After graduating from Cal U, Lee officiated at high school football games for 28 years and enjoyed a successful career in business. He now is in his 11th year as the mayor of Speers, Pa.
Candice Pickens Candice Pickens was a point guard for the men’s basketball team from 1992-1996. He finished his collegiate career with 1,214 career points, 226 steals, 675 assists and a 71 percent shooting average from the foul line (442-621). During his four years with the Vulcans, the team compiled a 98-24 record and a 42-6 PSAC-West mark, with four NCAA playoff appearances, four PSAC title game appearances, three NCAA Regional title game appearances, two PSAC championships and one NCAA II Final Four appearance, in 1996. Pickens was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1995 and 1996 NCAA East Regional tourneys and the 1996 PSAC Tournament after averaging 19.3 points, 9.3 assists and 7.0 rebounds in three games. His 21 assists against Slippery Rock in 1995 remains a PSAC record.
Paul E. Ross ’37 A standout Vulcan football player and wrestler, the late Paul Ross was a faculty member in California’s former Health and Physical Education Department from 1957-1968, when he was appointed athletic director. He served in that capacity until his retirement in 1976. Ross restarted the wrestling program in 1957 and guided the team for 10 years, compiling a 66-45-5 cumulative record.
A Navy veteran, Ross also coached the men’s tennis team for five years. Under his leadership, California athletics won PSAC team championships in football (1968) and men’s basketball (1970) and captured three men’s tennis state crowns (1968, 1971, 1972). A member of the PSAC Wrestling Hall of Fame, Ross passed away in 1980.
Megan Storck ’06 A three-year starting point guard for the women’s basketball team, Megan Storck starred for the Vulcans from 2002-2006. She will always be remembered for her three-point swish, tossed with 28.6 seconds left in Cal U’s 75-72 NCAA National Championship victory over Drury (Mo.) in 2004. Storck finished her collegiate career with 1,409 points, 767 career assists, 359 steals and 160 three-point baskets. Her career assists total and 285 assists in 2004 remain team and PSAC records. During Storck’s career, the Vulcans compiled an amazing 120-14 cumulative record and 46-2 PSAC-West mark. The team won four consecutive division titles and NCAA tourney appearances, three conference titles, two consecutive Final Four showings, and the national championship. She was a three-time all-conference pick, the 2003 division Rookie of the Year and the 2004 national tourney MVP.
Jack Zduriencik ’74 Jack Zduriencik was a two-year starting catcher for the Vulcan baseball team in 1972 and 1973 after serving as a junior varsity student coach in 1971. A team captain, he received first-team, all-conference honors both seasons. He was Cal’s second leading batter in 1972, with a .359 average. After his junior year the Chicago White Sox signed Zduriencik, and he played two seasons of minor league ball. In 1983 he began a 28-year Major League Baseball career in scouting and front office roles. This fall Zduriencik completed his third season as the executive vice president and general manager of baseball operations for the Seattle Mariners. He was inducted into the Lawrence County Historical Society Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.
1968 Football Team The 1968 Vulcans made the program’s first of four PSAC championship game appearances. The team concluded the ’68 season with a memorable 28-28 tie against heavily favored East Stroudsburg in a title game contested at California’s Booster Field. The Vulcans twice overcame 14-point deficits and were inside the Warriors’ 20 yard-line when the final quarter expired. Both teams were recognized as state champions. The ’68 Vulcans had chalked up a perfect 5-0 record to win the PSAC-West championship. Cal averaged 28 points per game in 1968, and the defense recorded 15 interceptions. ■ By Bruce Wald ’85, information writer at Cal U
Past Winners For information about previous Cal U Athletic Hall of Fame classes, visit the Hall of Fame section of the Cal athletics website at www.calvulcans.com.
FALL 2011 CAL U REVIEW 27 ■