The Cal Athletic Hall of Fame has announced is class of 2014 with 7 members, including a pair of American’s best swimmers of the 21st century.
Natalie Coughlin, who compete for Cal from 2001-2004, and Anthony Ervin, who was there from 2000-2003, are both a part of the Hall’s 29th class. After their induction, the Hall of Fame will feature 271 individuals and 6 rowing teams from Cal’s illustrious athletics history.
Among swimming fans, the two names speak for themselves, but for the unindoctrinated, here is a list of their accomplishments:
Coughlin
- Three-time Olympian
- 12-time Olympic medalist (most by American woman)
- 11-time NCAA individual champion (out of 12 possible)
- Four-time Cal team MVP
- First woman to win back-to-back Olympic golds in 100 back (2004, 2008)
- Three-time NCAA Swimmer of the Year, Three-time Pac-10 Swimmer of the Year
- Three-time Pac-10 All-Academic team member
Ervin
- Two-time Olympian, with his appearances separated by 12 years.
- Three-time NCAA Champion in the 100 free
- Three other NCAA Championships (1 individual, 2 relays)
- 9-time Pac-10 event champion
- 2000 Olympic gold medalist (50m free – tied with Gary Hall, Jr.)
Also from the aquatic world in this class is Rick Cronk, who received the Hall of Fame Service Award. Cronk is a Cal alum and was a member of their water polo team, and helped create the “Splash Club,” along with Ned Spieker, Don Fisher, and Warren Hellman. The major accomplishment of the Splash Club has been securing of funding for a new athletics-specific aquatics facility on the Berkeley campus. Cronk is the former president of Freyer’s Grand Ice Cream and of the Boy Scouts of America.
The full class of 7 inductees:
- Tom Beach (men’s gymnastics) – 1976 Olympian led Cal to 1975 NCAA team title
- Natalie Coughlin (women’s swimming & diving) – three-time NCAA Swimmer of the Year and 11-time NCAA champion has won 12 Olympic medals
- Anthony Ervin (men’s swimming & diving) – 2000 Olympic gold medalist in 50-meter free returned to Olympic team in 2012
- Sarah Huarte (women’s golf) – captured the NCAA championship as a senior in 2004 with a then-record 10-under-par total
- Grace Upshaw (women’s track & field) – two-time Olympian in long jump is daughter of 2007 Cal Hall of Famer Monte Upshaw
- Ray Willsey (football) – served as head coach from 1964-71 and led the “Bear Minimum” defense in 1968
- Rick Cronk (Hall of Fame Service Award) – a longtime contributor to the success of Cal Aquatics
Full list of swimmers in the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame:
- Sarah Anderson
- Par Arvidsson
- Bengt Baron
- Matt Biondi
- Marylyn Chiang
- Haley Cope
- Ann Curtis Cuneo
- Margee MacFarland Curran
- Pelle Holmertz
- Barbara Stark Jordan
- Ludwig Langer
- Charles Lucchesi
- Mary T. Meagher
- Stan Morketter
- Peter Rocca
- Peter Schnugg
- Graham Smith
- Staciana Stitts
- Jon Svensen
- Nort Thorton (coach)
- Conny van Bentum
- Jim Werson
