Francis Marion University athletic director Gerald Griffin hasannounced that two Florence natives, a former three-sport LadyPatriot athlete and a former Patriot baseball player, will beinducted into the FMU Athletic Hall of Fame this January1994. The two honorees will be former women's basketball,tennis, and volleyball player Maria Costas andformer baseball player Mike Wilson.
Costas earned 12 letters in her three sportsfrom 1973 to 1977. She later returned to Francis Marion andcoached the women's tennis team for three seasons (1981-1983),recording a 20-14 mark. In 1977, she was named to Who's WhoAmong Students in American Universities and Colleges and twicereceived the Patriots Brigade Academic Award (1976 and 1977) as theFrancis Marion athlete with the highest grade point average.
She earned the most valuable player award for tennis in 1974 and1975 and the volleyball M.V.P. award in 1976. She earnedSouth Carolina AIAW All-State volleyball honors as a senior. During her four years, the Lady Patriot tennis team was 37-17,while the volleyball squad was 60-52.
On the basketball court, she appeared in 102 games, scored 719points and grabbed 198 rebounds. She was a member of the veryfirst Lady Patriot basketball team in 1973, and during her fouryears the squad compiled a 71-35 record and advanced to the AIAWSmall College National Tournament in 1976 and 1977.
Costas graduated in 1977 with a B.A. degree in sociology. She is a social worker/case manager with HealthSouth RehabilitationHospital. Prior to her current position, she worked for 14years as a social worker with the Department of Social Services andfor a short time with Human Services Associates. She is alicensed baccalaureate social worker. Since 1980, she hasbeen a member of the United States Tennis Association, playingsingles, doubles, and mixed doubles. In 1985, she was rankedfirst in the state in women's (age 30) singles, women's (age 30)doubles, and women's (open division) doubles, and the same year wasranked first in the Southeast in women's (age 30) singles andsecond in women's (age 30) doubles. In 1990, Costas wasranked third in the state in mixed doubles (age 35) and 11th inwomen's (age 35) doubles.
