The Hall of Fame will also be honoring former members of the
Chico State boxing and wrestling teams.
Janice Banks - Stockton, CA.
Basketball 1975-1977
Track & Field 1975-1978
Volleyball 1974-1977
Janice came to CSU, Chico from Thomas Edison High School in Stockton and became, without a doubt one of the best athletes of the seventies at Chico State. She not only participated in, but starred in three sports from 1974-1978. In basketball, Janice led the Wildcats to three straight conference championships while setting several school records in the process, including rebounds and blocked shots.
Janice was also an outstanding volleyball player for the Wildcats. Though statistics were not kept at that time, she was a team leader in blocks and kills. And in Track & Field, Janice was an outstanding thrower, competing in both the shot and discus.
Janice was recognized by her coaches for her work ethic, dedication and team commitment. In 1978, she was named the school’s “Outstanding Female Athlete Award.”
Before entering Chico State, Janice had been a softball player in high school and played ASA Division Softball for sixteen years. As a first baseman, she traveled extensively throughout the United Stated in tournament play for the Stockton Raiders. In 1978, she was selected to the ASA All-American Team.
Upon leaving Chico State, Janice returned to her hometown of Stockton where she has taught and coached for over twenty years at Thomas Edison High School. She continues in her three sport tradition, coaching volleyball, basketball and softball. Janice is credited with helping to develop the USVBA Volleyball program in Stockton. In 1995-1996, Janice was voted the first “Female Coach of the Year” by the Stockton Unified School District and she was inducted into the Stockton’s Black Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.
Stan Benson
Wrestling (1960-63)
Stan Benson had a passion for wrestling and excelled under the tutelage of his coach and mentor, “Doc” Petersen. Stan was a conference finalist for four years, a two-time conference champion, a finalist at the NCAA Small College Regional Championship and team captain for three years.
After completing his degree in physical science, Stan was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in the Marines, and flew as a combat fighter pilot in Vietnam. While on active duty, he complete a M.S. in Aerospace Management from the University of Southern California. After his release from active duty, Stan joined the Marine Corps reserves, and retired as a colonel after serving his country for 30 years.
During this time, Stan flew and instructed for Pacific Southwest Airlines and US Airways. He retired from US Airways as a captain in 1999, and currently runs a nutrition marketing company with his wife, Kathy.
The most important part of Stan’s life has been his three wonderful children. Mark, Christina (who is also an alum of Chico State) and Matthew. All three have done well in their chose professions. Mark, who is with an advertising firm in Sacramento, is married with two children. Christina, who runs the fund-raising program for Sharp’s Memorial Hospital in San Diego, is married and together they run a trade show production company. Finally, Matthew is a pilot for Sky West Airlines and is married with three children.
The adage that “I don’t know how I found the time to go to work” fits Stan’s retirement to a “T”. Stan and Kathy enjoy flying their classic Cessna aircraft, fly-fishing, golf, traveling and visits with five wonderful grandchildren.
Bert Calvert
Basketball (1951-55)
Baseball (1951-55)
Wrestling (1960-63)
Eight letters, six championship teams, two batting titles...Bert Calvert, a truly gifted athlete, would never give anyone that first impression during his years at Chico State. Tall, slender, well-mannered and shy, Bert didn’t fit the stereotype of the well-muscled, square-jawed student-athlete. Yet, from the moment he stepped onto the hardwoods or diamond, he made a profound difference in the athletic fortunes of Chico State.
In basketball, Bert’s quickness, speed and excellent defensive skills matched and augmented Chico State’s strengths. Bert often drew the challenging defensive assignments but still contributed on the offensive end. The Wildcats won three out of four conference championships during his years on the hardwood.
In baseball, Bert’s quickness and agility could get him to that deep ball in the hole at short. And the ensuing throw across the diamond was a foregone conclusion. At the plate, Bert compiled a career batting average of .352, including a pair of batting titles in his freshman (.329) and junior campaigns (.398). The Cats won three conference titles during Bert’s tenure.
Bert then spent 34 years as a teaching professional at Sylvan Middle School in Citrus Heights. On top of his teaching duties, Bert served on the School Site Council, coached football, baseball and basketball, and also officiated at many games.
Bert now enjoys retired life in Sacramento with his wife Karen. Their two boys, Craig and Matt continue to delight them. Craig works as an international sales manager in Taipei, while Matt in enrolled in the doctorate program in the University of Indiana.
Allen Darby
Football (1955-56)
Basketball (1955-58)
Baseball (1955-58)
Al Darby was a true “Wildcat” and competed with the same intensity at Chico State that he took into the coaching ranks. Upon completion of a highly successful high school playing career at Durham HS, where he earned all-league honors in football, basketball, track and baseball, Al headed for Chico State. While at Chico, he competed in two years of football, and four years each in basketball and baseball. In addition, he served as president of the Block C Society.
After college, Al started a long and rewarding high school teaching and coaching career which covered over 40 years. Although he started at Westwood HS, he spent much of his career in Chico at Pleasant Valley and Chico High schools. His coaching also included Hamilton City High, but wherever he coached, he worked hard at instilling discipline and a winning attitude.
Along the way, Al found time to officiate football and basketball, and spent many years at both the high school and junior college level. Few coaches officiate their sport, and this certainly provided Al with an appreciation of what is involved from that point of view.
Al’s coaching highlights include his years with semi-pro football for the Twin-Cities Cougars. This was “professional” football, highly competitive, and Al enjoyed great success at this level. His teams competed for championships every year, and in 1981, he was honored by being named head coach of the West team that played in the first semi-pro all-star game. That same year, Al was inducted into the Semi-Pro Football Hall of Fame. His coaching record of 54 wins and 10 losses is recognized as the top mark in semi-pro football. Al later moved on to coach wide receivers and tight ends for the Oakland Invaders under head coach John Ralston. From 1982-83, Al also served as the west coast area scout for the Kansas City Chiefs.
Rich Hogan
Basketball (1987-90)
Rich Hogan came to Chico State in 1986 and before he left in the early 1990s, established himself as an outstanding student-athlete and future educator. During his career as a Wildcat basketball player he was named the team’s most valuable player twice. During the 1988-89 and 1989-90 seasons, he was also named first team all-Northern California Athletic Conference and all-tournament in the annual Mac Martin tournament. In 1989, Rich wasn't named the MVP of the Mac Martin. During his junior and senior seasons, Rich was the leading rebounder in the NCAC and in 1989 was ranked 15th in the nation in rebounding at 11.1 per game. Along with all of his outstanding athletic accomplishments at Chico State, Rich was also an academic first team member during the 1989-90 school years.
After earning his California Teaching Credential and master’s degree in physical education, Rich began a very successful teaching and coaching career in the North Valley. During the past 14 years, Rich has taught at Butte College, Alicia Middle School in Marysville, and for the past five years has taught science at Oroville High School. In addition, he has served as the chair of the science department.
Rich’s coaching career actually started while he was a graduate student at Chico State in 1990-91, when he served as the junior varsity basketball coach. From 1991-95, Rich served as assistant coach for the men’s program at Butte College, and became part of the women’s basketball coaching staff from 1995-97. In 1997, Rich became the head girls coach at Oroville High and over the past six seasons has won three conference championships and two berths in the California State tournament. During this same time frame, Rich coached Chico area youth baseball and soccer and was defensive coordinator for the freshman football team at Oroville HS.
Rich has also contributed significantly to his community, directing numerous basketball camps and summer leagues at Butte College and Oroville HS, as well as establishing a junior high school girls tournament at Oroville HS.
Barbara Lanz
Softball (1983-84)
Volleyball (1982)
Barbara Lanz starred on the softball field for the Wildcats in the early 1980s after transferring to Chico State from Santa Rosa Junior College. In her first season with the Wildcats, Lanz earned all-Northern California Athletic Conference honors. As a senior, Lanz was selected the MVP of the conference, all-West Region and Academic all-America, in addition to being named Chico State’s Outstanding Female Athlete of the Year.
According to coach Joan Wallace, Barbara was a smart player who hit the ball well and was nearly flawless in the field. Wallace further related that one of her most loyal fans was Art Acker. She quoted him as saying that Barbara “is the best third baseman - male or female - that I have ever watched play.”
At Santa Rosa JC, Lanz was a key player on the softball team that won the state championship in 1982, and was selected to the all-State Tournament team. She was also voted the “MVP Batter” for the Nor-Cal Championships leading into the state tournament.
Chris Elze, the head softball coach at Sonoma State and a longtime teammate of Barbara’s said, “she was never a show off or demanding of the spotlight. In fact it was the complete opposite; she outsmarted and outplayed her opponents quietly, always did her job, and was the one we could count on when things were tough.”
After graduating from Chico State, Barbara obtained a master’s degree in physical therapy from the University of Alabama, Birmingham. She returned to her Sonoma County roots in 1993, and has been an active physical therapist working with various patient populations. She was recently honored with the Values Award for Excellence through her employer, Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital. She has volunteered in her community as a speaker and instructor in such as areas senior exercise, disease process and rehabilitation and community resources. Recently, Barbara initiated a specialized Parkinson’s disease exercise class - the only one of its kind in Sonoma County.
Barbara, now “Barbara McCamish” is married to David and is the mother of two delightful children, Sarah and Scott McCamish.
Adelino (Eddie) Silva – Aptos, CA.
Cross Country – 1972, 1973
Track and Field – 1973, 1974
Eddie came to Chico State in the fall of 1972 and earned All-Conference cross country honors in both 1972 and 1973. On the track, Eddie set the Chico State school record in the 3-mile distance with a time of 13:45. The record has held for thirty years and is one of the oldest track and field records on the books.
After graduating with a degree in psychology, Eddie became a fireman but continued to stay active athletically. In 1974, he placed fifth in the Bay to Breakers race. Years later, Eddie took up tennis and went so far as to medal in the World Police and Firemen’s Games. Over the past years he added golf to his list of sports and also medaled in the World Police and Firemen’s Games in that event.
There is much more to Eddie’s story than his athletic accomplishments. He is proof that hard work and dedication do pay off and you can succeed. Eddie came from an economically impoverished background, but worked hard to attend college. He married his college sweetheart Colleen, who is also a Chico State graduate. They have two beautiful daughters, Nicole who is currently doing postgraduate work a UC Santa Cruz and Monique who is a junior this year at Chico State and currently competing in cross country and track
Eric Snedeker
Soccer (1970-73)
Eric Snedeker was a member of the Wildcat soccer teams from 1970-73 and was a key player on the squads that captured the NCAA College Division Regional Championships in 1972 and 1973 and reached the national championship final in ‘73. Eric was team captain his junior and senior years, and was one of the early players in the soccer program that set the winning standard of Wildcat soccer.
Eric was selected first team all-NCAC his junior and senior years, and was named the Wildcats’ most valuable player by his teammates as a senior. After graduation, and over a 13-year period, Eric volunteered as an assistant coach for the Wildcat soccer team, helping lead them to several more regional titles. He served as the head varsity soccer coach for Paradise High School for two years, and has served as the assistant coach for the Chico Rooks for the past 11 years.
Eric’s record of service to the university and the Chico community is even more outstanding. He was an active member of Block “C” Society, and the P.E. majors club during his time at CSUC. He earned his bachelor’s degree and his master’s in Physical Education specializing in Adapted Physical Education. He then attended the University of the Pacific working toward his doctorate degree in Special Education.
Since graduation, Eric has been involved in the development of almost every organized event for disabled children in the North State area including Special Olympics, Ability First Camp, and Mini-Olympics for Butte County schools. He also served on the Easter Seals board of directors for two years.
Eric taught adapted physical education at Chico State for 14 years in addition to teaching at area schools for eight years. He was the Butte County Administrator for Special Education for three years. He is currently principal of Mill Street Elementary in Orland.
Eric and his wife Marcy, have two children; Jessica and Jason.
Joe “Tav” Tavalero
Boxing (1965-67)
Acker Gym was packed; the professional raised ring was spotlighted with the four main “ring” lights. As the combatants climed those three steps up into the square, one could feel the sheer energy surging from the wide-eyed masses engulfed in the darkness.
During the mid-1960s, Chico State was the place to be if you wanted to become a teacher and boxing was your passion. After playing football at Sacramento State, Joe transferred to Chico to study physical education. A true student-athlete, he approached both his studies and athletics in the same full-on manner.
In 1966 and 1967, Joe dominated the college boxing welterweight division. In his senior year, Joe was named Chico State’s “Outstanding Boxer”, California Collegiate “Boxer of the Year”, and Sports Illustrated featured him in “Faces in the Crowd” naming him “Collegiate Boxer of the Year” for 1966-67. During this time, “Joe Tav” thrilled the students and townspeople with his artistry of the sweet science, compiling an undefeated record.
Joe earned his master’s degree in education with an emphasis in counseling. In addition, Joe earned a degree in adaptive physical education and went on to a 35-year career in teaching and coaching. Recently retired, Joe has more time to spend with his wife Marsha and their children Aaron, Simon and Vanessa.
Rob Tomlinson
Football (1988-91)
Football teams facing the Wildcats from 1988 to 1991 knew that in order to win, they would have to figure out a way to defend the arm of Rob Tomlinson. A three-time all-NCAC pick, and the league’s most valuable offensive player in ‘89, Rob was truly one of the top quarterbacks in the country during his days in a Wildcat uniform.
Among Rob’s accomplishments as a four-year starter for the Wildcats:
• 3,528 total yards in the 1989 season.
• 9,921 career total yards.
• 52 career touchdown passes.
• 748 career completions.
His numbers in conference play speak for themselves, but Rob also left his mark at the national level. The most recent NCAA Football Records Book shows Rob 10th all-time in Division II in career total yards, and 13th in career passing yards with 9,434.
Rob’s stats were, of course, impressive, but what people remember most is the respect he earned from his teammates, coaches and opponents. Former Wildcat head football coach Gary Houser said that Rob was “a tough, natural leader when he played for me. It was like having another coach on the field.” Rob went on to prove coach Houser right by becoming the last head coach of the Wildcat football program.
Since leaving Chico in June of 1997, Rob has worked in the technical contractor staffing industry, recruiting and providing technical talent to Bay Area companies. Primarily, he deals with software engineering and network system support.
Rob is married to Stefanie and has a son, Evan James.
Mary Ann (Macur) Tremelling
Basketball (1974-78)
Mary Ann (Macur) Tremelling was a dominating force on the hardwood during the mid-to-late 1970s for Chico State. A starter all four seasons from 1974-78, Mary Ann set numerous scoring records as she led the Wildcats to four consecutive conference championships. Her final season of competition was the first year that conference awards were presented, and Mary Ann was appropriately awarded with first team honors for her outstanding play. She was later named the Golden State Conference “Athlete of the Year” for 1978.
Mary Ann set numerous school records during her four years at Chico State beginning in her freshman year. In each ensuing season, Mary would break her own record in any number of categories including points scored, shooting percentage and assists. Though most of her single game and single season scoring records have since been eclipsed, Mary Ann’s name can still be found among the top six all-time point producers at Chico.
Mary Ann currently teaches physical education and coaches basketball at Amador High School where she has taught for over 20 years. She also is the coach of her son Clinton’s “Hoops” basketball team comprised of 4th and 5th graders. The championship bloodlines have been passed on as Clinton’s team won the “Caz Classic”, the equivalent to a league final, earlier this year.
Mary Ann enjoys a sterling reputation among her peers, both past and present. Her former high school basketball coach, Nancy Paris, said that “as a leader in the community, Mary Ann continues to inspire and raise the bar by encouraging moral and social responsibility with those who are fortunate enough to know her.”
Samantha (Copenhaver) VanDevender
Basketball (1985-88)
The name Samanantha (Copenhaver) VanDevender and women’s basketball in the mid-1980s are nearly synonymous. One of the top all-around players in school history, Samantha’s name still litters the Wildcat record book some 15 years after her last game.
During the years of 1984 through 1988, Samantha was the dominant player, not only on her own team, but also among the rest of the teams in the conference. A first team all-conference selection her sophomore, junior and senior seasons, Samantha was also named the conference co-Player of the Year in 1986-87. That season, she set five Chico State single season records and reached double figures in points 24 times. Later that year, she led the Wildcats to a conference championship, and a victory over Eastern Montana in the first round of the NCAA Division II regionals.
Samantha topped off her brilliant career by scoring a then-school record 35 points along with pulling down 15 rebounds in a win over San Francisco State during her senior season.
On November 28, 1987, Samantha scored her 1,000th career point against Western Washington University. She became the first woman in Chico State history to reach that vaunted plateau. At the end of her senior season, she was named Chico State’s Female Athlete of the Year.
At the end of her playing career, Samantha was the school’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder (she’s now third and second, respectively) and still holds the school record for games played with 111. She is listed among the top 10 in seven different career categories and ranks second all-time at CSUC with 23 double-double performances.
Samantha is now a wife, mother and businesswoman in Arizona. Her active lifestyle has not disappeared, though, as she is currently a member of a women’s ice hockey team. She is also expecting her second daughter in January.
Bob Russ
Varsity Ski Coach (1969-
Asst. Men’s Soccer Coach (1969-
Women’s Soccer Club Coach (1973-
Women’s Soccer Coach (1983-2001)
Bob Russ served as a teach and coach as a member of the Chico State Physical Education and Athletics faculty for 33 years, beginning his career in 1969 until his retirement in 2001.
In 1969, Bob was hired as the Director of Intramural and Recreational Sports programs, what later became known as “Play Factory”. Besides his full-time commitment as the director, Bob also taught a full teaching load, and found time to coach. Bob served as head varsity ski coach for two years, and as assistant men’s soccer coach for nine. In 1973, Bob started club soccer for women and was named the head women’s soccer coach when that program reached varsity level ten years later.
Bob’s love for recreational activities continued, however. In 1991, he started the Outdoor Education Program and is responsible for the development of the climbing wall and the ropes challenge course.
Bob was one of the founding fathers of youth soccer in Northern California. He was on the founding board for the Chico Youth Soccer League in the early 70s, and served as the first president of the board of directors for that league.
As a collegiate coach, Bob enjoyed tremendous success. His Wildcat squads were ranked nationally in the top 10 in eight times in the 90s. He led his team to the 1993 NCAC title and his 186 career victories still ranks among the all-time leaders in Division II women’s soccer.
Bob Russ has been an outstanding member of the Chico community, the university and the athletics department. He and his lovely wife Annette have four children: Robert, Lori, Regan and Flint, as well as three beautiful grand-daughters.
