Athletics Hall of Fame Brimming with History by Aaron Gillespie Sports Information Director
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his history of the Menlo College Athletics department is remarkably rich and diverse. Nowhere is that better illustrated than in the Department’s 164-member Hall of Fame. College greats, Olympic medal winners, prosperous coaches, savvy professionals, television personalities and more are not only present, but abundant amongst the ranks of Menlo’s finest. Sixteen sports dating back to the class of 1930 are represented including a number of staff members and administrators, legendary coaches and department supporters. Menlo College has a history of representation at the Olympic level both by current Hall of Fame members and those who are sure to have their names enshrined in Menlo glory in years to come. Currently, a pair of Olympic medal winners are enshrined in the Hall of Fame including William Miller ’32 who earned gold as a Pole Vaulter at the 1932 Olympic games in Los Angeles and Rink Babka ’55 who claimed silver in discuss at the 1960 games in Rome.
Brian Geiberger, Al Geiberger, Jr., Rink Babka ‘55 and Al Geiberger ‘57 at a Homecoming reception in 2009.
terback during that time, Zamir Amin ’01 held the NCAA record for passing yards in a game with 731 which stood until 2014. Mike Bettega, a two-way football and baseball star, became Menlo’s first player selected in the MLB draft when he went in 36th round to the New York Mets in 1968. A simple look up and down the list of Hall of Famers includes many All-Americans, conference champions, campus leaders, future professional athletes and coaches alike... too numerous to mention. Suffice to say, the list is filled with a great deal of tremendous accomplishments.
There’s no shortage of legendary coaching figures in the Hall of Fame. Hoops icon Bud Presley roamed the sidelines from 1971-82 and was widely considered to be one of the greatest defensive minds in college basketball. In twelve seasons at Menlo, Presley led the team to a remarkable 266-88 record with a number of conference championships and a state title to his claim. On the pitch, none have rivaled the impact of legendary coach and later Menlo College President Carlos López. From 1961-1988, López became one of the winning coaches in Oak history, earning Continued on page 46
In an Olympic-style sport Menlo’s Neal Takamoto (’89) became the first and only NCAA champion and two-time All-American for the school in Judo. Takamoto claimed top-honors in the heavyweight division in both 1988 and 1989.
Football great Nate Jackson (’01) spent three storied years catching passes for the Oaks and went on to play a successful six-year career for the Denver Broncos and is now a celebrated author. His quar-
PHOTOS: DARCY BLAKE
Traditional sport coaches and athletes in the Hall of Fame also saw a plethora of accolades and successes. On the links, Al Geiberger ’57 forever inked his name in PGA Tour lore at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic in 1977 where he shot 13 under par, 59 in the final round. The sub-60 round was the first of its kind in a sanctioned PGA tour event.
Zamir Amin ‘01 and Nate Jackson ‘01 at Homecoming in 2009. MENLO COLLEGE
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