Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame Reveals 11-Member Class for 2026
courtesy of Bill Hass, with the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame
The Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame added 11 members with its Class of 2026 announced Thursday at a press conference sponsored by the Greensboro Sports Foundation at First Horizon Coliseum.
This is the 21st class of athletes, coaches and contributors to be selected to the Hall, which inducted its first class in 2005. This class will be inducted at a reception and banquet on Sept. 14 at First Horizon Coliseum..
Tickets for that event are $100 each, and tables for 10 are $950. Tables and ticket order forms will be available online at the GCSHOF website (gcshof.org) beginning June 1.
The Class of 2026 consists of 10 laureates and one Legend, a designation honoring deceased members. The class represents achievements in football, basketball, softball, soccer, tennis and lacrosse, both on the field, on the sidelines and as contributors.
Also recognized were the recipients of two $1,000 rd County Sports Hall of Fame scholarships, presented to Emily Fisher of Ragsdale and Collin Auer of Western Guilford.
The GCSHOF biographies are below, in alphabetical order, followed by the scholarship winner bios.
Rosie Arnold – Basketball/Tennis/Softball/Soccer
Rosie Arnold was the personification of a multi-sport athlete at both the high school and collegiate levels. At Southwest Guilford High School, Rosie was the girls basketball Most Valuable Player each of her four seasons (1992-95), and also led Southwest softball, tennis and soccer teams that ranked among the state’s elite. A three-time basketball conference MVP, Rosie holds the Southwest girls scoring record with 1,709 career points and ranks as the all-time leader in assists (714) and steals (407). She also starred for four seasons at Georgia Southern, ranking second all-time in program history in assists (374), and among the top 20 in steals (138) and games played (113). After earning a spot on the tennis team as a senior in 1999, Rosie went on to play one year of women’s professional basketball in France.
Volire Tisdale Brown – Volleyball/Basketball
As good as she was in basketball at Dudley High School – a 3-year starter, all-conference and team captain – it was on the volleyball court where Volire Tisdale became an elite athlete. She was twice her conference’s player of the year, a trend she would continue in college at NC State. There she was first-team All-ACC in 1987 and was tournament MVP when she led the Wolfpack to the ACC championship and its first-ever NCAA berth on volleyball. In 1988 Volire repeated as the tournament MVP and was also named the ACC Player of the Year. She is in the top 10 in the Wolfpack’s record book for digs, kills and sets played, and her 585 kills in 1988 sremains a record. Her standout career was recognized by her being named to the ACC’s 50th anniversary volleyball team. After graduation, Volire worked as a director of recreational facilities in Raleigh.
Bill Chambers – Basketball
After earning All-State and All-America honors at Grimsley, Bill Chambers played four years for Dean Smith at North Carolina before honing his skills as a player and coach in Belgium. He returned to Greensboro in 1982 for a four-year coaching stint at Dudley High, where he was named conference Coach of the Year in 1984 and 1986. He moved to the college ranks at North Carolina Wesleyan (1986-95) and became the school’s all-time leader in coaching wins with 140. His 1987 Bishops won the NCAA Division III South Region and finished among the nation’s final eight. A three-time Dixie Conference Coach of the Year, Bill was inducted into the NC Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 2003. He coached six seasons at Greensboro College and won six conference titles in 12 seasons at Kernodle Middle School (2000-12). He closed his career at Northern Guilford High, where he was named conference Coach of the Year in 2017 after guiding the Nighthawks to the state 3-A semifinals.
Eric Ebron – Football
From high school All-State to collegiate All-American to NFL All-Pro, Smith alumnus Eric Ebron consistently made his presence felt on the gridiron. As a two-way starter at tight end and defensive end for Smith, Eric was selected for the 2010 NC Shrine Bowl team. Rated the No. 8 tight end prospect in the nation, he played three seasons at North Carolina, compiling 112 receptions for 1,805 yards and eight TDs. A finalist for the John Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end and a second-team All-America as a junior in 2013, Eric was taken in the first round of the 2014 NFL Draft (10th overall) by the Detroit Lions. He was selected to the Pro Bowl as an Indianapolis Colt in 2018, when he had 66 receptions, 750 yards and 13 TDs (second in the NFL). He finished his eight-year pro career with 351 receptions, 3,837 receiving yards and 33 touchdowns.
Joe Franks – Coach/Trainer/Contributor
Following his graduation from Clemson in 1983, Joe Franks returned to his high school alma mater for a memorable 30-year run as a Grimsley teacher, coach and athletic trainer. Joe served as the Whirlies’ director of sports medicine for 16 years, finding time along the way to earn his master’s degree from North Carolina A&T. He spent a combined 27 seasons as head coach for boys and girls golf, leading Grimsley to nine conference championships. His 2003 boys squad placed second in the state finals and his girls’team was the 2008 state runner-up. Joe worked six seasons (1997-2002) as an assistant football coach, and the playing field at Jamieson Stadium is renamed in his honor. He continues to make his mark at the national and state levels, serving as executive director of the National Organization of Coaches Association Directors since 2022 and as executive secretary of the North Carolina Coaches Association since 2017.
Kevin Gehsmann – Football/Lacrosse/Contributor
As class valedictorian at Western Guilford in 2015, Kevin Gehsmann laid the groundwork for future success. He received preferred walk-on football status at Duke following a prep career that included three years as a starter in football and four years as a standout in lacrosse. Kevin was the Hornets’ football MVP in 2013 and earned all-conference and all-county three times. He was voted all-conference in lacrosse four times, all-region three times and was second-team all-state in 2015. A four-year member of the Duke football team, he spent three weeks in Vietnam in the summer of 2017 teaching academics, sports and life skills to middle school school students. With two Duke teammates, Kevin founded PROTECT3D, a company that makes custom protective splints, braces, and pads for athletes by using 3D printing. The products are now used by the U.S. military and in everyday orthopedic clinics, helping general patients regain their highest quality of life.
Paris Kea – Basketball
Paris Kea made an indelible impact on the high school, college and international basketball courts. At Page High School, she became the all-time leading scorer, earning All-State honors three times. As a senior she averaged 24.2 points and 7.1 rebounds and was a McDonald’s All-America nominee. She was a member of the 2014 USA Under-18 National Team that posted a 5-0 record. After a year at Vanderbilt, Paris transferred to North Carolina and was twice selected to the All-ACC first team. She posted a 30-point, 10-assist game against No. 1-ranked Notre Dame. Paris led the Tar Heels in scoring as a junior at 19.4 points and averaged 17.3 points as a senior. After playing briefly in the WNBA, Paris played overseas in Russia and Israel. Her coaching career has come as an assistant at Wake Forest and North Carolina Central.
Jonathan McKee – Coach/AD/Contributor (Legend)
Jonathan McKee was a highly respected basketball, football and baseball coach whose legacy left a lasting impact on student-athletes and the broader community. A 1945 graduate of Dudley High School, he returned there from 1954-80, coaching multiple sports. In basketball, he guided the Panthers to the North Carolina High School Athletic Conference state title in 1961 and state runner-up finish in 1962. His excellence extended to baseball, where he guided Dudley to a 4-A state championship in 1965. Jonathan compiled a record of 90-46-3 in football, advancing to the state finals in 1966 and winning the state championship in 1967. In addition, he coached golf and served as director of athletics for several years. He played a pivotal role in guiding Dudley through a significant period of school mergers and desegregation, demonstrating both administrative strength and a commitment to equity in education and athletics. He served on the North Carolina Coaches Association Board of Directors from 1978-80, where he was honored as Man of the Year.
Catherine Newman – Tennis
When you say someone is hard to beat, a picture of Catherine Newman should appear. At Page High School, she was four-time Metro 4-A tennis player of the year and went undefeated her junior and senior seasons when the Pirates won the state dual meet championships. In 2003 she won the individual state title. Catherine also played midfielder on the soccer team, earning all-state honors twice, and was class valedictorian in 2006. Outside of school, she won the USTA national 16s championship in 2004 and reached No. 1 in the USTA 18s. In college at Vanderbilt, Catherine made the All-SEC first team twice and second team twice, compiling a career record of 106-51. In 2010 she was the SEC’s Women’s Scholar-Athlete of the Year and first Vanderbilt player to receive the National ITA/Arthur Ashe Award for Leadership and Sportsmanship.
Denise Ford Shipman – Basketball/Softball/Volleyball
After a highly decorated high school career in multiple sports that culminated with the 1985 Metro Conference Softball Player of the Year honors for state champion Grimsley, Denise Ford Shipman didn’t let up as she took her basketball talents to Campbell University. She earned Big South all-conference and all-tournament honors three times and was MVP of the 1989 league tournament after leading Campbell to its first women’s basketball title at the NCAA Division I level. Denise finished her career with 1,243 points and 837 rebounds as the Lady Camels won nearly 73 percent of their games (80-30) while making appearances in three Big South tournament finals. She was tabbed Campbell’s Outstanding Female Athlete for 1988-89. Following graduation, Denise served as a first Lieutenant in the U.S. Army from 1990-93 and was stationed in Saudi Arabia with the 43rd Air Defense battalion during the Gulf War. She later worked with the North Carolina Vocational Rehabilitation Services in Greensboro.
Stacy Weaver – Soccer/Basketball
When Stacy Weaver tried a sport, she excelled at it. In tennis, she was the Greensboro 13-under city singles champion. In basketball at Grimsley High School, she was twice all-conference, twice team MVP and twice team captain. In soccer, she was a member of two Whirlies’ state championship teams, twice all-conference and once all-state. Recruited for soccer by UNC Charlotte, Stacy was a four-year starter, twice team captain, a Soccer America Player of the Week and led the 49ers to two conference titles and an NCAA appearance. In club soccer with the Greensboro Twisters, she was part of multiple state and regional champions and one national finalist. Stacy continued her soccer career with the semi-pro Charlotte Speed and played professionally with the Charlotte Eagles team that won a USL W-League championship in 2001.
SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS BIOS
Emily Fisher was the captain of the volleyball team and swim team at Ragsdale her senior year. Emily won defensive player of the year and was named all-conference in volleyball. She was named the team Swimmer of the Year for 2025 and recorded a personal best in the 100-meter freestyle. Academically, Emily was class valedictorian and a four-year member of the student council. She will enroll at NC State and plans to major in Business Administration with a concentration in analytics.
Collin Auer was captain of the swim team at Western Guilford and recorded personal best times in the 100 breaststroke and 200 individual medley at the state 6-A championship meet. Collin was a member of the National Honor Society, an AP Scholar of Distinction and a member of the student-athlete advisory committee. Collin is also headed to NC State and plans to major in Data Science.
**********Here are our video/audio Interviews from today’s/Wednesday’s event…**********
Interview with Paris Kea, from Page HS, from Vanderbilt U, and from UNC, and she is going into the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame…CLICK BELOW
Joe Franks, from Grimsley HS/NCCA/Clemson, on his going into the Guiford County Sports Hall of Fame…CLICK BELOW
Kevin Gehsmann, from Western Guilford HS, and Duke University, on his going into the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame…CLICK BELOW
Bill Chambers, from Grimsley HS, UNC, France, Belgium, Greensboro College, NC Wesleyan, Dudley HS, Kernodel Middle School, and Northern Guilford HS, and he is going into the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame…CLICK BELOW
Stacy Weaver, from Grimsley HS, UNC-Charlotte, Pro Soccer teams, and from the Forest Valley Outdoor Basketball Court, and she is headed to the Guilford County Sports Hall of Fame…CLICK BELOW
Coach Bill Chambers with us at the Shane’s Rib Shack, a few years back…CLICK BELOW for this video…
Kevin Gehsmann with us at the Shanes’s Rib Shack, back in the day…CLICK BELOW for this video…