Ernest Betz

Betz graduated from St. Paul's High School in 1954, after spending a majority of his high school career at Catonsville (1950-53). He played lacrosse at both schools, and also played on Catonsville's 1951 Baltimore County championship team. Betz won first team All-County honors at Catonsville in 1951, '52, and '53 and honorable mention All-Maryland honors at St. Paul's in 1954. He was an All-Maryland basketball and football player as well as being all-county in soccer and basketball every year at Catonsville. 

Betz won five varsity letters in his four years at University of Maryland. He also played on the 1956 University of Maryland championship team. The team won ACC division titles each year that he played lacrosse at Maryland. Betz was chosen for first team All-American honors in 1957 and 1958. He co-captained the South to a 26-6 victory in the annual North/South All Star game of 1958. Besides All-American, Betz made the All-Virginia opponent team (1956-58), All-Washington & Lee opponent team (1956-58), first team All-ACC (1956-8), and the All-Maryland College first team (1957-58). He won the William P. Cole Memorial Award (1957) for being the best midfielder, and the Maryland Ring Award (1958) for being the top Maryland athlete. He has also been praised as being the best center midfielder/face off man in the country at that time. 

After graduation from Maryland, Betz continued playing lacrosse at the club level for six years. He played for Mt. Washington (1959-60), Catonsville Lacrosse Club (1961, 1964-5), and Severna Park Lacrosse Club (1974). Betz also began coaching for Maryland in 1959, which he did for three years. In 1975, he took over as head coach of Severna Park Lacrosse Club, where he earned the Club Lacrosse Coach of the Year award. Before this, Betz began the Hawaii Lacrosse Club (1963-4). Betz served as a USAF colonel for twenty years (1962-82), and later, as an airline captain for the South Pacific Island Airways. He won, among others, the Silver Star, the Air Force Commendation Medal, eight Vietnam Campaign Medals, eight good conduct medals, and four outstanding unit medals.