Washington County Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2025

The 37th class of the Washington County Sports Hall of Fame for 2025 honors four luminaries whose careers have left an indelible mark on local and national sport: Aaron Brooks, Greg Slick, Jerry Spessard and Cheryl Wilkes. Each contributed in distinct ways—from Olympic glory and coaching excellence to innovation and advocacy—shaping the athletic landscape for future generations.

Aaron Brooks – Olympic Medalist and College Star

Brooks capped his college career with a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, representing the United States in wrestling. At Penn State he became one of just seven wrestlers to claim four NCAA titles through 2024, posting an 89‑3 overall record. He collected four Big Ten championships, four All‑American honors, and earned Big Ten Wrestler of the Year after an undefeated senior season.

His collegiate accolades include Outstanding Wrestler at the 2024 NCAA Tournament and the Dan Hodge Trophy, wrestling’s version of the Heisman Award. Brooks splits his competition between freestyle and Greco‑Roman styles, earning numerous national and international titles while training at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.

At North Hagerstown High School Brooks compiled a 163‑2 record, earned four letters, served as a three‑time team captain, and captured four Maryland State 4A‑3A titles—each in a different weight class. He also added four Washington County championships, four 4A‑3A West Region honors, NHSCA National Championship plaques, and two Hub Cup victories.

Greg Slick – Coaching Legacy

Slick joined North Hagerstown in 1969 after a mobile childhood limited organized sports. He lettered in football and wrestling and competed in open tournaments from 1975‑1980. At Frostburg State he played a shortened football career before helping launch and playing three seasons on the fledgling rugby program.

After graduating in 1976, Slick returned to North Hagerstown to coach football and wrestling. He became head wrestling coach in 1979 and has guided the program for 45 years through 2025, amassing 561 victories with only seven losing seasons. His contributions earned him the MPSSAA Wrestling Hall of Fame induction in 2025, joining the National Wrestling Hall of Fame (2007) and a “Lifetime Service to Wrestling” award.

Under Slick’s direction, North captured the 2014 MPSSAA 4A‑3A team title, finished second in 2015 and third in 2016. The Hubs qualified for the state dual‑meet tournament four times, placing second on two occasions. A total of 56 North wrestlers have made the state tournament podium, with 26 reaching weight‑class finals. Eight wrestlers—including Brooks—have combined for 13 championships and 13 runner‑up finishes.

Jerry Spessard – Sports Innovation Pioneer

Spessard shifted his athletic passion into invention, holding 18 patents for sporting‑equipment breakthroughs. His flagship product, the GameFace Sports Mask, became the top‑selling facial protector for girls softball worldwide in 2005, gaining traction in 62 countries.

After the original patent expired, 13 competing companies now produce versions, yet Spessard’s mask continues to sell millions each year. He is also developing a chest protector that uses tennis‑racket stringing principles to guard against heart injuries in lacrosse—a project currently in testing—and an electronic home plate that has earned him two national honors.

An alumnus of Virginia Tech, Spessard was later named one of the university’s 100 top graduates of the 20th century. Raised in Hagerstown, he played youth baseball and basketball before starring in football and baseball at North Hagerstown, where he captained the football team in 1966. He continued his football career at Virginia Tech.

Cheryl Wilkes – Champion of Women’s Sports

Wilkes launched a 36‑year teaching career at the dawn of Title IX in 1972, spending 34 of those years (1970‑2004) at Williamsport/Springfield Middle School. Her work helped lay the groundwork for a surge in girls’ and women’s athletics across Washington County.

Former students who excelled in state competition have returned as teachers and coaches, perpetuating Wilkes’s emphasis on fundamentals and community involvement. She was instrumental in establishing National Girls and Women in Sports Day, celebrated each February.

In 1996 Wilkes co‑founded the Washington County Girls and Women in Sports Foundation, which provides recognition, sponsorship and scholarship opportunities. She is credited with propelling Williamsport’s volleyball program to prominence by initiating middle‑school play days that produced multiple generations of Wildcat athletes.

Those players went on to claim state titles in volleyball, track & cross‑country, basketball and softball. Wilkes also organized the annual Springfield Middle Gymnastics Show, middle‑school cross‑country meets, volleyball tournaments, after‑school intramurals and swimming instruction at Fountain Head Country Club.

A county champion in her own right, Wilkes graduated from Williamsport before attending High Point (N.C.) University, where she joined the inaugural volleyball team and also played basketball.