AHS Commends New Additions to Hall of Fame
AHS alumni, their friends and famly and current AHS students gather at Almansor Court for the Hall of Fame Induction, hosted by AHS’ Athletes Hall of Fame Committee.
MOOR Photos by SHANNON KHA
ANHAYTE GUAJARDO
WILLIAM RODRIGUEZ
Staff Writers
Of the traditions at Alhambra High School, one still celebrated today is the AHS Hall of Fame. Its purpose is to formally recognize alumni for their success as athletes and coaches at AHS and how it affected their future lives. To continue this tradition, the 2014 Hall of Fame Luncheon was held on Oct. 26 at the Almansor Court Banquet Room.
Organized by the Hall of Fame Committee, which included AHS Athletes Director Gerald DeSantis and Head Baseball Coach Steve Gewecke, the room was filled with many families, administrators, past classmates and current AHS athletes to help welcome the 17 inductees to the AHS Hall of Fame. The event began with a performance from the Mighty Moor Marching Band, included a buffet style lunch and finished off with the induction of the 2014 Hall of Famers.
The inductees included Haskel Wotkyns, Dave Dabov, Sandy Hopper, Steve Ebey, Dick Guzman, Bruce Belcher, Donna Domasin, Roy Chien, Joan Hubbart, Walt Van Eyk, Al Salvo, Ron Patrick, Michele Lew, Lucy Banuelos, Leo Perez, Hon Trieu, and former football coach Gil Ruedaflores. When each alumnus was announced, they were given an introduction about their achievements while and after attending AHS. The inductees felt especially honored as they received their award and spoke about their triumphs and inspirations throughout their lives.
“It was a great experience being able to see all the alumni from Alhambra High School and how much they cared about our school. They also followed their dreams and they showed me that I have to set my mind to what I want to accomplish,” junior Amanda Beeale said.
One of the inductees included Lucy Banuelos, former AHS basketball player. She helped take the team to the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) finals in her senior year. Upon graduating in 1988, she played for California State University, Los Angeles and received a Letterman award. Along with her many accomplishments she is currently one of the few women basketball referees for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
“It is a huge honor and I am very excited to be here. I think one of my biggest motivations has to be those Hispanic women who looked up and supported [me]. I hope to inspire all those girls who want to play in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA),” Banuelos said.
A list of all of the Hall of Fame members can be found in the hallway of the AHS big gym. According to DeSantis, the event was very successful and lived up to the tradition and honor given to the selected members.