Saturday is a big day for Chico State men's soccer alum Chris Wondolowski. He has no idea how big. While preparing for tonight's 2019 San Jose Earthquakes Major League Soccer opener, and needing only two goals to break Landon Donovan's MLS career goal-scoring record (145), the California Collegiate Athletic Association announced that Wondo—as he is known throughout the soccer world—will headline its Hall of Fame class of 2019.
Wondolowski is the first Wildcat to receive the honor. His induction will be celebrated in a ceremony in Chico at a time yet to be determined, likely this fall.
This is the fifth class of inductees and grows the CCAA Hall of Fame to 28 members from 13 current and former member institutions. Joining Wondo in the 2019 class are: women's track and field athletes Petra (Juraskova) Babbitt of Cal State LA and Chanel Parker of Cal State Dominguez Hills; Stanislaus State's track and field and basketball athlete Joel Stallworth; Cal State San Bernardino volleyball player Samantha Middleborn; and former Humboldt State softball coach Frank Cheek.
Wondolowski is perhaps the most decorated NCAA Division II athlete in history and one of sports' ultimate success stories, going from late-round Supplemental Draft pick and bit-part player to one of the league's most feared goal-scorers.
Wondolowski played four seasons for the Wildcats where he was a second team All-America honoree in 2003, and four-time first-team All-CCAA selection. He helped lead Chico State to an NCAA Championship runner-up finish in 2003, after the team won the CCAA title and marched through the NCAA Championship bracket, beating UC San Diego, Cal State Dominguez Hills, Midwestern State, and Findlay along the way.
Wondolowski pictured while playing with the US Men's National Team.
In 2013, he was named to the NCAA Division II 40th Anniversary Tribute Team, with the group reflecting the core values of Division II athletics and exemplifying the Life in the Balance approach to collegiate sports.
He was inducted into the Chico State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2015.
A former Student-Athlete Advisory Committee member at Chico State, Wondolowski continues the tradition of giving back to the community through his involvement with Nike's N7 Program and Street Soccer USA along with his most-recent endeavors helping Butte County youth heal from the recent Paradise Fire with the Chris Wondolowski Soccer Camp, organized by fellow Chico State men's soccer alumni Robby Busick.
Wondolowski has also represented the United States on the national stage. His 11 career goals with the US Men's National Team (in 35 appearances in the red, white, and blue) rank 18
th in the nation's history.
"The 2019 CCAA Hall of Fame class is an extremely impressive group of former student-athletes along with a legendary coach," remarked CCAA commissioner Mitch Cox. "The five student-athletes in this induction class have represented not only their schools regionally and nationally with distinction, but in some cases, our country on the international stage. Meanwhile, coach Cheek is already in the NFCA Hall of Fame and has over 1,100 career coaching victories, so his place among the CCAA's elite coaches is well documented.
"We are pleased to be able to have this opportunity to recognize some of the amazing athletes and coaches that have contributed in making the CCAA the most successful conference in all of NCAA Division II."
Wondolowski and the Earthquakes kick off their season tonight at 6:45 p.m. against the Montreal Impact at Avaya Stadium in San Jose.
