History of the M-A Sports Hall of Fame

In their many years of working together in the M-A P.E. Department, Ben Parks, Frank Bettencourt, and Plato Yanicks often discussed the great athletes and teams of M-A's past, and the possibility of having a Sports Hall of Fame. No action was taken until former M-A principal, Dave Theis, suggested that trophy cases be built in the main hall and an M-A Hall of Fame be started. Mr. Theis asked Plato Yanicks to begin the project.

Photo by Luci S. Williams, SJ Mercury Oct 19,1994. L to R: Frank Bettencourt, a Hall of Fame inductee, Principal Dave Theis, and retired coach Plato Yanicks, near the trophy cases.

The first Hall of Fame trophy cases were built by Steve Graser, the father of one of Coach Parks' wrestlers. The cases were generously paid for by the Stern family in memory of Beaver Stern, mother of Greg Stern, a member of the Varsity M-A wrestling team in 1993. The first Hall of Fame selections were made in 1994. The award ceremony was an immediate success and was well received by the school and community. Hundreds of outstanding M-A athletes and a number of dedicated M-A coaches have since been honored. At the beginning of each school year, past and present members of the M-A coaching staff meet to select new members to the M-A Hall of Fame.

The Criteria for Hall of Fame selections are:

1. Graduate from Menlo-Atherton High School;
2. Achieve league, regional, sectional and/or All-American Honors in a sport sponsored by Menlo-Atherton;
3. Be a multi-sport athlete receiving league, regional, or sectional honors in a sport sponsored by Menlo-Atherton;
4. Have an outstanding college, amateur, or pro career in sports;
5. The candidate must be, or have been, a good citizen and contributed to the team and school in a positive way with regard to attitude, loyalty, leadership, and team spirit.