TOWSON, Md. – Towson University's Athletics Hall of Fame is announcing its Class of 2023 headlined by record setters in football, swimming, basketball and lacrosse spanning 40 years of Tiger sports history.

Randy Bielski (football), Meredith Budner Plack (swimming), Eddie Diggs (basketball), Hillary Fratzke Hamm (lacrosse) and Larry Witherspoon (basketball) will be admitted on Friday, October 6^th at the Hall of Fame's 59^th Annual Induction Banquet. Additionally, the 2004 women's volleyball squad will be honored as the Team of Distinction.

"This is certainly a diverse group as we honor student-athletes and a manager for their past achievements and contributions to Towson's athletics program," said Tiger Hall of Fame president, Rich Bader. "All of these inductees add greatly to the legacy of Towson athletics. We're looking forward to them joining the Hall of Fame."

The banquet will be held on campus at the University Union. Ticket information is forthcoming. For additional information contact Matt Death of the Tiger Athletic Fund at mdeath@towson.edu.

Here's a look of each inductee:
RANDY BIELSKI – Football (1976-79)
Randy had an immediate impact on the Tigers' program despite not having played football until his senior year in high school. He enjoyed a record-setting career at Towson as a defensive back and kicker. He helped Towson advance to the 1976 Stagg Bowl where the Tigers played for the NCAA Division III national championship by leading the team in scoring with 57 points (21 PAT's, 12 FG's) and interceptions with 3. He left the program as its all-time leader in tackles (288), scoring (169) and interceptions (13). He still holds the program's single game record of 24 tackles he set 46 years ago that ties for the oldest defensive record in Tiger Football history. Randy was a two-time All-American (1^st team Kodak, 2^nd team Associated Press). In 1980 he became the first Tiger to be drafted by the NFL when the Baltimore Colts selected him as a kicker in the 12^th round (311^th overall). He is one of only six Tigers to date to have been drafted.

MEREDITH BUDNER PLACK – Swimming (2008-11)
One of the most decorated and successful swimmers in the program's history, she led the Tigers to four straight Colonial Athletic Association championships. She was the first female swimmer in school history to earn Division I All-America honors (three honorable mentions). A member of the CAA's 25th Anniversary Team, she was honored twice as the CAA Female Swimmer of the Year and Rookie of the Year as a freshman. Selected the CAA's Swimmer of the Championship Meet in 2011, Meredith was undefeated in three CAA Championship events four straight years in the 500 free, 1650 free and the 400 IM. She is the only female swimmer in CAA history to win the 400 IM four straight years. She was the Tigers' leading scorer at CAA Championships all four years. She qualified for 2009, 2010 and 2011 NCAA Championships in the 500-yard freestyle and the 1650-yard freestyle and earned a berth in 400-yard individual medley at 2009 and 2010 NCAA Meets. She also qualified for the 200-yard freestyle in the 2011 NCAA Meet. She was the top mid-major swimmer in the 2011 NCAA's. She still holds four school records. She is one of just two student-athletes to be named Towson's Female Athlete of the Year three straight years. Additionally, she was the Senior Female Career Achievement Award recipient in 2011. She was Towson's 2008 Rookie of the Year. She also set a number of records as a member of the Israeli National Team, barely missing Olympic qualifying marks.

EDDIE DIGGS – Basketball Manager (1974-79)
Eddie served as the men's basketball manager for four years, performing duties that today would be assigned to the team's director of operations. He was named Towson's Manager of the Year three times. What makes Eddie unique is his disability, known as "congenital anomaly." He was born with only two fingers on each hand. He was the first of 13 children in his family to earn a college degree. In 1984 he became involved with the Maryland Ravens wheelchair basketball organization. For more than 30 years Eddie has volunteered his time as its nonprofit president/CEO, coach, driver and fund-raiser as well as a conference official, tournament director, referee and school outreach coordinator. As its coach the Maryland Ravens competed in 656 games against other National Wheelchair Basketball Association (NWBA) teams, winning 486 of those contests. The Ravens were ranked No. 1 in the country twice and captured the Division III national championship in 2006. He was inducted into the NWBA's Hall of Fame in 2017. He is the recipient of the Bill Duncan "Good Guy" Award, a Maryland Parks and Recreation Association Citation, and the Governor Martin O'Malley Citation for his work with the disabled in sports.

HILLARY FRATZKE HAMM – Lacrosse (2006-10)
Towson's most decorated women's lacrosse player, she was a three-time All-American and two-time CAA Player of the Year in 2008 and 2010. She is the only Tiger to date to have been honored as a first team All-American. Hillary was the CAA Rookie of the Year in 2006 and conference's Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2007. She was All-CAA each year including two first team honors and one second team. She was the only active player named to the CAA's Silver Anniversary Team. She is the only three-year co-captain in program history. She was a three-time IWLCA Regional All-American and a 2007 Inside Lacrosse second team All-American. She was Towson's Female Rookie of the Year in 2006, its Female Athlete of the Year in 2008 and its Senior Female Athlete of the Year in 2010 when she was also honored as the TAF Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Hillary started 70 of 72 career games for the Tigers. She holds school career records for draw controls (327) which ranked her fourth in NCAA women's lacrosse history, caused turnovers (144) and ground balls (193). She recorded a point in 70 straight games while scoring a goal in 64 straight games, the second longest streak in NCAA history. She set the NCAA record by averaging 6.29 draw controls per game as a freshman to lead the country. She ranked as high as third in NCAA history in draw controls. In 2008 she was a Tewaaraton Award Nominee and on the Tewaaraton Trophy Preseason Watch List in 2008 and 2009. She continued her playing career with the Long Island Sound of the United Women's Lacrosse League, helping the team to back-to-back titles in 2016 and 2017. She spent three years as an assistant at Northwestern, helping the Wildcats to claim back-to-back national titles, before moving on to William & Mary where she was head coach for six years. Later she served as an assistant at the University of Tampa.

LARRY WITHERSPOON – Basketball (1971-74)
Larry still holds Towson's single game scoring record set on February 17, 1973 with 51 points in a 107-89 loss at American University. He was the third player in program history to reach 1,000 points. When he left the program after the 1973-74 season he held several single game records and season records that included most points (687) and highest scoring average (25.4). Despite playing just three seasons due to the NCAA's rule prohibiting freshman from varsity competition, he closed out his career as the all-time leader in 1,546 points, career scoring average at 19.8 and in rebounds with 694. He remains among Towson's top 10 in points in a season (5^th), scoring average (3^rd), career points (5^th), career scoring average (5^th), career field goals made (1^st) and career rebounds (8^th). It should be noted that Larry played collegiately before the three-point shot was instituted. In 1974 he became the first Tiger ever taken in the NBA draft when the Philadelphia 76ers made him their first selection in the 10^th round. He was the 162^nd player drafted.    

TEAM OF DISTINCTION – 2004 Volleyball
The team finished the 2004 season with a 25-9 overall record that included a 13-1 mark in the CAA plus wins over Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. The Tigers were a perfect 14-0 at home. They were both the regular season and conference tournament champions for the first time, earning the program's first berth in the NCAA Tournament. Liz Goubeaux led the way. She was named the CAA Player of the Year and the CAA tournament's MOP. Goubeaux and Mary Clare Coghlan, who was the CAA's Setter of the Year, were both first team All-CAA selections. Both are in the Towson Athletics Hall of Fame. Meghan Evans was a second team All-CAA pick. April Hoffman was All-Tournament. It would be another 15 years before the Tigers would return to the NCAA tournament.