USA Lacrosse Announces National Lacrosse Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023

SPARKS, Md. (Sept. 21, 2023) — The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of USA Lacrosse, announces the addition of eight new inductees as the members of the Class of 2023.

The 2023 inductees are: Lynn Bowers, John Danowski, Katie Chrest Erbe, Kyle Harrison, Laura Hebert, Bob Shaw, Kyle Sweeney and Devon Wills.

The newest members will be officially inducted during a dinner ceremony in Baltimore on January 6, 2024. Additional details to be announced soon.

The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame was established in 1957 to honor men and women who by their deeds as players, coaches, officials and/or contributors, and by the example of their lives, personify the great contribution of lacrosse to our way of life.

Over 450 lacrosse greats are honored in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is located alongside the National Lacrosse Museum at USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.

More information about this year’s inductees (alphabetical order) is listed below:

Lynn Bowers

Bowers is being inducted as a truly great official. Still active as one of the top officials on the field, Bowers has been a women’s game official since 1992, when she earned her first Local rating. She earned her National rating in 1997, and during her career, she has worked 11 NCAA Division I national championship games and 18 Division I semifinal games. She has also served as the lead official for championship games in the ACC, Big East, Big Ten, CAA, and Ivy League, among others. Off the field, Bowers has had leadership positions in both the Collegiate Women's Lacrosse Officiating Association (CWLOA) and the Philadelphia Women’s Lacrosse Umpires Association (PWLUA), and has served in training and mentoring roles for women’s lacrosse officials. Bowers has also been a frequent presenter at the USA Lacrosse Convention. She was previously inducted into USA Lacrosse Philadelphia/Eastern PA Chapter Hall of Fame in 2017.

John Danowski

Danowski is being inducted as a truly great coach. He ranks as the NCAA’s all-time leader in Division I victories with 459 wins, and has led Duke University to NCAA men’s national championships in 2010, 2013 and 2014. Since taking over the Blue Devils program in 2006, Danowski has led his team to 10 national semifinal appearances as well as six ACC Championships. Including 21 seasons at Hofstra before moving to Duke, he is a three-time national coach of the year (1993, 2010, 2013) and seven-time conference coach of the year. Danowski has produced over 100 All-American players, nine national players of the year, and three Tewaaraton Award winners. In addition, Danowski has served as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National team since 2015, and led the U.S. to world championship victories in both 2018 and 2023. He was inducted previously into the USA Lacrosse Long Island Metro Chapter Hall of Fame in 2000.

Katie Chrest Erbe

Chrest Erbe is being inducted as a truly great player. She was a three-time All-American at Duke University, earning first team honors in both 2005 and 2006, and third team recognition in 2004. Chrest was the national attacker of the year in 2005 as well as the Tewaaraton Award winner as the nation’s most outstanding player. She was also selected as the ACC’s player of the year in both 2005 & 2006, and was the league’s rookie of the year in 2003. Recognized as Duke’s Female Athlete of the Year in 2006, Chrest graduated as the Blue Devils’ all-time leader in career goals (216) and points (287). She also set Duke’s single-season records with 70 goals and 96 points in 2005. As a member of the U.S. Women’s National team, Chrest helped the USA capture the world championship in 2009. She became the first member of the women’s lacrosse program to be inducted into the Duke Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.

Kyle Harrison

Harrison is being inducted as a truly great player. A native of Baltimore, Harrison was a three-time All-American midfielder at Johns Hopkins University, earning first team honors in 2004 and 2005, and second team status in 2003. He won the Tewaaraton Trophy in 2005 as the nation’s most outstanding player, and also received the USILA’s Enners Award as the Division I player of the year. His efforts helped the Blue Jays capture the 2005 national championship. Harrison enjoyed a 16-year professional career in Major League Lacrosse and the Premier Lacrosse League, earning all-star honors nine times. As an international player, he was a member of the U.S. Men’s National team in both 2006 and 2014, capturing the silver medal both times. Harrison was previously inducted into the Friends School Hall of Fame (2011), Johns Hopkins Athletic Hall of Fame (2016), and the USA Lacrosse Greater Baltimore Chapter Hall of Fame (2016). 

Laura Hebert

Hebert is being inducted as a truly great contributor. For nearly 30 years, Hebert has served in leadership roles on the national, regional and local levels to support lacrosse. She served 14 years in multiple volunteer leadership positions at USA Lacrosse, including both president and vice-president of the women’s division board of governors, and six years on the organization’s board of directors. Hebert was board chair from 2012-2014. As a nationally-rated women’s game official, she also spent 25 seasons on the field, including NCAA Division I and Division III championship assignments. Additionally, Hebert has served as the NCAA’s national coordinator of women’s lacrosse officials and as chair of World Lacrosse’s rule committee. Locally, Hebert has been a conference chairperson for the Virginia High School League and president of the Central Virginia Women’s Lacrosse Officials Association. She was recipient of USA Lacrosse’s Distinguished National Service Award in 2011.

Bob Shaw

Shaw is being inducted as a truly great player. Following a decorated prep career at LaFayette (N.Y.) High School, Shaw became a three-time collegiate All-American at Cornell University and helped the Big Red capture the initial NCAA national championship in 1971. As a midfielder, Shaw earned All-Ivy League first team honors in 1970, 1971, and 1972 as Cornell claimed the league title in each of those seasons. He led the league in scoring in both 1970 and 1972 and finished his career with 86 goals and 123 points. Shaw was named Cornell’s team MVP as a senior and also chosen to play in the 1972 North-South All-Star Game. Following his collegiate career, Shaw remained active as a club lacrosse player for 12 years and was recognized with all-star honors throughout that time. He was also a member of the 1974 U.S. Men’s team that won the world championship. Shaw has been previously inducted into four halls of fame, including both the USA Lacrosse Upstate New York Chapter and USA Lacrosse Northern California Chapter Halls of Fame.

Kyle Sweeney

Sweeney is being inducted as a truly great player. He was a three-time All-American at Georgetown University while also being named twice as the ECAC’s Defensive Player of the Year, as well as the league's Rookie of the Year in 2000. A long-stick middie, Sweeney graduated from Georgetown in 2003 as the Hoyas’ all-time leader in ground balls with 229. After college, Sweeney enjoyed a long and successful professional career, playing in both Major League Lacrosse and the National Lacrosse League while garnering all-star honors 10 times. He won four MLL championships over the course of 15 years. Sweeney also played on the 2006 and 2010 U.S. Men’s national teams, capturing gold in 2010 while being named to the All-World team. He has been previously inducted into the Springfield High School Hall of Fame and the USA Lacrosse Philadelphia/Eastern PA Chapter Hall of Fame.

Devon Wills

Wills is being inducted as a truly great player. She was a two-time high school All-American at Colorado Academy, and a three-time collegiate All-American goalie at Dartmouth College. Wills earned All-Ivy League honors four times, and graduated in 2006 ranked second all-time at Dartmouth with 548 saves. She also finished her career with a 7.14 goals against average, and led the nation in 2006 with a 6.59 GAA. Dartmouth finished as the national runner-up in 2006 while Wills earned NCAA All-Tournament honors for the second time. Wills is one of the most decorated players in U.S. Women’s national team history, winning world championships in 2009, 2013, and 2017 while also earning All-World honors in 2013 and 2017. In 2014, she had the unique distinction of becoming the first female drafted in Major League Lacrosse. Wills has been previously inducted into the USA Lacrosse Colorado Chapter Hall of Fame, and Dartmouth’s Wearers of the Green, which is essentially the school’s athletics hall of fame.

THE NATIONAL HALL OF FAME PROCESS

The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame selection process is managed and maintained by USA Lacrosse, with an annual voting system utilized to select inductees. The voting group is comprised of current Hall of Fame members, current or former U.S. National Team players and coaches, elite level high school or college coaches, elite members of the officiating community, and individuals that have contributed to the growth of the sport on a national or international level. Final approval of the selectees is provided by USA Lacrosse’s Board of Directors. Full details are available online at usalacrosse.com/national-lacrosse-hall-fame-process.

ABOUT USA LACROSSE

USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse leads the U.S. National Teams Program and establishes universal standards. With more than 400,000 members across the country, USA Lacrosse unites the community of players, coaches, officials, parents, and program leaders. Working together, we inspire participation, enrich the athlete experience, and support the growth of the sport.