Cerritos College aounces Hall of Fame class of 2016

NORWALK >> A volleyball player, basketball coach and water polo player are among the seven people inducted to the Cerritos College Hall of Fame’s class of 2016.

The inductees received crystal awards and proclamations from the offices of Assemblyman Ian Calderon, D-Whittier, state Sen. Tony Mendoza, D-Cerritos, and Rep. Linda Sánchez, D-Norwalk.

The event took place March 3 at the Doubletree Hotel in Norwalk.

The inductees are:

• Teresa Velazquez-Ortega

In 1989, Velazquez-Ortega, a volleyball player was the school’s first All-American and eaed the state’s Player of the Year during her sophomore season playing with the Cerritos Falcons. In 1991, Velazquez-Ortega was hired by the college as the locker and equipment specialist, and two years later, joined the Falcon coaching staff. She took over as head coach in 2000. In her 15 seasons as the head coach, Velazquez-Ortega posted a 189-154 record and led her teams to the Southe Califoia regional playoffs eight times.

• Day Garcia

Garcia was one of the most prolific goal scorers in Cerritos College men’s water polo history and a two-time All-American selection. After graduating from Cal State Long Beach, Garcia became the strength and conditioning coach with the Falcons’ men’s water polo and also served as an assistant coach.

Garcia continued his education at the Los Angeles College of Chiropractic and graduated with honors four years later. Garcia owns a chiropractic practice in Costa Mesa.

• Jack Bogdanovich

Bogdanovich was the Cerritos College men’s basketball head coach from 1983 to 1998. In his first season as head coach, Bogdanovich guided his team to their first of three state championships.

During his 15 years as head coach, 98 of his student-athletes eaed scholarships to four-year institutions.

Bogdanovich was named the conference’s Coach of the Year six times, was inducted into the Community College Men’s Basketball Hall of Fame, and was inducted into the San Pedro Sportswalk to the Waterfront Hall of Fame in 2011.

• Tony Rodriguez, Jr.

In 2013, Rodriguez Jr., class of 1969, and his siblings established the Dr. Antonio and Providence Rodriguez Memorial Scholarship in memory of their father, who was also a Cerritos College alumni and taught at Cerritos College for 30 years as a speech communication professor, and their mother, who supported their father’s jouey to become a college professor.

• Debbie Thomas

Thomas began working at Cerritos College in 1972 as a student hourly employee and was hired full-time in 1975, working a variety of positions, including typist clerk and staff development. Thomas retired in 2013.

She was voted the Classified Employee of the Month in July 1993 and November 2003 and as Classified Employee of Year in 2004.

• Jon Fults

Fults began his teaching career at Cerritos College in 1968. During his tenure, Fults was an instructor, department chairperson and interim assistant dean of business education. He retired in 1993.

Advertisement

Since retiring he has been president of the Cerritos College Retired Faculty Association.

• Assemblyman Anthony Rendon

Rendon, who was elected in 2012, attended Cerritos College before eaing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Cal State Fullerton. Rendon became the 70th Assembly Speaker on March 7.