The UCSB Department of Intercollegiate Athletics is proud to announce the 2011-12 class of Hall of Fame Inductees, Legends of the ‘Dome and The Gaucho Order honorary letterwinners.
The UCSB Hall of Fame will add the women’s tennis doubles team of Amelia White and Kelly Spencer, men’s volleyball star Mike Gorman, standout wide receiver Amahl Thomas, former women’s basketball coach Mark French and former baseball coach Al Ferrer. Also, in 2012, UCSB Athletics is initiating a biennial award to accompany the Hall of Fame inductions, the Distinguished Gaucho Award. The initial award, which honors a former Gaucho athlete who has achieved great success in his/her post-UCSB career, will go to former tennis player Wayne Bryan (’69, BA in History).
“This is a great class of Gauchos,” said Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mark W. Massari. “They had great success on the fields and the courts during their time at UCSB and the honor is well-deserved.”
The Hall of Fame induction ceremony and dinner will be held as part of All Gaucho Reunion on April 28. All Gaucho Reunion takes place annually every spring and welcomes back Gauchos from all decades. For the past several years, UCSB Athletics has been an integral part of the AGR weekend, hosting several receptions, a jam-packed weekend of soccer, a Hall of Fame ceremony and last year, joined forces with the Alumni Association and Arts & Lectures to welcome back Jim Rome.
The Legends of the ‘Dome program was introduced in 2009 to honor the athletes and coaches who made UCSB’s Thunderdome legendary. There have been eight banners unfurled in the first two classes of Legends with three more set to be introduced in 2011-12. The first banner, featuring the late Judy Bellomo, a two-time women’s volleyball All-American, will be unveiled prior to the Gauchos’ Oct. 15 match against UC Riverside. The men’s and women’s basketball honorees will be announced at the annual Gaucho Huddle/Media Preview Luncheon on October 19. The event is open to donors and season ticketholders as well as the media.
The UCSB letterwinners program, known as The Gaucho Order, is made up of all former Gaucho athletes plus a select group of honorary letterwinners. The first honorary letterwinners were introduced in 2009. The 2012 honorees are Assistant Athletics Director for Student Services Larry James and Athletics Trainer Bob Annable, both of whom have been affiliated with Gaucho Athletics for more than 30 years.
The Hall of Fame inductees and other honorees are selected by The Gaucho Order, an alumni board and an Athletics Department staff committee. The names are submitted to Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Mark Massari for approval.
