LEXINGTON, Va. - Washington and Lee University has announced the six members of its 2026 Athletics Hall of Fame class, the 39th class overall to be inducted into the W&L Athletics Hall of Fame. The group includes former standout student-athletes who excelled in men's basketball, football, men's lacrosse, women's soccer, field hockey, women's lacrosse, women's tennis and men's track and field.
The class will be formally inducted during a ceremony held as part of a fall athletics weekend celebration in Lexington, with the honorees also scheduled to be recognized at select home contests that weekend.
The 2026 Washington and Lee Athletics Hall of Fame class, listed by graduation year, is detailed below:
- Chris Jacobs '91 – Men's Basketball
- Ericka Shapard '98 – Women's Tennis
- Marc Watson '01 – Football & Men's Track and Field
- Emmy Matthews '11 – Field Hockey & Women's Lacrosse
- Kat Lawson '12 – Women's Soccer
- Luke Heinsohn '13 – Football & Men's Lacrosse
The Hall of Fame inductees will be celebrated the weekend of October 23-24, 2026 in Lexington. Additional details about the ceremony and related events will be announced in the coming months.
Chris Jacobs '91 – Men's Basketball
A four-year letterwinner for the Generals, Jacobs played in 103 career games with 74 starts and finished his career ranked eighth all-time in scoring with 1,523 points. He averaged 14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting .465 from the field and also collected 616 career rebounds.
Jacobs earned ODAC Player of the Year honors as a sophomore, averaging 19.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while garnering First Team All-ODAC, First Team NABC All-District and Honorable Mention NABC All-America honors. As a junior, he averaged 18.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest, earning First Team NABC All-District and Second Team All-ODAC recognition. He was twice named the recipient of the Leigh Williams Memorial Award as the team's most valuable player and helped lead W&L to a 20-7 record and the ODAC regular season title during his sophomore campaign.
Ericka Shapard '98 – Women's Tennis
A four-year letterwinner and senior captain for the women's tennis team, Croft was one of the most accomplished players in program history. She was a four-time First Team All-ODAC selection and earned both ODAC Player of the Year and ITA South Region Player of the Year honors as a senior.
Croft also garnered All-America honors in doubles, teaming with Berry Blankenship, and qualified for the NCAA Individual Championships three times in singles and twice in doubles. She concluded her career ranked second all-time at W&L in career singles wins (107) and fourth in doubles victories (97), while also ranking among the program's single-season leaders in both singles and doubles wins.
Marc Watson '01 – Football & Men's Track and Field
A four-year letterwinner in football and two-year letterwinner in track and field, Watson graduated holding 12 school football records, including career rushing yards (3,112), career rushing touchdowns (32) and career all-purpose yards (5,184). During the 2000 season, he ranked among the national leaders in several categories, including fourth in Division III in all-purpose yards per game (199.7).
Watson was named the 2000 ODAC Player of the Year and earned First Team All-ODAC, First Team All-State and Third Team All-America honors. In track and field, he served as a team captain and graduated holding school records in the 100 meters (10.6) and 55 meters (6.44), while also claiming two ODAC Indoor 55-meter championships. He was the co-recipient of the Pres Brown Most Valuable Senior Male Athlete Award in 2002.
Emmy Matthews '11 – Field Hockey & Women's Lacrosse
A four-year letterwinner in both field hockey and women's lacrosse, Matthews served as a team captain in both sports and was one of the most decorated two-sport athletes in program history. In field hockey, she started 65 games and earned First Team All-ODAC honors twice, while also being named the ODAC Rookie of the Year and later the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
In women's lacrosse, Matthews totaled 199 career points on 161 goals and 38 assists, finishing her career ranked among the program's all-time leaders in both categories. She earned First Team All-ODAC honors in each of her final three seasons, was named the 2011 ODAC Player of the Year, and garnered Second Team All-America honors as a senior. Matthews helped lead W&L to three ODAC championships and three NCAA Tournament appearances, and she received both the Pres Brown Senior Athlete Award and the ODAC's Marjorie Berkeley Award as the conference's top female scholar-athlete in 2011.
Kat Lawson '12 – Women's Soccer
A three-year letterwinner for the women's soccer team after transferring from Colgate, Lawson started all 59 games of her W&L career and anchored one of the program's most dominant defensive stretches. During her tenure, the Generals compiled a 40-12-7 overall record, including a 2009 ODAC Championship and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament second round.
Lawson earned First Team NSCAA All-America honors twice, becoming the first two-time First Team All-American in program history. She was also a three-time First Team All-ODAC selection and a two-time First Team All-South Region honoree, while receiving an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship following her senior season.
Luke Heinsohn '13 – Football & Men's Lacrosse
A four-year letterwinner in both football and men's lacrosse, Heinsohn was one of the most dynamic offensive players in Generals football history. He graduated holding program records for career rushing yards (3,517), rushing touchdowns (48) and total points (344). During his senior season, he rushed for 1,253 yards and 22 touchdowns and led all of college football in scoring with 188 points.
Heinsohn earned First Team All-ODAC honors twice, was named the VaSID Offensive Player of the Year, and received the Lanier Award as Virginia's top small college football player. A Fourth Team All-American and Gagliardi Award finalist, he helped lead W&L to two ODAC championships. In men's lacrosse, he totaled 57 career points and scored several key postseason goals during his senior season, when the Generals returned to the NCAA Tournament. He was also the 2013 recipient of the Pres Brown Award as W&L's most valuable senior male athlete.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
