The University of Redlands and the Bulldog Bench are thrilled to announce the next group of inductees to go into the Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame during the induction dinner on Friday, October 18, 2013, in the Orton Center at the University of Redlands. View the invitation for this decorated class.
This unique and decorated class of athletic alumni includes diver Luke Bagnaschi '04, basketball star Amir Mazarei '07, golfer Nick Obie '06, football and baseball talent Danny Ragsdale '99, track & field and cross-country runner Ken Reed '98, water polo standout Kevin Rosa '01, football competitor Jeff Thomas '02, as well as the 1993 men's water polo team. In addition, the Bulldog Bench looks forward to honoring water polo competitor Taj Jensen '00, who was part of the Hall of Fame Class of 2011 but was unable to attend the induction dinner that year.
Given that all of the individual inductees have graduated within the last 15 years, many of the names are familiar to the Redlands community of alumni, employees, and students.
Following an outstanding four-year career at Redlands, Bagnaschi enters the Hall of Fame as the first Bulldog diver to do so. During his time with the swimming & diving program, he garnered two NCAA All-America awards and three NCAA All-America Honorable Mention accolades. During his senior season, he finished a career-high fourth place on the one-meter board and fifth on the three-meter board at the NCAA Division III Championships. In conference competition throughout his career, he lost only once and received All-SCIAC honors in both events every season, culminating in being named the 2004 SCIAC Athlete of the Year for Swimming & Diving.
While playing basketball in Head Coach Gary Smith's high-octane "system," Mazarei shattered multiple school and national records with astonishing numbers. Among them, this three-time First-Team All-SCIAC performer led the nation in made three-pointers in two of his four seasons while scoring 57 points in one game to establish a new school record. With his ability to sink the long ball, he garnered All-Region and All-America recognition to go along with the program standard for scoring with 2,159 points, a mark that is likely untouchable for many years to come. This outstanding student also represented Redlands on the College Sports Information Directors of America All-District Second Team before earning the distinction of 2007 Frank Serrao Senior Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
A familiar name to Bulldog men's golf program, Obie left his mark on the history books as a three-time SCIAC Player of the Year amidst a team that finished second at the NCAA Division III Championships in 2004, 2005, and 2006. The Golf Coaches Association of America named him the West Region Freshman of the Year in 2003 before recognizing him with a pair of All-America nods during his junior and senior seasons. This standout on the greens also excelled in the classroom and collected multiple academic laurels, including two CoSIDA Academic All-America honors and four Redlands Scholar-Athlete awards.
Ragsdale enters the Bulldog Bench Hall of Fame after earning the 1999 John Gagliardi Division III Player of the Year Award in football. While lettering in baseball and football, he is more known for his contributions as a wide receiver and quarterback for the Maroon and Gray. A three-time All-SCIAC honoree, he also earned the John Zinda Award in 1998 and then was named the SCIAC Offensive Player of the Year in 1999. More than 10 years departed from his career, Ragsdale is currently listed 23 times among the Redlands top-10 individual game performances in various categories.
As a talented runner, Reed collected seven letters and multiple All-SCIAC awards while putting together his Hall of Fame career. He became the inaugural and currently only four-time First-Team All-SCIAC performer in Bulldog cross country history, leading to his individual title at the 1997 SCIAC Championships and SCIAC Runner of the Year award. That year he also placed fifth at the NCAA West Regional Meet, which qualified him for nationals. His highest finish in track & field came in the 3000 Steeplechase during the 1998 SCIAC Championships, placing him second before taking sixth in the 5000.
In his abbreviated career at Redlands, Rosa made the most of his opportunities in water polo during the 2000 and 2001 seasons. He fired off 67 goals in his first campaign to place him in a tie for sixth all-time in Redlands history. After landing on the All-SCIAC First Team that year, he later was named the SCIAC Player of the Year during the Bulldogs' conference championship run. He helped to guide the Maroon and Gray to its highest finish at the Wester Water Polo Association Tournament at the time, taking third among all divisions of competitors. That year he also was named the NCAA Division III Player of the Year before earning the distinction of the 2001 Frank Serrao Senior Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
A four-year letter-winner in football, Thomas joins the Hall of Fame as the 2003 Frank Serrao Senior Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year after leading all NCAA Divisions in total interceptions with 13 during the 2002 season. He reset the single-game (4) and single-season school record in the process. In addition, this quarterback-turned-defensive-back was named the 2002 SCIAC Defensive Player of the Year and collected a pair of All-America nods. His play earned him a spot on the U.S. team at the Aztec Bowl, an annual game pitting Division III football all-stars from the United States against their Mexican counterparts.
Jensen enters the Bulldog Bench Hall of Fame as the 1999 SCIAC Player of the Year after earning two All-Conference First-Team awards with the Redlands men's water polo program. He also garnered Second-Team honors during his freshman season. On the national scene, he landed on the All-America First Team on three occasions, with his career culminating as one of five finalists for the Peter J. Cutino Award, which honors the national player of the year in all NCAA divisions. With 306 goals, Jensen remains as the Bulldog program-leader for career scores.
Furthermore, the Bulldogs welcome the 1993 men's water polo team into the Hall of Fame. Under Head Coach Tom Whittemore, this squad put together a stellar 24-7 record en route to winning the conference championship for the first time in program history. During the exciting 10-0 run, the Bulldogs handed Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges its first SCIAC loss since 1982 and eventually dethroned the Stags from its perch atop the podium. Redlands went on to fare well at the always challenging WWPA Tournament, taking fifth amidst the cross-divisional competition. The 19-man roster includes current Hall of Famers Greg Milton, Sean McWhorter, Jared Young, and Matt Carpenter.
For a complete list of the Redlands Hall of Fame nomination criteria and previous inductees, please visit the Bulldog Bench web page.
Friends of the inductees and supporters of the Bulldog student-athlete experience are encouraged to make a reservation to attend the 2013 Hall of Fame Dinner on October 18. Please contact the Department of Athletics at (909) 748-8400 for more information.