All Star Cast: San Marcos High School Athletic Hall of Fame Inductees Walt Rehm, Joe Mueller, Stefanie Christoferson, Mark Warkentin, Satini Puailoa and John Pate together on Saturday.
For former San Marcos softball phenom, NCAA All-American, Division-I record holder and current Police Officer for Chicago’s LaGrange Park, Stefanie Christoferson, the initial contact initially came via Facebook.
UCSB men's soccer head coach Tim Vom Steeg is co-chairman of San Marcos' Field of Champions campaign, which seeks a turf field for the school.
“I was surprised to then get the call,” she said. “I’ve been gone for so long and now I’m right back in it. It’s an awesome honor!”
Christoferson (’97), along with six others — Alan Everest (‘68), Anthony Hunter (‘81), John Pate (’77), Satini Puailoa (’74), Walt Rehm (’66), Mark Warkentin (’98), along with legendary Royal baseball coach Joe Mueller — were all inducted into the San Marcos High School Hall of Fame last evening in a special ceremony held at the Greek Orthodox Church.
For more information on each honoree, Click Here
Over 200 people attended this banquet, sponsored by the San Marcos High School Athletic Booster Club.
It was a night of family, friends and reliving glory days – with one eye in the past and with one eye towards the future, as it marked the community kick-off for the school’s Field of Champions Campaign – raising critical financial support to inject Valley Stadium with some much-needed “TLC.”
According to the school’s website: The Field of Champions – the Turf Capital Campaign — is a collaborative fundraising effort between Santa Barbara Soccer Club and the San Marcos High School community and its Athletics Booster Club. A fundraising partnership has been forged to achieve the common goals of enhancing the quality of the playing field used by young athletes and community groups. Young athletes will benefit greatly from this plan to replace the existing grass field with synthetic turf, a safe and more environmentally sound playing surface.
‘We have $356,000 and need to quickly get to our goal of $850,000. We want to get this done so we can start over the summer and be playing on it in the Fall. We need your help,” said Tim Vom Steeg, UCSB Men‘s Soccer Coach and Field of Champions Campaign Co-Chair.
SMHS Ahtletic Director Abe Jahadhmy is flanked by former ADs John Stoney and Maury Halleck at the Greek Orthodox Church on Saturday.
Vom Steeg outlined immediate community benefits such as greatly enhanced opportunities of increased playing time from 600 to 3000 hours — the field being available essentially year round for local kids vs. being closed for repair for six months as it now; vastly improved playing conditions while reducing risk of player injury from things like gopher holes; and that it would be ‘green’ – no mowing, seeding and nearly eliminating on-going field maintenance costs.
And for the evening’s honorees, their acceptance speeches shared a common theme — the warm, life-long memories of being a Royal, the many sacrifices made by their families that contributed significantly to their success, the loyal encouragement and support from their coaches and the great camaraderie of their teammates.
Aaron Solis, Student Activities Director at San Marcos, and Key 3 Sports Anchor Mike Klan
Two of the evening’s honorees were missed – Hunter and Everest, who hopes to add additional “hardware” today to his HOF Award – that being a Super Bowl ring as the Pittsburg Steelers Special Team Coach.
For USA Olympian and Honoree Mark Warkentin, there were even some surprise “true confessions.”
“I always wanted to play football and basketball … but my mom wouldn’t let me,” he said.
“And I’m glad she didn’t.”
While they all head back to their current lives today – from walking the police beat in Chicago to playing golf with celebrities as John Pate does in building his financial business – there is one thing they all share that keep them forever connected.
And, perhaps, Honoree Satini Puailoa said it best…
“It’s an honor to be a Royal.”
eamwork: Booster volunteers Debra Koopmans. Elisabeth Harrah and Lori Haden share cashiering duties with Santa Barbara Bank & Trust RAVE volunteers Joanne Hardarson and Jeanne Curtis, to help ensure a successful event
