Alexandria City High School hosted the twelfth annual Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Oct. 11. This year’s event celebrated and inducted 13 athletes along with three teams, all of whom have made a lasting impact on the school’s athletic legacy and the Alexandria community.
This year’s honorees were: 1947 George Washington baseball team, 1979 T.C. Williams Boys Indoor Track Distance Medley Relay team, 1979 TC Williams High School Boys VHSL State Indoor Track & Field champions, Ron Bass (football, track), Alfred Carter (football), Tracye Funn (track & field), Maija Garnaas (soccer, tennis), Mary Higgins (crew), Maria Lovelace (shot put), Marty Nickley (coach), John Porter (contributor), Mike Porterfield (football, wrestling, crew), Angela Russell (track & field), Tony Suggs (boxing), Greg Wright (track & field, basketball, football), Gary Wyatt (cross country, track & field).
When entering the ceremony, the vibe was electric. As each name was announced, a symphony of applause filled the room. The event sparked Titan pride across the community.
“The Titan spirit was alive and strong in the auditorium as we honored these exceptional individuals and teams who represented ACPS excellent standards of citizenship and character.” Said ACPS superintendent Melanie Kay Wyatt. She continued to say “Their journeys as student athletes inspired the energy and pride we all felt, showing our current students the power and impact one team can have.”
Former T.C.Williams principal, John Porter was inducted in the “Contributor” category.
“ [This ceremony] It’s just really nice,” said George Washington High School alumnus John Porter. “They were students in the Alexandria schools. They’re being acknowledged for what they did while they were here and what they’ve done since.”
Porter’s career in ACPS stretched over 40 years. He coined the popular Titan phrase, “Once a Titan, always a Titan,” during his tenure.
This year’s event also made history by inducting the first boxer into the Athletic Hall of Fame. Class of 1984 alumnus Anthony “Tony” Suggs, an Olympic festival gold medalist and a Golden Gloves champion.
Suggs said, “It’s been three documentaries done on my life story… So being inducted into the hall of fame helped solidify my work in the community.”
Suggs also spoke about overcoming hardship. While training for the 1988 Pan-American Games, his daughter passed away.
“When she died, I kind of fell off the deep end,” he said. “I got involved with drugs, in and out of jail and gave up on life.” After struggling for several years, Suggs turned his life around through perseverance and commitment to helping others. “After I completed the drug program and got my sentence suspended, I made up my mind at that time that I wanted to help kids, not hurt kids,” he said.
Now, Suggs continues to help mentor young people and has earned many awards for his community service. Suggs had a cheering section that showed support by wearing customized t-shirts spelling “DA BEAST,” a nickname that he gave himself after not liking the ones his coaches came up with.
“I gave myself the name. I felt the names my coaches were trying to give me were corny. ‘Black Magic’, ‘Slugger’ and ‘Terminator’,” said Suggs.
Among the other attendees was ACHS hall of famer Joe Pisciotta, who spent more than 30 years coaching and teaching in Alexandria. He is now on the Hall of Fame committee.
“It’s a great honor for anybody who’s elected to be in the hall of fame,” he said. “For an athlete to have recognition of their accomplishments, maybe it was a state championship, maybe it was a regional championship, it’s a great honor.”
Hall of Fame Committee Vice Chair and 1998 TCW alumnus, Clark Mercer said, “This year’s inductees were not only phenomenal student-athletes, they are incredible individuals: professionals who give back to their communities and exemplify the very best of what it means to be a Titan.”
For some, the ceremony also was a heartfelt memorial. Maria Lovelace was represented by her sister, Brenda Lovelace, who spoke of the pride and emotion she felt in the moment. “It’s important to me, I’m her sister,” She said, “She did a great job at shot put all the years she was there. I’m representing her, my big sister.”
Reflecting on her sister’s legacy she added, “Her time [at ACHS] was superb. She was the laughter of her team, of the track meet. Everybody loved her.”
As the event came to a close, applause filled the auditorium, but this time the cheering was not just for trophies and titles. It was for all the Titans and the shared community.
“Even though the ceremony was used to show the accomplishments of many of the great athletes of Alexandria City High School,” Porter said, “this is also about community; about honoring who we are and where we come from.”
If you’d like to nominate a team or individual athlete for next year’s hall of fame, complete the nomination form by Saturday, January 31, 2026.
