Six former Pioneers join Cal State East Bay Athletic Hall of Fame
Five of the six members of the 2010 Cal State East Bay Athletic Hall of Fame class (L to R): Colin Lindores, Leah Pero, Miloe McCall, Darryl Robinson and Angel Alcorcha. (Photo: Lee Stidham)
- May 26, 2010
The 13th Cal State East Bay Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony was held on May 15 at the New University Union on the Hayward campus. Five former student-athletes and one former coach were celebrated as the newest Hall of Fame members.
The 2010 Hall of Fame class included pole vaulter Darryl Robinson, former track and field athlete Miloe McCall, Angel Alcorcha, a women's volleyball and softball player, women's basketball player Leah (Thornton) Pero, baseball player Archie Gilbert and former men's and women's soccer coach Colin Lindores. The 1988 NCAA Division II women's soccer national championship team also received special recognition for their contributions to Pioneer athletics.
Among the many firsts at the event was Pero's induction as the initial women's basketball player to be selected as a Hall of Famer. Also for the first time in Hall of Fame history, an inductee was presented by his son, as Darryl C. Robinson II praised the accomplishments of his father before awarding him with his Hall of Fame plaque.
Robinson is the first men's track and field athlete to be inducted since 1996, while McCall became the first women's high jumper to join the elite group of Hall of Famers. For the second consecutive year, a Pioneer women's volleyball player was among the inductees, as Alcorcha joined 2008 inductee Jennifer Cioma.
Though Gilbert was unable to attend due to playing duties with the Midland Rockhounds, the Oakland Athletics' double-A affiliate, his mother was present to accept his plaque, while his cousin read an acceptance speech Gilbert had written for the event. In his absence, Cal State East Bay Head Baseball Coach Dirk Morrison, family members and friends shared memories of Gilbert's triumphs, both as a youth player and as a Pioneer.
Joined by many of his former players and assistant coaches, Lindores was honored as the most successful soccer coach in Cal State East Bay history. During his time in Hayward, Lindores led the women's program to six consecutive conference titles and a national championship, while guiding the men to five NCAA postseason berths, including a Division II Final Four appearance in 1989.
The Hall of Fame Committee selected Both Gilbert and Pero in their first year of eligibility, while Lindores received Hall of Fame honors as a first-time nominee. Robinson had waited the longest among the inductees after becoming eligible in 1986.
More than 100 guests honored the 2010 Hall of Fame class, including several current Hall of Fame members and Cal State East Bay coaches. Both University President Dr. Mohammad Qayoumi and Director of Athletics Debby De Angelis spoke at the event, while Kevin Michel, public address announcer for the Pioneers and FC Gold Pride, presided over the affair as the Master of Ceremonies.