2014 BASEBALL INDUCTEE DAVE HENDERSON An All-American in baseball and football at Dos Palos High School, “Hendu” became famous for his timely power hitting in Major League Baseball’s postseason and for being a member of the 1989 World Series champion Oakland A’s, who swept the San Francisco Giants. Seattle drafted Henderson in the first round…
2014 COACHING-BASKETBALL INDUCTEE TOM CLEARY Playing for Jerry Tarkanian at San Joaquin Memorial High School, the 6-foot, 6-inch Cleary was the star of the team, even helping the Panthers upset powerhouse Edison High in 1957. But it wasn’t until Cleary took over as Memorial’s coach that the Panthers would end years of frustration by winning…
2014 WRESTLING INDUCTEE ROD BALCH An All-American wrestler at the high school, community college and collegiate levels, Balch excelled as a coach, too, leading Clovis High School to three consecutive California State team championships (1990-92). This combination of excellence made him one of the most-decorated individuals in the sport from the Fresno area and culminated…
2014 BASEBALL TEAM INDUCTEE 1989 BULLARD HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL Coach Mike Noakes’ Knights not only dominated the Central Section, but competition from coast to coast, finishing the season with an 28-2 record and rankings of No. 1 in California and No. 2 in the nation. Led by catcher-pitcher Todd Johnson and undefeated left-handed pitcher Bobby…
2013 POWERLIFTING INDUCTEE PETE WILSON “Records are made to be broken” surely applies to Pete Wilson, a New York native who moved to Fresno at the age of 43, and began his conquest of powerlifting at age 49. At the time of his induction, Wilson had won six (6) World Championships, seven (7) American Championships…
2013 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE OMAR STOUTMIRE A Super Prep All-American at famed Long Beach Poly High School, the tenacious and hard-hitting safety blossomed into one of the best defensive backs in Fresno State history and carved out an 11-year NFL career that included playing in Super Bowl XXXV for the New York Giants. As a junior,…
2013 SOFTBALL INDUCTEE JULIE SMITH Julie Smith (Softball) — The Glendora native and Fresno State standout made her mark as one of the best second basemen ever at the collegiate and international levels – highlighted by an Olympic gold medal as a member of the U.S. team in Atlanta. She was a three-time first-team All-America,…
2013 COACHING-TRACK & FIELD INDUCTEE JIM SANTOS Serving budding athletes, international track and field stars and Special Olympians with the same dedication and sharing of knowledge, Santos put his indelible mark on the sports world. He was the 1980 U.S. Olympic men’s team field events coach and he was a 2005 inductee into the U.S.…
2013 GOLF INDUCTEE TIM NORRIS Few players on the PGA Tour have ever been as hot or as dominating as the Fresno native was at the 1982 Sammy Davis Jr. – Greater Hartford Open. Norris set the tournament record at 25-under-par 259 for 72 holes. With driver, putter and all of the other clubs in…
2013 COACHING-FOOTBALL INDUCTEE MIKE MARTZ A former Fresno State tight end and assistant coach, Martz left his stamp on the National Football League as the offensive guru behind the St. Louis Rams’ “Greatest Show on Turf” during the franchise’s glory years in the late 1990s and early 2000s. With Martz devising imaginative plays for quarterback…