Cosumnes River College

HALL OF FAME

Hall of Fame 2014 Inductees

ROD BEILBY – Baseball Coach 1988–1995

Rod played baseball for four years at McClatchy High School where he started in the outfield and did a little pitching. He graduated from McClatchy in 1969. He attended Sacramento City College from 1969–1971. Rod planned on playing baseball at Sac City but got hurt so he didn’t get to compete. He transferred to the University of the Pacific and played three years for the Tigers. Rod started his career at UOP playing first base and outfield, but he ended it as a Tiger’s pitcher. Rod didn’t use his fourth year of eligibility because he graduated in 1974.

Rod started coaching as the Freshman Baseball Coach at Stagg High School while earning his teaching credential at Sacramento State University. At that same time, he coached the Cincinnati Reds Rookies in Lodi. In the spring of 1975, Rod accepted an assistant coach position at San Joaquin Delta College. After one season, he then moved to Vanden High School for his first full-time teaching and coaching job. At Vanden, Rod was an instructor, the head baseball coach and the athletic director. Rod’s teams were very successful, winning the Sac-Joaquin Section Championship twice and numerous league championships. Two of his Vanden players were All-American baseball players at UCSB and he had four players drafted to MLB. Rod coached at Vanden from 1975–1988.

Rod left Vanden to coach at Cosumnes River College where he coached for 8 years (1988–1995). In his tenure as the head baseball coach at CRC, Rod’s teams won three Bay Valley Conference championships (1989, 1991, and 1992) and made 5 consecutive playoff appearances. Under his leadership, 44 of his players transferred to four-year institutions and competed in baseball, many of those on scholarship. He had a number of players drafted by major league teams. One of his former CRC players, Jermaine Dye, played 14 years in the Major Leagues, played in the World Series twice, won the World Series Most Valuable Player award, was an MLB All-Star twice, along with many other awards, and was inducted into the Cosumnes River College Athletic Hall of Fame in 2010. Jermaine is the only former CRC athlete in the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Hall of Fame, inducted in 2011. Rod loved coaching his teams and watching his players improve their skills and move on to the next level, but the thing that he is most proud of is that 23 of Coach Beilby’s former CRC baseball players have finished their degrees and have gone into teaching/coaching careers.

After CRC (1996), Rod moved to Yuba College in Marysville where he was the athletic director from 1995–1997. In the fall of 1997, along with being the athletic director, his job was expanded to include being the Dean of the Health, Physical Education and Public Safety Division. He held that position until 2012 when he became the Interim President of Yuba College. Rod retired in the summer of 2014 after 40 years in education as an instructor, coach and administrator. During his career, Rod served at the state level for the CCCAA: on the Management Council for 8 years (6 years as the Baseball Coaches Association Representative and 2 years as the Sport Coaches Association President), 2 years as the CCC Athletic Directors Association President, 4 years as President of the Bay Valley Conference and 1 year on the CCCAA Board of Directors. Rod has received many honors for his accomplishments, dedication and hard work during his career. Among those honors, Rod was inducted to the California Community College Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2012 and the Northern California Sports Hall of Fame in the spring of 2014.

Rod currently lives in Yuba City with his wife Dionne. They have two sons: Aaron, who works for Continental Athletic Supply, and Blair, who is a full-time student working on his degree in Physical Therapy.

MARK HUNTER & BENJI GARNETT – Men’s Basketball 1992–1994 & 1989–1990, 1993–1994

Mark Hunter and Benji Garnett were a great basketball duo and they did what great duos do—they played together like a one-two punch. It’s no wonder these two led their team to a 16–4 Bay Valley Conference record, 22–9 overall, and into the 1994 NorCal regional tournament. In the regionals, CRC beat three very good teams (Contra Costa, Kings River, and Diablo Valley College, the last two seeded higher than the Chiefs). They continued into the California Community College State Basketball Championship Tournament.

Mark, as a point guard, would bring the ball down the floor and let Benji get set up in his sweet spot. Mark drew the defense to him and then would get the ball to Benji to put it in. Most of Mark’s assists were to Benji on the 3-point line. One referee said about Mark Hunter, “I think he dribbles so fast, that if he turned the light off, he’d be in the bed before it got dark.” The referee’s comment about Benji was, “If he gets set in his spot, you know what’s going to happen—that’s money, right there.” Another person said, “It was Hunter’s quick first step and dribble penetration that gave Garnett the freedom to rain 3's down from the outside.”

In addition to being a strong offensive threat, these two were strong defenders. They forced teams to turn the ball over and then made them pay for it by pushing the ball extremely hard in transition, which resulted in numerous baskets, many of them 3’s. This duo was so good that they were both named the “Most Valuable Male Athletes” at Cosumnes River College for the 1993–94 academic year.

Mark Hunter played high school basketball at Rio Americano High School in Sacramento. He was known for his quickness and ball handling. He was selected to play in the Optimist All-Star game after graduating in 1990. At CRC, he was a two-year starter and earned All-Conference First Team honors both seasons. He was also named to the Academic All-Conference Team with a 3.78 GPA and received the Pepsi Scholar Athlete award. After CRC, he played at Sacramento State and Saint Martin’s College before returning to teach math at CRC for 15 years.

Benji Garnett played at Hiram Johnson High School and later attended Sacramento City College before enrolling at CRC. Initially playing both baseball and basketball, he ultimately focused on basketball. As a sophomore, he led the team and conference in scoring, made 122 three-point field goals before postseason play, and earned Bay Valley Conference Player of the Year and All-State First Team honors. He remains active in basketball and lives in Sacramento with his seven children.

MICHELE LIPELT – Women’s Basketball 1992–1994

Michele Lipelt developed her basketball skills at Woodland High School and through competitive open gym play. At CRC, she became one of the most dominant players in program history. She led the team in scoring, rebounding, and forced turnovers, setting multiple school records.

Despite numerous injuries, she excelled throughout her career, earning All-Conference honors, MVP recognition, and All-Region selections. She finished her career holding twelve individual school records and contributed to multiple team records.

After CRC, Michele chose not to continue basketball due to injuries. She later moved to Southern California and now works as an operations manager while living in Redlands.

JOHNNY WARE – Track & Field 1976–1978

Johnny Ware was a standout athlete at Sacramento High School, excelling in football, basketball, and track. He posted elite sprint times and won a California State Championship in the 440.

At CRC, he competed in football and track, earning MVP honors in football twice and setting school records in track. He later competed at UNLV.

After his athletic career, Johnny worked for the Sacramento County Public Defender’s office and coached youth and high school sports. He now owns McAfee Trucking Company and resides in Sacramento.

SHANA (GROFF) WOOD – Volleyball 1984–1986

Shana Wood developed her love for sports at a young age and became a standout volleyball player at CRC. Despite suffering a stress fracture, she returned to lead her team to a Bay Valley Conference Championship.

She earned MVP honors, All-State recognition, and was named CRC’s Most Valuable Female Athlete. She later transferred to Humboldt State.

Shana now lives in Fair Oaks, works for the State of California, and enjoys staying active.

Class of 2012 Inductees

Edward “Jerry” Kelley – Track, Cross Country, Tennis (1983–1984)
Jim Howard – Track, Cross Country (1973–1975)
Cheri LaDue – Softball Coach (1990–2006)
Alyssa (Chinn) Geromini – Tennis

Class of 2010 Inductees

Steve Petuskey – Soccer (1979–1981)

Cory Ann (Forkner) Ellis – Soccer (1994–1997)

Jermaine Dye – Baseball (1992–1993)

A dominating hitter and Bay Valley Conference MVP, during his year as at Cosumnes River College. Jermaine went on to a successful MLB career as a two-time MLB All-Star and was named World Series Most Valuable Player with the Chicago White Sox following the 2005 World Series. He also earned a Gold Glove Award in 2000 and a Silver Slugger Award in 2006.

Sarah (Adams) Markoe – Softball (1982–1984) & Emily (Adams) Collins - Softball (1988-1990)

These two sisters were dominant pitchers who helped lead CRC to multiple championships and playoff appearances.

Kathy (Kranzler) Peterson – Athletic Secretary (1974–1996)

Kathy was the heart and soul of the athletic department, supporting generations of student-athletes and staff.

Class of 2009 Inductees

Archie Dunsmoor – Coach (1970–1987)

A pioneer in CRC athletics, Archie led women’s tennis to a conference championship and helped build the foundation of the department.

1997 Softball Team

A historic team that achieved a 50-win season, conference title, regional championship, and state tournament appearance.

Pepsi Bottling Group – Outside Contributor (1970–Present)

A longtime supporter of CRC athletics.

Andrea (Guijarno) Zarate – Soccer/Tennis

A record-setting student-athlete who excelled on the field and in the classroom.

Travis Parker – Coach (1972–2003)

A transformative coach who built successful programs and impacted countless student-athletes.

Class of 2008 Inductees

Mike Fischlin – Baseball (1973–1975)
Angie Williams – Track & Field (1983–1985)
Marlin H. “Skip” Davies – Administrator (1983–2004)
Courtney (Horner) Meisel-Klebsch – Basketball (1995–1997)
George Harper – Football/Baseball (1973–1975)
Mark Taylor – Track & Field (1977–1979)

Class of 2007 Inductees

Gert (Larsen) Tipton – Coach/AD (1970–1998)
Dana McIntyre – Multi-sport athlete
Steve Krisiak – Coach/Counselor (1971–2006)
Cameron Baxter – Track & Field (1980–1982)
Dick Cristofani – Coach (1970–1999)

Class of 2006 Inductees

James “Gym” Clark – Coach (1972–2003)
Christine (Tanaka) Jang – Gymnastics
Jerry Conway – Coach (1972–1980)
Del Bandy – Coach/AD (1970–1989)
Chris (Kruse) Duarte – Softball (1980–1981)
Coit Conant – Coach (1970–1995)