Hall Call Podcast

**FANTASY FOOTBALL SZN**

Football kicks off 1-week from tomorrow, and that means fantasy football is right around the corner! What better way to get you set for your league draft and season, than with the next episode of the #HallCall Interview Series & Podcast featuring award winning fantasy writer and player, Jake Ciely, Sr. Fantasy Sports Writer from The Athletic. Jake has everything you need from who to take at the top, to the hidden gems in the late rounds, and everything in between.

Thank you to our #HallCall sponsors and Hall of Fame partners!

This September one of the premier USGA events makes its way to the Commonwealth, as the 43rd U.S. Mid-Amateur will take place in Central VA. Kinloch Golf Club will play primary host to the tournament, with neighbor Independence Golf Club providing support as 264 players will compete for this prestigious trophy. The Mid-Am as it is known, is the leading annual golf tournament in the United States for post-college amateur golfers. #HallCall has all the events details covered with 1976 VA Sports HOF Inductee, Vinny Giles, Kinloch Golf Club GM, Eric Rule, and Mid-Am General Chairman, Mike Crowley.

This October, The Country Club of Virginia will play host to the PGA Champions Tour, Dominion Energy Charity Classic. The event has called VA home since 2016 and has made significant impact on the course with a stellar field of competitors, and in the community through its charitable outreach programs. On this episode of the #HallCall Interview Series & Podcast, we put the spotlight on the DECC, with Tournament Executive Director, Steve Schoenfeld.

#HallCall returns with a Virginia athlete looking to make an impact in his community. Norfolk native, and Lake Taylor High School alumnus, Jalyn Holmes has won a National Championship at Ohio State, and enters his 7th season in the NFL this fall with the New York Jets. Prior to training camp, Holmes will be giving back to his community by hosting “Vaughn’s Way Community Day”, Saturday, June 29 in his hometown. Vaughn’s Way is a 501c3non-profit organization committed to raising awareness and providing support for men's mental health. We’ll discuss his efforts both on and off the field on this edition of #HallCall

The North American Sand Soccer Championships will be coming to the Virginia Beach Oceanfront June 7-9. In addition to being the world’s premier single-weekend sand soccer tournament, NASSC will also be celebrating its 30th anniversary as it welcomes over 11,000 competitors to tournament which will take place over 25 city blocks on the beach. On this episode of #HallCall we discussed this landmark event with NASSC Executive Director, Lauren Bland, and Director of Ops, Matt Whalen.

Regent University based in Virginia Beach, began operations in 1977, and in 2016 the University's athletics department began competition with men's and women's track & field teams. Since that time, Regent Athletics has added basketball, soccer, volleyball, and cross country to its program and has competed in the National Christian College Athletics Association (NCCAA). This September, the Royals programs look to take another step forward as it begins the exploratory process for membership in NCAA Division-III. On this addition of #HallCall we discuss the future of Regent Athletics with Director of Athletics, Michael Allen.

#HallCall Interview Series & Podcast, featuring 2024 Inductee, Chris Long.

HOF Executive Director Will Driscoll was joined by Virginia Football Legend, 11-year NFL veteran, and 2018 Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Chris Long. In addition to those accomplishments, Chris was also the 2007 ACC Defensive Player of Year, Consensus All-American, Ted Hendricks Award recipient, and Dudley Award winner. Its easy to see why he will soon add Virginia Sports Hall of Fame Inductee to his resume!

The 2024 Induction is now just days away, and the next episode of the #HallCall Interview Series & Podcast, will feature 2024 Inductee, LaShawn Merritt. One of the most decorated track & field athletes from the Commonwealth, Merritt won 23 medals in international competitions in the 400m sprint (19 gold), including 4 Olympic medals, 3 Gold. Merritt joined #HallCall to talk about his journey from high school prodigy, to Olympic Champion, to Virginia Sports Hall of Fame inductee.

As we kick off Induction month, we'll catch up with another 2024 Inductee, Monica Wright Rogers. The 2x VHSL State Champion, and 2006 Gatorade Virginia Player of the Year, would go on to become the all-time leading scorer in UVA Basketball history (men's or women's) with 2,540 points. A 3x WNBA Champion with the Minnesota Lynx and Seattle Storm, Wright Rogers is currently the Assistant General Manager for the WNBA's Phoenix Mercury. Join us on April 2 for the next episode of #HallCall

With less than a month to go to the 2024 Induction, we continue to highlight our incoming inductees with our next #HallCall episode featuring 2024 inductee, Paul Woody. Woody is a Virginia native and Virginia Commonwealth University alum, and over 40 years became the written voice for sports in the Richmond region. The longtime sportswriter and columnist for the Richmond News Leader and Richmond Times-Dispatch, Woody spent 40 years covering all levels of sports for the newspapers, winning countless state and national awards for his efforts.