2024 Inductees

The Apex Cougar Club is excited to announce this year’s Apex High School/Apex Consolidated 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees:

Joyce Byrd Connelly

Apex High School Class of 1985

Joyce Byrd Connelly joins her brother, Anthony, in the Hall of Fame, cementing the legacy of one of the greatest families in Apex basketball history. Joyce, a 1985 graduate of Apex High School, was the leading scorer for the Lady Cougars when the girls’ team made their first deep foray into the state playoffs. Coming one year after N.C. State’s fabled run to the NCAA title in 1983, Joyce helped lead the “Cardiac Cougars” on two consecutive runs to the Eastern Regional finals in 1984 and 1985. The Lady Cougars were anointed as the “Cardiac Cougars” due to their penchant for overcoming seemingly insurmountable deficits time and time again. In this remarkable streak was one of Joyce’s greatest moments, as she scored 35 points to lead Apex to a thrilling 70-68 win over West Columbus in the District III championship game, including all 15 points that Apex scored in the two overtime periods and the game-winning basket with two seconds left.

As a senior, Joyce became the first Apex female athlete in school history to be named to the all-state team, as well as the first female athlete in school history to be selected to the North Carolina Coaches Association East-West All-Star game. Averaging 20.3 points per game during the regular season as a senior, Joyce poured in almost 30 points per game during the playoff run. She led Apex to a 26-2 record, with only a last second loss at the buzzer keeping the Cougars from the state championship game in 1985. She was selected as an all-conference player during her junior and senior seasons and was voted Triangle 3-A Conference Player of the Year during her outstanding senior season. In addition to those conference accolades, Joyce was also named to the All-East and All-Metro teams. One of her fondest memories, however, was prior to the Eastern Regional tournament during her junior season when she was selected as one of the earliest recipients of the Tom Suiter Extra Effort Award by the WRAL sports department.

Upon graduation from Apex High School, Joyce went on to receive degrees from Wake Technical College and North Carolina Wesleyan University. She came home, so to speak, to the Wake County Public School System where she had a 31-year career as an Administrator for Technology Services. Joyce is married to Marvin Connelly Jr., who is currently the Superintendent of Cumberland County Schools and pastor of St. Augusta MB Church. They have four children, Michael, Marvin, Tiana, and Phillip, and 11 grandchildren and 1 great grandchild

Houston Hawley

Apex High School Class of 2009

Houston Hawley is a 2009 Apex High School graduate and three-sport athlete who played football, baseball, and basketball. He excelled not only on the athletic field and court but also in the classroom earning seven varsity letters and seven Academic All-Conference selections. In football, Houston took over starting quarterback duties as a Sophomore and started 35 consecutive games at that position leading the team to three straight state playoffs. As a Junior, he was the starting quarterback as the program transitioned from a predominant triple-option running offense to a spread passing offense. In 2008, he led the team to the third round of the state playoffs (Eastern Semi-Final game) and a 10-win season. He was selected All-Conference and earned the Apex “Offensive Player of the Year” award.

In baseball, Houston started three years on the varsity as a pitcher/1B where he earned All-Conference Honorable Mention as a Sophomore and All-Conference as a Junior and Senior.  He also earned several team awards to include the “Best Prospect” award as a Sophomore, “Best Pitcher” award as Junior, and “Most Valuable Player” award as a Senior.  He was the winning pitcher when the Cougar’s beat Fuquay in the 2008 Conference Championship game and compiled an overall 15-2 record as a pitcher at AHS while leading the Cougar’s to three consecutive third round playoff appearances.  As a junior he helped Region 3 win its first Gold Medal in the 2008 State Games and was selected to participate in the North Carolina East/West All-Star Baseball Series in 2009. Houston played JV basketball as a Freshman and Sophomore, and varsity basketball as a Senior where he served in a sixth-man role.  As a Senior, he was selected the Apex High School “Most Valuable Male Athlete.”   

Houston was recruited by several colleges including every Ivy League University.  He chose Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. where he was a two-sport athlete playing football as a freshman and sophomore, and baseball as a sophomore, junior, and senior. As a relief pitcher in 2012, Houston helped the Big Red to its first Ivy League Championship in baseball in school history and its first NCAA Tournament Regional in school history. He was voted team Captain as a Senior.  Houston ranks 4th all-time in Cornell pitching appearances in a season, and 6th all-time in games finished. Houston graduated in 2013 with a B.A. in Industrial and Labor Relations.

After stints in the Pittsburgh and St. Louis areas, Houston currently resides in Raleigh.  He married Lindsay Brown-Hawley in 2020. Houston also attended the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School where he earned his MBA in October 2022. Lindsay and Houston welcomed a baby boy, Houston Cade Hawley, in March 2024. 

Roosevelt “Toonk” Howard

Apex High School Class of 1971

Roosevelt “Toonk” Howard is a 1971 graduate of Apex High School and he was an excellent student-athlete. He first attended Apex Consolidated, where he made a name for himself by playing point guard on the basketball team and running track for his freshman and sophomore seasons. During his sophomore basketball season, he was named to the all-tournament team and he was also named All-Conference. At Apex Consolidated, he was not only an athlete, but he also played the drums in the band.

After he transferred to Apex High School for his junior season, he was a three-sport athlete in football, basketball, and track. At Apex High School he was an All-Tournament and a two-time All-Conference point guard on the basketball team and he was the team’s Most Valuable Player in 1971. During his time at Apex High, as a football player, Roosevelt was a standout running back, defensive back, punt returner, and kickoff returner. He was recognized as the team’s “Most Improved Player” and also as the team’s “Most Valuable Player” which was recognized by the “Golden Helmet Award.” He was a key member in helping the Apex football team win the 1971 Conference Championship and he was also individually recognized as the “Wake County 1-A Player of the Year” in 1971. In track, Roosevelt was unbeaten in the conference in both the 100-yard dash and the one-mile run. Furthermore, he was selected as Apex High School’s “Most Outstanding Male Athlete.”

Roosevelt grew up as a member of Saint Mary’s AME church in Apex. After graduating from Apex High School, Roosevelt started working at Lufkin right here in Apex which changed to Cooper Tools and now Apex Tool Group. He saw the changing of hands for all companies and retired with 50 years of service in December of 2023.  He was also an avid contributor to the United Way during his 50 years of service. He played basketball for the company team in which he led them to three championships in the Raleigh City League. He also coached AAU 16 and under boys basketball and his son and nephew were players on the team that went on to win the National Invitational Championship.

Today Roosevelt is the patriarch of his family with a beautiful wife of 23 years, 5 wonderful children, 10 grandkids, 9 great grandkids and many young men that he has mentored throughout Apex and Raleigh NC that see him as a father figure and Roosevelt is proud to call them sons. Roosevelt says, “God has blessed me to retire, sit back, relax and enjoy my family in my golden years and for that and so much more I am truly grateful.

Frances Keir

Coach

Frances Keir coached at Apex High School from 1977-1999. As one of the most influential coaches in Apex High School female athletics history, she is the first female coach selected into the Apex High School / Apex Consolidated Athletics Hall of Fame. 

As a coach at Apex, she had many notable accomplishments such as being the first coach of the integrated Apex High School to beat Cary in a women’s basketball game. She also coached the 1983-1984 basketball team to the state semi-finals (Final 4). On that team she had eight freshmen and by taking that team as far as she did, she received the “Key to the City ” in a postseason recognition ceremony from the Town of Apex. She organized and participated in creating the first softball field on Laura Duncan Road campus and she coached the first softball game on this campus (in the lower practice field area behind the stadium field). Other accomplishments include being the first women’s golf team coach and winning “Conference Coach of the Year” multiple times in men’s and women’s tennis. She started coaching at Apex in 1977 and coached until 1992. She later returned to coach both women’s and men’s golf and JV women’s basketball (42-0 record) when needed during her last few years before retiring from teaching. Her ability to take coaching principles and have success in such a variety of sports at our school for such a lengthy tenure in our school’s history is remarkable and hall-of-fame worthy. 

What is more important than her accomplishments in wins and losses is the type of mentor and friend Frances was and is to her athletes. Frances was demanding. Her philosophy was to “always play to win.”  Her teams played with discipline and anyone who played for her always mentions how important being in shape was to Coach Keir. The girls ran a lot, and she demanded a lot of them. However, she also had the ability to let them have fun when it was appropriate and the consistent theme with her former athletes is how much she cared for them as people. 

Frances has always had an amazing uplifting spirit. When they built the first softball field on the Laura Duncan Road campus, she didn’t know how to use the tractor, so she would drive her convertible Mustang around the field with the drag behind it before games. If you know Frances, that captures her spirit perfectly. Since retirement, she has lived at Topsail Beach and she has been playing a lot of golf and she has been an active member of the Emma Anderson Memorial Chapel. She participates in worship day responsibilities and she has gone on two missions to other countries while working for this church. She also helps collect supplies for Samaritan’s Purse and she also travels to Boone each year with other church members to participate in the Samaritan’s Purse Shoebox packaging event. 

Frances represents all that is good about Apex. She understood how to instill confidence in a team, yet she was able to remain sincerely humble. Frances deflects praise as a coach and instead will quickly tell you, “I had good players, it ain’t all about coaching!” Frances had outstanding players, but her players also had an outstanding coach. With all of her accomplishments and “firsts” that she was part of while at Apex, it is fitting that she is the first female coach to be inducted into the Apex High School / Apex Consolidated Hall of Fame.

Sydnei Murphy

Apex High School Class of 2015

Sydnei Murphy, a 2015 graduate of Apex High School, was one of the greatest track & field athletes in the history of Apex High School. She established 7 individual school records in indoor and outdoor track & field during her illustrious career at Apex, all of which still stand. Barely edging out her sister, Alexis, she set the outdoor marks for the 100-meter dash and the indoor marks for the 55-meter and 60-meter dashes. She is also in the top three all-time for Apex in the 200-meter and 400-meter dashes. Even more amazing, however, is how dominant Sydnei was as a horizontal jumper. Sydnei holds the indoor and outdoor school records in the long jump and triple jump events. Her best long jump mark of 20’ 4.25” is over a foot and a half better than the second-best long jumper in Apex history, while her triple jump best of 42’ 0.75” is over three feet farther than the next best triple jump mark in Apex history. If further evidence of her dominance in the horizontal jumps is needed, she still ranks #3 and #4 all-time in the history of the state of North Carolina in the long jump and triple jump respectively. If that were not enough to occupy her time, Sydnei was also an outstanding cheerleader while at Apex, earning three varsity letters in her cheer career with the Cougars.

The times and distances that Sydnei established are incredible, but so too were her performances in conference, regional, state and national meets. Sydnei won 9 individual conference championships and 6 regional titles during her career at Apex. During her final two years at Apex, Sydnei won 8 individual state championships. She swept the long and triple jumps in the outdoor state meet in 2014 and 2015, as well as in the indoor state meet in 2015. In addition, she took the indoor long jump championship in 2014, as well as the indoor 55-meter dash title in 2015. Amazingly, Sydnei produced five finishes that were in the top four nationally in the two horizontal jumps in those same two years. She was second in both jumps in the outdoor national meet during her junior year, and had a second, third, and fourth place finish in the two jumps at indoor and outdoor nationals during her senior year. During that stretch, she earned the conference most valuable field event performer in 2014 and 2015, was selected as the outdoor state meet MVP in 2015 and was honored as the North Carolina Gatorade Track & Field Athlete of the Year in 2014.

After graduation from Apex High School, Sydnei continued her outstanding career in both track & field and cheerleading at Duke University. While at Duke, Sydnei earned All-ACC honors on three occasions and established five individual or relay school records. She remains in the top five all-time at Duke in nine different events in indoor and outdoor track & field. Just as in high school, Sydnei also was also a three-time letter winner as a cheerleader for the Blue Devils. Sydnei graduated from Duke University with a degree in cultural anthropology in 2019 and from Harvard with a master’s degree in corporate sustainability in 2024. She is currently working as a Sustainability Specialist with Cisco, while also volunteering with their Green Team and their Crisis Response Team. Sydnei also volunteers with Saving Grace, an organization that works with rescue dogs, and We Plant It Forward. Both her work at Cisco and her volunteer efforts shows her living the truth of her life wanting to make the planet healthier for all its people!

Thomas “Keith” Posey

Apex High School Class of 1973

Keith Posey was a distinguished 1973 graduate of Apex High School. He graduated as an honor student, a member of the National Honor Society, Monogram Club President, Math Club and member of the Future Farmers of America. Not surprisingly, he was voted as an “Outstanding Senior” at Apex High School and as Apex High School’s “Most Outstanding Athlete” in 1973.

Keith began his athletic activities as early as 10 years old by participating in local recreation sports of baseball, basketball and football. Beginning in 1965 as Apex Little League Champions as local Raleigh Savings and Loan baseball team to 1968 Apex Little League first place finish. Along the way, Keith also participated in Apex Pee Wee and Midget Football with much success. These years of playing in a variety of sports helped to prepare him for his sports future at Apex High School. 

Keith was an active high school student athlete who participated in track, basketball, baseball and football throughout his freshman through senior years. As he entered high school as a freshman, he was on the JV basketball team as a freshman guard where his coach stated “he is an all around good player.” That year he also played JV football. The next year, 1970, Keith was quarterback on the varsity team. Over and over for the next 3 years, Keith distinguished himself in many Apex High School football competitions. In 1972, he was named the Capital Area’s Back of the Year. All of this culminated into esteemed awards at the 1973 Athletic Banquet where he was  presented the “Apex High School Most Outstanding Athlete Award” by Eugene Tingen. Furthermore he was chosen for the “Most Valuable Player” award for both the football team and the baseball team.

After high school graduation, Keith attended the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Geology. While Keith opted not to pursue athletics in college, he did participate in the intramural softball league as captain. Keith’s education in Geology led him on a path to the state of Texas that is rich in gas and oil. From 1978, he enjoyed a successful and rewarding career until his retirement in 2015. He raised two children, enjoyed golfing, enjoyed diving and especially enjoyed traveling to other parts of the world for work and pleasure. Sadly, Keith passed away in October 2023. His family cherishes his memory and remains extremely proud of his athletic accomplishments and contributions during his time at Apex High School.

Luke Sieber

Apex High School Class of 2013

Luke Sieber is a 2013 graduate of Apex High School and he will forever be known in Apex Athletics lore as being on the passing end of one of the most iconic plays, not just in Apex Lacrosse history, but in school history. With seven seconds remaining in a tied State Championship game, Apex put the game on the shoulders of Luke Sieber and Derek Sweet. The dynamic duo did not disappoint. Luke drew the double team from the Lake Norman defense and passed to Derek on the doorstep for the classic “dip and dunk” finish. With that goal, Apex Men’s Lacrosse captured its second State Championship (in the most dramatic fashion) with one second remaining. The play capped a comeback that saw Apex down by five goals late in the third quarter and set off a wild celebration at Wake Med Park.

That memorable play also capped a fantastic career for Luke that saw him play in 3 state final fours and two state championship games. Luke was a key contributor on the 2010 team that was runner up to Myers Park in the championship game. Luke played both midfield and attack throughout his career and excelled at both. Below is a summary of some of Luke’s individual accomplishments, but he will be the first to tell you that capping his career with the state championship was the most memorable and meaningful accomplishment for him. The fact that in that final moment of his career he was once again linked to his childhood friend and teammate, Derek Sweet, completed what was a storybook career and cemented his legacy as one of the best to ever play Lacrosse at Apex High School. Luke went on to play collegiately at Division 3 powerhouse Lynchburg before transferring to App State.

Luke by the numbers:

State Champion 2013
State Runner Up 2010
Played in three State Final Fours
Team Captain 2013 Apex all time leader in goals scored- 166
All Conference 2012, 2013
Apex 5th all time in assists- 78 and 4th all time in points- 244 All State 2nd Team- 2011 and 2013 3rd Team- 2012   
All Conference 1st Team 2011, 2012, 2013

Derek Sweet

Apex High School Class of 2013

Derek Sweet is a 2013 graduate of Apex High School and he  will forever be known in Apex Athletics lore as being on the scoring end of one of the most iconic plays, not just in Apex Lacrosse history, but in school history. With seven seconds remaining in a tied State Championship game, Apex put the game on the shoulders of Derek Sweet and Luke Sieber. The dynamic duo did not disappoint. Luke drew the double team from the Lake Norman defense and passed to Derek on the doorstep for the classic “dip and dunk” finish. With that goal, Apex captured its second Men’s Lacrosse State Championship (in the most dramatic fashion) with one second remaining. The play capped a comeback that saw Apex down by five goals late in the third quarter and set off a wild celebration at Wake Med Park.

That memorable play also capped a fantastic career for Derek that saw him play in three state final fours and two state championship games. The victory over Lake Norman secured the state championship that Derek missed out on in the championship loss to Myers Park in 2010. Derek put up incredible numbers in his career and finished as an All-American and the all-time leading scorer in Apex Lacrosse history. Below is a summary of some of Derek’s individual accomplishments, but he will be the first to tell you that capping his career with the state championship was the most memorable and meaningful accomplishment for him. The fact that in that final moment of his career he was once again linked to his childhood friend and teammate, Luke Sieber, completed what was a storybook career and cemented his legacy as one of the best to ever play Lacrosse at Apex High School. Derek went on to play Division I Lacrosse at Robert Morris University before transferring to East Carolina.

Derek by the numbers:

State Champion 2013
State Runner Up 2010
Played in three State Final Fours
All American 2013   
First Team All State 2013
Team Captain 2013
All Conference 2012, 2013
Apex High School all-time leading scorer- 291 points
Apex High School all-time leader in assists- 155   
Apex High School Fourth all time in goals scored- 136