M-A alumni and their loved ones gathered to celebrate the 13th biennial Athletic Hall of Fame Induction on Saturday evening. The banquet, held at Elks Lodge in Palo Alto, highlighted six individual athletes, two coaches, and two teams for their athletic accomplishments and dedication to M-A sports programs.
Inductees included Rosalinda Castañeda ’01 for cross country, soccer, and track; Jessica Tuliau ’10 for basketball; Steven Haren ’01 for football; Sam Knapp ’09 for football, basketball, and baseball; J.J. Whitlinger ’01 for tennis; Chelsea Wilson ’17 for wrestling; the 2017-18 girls wrestling team; the 2002 football team; softball and tennis coach Debbie Pope; and wrestling coach Philip Hoang.
Nearly 200 people—honorees, their families, friends, and coaches—arrived at the gold and maroon venue. M-A graduates caught up with old coaches, teammates, friends, and teachers. Upon the $40 entry, attendees enjoyed a choice of steak, chicken, or a vegetarian option accompanied by mashed potatoes and sauteed vegetables, before indulging in cake for dessert.
As dinner wrapped up, Athletic Director (AD) Steven Kryger welcomed the energized group. AD Paul Snow then gave a speech on the current state of M-A Athletics, touching on recent achievements like the girls basketball NorCal Division 3 semifinal win, the boys football CCS Division 3 Championship victory, and the boys cross country CCS Division 1 Championship first-place domination. He also spoke about the progress of the new home bleachers on the football field and upcoming construction projects like the new weight room building. The presentation of the inductees began right after, with introductions from fathers, coaches, and friends.
This year notably honored two coaches for pioneering specific sports programs at M-A. Former P.E. teacher, basketball coach, and AD Pam Wimberly shared how Pope advocated for building a girls softball field on campus in the early 2000s. Before, the team drove 15 minutes to Nealon Park or laid out bases on the old girls soccer field.
“My pride and joy was getting that softball field installed on campus. I know if there’s any baseball people in here, you probably hate me because we have to share the outfield, and it’s very conflicting. But it was the right thing to do,” Pope said.
Hoang was also celebrated for building a thriving girls wrestling program from the ground up. Beyond teaching technique, he brought together a community of families and teammates who supported each other in their competitive aspirations.
“At a time when opportunities for girls on the wrestling mat were still limited, Phil saw what was possible. He believed girls belong in wrestling. He believed they deserved the opportunity to compete. He encouraged athletes to work hard, push through challenges, and believe in themselves,” his assistant coach, Melanie Cordero, said.
Hoang shared that his love for wrestling stemmed from the egalitarianism of weight classes. Despite being small in high school, he found confidence and a team through the sport. Initially sneaking over to wrestling practices under the guise of attending an afterschool aeronautics class, he found an anchor of resilience in his life as the child of parents who fled to the U.S. as political refugees after the Vietnam War.
He passed on the value of grit to his wrestlers. “We [coaches] teach kids how to get up,” Hoang said. “Even as you get older in life, whether you are 40, 50, 60, you know, 90 years old, there’s always a time you kind of get knocked down. You have to kind of pick yourself up again. I think that’s what all sports really do.”
In addition to Hoang’s contributions, the entire 2016-17 girls wrestling team was honored for their success on the mat, led by their team captain, Wilson. Wilson originally trained as the only girl on the boys wrestling team. Hoang, seeing her talent, helped her develop a full training schedule and recruit a larger group of female wrestlers.
Wilson was known for leading by example. “Competitors, coaches, even referees, would describe Chelsea as graceful and artistic. We would just say, ‘Let’s just do a ‘Chelsea’ and dominate our opponents,’” Hoang said.
“She didn’t just leave a mark on the map. She changed the direction of the program, and her legacy will live on every time another female wrestler steps onto it,” Wilson’s teammate, Fola Akinola, said.
Inductees also shared how their coaches and teams nurtured their passion and leadership throughout life. Castañeda thanked cross country coach Eric Wilmurt for his inspiration. “You gave me running, and running has made me who I am. You showed me all that I could do, and I literally ran all over the world with it. So thank you for giving me the best gift in my life,” she said.
“Basketball taught me that you don’t have to be loud to be a leader. Sometimes leadership is showing up every day, working hard when no one’s watching, and doing what’s asked of you, and setting an example for the girls who come after you,” Tuliau said. Tuliau scored over 1,000 points in her four-year M-A basketball career.
“As a coach [now], I think you take a little bit away from every coach and mentor you have. I was blessed to have four, five, six coaches at M-A that really left an impact on me. And I wouldn’t be the same person if it wasn’t for them,” Whitlinger said. “Wins and losses, things like that. Those come and go, they’re just kind of on a piece of paper, but being able to measure myself in how I treat people, and what people may think of me, that’s really all I really care about. And try to pass that down to my kids and my team.”
Some inductees also appreciated their coaches and teams for supporting them through difficult moments in their personal lives. Tuliau shared how her team rallied around her after her father passed away.
“Losing him during such an important time of my life was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. During that time though, I learned something about being part of a team that had absolutely nothing to do with basketball. My coaches and my teammates, they showed up for me. They showed up for me and my family and surrounded me with love and support when I needed it most. And all these years later, I’ve never forgotten that,” Tuliau said.
Ending their speeches, many inductees gave advice to their young children to pursue their aspirations with hard work and belief. “Remember that anything you do in life, do it with passion. Do it with enthusiasm. Put your whole effort into it and embrace the people around you. I promise you, it will be worth it, because it has been for me,” Haren said.
Beyond coming together in reunion at the banquet, inductees became enshrined in the larger legacy of the M-A Athletics community. “You take these moments in life, and they say that when you do die, all the happiest memories flood through your mind. Today, obviously, will be one of those members for me,” Hoang said.
The next Athletics Hall of Fame Banquet will take place in October 2028.
