HUNT VALLEY, Md. – Five lacrosse greats who excelled in coaching and officiating, as well as on the playing field over the past five decades were formally inducted as the newest male members of the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame Saturday evening at the Grand Lodge in Hunt Valley.

The five inductees – Jake Curran, Dom Fin, Bob Hartranft, Charlie Lockwood and Brian Voelker – registered outstanding accomplishments at the high school, collegiate, professional and international levels during their careers.

The class of 2015 was officially welcomed during the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony, sponsored by RPS Bollinger Sports & Leisure and the Markel Insurance Company.

 

Still active, Hartranft completed his 47th season as head coach at Farmingdale (N.Y.) High School in 2015, and with 694 wins, he ranks third all-time among boys’ high school coaches. Hartranft led Farmingdale to the New York state championship in 2011, and also finished as state runner-up in 1978 and 2003. His teams have captured 13 Nassau County championships and made 41 consecutive playoff appearances. He has been selected as the conference coach of the year 10 times, and tabbed as the Nassau County coach of the year twice. In addition, Hartranft served as head coach of the U.S. Men’s Under-19 National Team in 1992 and led Team USA to the world championship.

Impressive credentials for a man who never played the game and cut his teeth as a basketball coach.

“I picked whoever’s brain I could and got videos and realized it was basketball with a stick,” Hartranft explained. “I fell in love with lacrosse and the rest is history, I guess.”

Hall of Fame member John DeTommaso, who played for Hartranft at Farmingdale, served as his presenter, and had a chance to poke fun at his coach’s stick skills.

“I will say that he is probably the most horrific lacrosse player you have ever seen in your life. When coach picked up a stick, we were all running for the hills because nobody knew where the ball would go,” DeTommaso said. “But he knew lacrosse, and he knew defense. He absolutely took everything he knew from basketball and translated it to lacrosse. As a coach, he had the ability to adjust with different kids, different teams, and different styles of play.

“A good man, a great coach, a great teacher and a wonderful educator is now in a place he deserves to be,” DeTommaso said.

 

The National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, a program of US 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. Over 400 lacrosse greats are honored in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, which is located with the Lacrosse Museum at US Lacrosse Headquarters in Baltimore.