October 27, 2004

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Classifieds

Publication Date: Wednesday, October 27, 2004

M-A High School inducts 37 into its Sports Hall of Fame

This is the seventh class of inductees into the Hall of Fame, founded by former M-A track coach Plato Yanicks and former principal Dave Theis. Including this new group, there are 304 inductees in M-A's Hall of Fame, Yanicks said. Their pictures are displayed in the main hall at M-A.

The inductees include three professional football players -- Frank Atkinson, Chuck Bradley, and David Olerich.

Nationally known water polo player Brian Avery, a resident of Atherton whose construction company built Stanford's swim complex, is among the inductees. A 1974 graduate of M-A, he was on the national championship water polo team at Stanford in 1976.

The athletes' graduation years span half a century.

David Olerich, from the M-A class of 1962 and who played baseball and basketball as well as football, remembers how his coaches at M-A shaped him.

"Frank Bettencort was the penultimate example of what a baseball coach should be," he said. "He had a fundamental understanding of the game, and he was patient."

Olerich went on to play nine years in the National Football League, from 1967 to 1976, including for the 49ers, where he played outside linebacker.

"High school is a microcosm where young people can learn about life and competition," said Olerich, who lives in Palo Alto and is a real estate agent with Alain Pinel.

He remembers his high school days with mixed emotions: "I was beaten up the first day of school. After that everything at M-A was awesome."

Frank Atkinson, of the M-A class of 1958, played football at Stanford and then with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Denver Broncos in 1963-64. He lives in Portola Valley.

Chuck Bradley, of the class of 1968, was a star football player at the University of Oregon and played for the Miami Dolphins and San Diego Chargers in the 1970s. He lives in Palo Alto.

Tracie Hubbard of the class of 1997 was an all-county first-team player in volleyball at M-A, and played volleyball at Cal Poly. A resident of Menlo Park, she's a landscape architect and head coach of the Castilleja high school volleyball team.

Bob Ralls, of the class of 1958, was all-league and all-North Coast in basketball for M-A, and went on to play at the University of San Francisco.

The inductees by sport are:

** Badminton: Seth Elliot (1998).

** Baseball: Dick Bass (1972).

** Basketball (boys): Bob Ralls (1958).

** Basketball (girls): Freda Moore (1986).

** Cross Country (girls): Chloe Glare (1999), Carla Holmes (1985).

** Football: Frank Atkinson (1958), Chuck Bradley (1968), David Olerich (1962).

** Soccer (boys): Gonzalo Guerra (1997).

** Swimming (boys): Bill Lorton (1960).

** Swimming (girls): Beth Irwin (1997).

** Track (boys): Bob Atkinson (1957), Ernie Reese (1970).

** Volleyball: Tracie Hubbard (1999).

** Water Polo (boys): Brian Avery (1974).

** Water Polo (girls): Megan Bouchier (1998).

** Multi-Sport Athlete (boy): Steve Toney (1986).

** Team: Undefeated Champions: water polo 1955-1956, Bill Adams, Bill Augenstein, Bob Buckthal, Stan Derelain, Gary Dodson, Greg Fox, Eric Gehring, Don Genasci, Keith Holleuffer, Spinner Johnston, Pete Kaldveer, Bill Lawson, Dick Lemke, Sam McErlane, Jeff Pinto, Andy Schwarz, Chuck Weesner; Coach Tom O'Neill.

** Coach: Mike Schneider, a tennis coach at M-A for 17 years. His teams won league championships in 1982-86, and won the Central Coast Section championship in 1985, Yanicks said.

INFORMATION

Menlo-Atherton High School's Sports Hall of Fame banquet will be held Friday, October 29, at 6 p.m. in the school's "J" building, The cost is $45 at the door. Children 4-10 are half price; inductees are free. For information, call Plato Yanicks at 967-3255 from 8-10 a.m. or 7-10 p.m.

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