Here is who was selected for the Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame's 2024 Class
The Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame has announced its Class of 2024 with inductees and high school honorees with the induction ceremony set for May 6 at the Alee Shrine Temple.
Athletes being inducted include former Groves football star Donald Chumley, who went on to a standout playing career at the University of Georgia. As a junior, he was a standout on a Bulldog squad that won the Cotton Bowl. As a senior, the defensive lineman had 83 tackles and five sacks.
He was the final pick of the 1985 NFL draft and went to training camp with the 49ers. He played in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders and later became a coach at Savannah Christian, where he led the Raiders to three state title games — including the school's first GHSA championship in 2011.
Former Savannah Christian baseball star Kris Edge, who played at UGA from 1999-2002, is another of the athletes who will be enshrined. Edge was a member of the UGA squad that won the SEC title in 2001 and advanced to the College World Series for the first time since 1990. He continued as a standout on the 2002 squad that became the first UGA team to reach the CWS two years in a row.
Former Savannah High football star Frank Kearse, who played at Alabama A&M before a five-year career in the NFL, has also been selected as an athlete. Kearse was picked in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft by the Dolphins and played for Carolina, Tennessee, Dallas, Washington and the New England Patriots.
Jason Shiell, the former Windsor Forest baseball star also earned induction. The standout pitcher has a professional career of 13 years, including three years in the Major League with Atlanta, San Diego and the Red Sox.
In the Coaching Citation category, the HOF will honor Benedictine football coach Danny Britt who has led Benedictine to four state titles in the last 14 years, where he has compiled a record of 146-29 with the Cadets.
Also earning induction as a coach is Savannah Christian's Julie Jones, who has coached the volleyball team at her alma mater for 26 years. Jones reached the 800-career win milestone last season and ranks fifth on the all-time victory list among Georgia high school coaches, and third among active coaches.
Benedictine's Luke Kromenhoek was selected as the winner of the Lawton M. Calhoun Award given to the outstanding athlete from Chatham County as selected by the Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame Honors Court.
Kromenhoek was a 5-star quarterback for Benedictine and has enrolled early at Florida State. He was a member of two BC state championship squads and was also a standout on the BC basketball team that reached the state semifinals his junior year.
The winner of this year's M.A. Spellman Award goes to the highly decorated Forest City Gun Club Juniors Team. Started in 2014 by Zac Guerrettaz and Lee Summerford. In 2014 there were only eight shooters on the team. Today the team has grown to 86 members and has won four consecutive national titles.
The high school athletes being honored are listed below.
Baseball — Will Hampton, Calvary Day
Boys basketball — Caleb Jones, Benedictine
Girls basketball — Stella Oelschig, Savannah Country Day
Football — Jake Merklinger, Calvary Day
Boys soccer — Wesley Hooker, Savannah Country Day
Girls soccer — Abby Walsh, Calvary Day
Softball — Payton Livingston, Savannah Christian
Volleyball — Finn Higginbotham, Savannah Arts
Tickets for the event are $50 per person. A table of 8 can be purchased for $400. For more information on reservations contact Frank Hardeman at frank@thehardemanco.com) or Earl Etheridge at EEtheridge@savannahga.gov. For inductee contact information, contact Ken Griner at kentongriner@gmail.com).
Dennis Knight covers sports for the Savannah Morning News. Contact him at Dknight@savannahnow.com. Twitter: @DennisKnightSMN
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame 2024 Class is revealed
