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trophy case Athletic Hall of Fame Grows with New Inductees Whittier College’s 22nd Purple & Gold
ment that, to date, has not been repeated in
Hall of Fame Induction Class is made
the Whittier football program. Among the individuals selected for the
up of four standout student-athletes, and one of the most successful sports teams in
honor were Jeff Bare ’81, Joey Jordan ’85,
Whittier College history.
Tara Barnhart ’95, and Mariana Madico ’01. Two-sport athlete Bare was an outstand-
These 2012 honorees join approximately 170 fellow athletes and coaches named to
ing swimmer and water polo player, who
the Hall of Fame, notable figures nominated
twice earned MVP for the latter and served
across the college’s more than century-old,
as water polo captain for three seasons. He
storied sports program. Following a formal
went on to earn 1st Team All-SCIAC for three
ceremony in October, the new honorands’
consecutive seasons, and was named 2nd
credentials will now live in perpetuity in
Team All-American his senior year. Jordan, another dual-sport athlete,
a searchable database, housed in the new Graham Athletic Center’s Hall of Fame
played for both Poet football and track and
Conference Room.
field. As a three-season quarterback, he consecutively earned 1st Team All-SCIAC,
The team selected for induction was the 1961 Poet Football Squad, which completed an
and went on to earn additional conference
undefeated season in both regular play and in
honors for his single-season post as wide
the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletics
receiver. Following Whittier, Jordan played in
Conference (SCIAC), as well as earned a berth
the Finland Professional Football League. Three-sport athlete Barnhart competed
in the National Association of Intercollegiate
in women’s cross country, track and field,
Athletics (NAIA) Tournament—an accomplish-
spring swing
and swimming and diving. Along the way, she earned MVP and multiple All-SCIAC honors cross country—including being named to 1st Team NCAA All-West Region
a left to right: Joey Jordan ’85, Tara Barnhart ’95, Jeff Bare ’81, and Mariana Madico ’01
and earning a place at the NCAA Division III Championship. She additionally was awarded the 11-9-5 Club Freshman Female Student of the Year and President’s Female Scholar of the Year awards. One of the most decorated Poet women’s tennis players, Madico earned MVP and All-SCIAC honors four consecutive years. She was an NCAA ITA All-American, won the ITA Fall Rolex Western Regional Tournament and Ojai Valley Western Regional Division III Tournament in both singles and doubles, and was consistently ranked among the national NCAA Division III tennis athletes. In addition, she earned Whittier College Athlete of the Year all four of her undergraduate seasons.
d P&G ON THE GREEN. Whittier’s 22nd sports team is being completely underwritten by private donations. See more on page 52.
Women’s Golf Becomes 22nd Intercollegiate Poet Team decades had noted competitors Marnie Lord in
to play for a SCIAC championship and an opportunity to
the 1940’s and Gladys Satterfield ’52 commanding
receive an at-large bid into the NCAA Championships.
the greens. Perhaps the best known woman golfer in Whittier
Athletic Director Rob Coleman noted that Whittier
College history, though, was Gail Hirata-Chaffin ’77,
“already has some skilled players on campus, and on-
who played on the men’s team throughout her
campus recruitment for student-athletes with newly
undergraduate years—going on to not only captain
hired Head Coach Mike King will continue throughout
the team but earn “Most Valuable Player” award in
the fall in preparation for our season launch. We will
1977. Following Whittier, Hirata joined the LPGA tour
look to compete at a high level immediately.”
Teeing up at Whittier College this spring will
in 1979, and in 1982 she enjoyed her most successful
be one more intercollegiate sports team: women’s golf.
season, ranking 53rd overall.
Certainly not a new program in the Poet
Making the announcement in September,
Poet women’s golf enters the Southern California
The women’s golf program will now join a men’s program that concluded the 2012 season ranked No. 25 in Division III, and both squads will conduct
athletics lineup, competitive women golfers have
Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) for the
practices at Candlewood Country Club and Industry
been part of the Whittier community for decades,
first time this spring, and will join California Lutheran
Hills Golf Club during the fall and spring seasons. The
with some of the earliest known golf classes being
University, Claremont Mudd-Scripps, Occidental, Pomona-
new team is the 11th women’s team to join the com-
offered in the late 1930s. The subsequent two
Pitzer and the University of Redlands with the chance
petitive Poet sports program, and the 22nd overall.
>> The Whittier College Sports Network (WCSN) broadcasts a variety of Poet athletic events with live, play-by-play commentary: www.wcpoets.com.
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