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Gaits, Owls' O'Leary to be inducted into lacrosse hall

By CHRISTOPHER A. VITO

vitoc@phillynews.com

The connections between Amanda O'Leary and Gary Gait are aplenty.

All-America and national champion lacrosse players in college. Check.

Assistant coaches of women's lacrosse at Maryland. Check.

Now, O'Leary and Gait have one more thing to share: a Hall of Fame induction.

O'Leary, Gait, and Gait's twin brother, Paul, represent three of the 10-person class that will be enshrined tomorrow in the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame, in Hunt Valley, Md.

O'Leary said the parallels between her and Gary have been fun to track through the years.

"Gary was [at Maryland] after me," O'Leary said this week by phone. "In college, we saw each other at the All-American banquets almost every year. We see each other all the time at lacrosse events. It's just special."

The three lacrosse stars have deep Philadelphia connections. O'Leary, a native of Royersford, was a three-time All-America at Temple. The Gait brothers, Syracuse graduates, both played on championship teams for the Wings. Gary was with the team from 1993 to '97 and Paul was with the team in 1993 and '94. The Wings won titles in 1994 and '95.

O'Leary said earning a Hall of Fame bid is honorable, but championships are the crowning achievement of an athlete's career.

"The epitome of what you can achieve in college is a national championship," she said. "Whether your school has won five or just one, your legacy as a player is always going to be there."