2014 BOWLING INDUCTEE ART TRASK To say that Art Trask was born to bowl is an understatement. Raised in a family of bowlers in Miami, Fla., he picked up a ball at the age of 7. Five years later, he was the American Junior Bowling Congress national champion, the result of a 678 three-game series.…
2014 FOOTBALL INDUCTEE JEFF TEDFORD The Tedford name is synonymous with success, quarterbacks and high-scoring offenses. As a record-breaking quarterback under Jim Sweeney at Fresno State, he led the Bulldogs to the 1982 PCAA conference title and a last-second 29-28 victory over Bowling Green in the California Bowl. As an offensive coordinator, he was pivotal…
2014 ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION INDUCTEE DIANE MILUTINOVICH Milutinovich was a nationally recognized and much-honored advocate for women’s athletics during her 27 years at Fresno State, a time in which the university made significant strides with its female sports programs. For 22 of those years, the Fresno High School and Fresno State graduate served in administration, rising…
2014 BASKETBALL INDUCTEE CHRIS MCNEALY Perseverance paid off for the Fresno native who led Roosevelt High School to great heights in the late 1970s, was the backbone of San Jose State’s program for three seasons and enjoyed a long professional career, including three seasons with the New York Knicks. The 6-foot-7, 205-pound forward played 12…
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,…