Selection Committee

The Chesapeake College Athletic Hall of Fame Selection Committee includes the college's athletic director and representatives of the faculty and administration appointed by the President, with the committee electing its chair. The committee chair may appoint up to two at-large members with the approval of a majority of the committee. The current members of the Selection Committee are:

Dr. Edward S. Baker
Professor of Kinesiology

Dr. Baker, the longest-serving men's basketball coach in the college's history, guided the Skipjacks to a school-record 21 wins and a share of the program's only state championship during the 1973-74 season. (The Skipjacks and Allegany Community College finished with identical league marks and split their home-and-home series that season.) While he retired from coaching in 1980, Dr. Baker has continued to be an integral part of the Athletic Department by recruiting, advising and mentoring student athletes.

A Professor of Kinesiology, Dr. Baker is a six-time chairman of the Chesapeake College Faculty Assembly. After several years in administrative roles at the college, including Associate Dean of Outreach Services, Dr. Baker returned to the classroom because of his passion for teaching.

Dr. Baker was selected as a member of the inaugural Chesapeake College Athletic Hall of Fame class in 2003, and became a member of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee in 2004.

Mr. Frank Szymanski
Director of Intercollegiate Athletics

Mr. Szymanski, a member of the Hall of Fame Selection Committee since 2003, has been Chesapeake College's athletic director and head baseball coach since 1999. He has compiled a 427-318-6 record with the Skipjack baseball program that includes regional and district championships in 2005.

Mr. Szymanski was named NJCAA Division II Region XX Coach of the Year and Northeast District Coach of the Year in 2005. Mr. Szymanski was also selected Maryland College Coach of the Year for 2005, an award that encompasses all NCAA and NJCAA programs.

Chesapeake's baseball program qualified for the NJCAA Region XX Division II championship tournament each of Mr. Szymanski's first seven years as head coach. The Skipjacks moved up to Division I in 2007.

Mr. Szymanski's commitment to academics can be seen in the Skipjacks' academic achievements. Chesapeake has produced an Academic All-American each of the last three years and seven Region XX All-Academic Team members since 2004. Ryan Morse, a member of Chesapeake's baseball team in 2005 and 2006, was one of two Chesapeake athletes named to the 2006 Region XX All-Academic Team.

Mr. Szymanski and his 2005 baseball team entered the Chesapeake College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006 as a group.

Ms. Deborah Harrison Urry
Executive Director, Eastern Shore Higher Education Center

Ms. Urry, who played both volleyball and basketball at Chesapeake College from 1974 to 1976, was elected to the college's Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005. She was a two-time team Most Valuable Player in volleyball, and a second-team all-state selection in both volleyball and basketball. Ms. Urry, who was selected Chesapeake's Most Outstanding Women's Athlete in 1976, went on to play volleyball at Tarkio College in Missouri, where she was again selected team MVP as a senior in 1977.

Ms. Urry continued to play indoor and doubles beach volleyball until 1998. Ms. Urry worked 20 years with Talbot County Public Schools, including service as its coordinator of career and technology, foreign language, and service learning. She returned to Chesapeake College in 2005 as the first executive director of the Eastern Shore Higher Education Center. She has been a Talbot County 4-H leader for 30 years.

Ms. Urry joined the Hall of Fame Selection Committee in 2006.

Ms. Jen Benson
2007 Chesapeake College Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee

Ms. Benson, elected to the Hall of Fame Selection Committee in 2010, played basketball, softball, soccer and tennis while attending Chesapeake from 1997 to 1999. At one time, she held all of the school's records for three-point shooting – most in a game, season, and career. She won a state women's doubles title with Laura Harrison while playing for the college's club tennis program.

Ms. Benson, who graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor's of Science degree from Wesley College in Delaware, holds Certified Personal Trainer and Post-Rehab Exercise Specialist certifications. She currently operates a fitness and personal training studio in Easton out of Mark's Fitness Studio. Ms. Benson also owns and operates a fitness program at the Benedictine School where she designs and implements one-on-one fitness programs for individuals whom are mentally and physically handicapped. She is also coach and founder of Jen's Gems and Jen's Lil' Gems, which is a 5k, half-marathon and marathon training team dedicated to raising funds and awareness for Maryland's Ronald McDonald House.