Athletics Hall of Fame Returns with Nine Inductees

Jamie Houle – Volleyball (2003-06)

Described as ‘a program builder’ by the late Chico State volleyball coach Cody Hein, Jamie Houle left quite a few marks in the program’s history, from ranking in the top 10 in seven career records including service aces and total blocks. In 2006, the then-senior Houle captained the Wildcats and helped lead them to perhaps the best season in program history. Chico State finished 16th in the nation with a 21-6 overall record, including a program-record 15 conference wins while reaching the second round of the NCAA tournament.

Following her Chico State career, Houle went on to pursue her Master’s of Education in Athletic Leadership from the University of Washington. But she wasn’t away from Chico State too long, for she returned and served as an assistant coach to the program she played for from 2007-12. Realizing coaching was not her thing, Houle decided to pursue a new passion which is working with people with who have developed disabilities. She currently works for Mains’l Services, a company that offers innovative support to people with needs. Jamie has been married to the love of her life, Christopher, and they have two children, Madelyn and Maximus. The family still lives in Chico along with the rest of their extended family.

Carlin Jardine – Boxing (1961-64), Football (1961), and Track & Field (1961-62) 

It is now a rare thing to see a student-athlete letter in three different sports, especially in one school year. Carlin Jardine did just that, having spent most of his collegiate career in boxing but having a moment with the football and track & field programs. He was known for his skills inside the squared circle, where at 132 pounds he captured the California Intercollegiate Conference boxing championships three times while being named an All-American in 1963 and 1964. In 1963 he became the recipient of the Joaquin Perry Memorial Trophy, which was presented to the team’s Most Inspirational Boxer as voted on by his teammates. The following year Jardine won the DeWitt Portal Memorial Trophy. The award is referred to as one of the NCAA’s two national boxing trophies and presented to the boxer for displaying the ‘greatest inspirational competitive spirit.’

After his time at Chico State, Jardine went on to teach film at the high school, community college and university levels and eventually transitioned into the industry as an independent writer, producer, director, editor in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and various locations throughout the United States and abroad. He and his wife, Pattee, are retired and have lived in Carmel-by-the-Sea since 2014. The couple have a son, Christian, a daughter-in-law Violetta, and a young granddaughter Sophia.

Mark Lemire – Men’s Swimming (1980-84)

Mark Lemire saw all kinds of success in the pool during his time with Chico State. He collected nine All-America honors, which ranks 10th in the program’s history, he clinched three conference titles, he was part of teams that finished second (once) and third (three times) at the NCAA Championships, and he was a member of four league championship teams. At the time he was competing, Lemire broke the school records in the 200- and 400-yard individual medleys. His 4:07.00 mark in the 400-yard medley relay still ranks fourth in school history and the 1:55.69 time in the 200-yard medley relay still ranks seventh all-time. He’s also 12th in the 1,000-yard freestyle with a time of 9:55.15 and is 15th in the 1,650-yard freestyle. That event he swam a 16:28.54.

After graduating from Chico State, Lemire became a chiropractor up until 2010. In addition to his practice, Lemire got his real estate brokers license to buy and sell real estate. He also coached swimming on various levels and helped individuals get recruited by major universities over the years. He himself also jumped back into the pool as a Masters swimmer and had qualified for natioanls in 1996 and 2012. He has four very successful children, Mallorie, Mitchell, Jace and Tyler along with four grandchildren, Bella and Elyza from Mallorie, and Presley and Maddox from Mitchell.

Tina Manfre – Women’s Soccer (1990-92)

When you think of Tina Manfre, you have to go back to when Chico State was a member of the now-defunct Northern California Athletic Conference (NCAC). The defender was named the NCAC Player of the Year in 1992, making her just one of four former Wildcats to achieve that honor. The 1992 season also saw Manfre secure a spot on the All-West Region first team after leading the Wildcats to a 15-4-2 overall record while recording a 7-1-0 in the NCAC to clinch the program’s first league title en route to securing a berth to the NCAA Championships. During her time with Chico State, the Wildcats enjoyed a 43-13-6 record and boasted two of the three 15-plus wins in program history along with a national ranking of No. 8 in 1990.

Sarah Montez – Women’s Cross Country (2003-04 & 2006-07) and Track & Field (2004, 2006-08)

A frequent visitor at both the NCAA Cross Country and Track & Field Championships, Sarah Montez wrapped up her illustrious running career having been on the national stage in both sports seven times. She captured the national title in the 3,000-meter run in 2008 and raced to her second All-America honor the year before. Montez also earned an All-America accolade in cross country, having helped the ‘Cats cross country team place in the top 10 nationally in 3-of-4 seasons. Montez is the only woman in the cross country program to earn four All-West Region honors as well as being one of 13 runners to notch three All-CCAA efforts. The Chico State women’s cross country team clinched three conference titles, its first and second West Regional titles and its first two podium finishes ever at the NCAA Championships.

Shortly after she graduated in 2009, Montez moved back home to help her grandparents. She briefly coached at her high school, Royal High, with her cross country coach, Jay Sramek, until she moved on to her career at Biomedical Research Lab and the Veterinary Diagnostics Institute, having started out as a lab technician before becoming a lab directory. She then made a new chapter in her life: motherhood. She and her husband, Steven, are the proud parents of Olivia and Emmett. She still finds time to run during her busy schedule as a fulltime parent with a group of women in the morning with the interest in racing again in the future.

Brian Murray – Men’s Swimming (1991-93)

Even though Chico State cut the men’s swimming team by the time Brian Murray entered his senior year, he has the honor of being one of the most decorated athletes in the program’s final years. A 12-time All-American, Murray won seven of those individually and was part of five relay teams. He helped the ‘Cats win the 1990 NCAC title and make three NCAA Championship appearances, having placed third, fourth and sixth at the meets. When he arrived at Chico State, Murray quickly left his mark by setting freshman records in the 100-, 200- and 500-yard freestyle events. In the 1991 NCAA Championships, Murray set a school record in the 200-yard freestyle to finish third and placed sixth in the 500-yard relay with a record that stand second-best in the history of the program. Murray holds the individual record in the 200-yard freestyle and is second in the 500-yard freestyle and ninth in the 100-yard freestyle. Teaming up with four other teammates, Murray also holds the record in the 400- and 800-yard relays. 

Since 1996, Murray has been working in the landscaping industry, having worked for an irrigation wholesale distributor and is currently working for a commercial landscape contractor as an estimator. He has been married for 21 years and has two sons, Ian and Alec. He has been involved in coaching little league baseball in some capacity since 2004, including time on the circuit’s board as director of field maintenance for three years.

Jessica Saltzman – Women’s Track & Field (2000-02) & Women’s Basketball (1999-2001)

Although Jessica Saltzman was a two-sport athlete at Chico State, she was known for her time in the high jump. She won two CCAA individual titles and was selected to the all-conference team three times. Saltzman made it to the NCAA Championships twice in her collegiate career. Although she finished ninth in the 2001 national meet, Saltzman leaped into the record book by reaching 1.74 meters, a mark that still stands today. She closed out her career in the 2002 national championship by finishing in a five-way tie for fifth and secured her only All-America honor. Saltzman also spent two seasons on the court, having played in 40 games while helping the ‘Cats win a combined 35 contests during that time.

Following her two-sport career at Chico State, Saltzman went on to become a teach at Burney High School for 11 years and Burney Elementary for the past six. She had coached volleyball and track & field for Burney High for seven years. She has been married to Jim for more than 15 years and is now coaching their two sons, James and Wyatt, in soccer and basketball along with serving as their den leader for the cub scouts.

Becky DeVault – Honorary Inductee

While student-athletes and coaches are the faces of an athletic department, there are those behind the scenes who help them succeed. Becky DeVault is most certainly one of those individuals. Having started out as an office manager for the Employee Assistance program on campus for nearly 10 years, DeVault moved into the same role in Athletics and had seen student-athletes come and graduate until she retired in 2018. She is married to Dennis DeVault and the couple have four children, Amber, Leann, Summer, and Foye, along with their two grandchildren Alvin and Alice.

Col. (Ret.) Neil Glenesk, OD, MBA, FAAO – Mac Martin Award Recipient

Retired Colonel Neil Glenesk is the sixth winner of the Hall of Fame Committee’s Mac Martin Award, reserved for a former Chico State student-athlete who has distinguished themselves in their post-collegiate career. Shortly after he graduated from Chico State in 1974, Glenesk joined the United States Army and represented the branch in 30 major international competitions across Eastern and Western Europe. He later got into practicing optometry and after 18 months in the civilian sector, he returned to service and was assigned to miliary medicine. He served in the 1st Armored Division as Chief of Optometry during the build-up and invasion of Iraq and liberation of Kuwait (Desert Shield and Storm). In 2006, Glenesk was assigned to the Pentagon with duty at the Office of the Army Surgeon General, where he served as leader and manager for the Army’s 140-plus Doctor of Optometry along with other key positions. 

Glenesk retired in 2014 after having completed 40-years of Army Service, over 33 being active duty. His wife of 40 years, Patricia, is a registered nurse, who spent six years in the Army Nurse Corps and has two daughters, Kim and Katie.