Five new members joined the UC Santa Barbara Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame in an induction ceremony held at the Santa Barbara Art Foundry on Saturday night. The event was held in conjunction with the 2014 All Gaucho Reunion.
The UCSB Hall of Fame added women’s basketball player Lindsay Taylor, men’s track and field All-American Andy Sheaffer, the 1972-74 Gaucho women’s volleyball Pioneer Program, the 2004 men’s soccer team and the Original Voice of the Gauchos, Phil Patton.
“This is a great class of inductees,” said Director of Athletics Mark Massari. “They had great careers as Gauchos or provided dedicated service and the honors are well-deserved.”
Taylor (2000-04) helped the Gauchos to four consecutive Big West championships and NCAA Tournament appearances, including the 2004 Sweet 16. She is the school’s all-time leading scorer (1,767 points) and shot blocker (243), was All-American, All-District and Big West Player of the Year in 2004, a four-time All-Big West selection and in her final three seasons Taylor was named Big West Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Sheaffer (1988-91) is one of the finest throwers in the history of UCSB track and field. In 1991, he capped his career by advancing to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Ore., and then earned All-American honors. His throw of 210′ 8″ at the championship was a school record that lasted for more than two decades.
The 1972-74 UCSB women’s volleyball teams advance to three consecutive national championship Final Fours and twice finished third. The AIAW Tournament was the predecessor to the NCAA Tournament and the only intercollegiate national title competition at the time.
The 2004 Gaucho men’s soccer team finished with a 21-3-1 record and was ranked No. 1 for most of the season. UCSB blasted Virginia Commonwealth and Duke, its NCAA College Cup quarterfinal and semifinal opponents, by a combined score of 9-1 to advance to the program’s first-ever National Championship game. UCSB battled Indiana to a 1-1 draw in the title game, ultimately losing on penalty kicks.
Patton, the original radio “Voice of the Gauchos” was instrumental in helping to popularize Gaucho Athletics in the 1950s and 1960s. Not only did he handle the play-by-play duties for UCSB football and basketball, he was the Sports Editor and primary columnist for the Santa Barbara News-Press.
