Former Harrisburg Heat all-star defender and head coach Richard Chinapoo, a four-time All-American at Long Island University (1978-81), is one of 32 former college soccer playing greats and six coaches nominated for NCAA Division I's 50th anniversary team.
Chinapoo pocketed 55 goals during his sparkling four-year run at the Brooklyn school, leading Arnie Ramirez's LIU program to three conference titles and a 51-13-8 record after arriving from his native Trinidad & Tobago in August 1978.
The school's only four-time All-American, the former Trinidad & Tobago National Team captain was inducted into LIU's athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
Before arriving in Harrisburg for a lengthy indoor stretch, Chinapoo played alongside world greats Giorgio Chinaglia and Franz Beckenbauer while toiling for the legendary New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League. He also spent nine seasons with Baltimore and Dallas of the original Major Indoor Soccer League.
Now residing in Lower Paxton Twp., Chinapoo serves as the coaching director for the Capital Area Soccer Association.
Others on the prestigious ballot, which will be whittled to 11 players and one coach, include former Penn State great Jim Stamatis, Claudio Reyna (Virginia), Tony Meola (Virginia), John Harkes (Virginia), Alexi Lalas (Rutgers), Brad Friedel (UCLA) and Ken Snow (Indiana).
Among the coaches on the ballot are Bruce Arena (Virginia) and Myerstown native Jerry Yeagley (Indiana). In his 30-plus years at IU, Yeagley won six NCAA titles and 544 games.
To cast a ballot -- voting concludes on Oct. 15 at noon -- visit www.ncaa.com.