HALL OF FAME INDUCTION CEREMONY SANTA BARBARA ATHLETIC ROUND TABLE The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table is thrilled to host 2018 the 2018 Hall of Fame Banquet on Monday, October 29th. An Evening It will be the 51st annual Hall of Fame ceremony. With The Athletes For over fifty years our organization has supported student athletes in the greater Santa Barbara area. Each year we have been able to give more than 1,000 Wednesday, May 16, 2018 student athletes and coaches a well deserved pat on the back and extra encouragement to help them become The New Vic Theatre better citizens. To this day we have no paid staff and no office. All your support goes directly to the student athletes. Santa Barbara, California Federal Tax Identification Number: 95-3174198 2018 An Evening with the Athletes Welcome & Opening Remarks Tonight’s Gene Deering, SBART President Master of Ceremonies Mike Klan, KEYT Sports Director Athletes of the Year – Fall Sports Fall – CIF Champions Special Olympics Mayor’s Trophy Athletes of the Year – Winter Sports Winter – CIF Champions Scholar-Athletes of the Year Phil Womble Ethics in Sports Awards Scholarship Awards SBART Founders’ Scholarship Russ Morrison Memorial Scholarship ProgramProgram Larry Crandell Memorial Scholarship Jim Ranta Memorial Scholarship Athletes of the Year – Spring Sports Spring – CIF Champions Community Awards Russ Hargreaves Memorial Award R.F. MacFarland Memorial Trophy Open Athlete of the Year Award Master Athlete of the Year Award High School Coach of the Year College Coach of the Year Closing Remarks Gene Deering, SBART President e hope you will patronize our many business friends and sponsors listed Win this program. It is their generosity, along with that of our guests this evening, that contributes to the development of our athletic community and to the lives of our student-athletes. Cover photos courtesy of JC Corliss Photography / Noozhawk and our local schools Program articles and athlete bios by Barry Punzal, Noozhawk Sports Editor Program layout and design by Steve Dorf, Boone Graphics Printing by Boone Graphics Audio-Video production by Moray Reels Program Director: Rob Butson, Jensen’s Audio Visual President’s Message 2018 by Gene Deering Welcome to the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table’s 51st celebration of athletic accomplishment. Tonight at our Evening with the Athletes event we honor our current high school and college Athletes of the Year, scholarship recipients, special awards and Coaches of the Year. The 2017-18 athletic year has been a great one. If you have attended any of our Monday Press Luncheons at Harry’s, you know that our high school and college student-athletes and coaches have been celebrating great successes both on and off the field. We honor all of our teams and individuals who made it to the playoffs and beyond in addition to excelling in the classroom and community leadership. These luncheons also help Gene Deering showcase the incredible coaches which dedicate their time and energy to our youth. This year our community was struck by tragic events with the Thomas Fire and the Montecito Mud Flow. These events helped showcase the strength of our community as many heroes emerged saving countless lives. Throughout the winter sports season the community came together at Harry’s for our Monday Luncheons where we all realized how lucky we were to have sports in our lives. Our local sports programs provided a nice escape for those who may have been affected by the tragic events. Even though many of the winter sports seasons for our local high schools were dramatically shortened, the success our community achieved during the winter seasons was remarkable with five section championships (San Marcos Girls Water Polo, Message Santa Barbara High Boys Soccer, Carpinteria High School Boys Soccer, San Marcos Boys Basketball, Dos Pueblos Boys Individual Wrestling). I am honored to have served the first year of a two-year appointment as the SBART Board President. I extend a very sincere “thank you” to all of our very generous sponsors and members. I would like to recognize specifically the Santa Barbara Association of Realtors and their Charity Golf Tournament. Last year the SBART was chosen as the tournament beneficiary. Thanks to the tireless work of the SBAOR Events Committee, chaired by Drew Wakefield, the tournament was a wild success. The funds from this Golf Tournament have enabled us to establish an annual scholarship in Phil Womble’s name. I extend a deep appreciation for all of the hard-working members of the SBART Board of Directors. The SBART has no paid staff; we are truly a “working board” with countless committee meetings, luncheons and long hours spent, coupled with the financial generosity of our sponsors and members, to keep the SBART mission moving forward. Last, but not least, a very hearty “thank you” to our local sports media for covering our luncheons, working together to honor our student-athletes with weekly and end- of-year awards and for publically sharing all of the great sports stories from our high schools and colleges each and every day. President’s Growing up, I struggled with learning disabilities and I was able to achieve confidence and friendship through sports. Having sports to provide inspiration and motivation to attend college was vital in my life. When I first learned of the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table and their mission to help recognize and celebrate achievements on the field of play and in the classroom, I wanted to be involved. Thank you to all of you in attendance tonight for showing your support for our local student-athletes, coaches, community leaders, sports media and the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table. 2018 SBART Almost five decades ago, Jerry Harwin and Caesar Uyesaka sipped coffee at Caesar’s Restaurant, talking about the need for a sports group in Santa Barbara that could help the local athletic community in times of need. After Jerry and Caesar shared a couple more coffee breaks together, the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table was born. Its motto: The advancement and betterment of all sports and athletics in the greater Santa Barbara area. The SBART got off to a fast start. Its first organizational meeting was held at Santa Founders Barbara’s East Beach on January 25, 1968. Hundreds of people attended this meeting, Founders and over 200 joined that evening as Charter Members. The SBART’s first annual banquet was held at Santa Barbara City College on June 22, 1968. Through membership dues, contributions, fundraising events and local foundations, the Round Table has raised more than $2 million for local athletics. Harry’s Plaza Café was the site of the SBART’s first press luncheon held on September 14, 1970. The luncheons, initiated by the new president, Bill Bertka, were similar to a “Monday Morning Quarterback Club.” All area schools were represented by the head coaches of the sports in season. For over four decades the SBART luncheons have been held at Harry’s every Monday, attended by standing-room-only crowds. Since its first meeting back in 1968, the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table has helped thousands of individuals and organizations by raising funds to support their athletic programs. The Round Table is proud to help student-athletes at all levels compete in events they would otherwise not have been able to attend. It is with our deepest regards and warmest thanks that we acknowledge and celebrate the vision and hard work of our founders, Caesar Uyesaka, Jerry Harwin and Bill Bertka. The mission of the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table is to recognize and support athletic participation as an important means of fostering discipline, teamwork, self-respect, personal responsibility, and camaraderie. The SBART provides a public forum for area athletic coaches and athletes; grants financial support to Mission organizations, teams, and individuals to further their participation in sports; and publicly honors athletic Statement performance, scholastic achievement and exemplary ethical behavior. 2018 The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table honors the life of long-time Board Member Chris Casebeer: 1946-2017 Chris Casebeer was a man who was big, bold, and full of love. Breaking social norms everywhere he went, Chris could not pass up the chance to strike up a conversation and connect with people. He cultivated friendships with people near and far. He never held back sharing a big hug, genuine smile, or an invitation to visit his home. Chris lived with a sense of sharing abundance and possibility that is rare in this world; and all of us who knew and loved him are so much the better for it. A long-time SBART Board Member and Past-President, Chris was an active force for SBART membership, events and awards. The SBART Special Olympics Athlete of the Month Award has been named in honor of Chris. At UCSB, Chris was a member of the Sigma Pi fraternity and played on the indoor Gaucho Memorium volleyball team, where he forged many enduring friendships. He was a member of the 1969 National Collegiate Champion Team. Chris was an avid fan and supporter of the Gauchos men’s and women’s Volleyball and Basketball teams. A successful local Realtor, Chris also served on the boards of the Special Olympics of Santa Barbara and the UCSB Athletic Director’s Advisory Committee. In After his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer in early 2015, Chris’ strength and indomitable spirit helped him to seek out the best treatment possible, and he enjoyed 2 1/2 more years of travel and avid support of his son Jeremy’s professional beach volleyball career and treasured time with family. On Sept. 2, 2017, Chris passed away sitting on his front porch, waiting to meet friends for coffee, overlooking his beloved tropical garden in Santa Barbara.