FOREST, Va. - The Old Dominion Athletic Conference has announced its inaugural class for the ODAC Hall of Fame in conjunction with the league's 50th anniversary celebration.

"This inaugural Hall of Fame class embodies the heart and soul of the ODAC," explained ODAC Commissioner Brad Bankston. "They are champions, leaders, and trailblazers whose influence reaches far beyond wins and championships. As we celebrate our 50th anniversary, we are proud to honor individuals whose dedication and spirit have left an indelible mark on the conference and inspired all who have been part of our story."

Each member institution earned a selection to the first class based on the time spent as part of the conference. As a founding member, BC earned four honorees; Laura Mapp, Duane Harrison, Melody Derrow and Carlyle Whitelow. Additionally, longtime Bridgewater College track and field coach Harry G. "Doc" Jopson has been selected as one of the conference's three selections. 

Laura Mapp

• Inducted to the Bridgewater College Hall of Fame in 1998 (unanimous decision)
• Built a 37-year legacy as a successful coach, professor, and mentor along with building the women's basketball program into one of the all-time winningest programs in all of Division III (484 wins)
• Completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Richmond, where she played field hockey, basketball, and tennis and was then also inducted into that University's Hall of Fame in 1987.
• Guided the Eagles to ODAC regular season titles in 1983 and 1989 and an ODAC tournament title in 1990, while participating in the ODAC Tournament finals seven times during her tenure including capturing VAIAW state championships in '76, '77, and '80 and competing in nationals in '80 and '82.
• Mapp's field hockey squad won 224 games and the Div. III state championship in 1980. 
• Coached the tennis team to 161 wins from 1961-97.

Click HERE for Laura Mapp's full bio in Bridgewater's Athletic Hall of Fame

Duane Harrison

• Inducted to the Bridgewater College Hall of Fame in 1997
• Became the college's first track & field all-american, winning national honors in the NCAA outdoor long jump in both 1980 and '81, also leading his indoor track & field squad to ODAC Indoor Championships in '79, '80, and '81 and the outdoor squad to outdoor championships all four years at the college from 1977-81
• Won 11 ODAC indoor titles and 13 outdoor titles. Held the long jump record at the time of his induction at BC (24'-4'')
• Equally talented in football, as the quarterback and punter, guided the team to its first-ever ODAC title in 1980 and setting the most wins school record, leading all D3 in punting yard per kick average (41.9) in '79, as well as All-ODAC First Team selections as quarterback and punter in both the '79 and '80 seasons
• Was a four-year letterman in football, indoor track, outdoor track, and one season in basketball
• After graduation, Harrison became a teacher and coach at Culpeper High School before moving onto being the senior operations manager for Federal Express. Harrison passed in 2024

Click HERE for Duane Harrison's full bio in Bridgewater's Athletic Hall of Fame

Melody Derrow

• Inducted to the Bridgewater College Hall of Fame in 2004
• Melody Derrow Hinkle earned 12 varsity letters playing basketball, volleyball, and tennis during each of her four years at BC
• In tennis, Derrow finished her career with a winning record of 27-23 at No. 1 singles
• Derrow saw success in volleyball as well, being selected to All-ODAC First Team as a senior, while helping the team to a 112-24 overall record, including an ODAC title in 1991
• Became the first woman in ODAC history to make the All-Conference First Team in three consecutive seasons and is Bridgewater's all-time leading scorer with 1,599 points
• Following graduation, Derrow earned her MBA degree from James Madison and has taught and coached four different sports at the high school level

Click HERE for Melody Derrow's full bio in Bridgewater's Athletic Hall of Fame

Carlyle Whitelow

• Inducted to the Bridgewater College Hall of Fame in 2001
• Whitelow lettered two years in football, basketball, and track at BC and was the first black athlete to participate in intercollegiate athletics at the college and the first black athlete in the state to play at a school not predominantly black
• Returned to his alma mater in 1969, Whitelow taught in the Physical Education Department and coached football, basketball, and tennis for the next 28 years
• Was named ODAC Men's Tennis Coach of the Year in 1979 and coached the college's first-ever ODAC men's tennis player of the year and guided the college's first player to participate in the NCAA men's tennis tournament
• Received his degree in physical education from BC, embarking on a long and distinguished career in education, teaching in the Staunton Public School system for 10 years before his time at BC
• Retired in 1997 and was named the Bridgewater Ruritan Club's Citizen of the Year (passed in 2021)

Click HERE for Carlyle Whitelow's full bio in Bridgewater's Athletic Hall of Fame

Harry G. "Doc" Jopson

• Inducted to the Bridgewater College Hall of Fame in 1994
• Jopson began his tenure at Bridgewater in 1936 and revived the Eagles' track and field program a year later that had been inactive for six years while also introducing BC's first ever cross country team in 1938.
• He became a staple of the Eagles' track and cross country programs for the next four and a half decades and became known as the Dean of Virginia Track Coaches" in the track community. 
• Jopson led the Eagles to 24 state and ODAC titles during his tenure and took home four-straight ODAC Coach of the Year awards during his last four years before his retirement from 1978-1981.
• Off the track, Jopson was known widely in the academic community. Doc's highlights included teaching at the University of Virginia's Mountain Lake Biological Center for 15 years and discovering a previously unidentified species of salamander.  
• BC renamed its athletic complex in his honor in 1971 and since 1981 the Old Dominion Athletic Conference has awarded the Harry G. "Doc" Jopson Award to the conference's top men's sport senior student-athlete who exhibits the highest athletic, academic, and extracurricular achievements.

Click HERE for Harry G. Jopson's full bio.

To view the conference's full first class, click HERE