Francis Marion University athletic officials recently announced the Class of 2023 inductees for the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame: women's soccer midfielder Angela Salem ('10) and softball pitcher Michaela Wolf Lawson ('10). Also entering posthumously will be former men's basketball center Marcel Boggs who was elected earlier, but because of the covid pandemic was never officially inducted.
The induction ceremony will take place during Homecoming activities on Saturday, Feb. 18, in the Smith University Center gymnasium at approximately 4 p.m. between the women's and men's games of the FMU and North Greenville University basketball doubleheader. This will be the first induction ceremony since 2019.
Salem lettered four years on the soccer field between 2006 and 2009 and was named the squad's most valuable player three times. She helped the Patriots to 30 wins during a time when the program competed as an NCAA Division I independent, including two seasons when the squad won double-digit matches. She was named to the University's Swamp Fox Athletic-Academic Honor Roll all four years and was inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, the national college athlete honor society. A native of Copley, Ohio, she earned a B.S. degree in psychology in 2010.
At Francis Marion, she appeared in 59 career matches and tallied 11 goals and 27 assists. As a freshman, she tied the program record with 11 assists and as a sophomore ranked 18th in Division I for assists per match.
Following her time at Francis Marion, she embarked on a long professional playing career. A long-time resident of Denver, Colo., she spent this past season as an assistant coach with the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), and recently gave birth to her first child.
Salem spent 12 years playing professionally, including stops in various leagues in the United States, Australia and Finland. She spent four seasons with the Portland Thorns, and in 2021 helped the Thorns to the NWSL Challenge Cup, the NWSL Shield, and the International Champions Cup. She was also named a finalist for the 2021 NWSL Most Valuable Player award and a member of the NWSL Best XI first team.
She also played with the Boston Breakers, the Spirit, and the Western New York Flash during her NWSL career that spanned more than 140 matches. She helped the Flash to the 2013 league title and to the 2012 Women's Professional Soccer League (WPSL) Elite League championship by converting the deciding penalty kick in a shootout.
Her playing career also included time with the Atlanta Beat and Sky Blue FC of the WPS and the Newcastle Jets of the Australian W-League.
Wolf lettered four years on the softball diamond between 2007 and 2010 and was 3-time All-Region selection, a 2-time All-Conference pick, and a first-team All-American in 2008. She also exceled in the classroom earning NFCA All-America Scholar-Athlete recognition three times and, like Salem, was inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society. The Littleton, Colo., native earned a B.A. degree in mass communications in 2010.
She currently resides in Charlotte, N.C., has two children, and serves as a program coordinator for the MADD organization. She also serves as a fastpitch softball instructor.
At Francis Marion, the southpaw holds the program records for pitching appearances (151), innings pitched (897.2), wins (92), complete games (108), shutouts (25), and strikeouts (755). Her career totals also include a 92-43 pitching mark with two saves and a 1.85 earned run average, while opponents batted only .227 against her. At the plate, she batted .328 with 14 home runs, 112 runs batted in, 62 runs scored, and a .420 on-base percentage.
She helped the Patriots to a 4-year record of 141-67 and two trips to the NCAA Tournament. During her All-American season of 2008, she went 29-13 in the circle with a 1.53 ERA and hit .323 with three homers and 34 RBIs as Francis Marion reached the Division II College World Series in Houston, Texas. She is the only FMU pitcher to win 20-games more than once, and she did it four times
She tossed a perfect game against USC Aiken during the 2010 Peach Belt Conference Tournament, and was part of a combined no-hitter against St. Andrews Presbyterian College in 2007.
Boggs, a native of Mullins and a product of Wilson High School, played one season (1984-85) at Francis Marion before serving in the United States Army. He returned to the hardcourt with the Patriots for his final three seasons between 1990 and 1993. During those three seasons, he led FMU to a 60-31 record and the program's only NAIA District Six championship (in 1991) that saw the Patriots advance to the NAIA National Tournament in Kansas City, Mo. He was named the MVP of that 1991 District Six Tournament.
He passed away after a battle with cancer in 2019 at the age of 53.
Bogg's career totals include 98 games played, 1,392 points, 590 rebounds, 110 assists, and 58 steals. He converted on an amazing 60.2 percent of his field goal attempts – the second-best mark in program history – and shot 68.4 percent at the foul line. He currently stands 12th on both the Patriot career scoring and rebounding lists.
His high-point game was a pair of 38-point outings during his senior season against Augusta College and Columbus College.
He twice earned All-District Six Team honors and when the program moved to the NCAA Division II Peach Belt Conference for his senior season, he garnered All-Conference and All-Region accolades. His senior campaign saw him average 17.6 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, while ranking third nationally in field goal accuracy at 66.9 percent, and he was named the team's most valuable player.
Boggs played one season of professional basketball in Belgium, and later received his undergraduate degree in sociology from Coker College.
He was a teacher and a coach before his health declined, and for 20 years, he worked with the Pepsi Carolina Classic as the public address announcer.
The three will join 52 current members in the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame. Past inductees include Chiffonia "Precious" Adderson (women's basketball), Cindy Alford Vestal (softball), Jeannette Alston (women's basketball, volleyball), Kristi Anderson (women's softball), Mark Bedenbaugh (cross country, track and field), Gary Bennett (golf), Kirk Bevington (men's soccer), Daryl Blume (men's basketball), Jennifer Brabson Cleek (women's basketball), Michael Colaiacovo (cross country, track and field), Maria Costas (women's basketball, tennis, volleyball), Tom C. Davidson (coach and administrator), Daphne Donnelly (women's basketball, softball), Matt Dura (golf), Carlton Farr (men's basketball), LaRue Fields (women's basketball, volleyball), Alvaro Figuerola (men's soccer), Allen Floyd (men's basketball), Jennifer Grande Parker (volleyball, women's basketball), Gerald Griffin (baseball coach and athletic director), Dr. Rufus R. Hackney Jr. (administrator and golf coach), Jeremy Halpin (baseball), Sylvia Rhyne Hatchell (women's basketball coach), Lewis Hill (men's basketball coach), Mary Hirst (women's tennis), Wayne Huggins (baseball), Mary Jackson (women's basketball, volleyball), Erin Jones (baseball), Scotty Keefe (baseball), Anthony "Chico" Lombardo (baseball), Sam Lundkvist (men's tennis), Annamaria Karai Meadows (women's tennis), Pearl Moore (women's basketball), Robert Moore (men's basketball), Laurie Niego Mancari (softball), Krissy Burt O'Kelley (women's volleyball), Crystal Poskey Ashley (women's volleyball), Mitch Powell (track and field, cross country), Tommy Randall (golf), Katie Roberts Chapman (women's soccer), Josef Schroeder (men's soccer), Kim Slawson Hawkins (women's basketball player and coach), David Stafford (track and field, cross country), Garth Thomson (men's tennis player and coach), Randy White (track and field, cross country), Dr. Thomas M. Whiteley (track and field/cross country coach), Lee Whitwell (women's tennis), Kerri Williams (women's soccer), Bob Wilson (men's basketball player and coach), Mike Wilson (baseball), Rendy Yates (softball player and coach), and Tracey Tillman Young (women's basketball).
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