Santa Clara HOF to induct six

By Jason Cohn

Every other year, a committee of ten former coaches, alumni and school officials gather to pick between six and eight former Broncos to be inducted into Santa Clara's Hall of Fame. This year, seven Broncos will be named to the Santa Clara Athletic Hall of Fame on Thursday, May 18.

The criteria is that the person must be out of school for at least ten years, and they had to have made a noteworthy athletic achievement while contributing to the excellence of the program they were involved in.

This year's committee, which included former basketball coach Carroll Williams and athletic director Dan Coonan, amongst others, met over several months to decide who will be inducted this year.

The Santa Clara Alumni Association will induct six Santa Clara graduates: Leroy Jackson '63 (basketball); Kris (Kosnoski) Gambelin '94 (volleyball); Frank Lico '52 (baseball); Cameron Rast '92 (soccer); Sue (Wall) Ramirez '93 (soccer); and Daniel Wallis '43 (football), as well as bestowing the honor on a major contributor to Santa Clara athletics, Art Santo Domingo.

Although reigning NBA MVP Steve Nash and Giants center fielder Randy Winn are ten years removed from graduating Santa Clara this year, it is the policy of the committee not to induct alumni during their time as a professional athlete, meaning Nash will not be inducted until he retires from the NBA.

Perhaps the most notable of this year's inductees is Santa Clara basketball legend Leroy Jackson. Jackson, the first African American to play basketball at Santa Clara, was not only a trailblazer into a new era, but a tremendous leader on the court. Jackson led his team in points two of the three seasons he played, along with being the team's top rebounder all three seasons, including grabbing a Santa Clara record 273 boards in his senior year.

While quickly earning respect on the sideline as Santa Clara's men's soccer coach, Cameron Rast will be honored for his accomplishments on the field. In 1989, Rast led the Bronco soccer team to its first-ever national championship. After becoming the only Bronco in men's soccer history to be named a two-time All-American and two-time WCC Defensive Player of the Year, Rast led the United States as captain of the 1992 Olympic soccer team in Barcelona following graduation.

Kris Gambelin, Santa Clara's first WCC Player of the Year in volleyball, holds the all-time single-season assists record and is third all-time in career assists. Gambelin, a three-time All-WCC honoree, led her team to two conference titles and the program's first ever top 20 ranking.

Frank Lico was a leader on the field for the Bronco baseball team through one of their best three-year stretches in team history with a record of 47-12. As an outfielder, Lico was a second-team All-American, leading the California Intercollegiate Baseball Association in total bases and extra base hits.

As part of a long tradition of women's soccer greats, goalkeeper Sue Ramirez left her mark on Santa Clara's most successful program. In all three of her seasons as starting goalkeeper, Ramirez led her Broncos into the top six in the nation. In 1992, Ramirez was named All-American as well as WCC Defender of the Year, while also earning defensive MVP in the College Cup. Today, Ramirez still holds the all-time career shutout record and ranks third all-time for goals against and saves.

The late Daniel Wallis played football under coach Lawrence "Buck" Shaw. As team captain and offensive guard, Wallis led his team to a 24-7-4 record during his collegiate career, including a 7-2 record and a national ranking his senior year.

Art Santo Domingo, a New York native and Duke University graduate, is receiving a special induction for his work as a co-founder and director of Santa Clara's Cable Car Classic, an annual basketball tournament which has hosted numerous basketball legends, including Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Steve Nash and Kurt Rambis. In his column, "View From Behind the Microphone," Dave Lewis wrote: "Like the heart that sustains us without much acknowledgement, so is Santo Domingo."

Santo Domingo will finally receive the credit he is due, along with his fellow inductees, at the Leavey Center on May 18.

Contact Jason Cohn at (408) 551-1918 or jrcohnstead@hotmail.com.