Radford High School has announced five new members to the school’s sports hall of fame.
They include a longtime administrator and coach, community contributors, and three former athletes. The group, which was recognized during a special ceremony in the school’s auditorium, includes current athletic director Greg Wade, Darrell and Michelle Mullins of Mullins Funeral Home, and athletes Herbert Rudolph Hartwell, Jr., Caroline Downs and Tim Harvey.
Wade started work in the Radford public school system in 1993 and has been a Bobcat now for 31 consecutive years. He was an assistant coach in football at RHS for 17 years, all under Norman Lineburg and is mostly known for coaching soccer for the Bobcats.
He was the head boys’ soccer coach for 19 years. During his time, Wade led the Bobcats to back-to-back State Soccer Championships in 2007 and 2008, making him one of only five coaches to have ever won back-to-back state titles for the Bobcats. He did most of his coaching while also assuming the duties as Radford’s athletic director.
During his time as athletic director, RHS has won six Wachovia Cups or Wells Fargo Cups, the annual VHSL award for the most winning high school in the state while tallying a total of 32 state championships.
The late Herbert Rudolph Hartwell, Jr., (Class of 1952), commonly known as “Snapper”, was an outstanding running back and defensive back for RHS, leading the Bobcat football team from 1949 through 1951. He was also an outstanding wrestler for the Bobcats, winning at the 163-weight class over most all competitors he faced.
After graduation, Hartwell played for The University of Virginia, where he starred on both sides of the ball.
While in Charlottesville, Snapper was named after his junior year to the AP’s 1954 All-Big Six Football first team as a running back.
Hartwell was drafted by the Baltimore Colts in 1956 and was pursued by other NFL teams like the Green Bay Packers and Los Angeles Rams, but instead decided to serve his country in the United States Navy.
But he did not give up on football as a running back, leading his patrol squadron to the Naval Air “North Island” Championship and the Fleet Air San Diego Championship.
While in the military, he rose to a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy as a pilot and flight training instructor. Hartwell rose to a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy as a pilot and flight training instructor. He moved back to Radford to raise his family and is remembered as a long-time agent for State Farm Insurance.
The late Hartwell was represented at the ceremony by his daughters Tracey and Mitzi.
Tim Harvey (Class of 1969) was an all-round all-star player in several sports for the Bobcats.
His primary sport was basketball, starting his sophomore year and finishing as the team’s captain his senior year. He was the first Bobcat in history to score over 1000 points in his RHS basketball career. One of his amazing accolades is his record of making 90 consecutive foul shots in a competition run by the Radford Recreation Department. He was also amazing in baseball at RHS, were he lettered for four straight years and lead the Bobcats to the 1969 New River District Championship. Harvey was an outstanding pitcher.
Harvey received a basketball scholarship from Virginia Tech and played for the Hokies from 1969 to 1974. He was a member of the 1973 Hokie NIT Tournament Championship, which won the title 92-91 in overtime over Notre Dame. His success followed him after his athletic days in the New River Valley as he graduated with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech in 1974 and won an award from Department of Homeland Security in 2021 for innovation in aviation security checkpoints. Harvey is currently the CEO and cofounder of Salient Guard,
Caroline Downs (Class of 2002) is without a doubt one of the most accomplished all-around athletes in the history of Radford High School. She earned 19 varsity letters during her four years as a Bobcat. She played and starred in golf, cross country, swimming, volleyball, indoor track, outdoor track, and the sport she dominated – girls’ tennis.
Downs was a state participant in cross country, swimming and track and was all district and all region in volleyball, but her legacy was cemented in years on the tennis court. She won two individual state titles in tennis in 2001 and 2002, won state titles as a doubles partner, wining in 2000, 2001 and 2002.
Also, during Downs’s time, the Bobcat girls’ tennis won the state championship each year she played – 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002. In college, Caroline earned a full scholarship to Radford University and was named the Highlanders’ Most Valuable Player.
Darrell and Michelle Mullins were recognized for their longtime support of Radford High School.
In 1983, Darrell and Michelle Mullins bought the Seaver-Sanders Funeral Home, and they have been serving the community with class in its hardest times. Their business prides itself on providing a warm welcoming atmosphere for everyone in their time of need.
Staff report
