89 and also was conference player of the year twice in basketball. She also led the Bulldogs to conference championships in both sports during her career and was a 1,000-point scorer in basketball. VanderMyde went on to play basketball at North Carolina, where she appeared in every game her freshman and sophomore seasons. Her career was cut short due to an injury.

Younts was a multisport athlete at Central Davidson in the early 2000s and was an all-conference selection in football and baseball. On the diamond is where he really shined for the Spartans, twice being named all-state as a pitcher and outfielder, and helping Central to a conference championship his senior season. Younts played collegiately at North Carolina and was a starter for most of his career. He later played one season of minor league baseball.

Hege was a 1971 Ledford graduate and served as the voice of the Panthers football and basketball games for several decades. He was also the announcer for the annual Davidson County Christmas basketball tournament, held each year at Ledford. Hege also had stints of announcing games at West Davidson and Central Davidson. Hege was well known in the coaching circles having worked as a sales rep for several sporting goods companies in the Triad area. He died in 2018.

For more information about the Davidson County Sports Hall of Fame please visit their website at: http://davidsoncountysportshalloffame.com.

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