Grace VanDyck (1991) - JMU Athletics Hall of Fame - James Madison University Athletics

Grace VanDyck

Induction:
1991
Class:
1947

Gracie VanDyck ('47) participated in basketball and field hockey at JMU. She was in charge of the campus softball program, was an active member of the Mercury Club and was vice-president of the JMU Athletic Council. From 1947-87 Gracie coached at Churchland, Portsmouth Catholic and Western Branch High Schools in the Tidewater, Virginia, area. Her girls' basketball teams complied an overall record of 517-271-2 while her softball teams were 129-70. Many of her teams played in the days before there were state championships for girls, but they won eight district titles and were twice state runners-up. She is the winningest female coach in Virginia high school history and the only one with more than 500 basketball victories. She was inducted into the Chesapeake (Va.) Hall of Fame in 1988 and in October 1990 became the first woman to be inducted into the Virginia High School League Hall of Fame during its inaugural induction ceremonies. A pioneer in the development of girls' athletics statewide, she has spearheaded everything from fundraisers to rules changes. Though retired, she is still actively involved in various phases of the sports program at Western Branch High School as she continues to serve the young people of her community. She is a native of Portsmouth, Va.