1996 BASKETBALL INDUCTEE LONNIE HUGHEY Harry Miller said Lonnie Hughey was as good a basketball player as he had ever coached and one of the most enjoyable to be around. That was high praise from a former Fresno State coach who only had the 6’7″ Hughey for one year and coached mostly winning collegiate basketball…
1996 COACHING-BASEBALL INDUCTEE AUGIE GARRIDO Augie Garrido was a record-setting slugger for the Fresno State baseball team who later pursued coaching and became the winningest dugout general in National Collegiate Athletic Association history, including five College World Series crowns. Garrido, coach of national powerhouse University of Texas since 1996, traces his success to former Fresno…
1995 WOMEN’S BASKETBALL INDUCTEE JACKIE WHITE It’s quite possible that the Fresno County athlete that most dominated the sport that they participated in, was a female. Jackie White had the numbers and accomplishments in her basketball career to suggest that what she did was of legendary proportions. During her high school years at San Joaquin…
1995 TRACK & FIELD INDUCTEE BOB SEAMAN In August 1962, Bob Seaman ran the mile in 3:58 at Whitesbridge Stadium in London, England, becoming the first, and to this date the only, Valley-born athlete to beat what, at that time, was the magic mile mark. Seaman had a remarkable track career as a competitor, assistant,…
1995 COACHING-SWIMMING INDUCTEE SKIP KENNEY Skip Kenney never swam a competitive lap in his life, but parlayed the wisdom of Gene Stephens, Darryl Rogers, and Don Gambril with thirteen months as a Marine-the last four as a sniper in Vietnam-into the most successful collegiate team swimming program in the country. He coached his Stanford University…
1995 BASKETBALL INDUCTEE ROD HIGGINS In 1978, Fresno State basketball coach, Boyd Grant, introduced a new recruit at the pre-season luncheon of the Bulldog basketball booster’s Time Out Club. The shy 6’7″, rail-thin, teenage forward from Harvey, Illinois, stood up, smiled, and waved to the crowd. Coach Grant announced to the audience, “This is Rod…
1995 COACHING-SOCCER INDUCTEE JOSE A. ELGORRIAGA It would be difficult to find a man for all seasons, all people, and all settings who had a greater impact on our community than Jose Elgorriaga. He was often referred to by his Academic associates as the “Renaissance Man,” but that didn’t really encompass all this icon accomplished.…
1995 COACHING-BASEBALL INDUCTEE ALLEN CROPSEY Adversity can create a thirst, either to succeed or to have a pity party. Allen Cropsey chose the former and was successful beyond his wildest dreams. On July 15, 1944 during the summer he lost his right arm while working on a newspaper conveyer belt. Cropsey had displayed all-around athletic…
1994 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE BILLY WAYTE Some people point to a single event or time when they made a decision that shaped their life and career. Billy Wayte can recite, day, time and year that happened to him. Wayte was a walk-on freshman for the Fresno State football team. In the first scrimmage, veteran All Conference…
1994 AUTO RACING INDUCTEE AL POMBO Al Pombo is another Fresno-born auto racer who has reached legendary proportions by accruing more than 500 main event victories over his racing career. Born in 1921 and raised in Fresno, Al began his hot rod career as a hobby in high school and started his auto racing career…