Rachel Gillen, Kyle Homebeck, Bill Holmes, Jon Ferro: four names that will be remembered forever by the Archmere community for their achievements as Student-Athletes. Archmere alumni and select students gathered in the patio on Friday, February 7th to celebrate the induction of 4 standout Archmere athletes into the Archmere Alumni Sports Hall of Fame. The inductees were Jon Ferro ’95, Kyle Homebeck ’88, Rachel Gillen ’11, and Bill Holmes ’63. The Archmere Men’s Basketball team from 1974 was also recognized for their standout season.
A festive, excited atmosphere filled the room. After an hour of chatting and congregating in the beautiful Patio, the ceremony started. Mr. Jordan kicked the event off with a short introduction and prayer before dinner. The dinner was provided by Sage Dining Services and included options of pasta, chicken parmesan, salad, and more. Tables were arranged in the Patio for family and friends of the inductees. After dinner ended, Katie Sahm ’90, the President of the Alumni Council, explained that the process for selecting the inductees was very thorough and taken very seriously. The athletes’ stats, coaches’ opinions, and team success are all considered. After this introduction, the 1974/1975 Men’s Basketball team was honored. A team member gave a speech about the highlights of their comeback season. After a mediocre season the year before, the team came out with excitement and determination and finished the ‘74/’75 season with only a few losses and the team’s first appearance in the State Semifinals. After the basketball team was recognized, the inductees were inducted into the Hall of Fame.
The first inductee was Rachel Gillen ‘11. She received this honor based on her immense impact and outstanding performance on the Softball team during her time at Archmere. Some of her accolades include being chosen as the Delaware Gatorade Player of the Year three times, two-time Delaware Player of the Year (2010 & 2011), three-time All-American selection by UnderArmour (2009-11), and being named First Team All-State and All-Conference all four years of high school. She completed her freshman year of college playing D1 Softball at the University of Virginia and then transferred to Fordham University to complete a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies.
The next inductee was Kyle Homebeck ’88. Kyle excelled in Football, while also running track and field, wrestling, and playing basketball in the off-season. He was the varsity football team’s starting defensive end as a sophomore, and as a junior started both as a defensive end and offensive lineman. In his senior year, he led the Auks to the first State Finals appearance since 1982. Homebeck was named 1st team all-state at inside linebacker and honorable mention all-state at center. He continued his athletic and academic career playing football at the University of Pennsylvania and being their starting center his senior year.
Bill Holmes from the class of 1963 was also inducted. Holmes contributed greatly to the Archmere “Archers” Baseball and Basketball teams. While starting on the Varsity Basketball team his junior and senior year, the team only lost a couple of games and he earned second-team All-Conference honors and honorable mention All-State in his final year. In baseball, Holmes had a similar, standout role on the team. His teams went 8-5 in 1962 and 9-4 in 1963, with Holmes serving as both a pitcher and outfielder He earned All-conference awards his senior year, and sports columnist Al Cartwright of the Wilmington News Journal recognized him as a potential Player of the Year in his senior year. In 1962, he earned a spot in the prestigious North-South All-Star Game, where he pitched three perfect innings, retiring all nine batters he faced. In college, Holmes played on the Freshman Michigan State University team and transferred to the University of Delaware, where he played in the Delaware Semi-Pro league. He received a degree from the University of Delaware, and due to injury, stopped pitching in the Delaware Semi-Pro League in 1968.
Lastly, Jon Ferro from the class of 1995 was inducted. He was a standout soccer player, cross-country runner, and basketball player for the Auks. His soccer career was highly impressive. As a full-time varsity starter for 3 years, he earned 2nd team all-conference in 1992, 1st team all-conference, and 3rd team all-state in 1993, 1st team all-conference, and 2nd team all-state as well as captain his senior season in 1994. A highlight of his career was scoring a goal in the 2-0 victory over Newark Charter High School, the undefeated and number one-ranked team in the state. He was also a starter on the Delaware Olympic Developmental Team and was additionally selected to play in the Blue/White Delaware all-star game in 1994. Jon had a very successful Basketball career as well, as he earned 1st team all-conference his junior year, with a highlight being the 23 points he scored against undefeated, eventual state champion St. Mark’s. Ferro attended Washington College in Chestertown, Maryland, and was a standout player on the soccer team with many conference rankings and awards.
Eight current Archmere seniors were also selected to escort the inductees up to receive their award. Carly Polsky, Marina Mahon, Hailey Schleeweis, Maura Read, Cullen Peterson, Richie Angiullo, Jack Chesman, and Charlie Malloy were the selected students. Mr. Jordan stated that each student served as an “Auk athlete who embodies the Archmere mission and spirit, [their] presence will represent [their] class and the school.”
This event emphasized the importance of Archmere alumni and community as friends and family gathered to celebrate the former student-athletes who influenced an Archmere team. The inductees and the basketball team all received a high honor and recognition, which was celebrated in a way that honored Archmere’s history and community.
