The Hall of Fame Class of 2023, pictured left to right, Devon Wills, Kyle Harrison, Laura Hebert, Kyle Sweeney, Lynn Bowers, John Danowski, Katie Chrest Erbe, and Bob Shaw.
Eight lacrosse greats were formally inducted as the newest members of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Saturday evening during a festive celebration at Baltimore’s Renaissance Harborplace Hotel.
The Class of 2023 features five members -- Katie Chrest Erbe, Kyle Harrison, Bob Shaw, Kyle Sweeney, and Devon Wills – who were officially inducted as truly great players, two others – Lynn Burnes Bowers and Laura Hebert – inducted as truly great officials/contributors, and one member – John Danowski – inducted as a truly great coach.
Chrest, a three-time All-American at Duke University and winner of the 2005 Tewaaraton Trophy as the nation’s most outstanding player, helped establish the Blue Devils as a Top 10 program and graduated as Duke’s all-time leader in career goals (216) and points (287). In 2009, she also helped the USA capture the world championship as a member of the U.S. Women’s National Team.
“I don’t think there’s one part of my life that lacrosse has not touched in some way,” said Chrest, now in her first year as an assistant coach for the Army West Point women's lacrosse team. “It just seems to be this thread that has woven through every aspect of my life. I could never have written this story, but I’m sure glad I could live it.”
Shaw was a three-time All-American attacker at Cornell University who then enjoyed a lengthy all-star club career and also captured the 1974 world championship as a member of the U.S. Men’s Team. Heavily influenced by Native teammates in his early years, Shaw embraces the spiritual aspects of the Creator’s Game and is extremely optimistic for the future of lacrosse.
“I have great hopes for lacrosse,” said Shaw, who carried one of his wooden sticks from high school to the podium. “I think it can help heal the world.”
Wills was a three-time collegiate All-American goalie at Dartmouth College and earned All-Ivy League honors four times, graduating in 2006 ranked second all-time at Dartmouth with 548 saves. She then became 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.
“My time in the U.S. system was just incredible,” Wills said. “When I first started in the program, I was star-struck by all the big names, but those elite players never made you feel like you were inferior. They were great mentors. The bonds and the relationships were why I kept going back.”
A native of Baltimore, Harrison was a three-time All-American midfielder at Johns Hopkins University, and won the Tewaaraton Trophy in 2005 while leading the Blue Jays to the national championship. He then enjoyed a 16-year professional career in Major League Lacrosse and the Premier Lacrosse League, earning all-star honors nine times, and was a member of the U.S. Men’s National team in both 2006 and 2014.
“Hopkins means a great deal to me, with all the history and so many all-time greats,” said Harrison, who finished his collegiate career undefeated at Homewood Field. “As seniors in 2005, it was so much fun and so much pressure to keep that undefeated run. But it was a good pressure. I would do it again tomorrow, if I could.”
Still active as an elite official on the field, Bowers has been a women’s game official since 1992. During her career, she has worked 11 NCAA Division I championship games and 18 Division I semifinal games. Off the field, Bowers has had leadership positions in both the Collegiate Women's Lacrosse Officiating Association and the Philadelphia Women’s Lacrosse Umpires Association, and has served in training and mentoring roles for women’s lacrosse officials at all levels.
“I love officiating. Simply put, it has brought me absolute joy. I am absolutely passionate about officiating,” said Bowers, who then closed her acceptance speech with a personalized version of the ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas poem, detailing her life as a women’s game official.
Sweeney was a three-time All-American at Georgetown University and used his athleticism to help revolutionize the long-stick middie position during his collegiate and professional career. 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 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.
“When I was playing, it wasn’t as common for long poles to carry the ball down, be involved in the offense, to score or have assists,” said Sweeney, who often served as an offensive threat in addition to being a shutdown defender. “The general sentiment was basically ‘get the ball and get the heck off the field.’”
Hebert spent nearly 30 years 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.
“Preserving the integrity of the women’s game and developing rules that maintained the safety of the game was always important to me,” Hebert said. “Along the way, I was able to work with great leaders and help effect positive change.”
Still active, Danowski 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. Including his 21 seasons at Hofstra before moving to Duke, he is a three-time national coach of the year (1993, 2010, 2013). Danowski has also 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.
“This is a surreal experience, because as a coach, you rely on so many people,” Danowski said. “Assistant coaches, players, support staff, and I’m grateful for everyone who helped me to gain this recognition.”
The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of USA Lacrosse, 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. Since its inception, nearly 500 lacrosse greats have been recognized in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame & Museum, which is located at USA Lacrosse Headquarters in Sparks, Maryland.
