W&L Welcomes the 39th Class into its Athletics Hall of Fame Basketball player Chris Jacobs ’91, tennis player Ericka Shapard ’98, field hockey and lacrosse player Emmy Mathews ’11 and football and lacrosse player Luke Heinsohn ’13 were all inducted the weekend of Oct. 23-24.

Communications & Public Affairs
October 26, 2026

Washington and Lee University welcomed four former Generals as the 39th class of its Athletic Hall of Fame the weekend of Oct. 23-24. Chris Jacobs ’91, Ericka Shapard ’98, Emmy Mathews ’11 and Luke Heinsohn ’13 were inducted during a Friday evening ceremony on Cannan Green and recognized again Saturday at halftime of W&L’s football game against Hampden-Sydney College.

Jacobs was a member of the men’s basketball team during his four years at W&L, playing in 103 career games with 74 starts. He completed his career ranked eighth all-time in scoring with 1,523 points, averaging 14.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 46.5% from the field. He also collected 616 career rebounds.

As a sophomore, Jacobs helped the Generals to a 20-7 overall record and an Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC ) regular season championship, while earning ODAC Player of the Year after averaging 19.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. That season, he was first team All-ODAC, first team all-district and honorable mention All-America. As a junior, he averaged 18.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per contest, earning first team all-district and second team All-ODAC recognition. Jacobs was twice named the recipient of the Leigh Williams Memorial Award as the team’s most valuable player and helped lead W&L to a 20-7 record and the ODAC regular season title during his sophomore campaign.

Shapard earned four letters with the women’s tennis team, serving as a co-captain for her senior season. She earned first team All-ODAC honors all four years and was an Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Player to Watch following her sophomore season when she teamed with Berry Blankinship ’98 to win the Rolex/ITA Southeast Region doubles championship, something the duo achieved twice.

As a senior, Shapard was named the ODAC and ITA Southeast Region Senior Player of the Year and was an ITA All-American in both singles and doubles. That season, W&L finished sixth in the final team national rankings. Shapard completed her four years ranked first all-time at W&L in career singles wins (107) and career doubles wins (97). During her four seasons, the W&L team compiled a 74-12 overall record and went undefeated in conference play. The Generals won four ODAC championships and recorded four consecutive Top 4 NCAA Tournament finishes, highlighted by a national runner-up performance in 1996.

Mathews was a team captain for both the field hockey and women’s lacrosse teams, earning four letters in each sport. She received the Pres Brown Award as the school’s most valuable senior female athlete and the Marjorie Berkley Award as the top female scholar-athlete in the ODAC.

As a member of the field hockey team, Mathews started 65 career games, finishing her career with six goals and 18 assists. Her assist total still ranks tied for seventh in program history. She was named first team All-ODAC twice, was the ODAC Rookie of the Year in 2007 and the ODAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year in 2010.

In lacrosse, Mathews was a four-year starter, finishing with 199 career points on 161 goals and 38 assists. She earned first team All-ODAC laurels each of her final three years and was named the conference player of the year following her senior season when she was named second team All-America and the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaches Association (IWLCA) National Scholar-Athlete of the Year. She helped lead W&L to three ODAC titles and three trips to the NCAA Division III Tournament.

Heinsohn earned four letters each as a member of the football and men’s lacrosse teams, receiving the 2013 Pres Brown Award as the school’s most valuable senior male athlete.

As a running back for the football team, he finished his career with 3,517 rushing yards and 48 touchdowns. He graduated as the school’s all-time rushing leader and still ranks second in conference history in touchdowns and points scored. As a senior, he tallied a school-record 22 touchdowns and led all NCAA divisions in scoring with 188 points (17.1 per game). He was a three-time All-ODAC honoree, two-time all-region honoree and was a Fourth Team All-American as a senior. That year, he was named the ODAC Offensive Player of the Year, received the Willie Lanier Award as the top small college player in Virginia and was a finalist for the Gagliardi Award, which is presented to the national player of the year.

In lacrosse, Heinsohn played in 39 career games and finished with 62 career points on 27 goals and 35 assists. He had a knack for the dramatic moments, scoring three overtime game-winning goals, including one to knock off top-ranked Salisbury on the road. He earned third team All-ODAC honors in 2012 and was named a United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Coaches Association All-American in 2013.