Sports Hall of Fame

The Saratoga Sports Hall of Fame, started in 2007, is such a new tradition that the plaque for it has not yet been created, but the honor still holds its prestige.

The second Saratoga Sports Hall of Fame, hosted by the Events Commission, was held in the McAfee Center on June 2 at 7 p.m.
During this year’s ceremony, the school recognized its current athletes who will be playing sports in college next year. Then, the school honored alumni who not only played all four years of sports during high school but also excelled in college athletic programs.
One of the attendees, senior golfer Andrew Cho, had played golf throughout high school and will be playing it at Boston University next year.
“I was really excited to go,” Cho said. “I love the sport I play and it was great to be invited to such an honorable event. It was exciting seeing others who were recognized as well.”
The Sports Hall of Fame is held every four years, similar to the Olympics.
Four athletes, alumni champion swimmer Brad Hinshaw, softball player Liz Kelly, runner Anne Ricketts and NCAA Tae-Kwon Do Champion Andrew Bosworth were inducted into the Saratoga Hall of Fame.
Even though Ricketts did not attend, all were inducted.
Bosworth is now the director of engineering at Facebook, making him one of the top employees there. Kelly is now the head coach of the Dutch National Softball Team and brought the team to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Also, former football coach Benny Pierce was honored by being named Coach Emeritus and inducted into the Hall of Fame as well.
Pierce was at one time the winningest football coach in California and the lower field at SHS is named after him. He started the football program in 1959 and retired in 1994.
“He is a teacher, a coach and an inspiration,” assistant principal Karen Hyde said. “He is just a phenomenal human being.”
In order to be inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame, alumni must have been athletes at Saratoga High School over 10 years ago and athletes in college. The Events Commission advertised this to alumni groups, current parents, students and in the local Saratoga News. Athletes were nominated by the community, and applications were reviewed by the Events Commission, which then selected the winners.
“I enjoyed meeting the people who came [to the event],” events commissioner Mac Hyde said. “I knew some of the former students when I was little, so it was nice to see them again. Overall, it’s just a fun event we like to do.”
Following the ceremony, there was a reception hosted by the Saratoga Sports Boosters.