BERKELEY – All-American, Olympian and national champion are just some of the terms that can be used to describe the eight Golden Bears who have been selected for enshrinement into the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame. The Class of 2015, which will comprise the 30th group of inductees, includes some of the most storied names in school history who have excelled both as student-athletes and in their post-collegiate careers.
Those who have been elected into the Hall are:
- Dan Cholowsky (baseball) – an All-American third baseman who was named team MVP when he led Cal to the regional final of the 1991 NCAA Tournament
- Vicky Galindo (softball) – a 2008 USA Olympian and record-setting third baseman who was a two-time All-American for the Bears in 2004 and ’05
- Tony Gonzalez (football / men’s basketball) – a star for the Golden Bears in both football and basketball in the mid-1990s who became the greatest tight end in NFL history
- Alan Gresham (men’s water polo / men’s swimming & diving) – a two-time NCAA Player of the Year in water polo (1983, ’84) and the 1985 Pac-10 champion in the 50-yard freestyle
- Mia Jerkov (volleyball) – a two-time All-American in 2002 and ’03 and a school-record-holder who elevated the volleyball program into the NCAA Tournament
- Raquel Kops-Jones (women’s tennis) – the 2004 Pac-10 singles champion and 2003 NCAA doubles champion who became the first Cal women’s tennis player ever ranked No. 1 nationally in singles
- Peter Tomasulo (men’s golf) – an All-American and All-America Scholar who led Cal to the 2004 NCAA team championship
- Brian Treggs (football) – helped Cal to a pair of bowl victories and completed his career in 1991 as the Bears’ all-time leader in receptions and receiving yards
Formal induction ceremonies are scheduled for Friday, Oct. 30, at the annual Hall of Fame banquet at the Greek Orthodox Church Conference Center in Oakland. Information on tickets to the banquet can be found online at bigcsociety.org. The new inductees will also be honored at halftime of Cal’s Oct. 31 football game vs. USC on Kabam Field at California Memorial Stadium.
With the addition of the new members, the Cal Athletic Hall of Fame now features 279 individuals and six rowing teams. The school’s Hall of Fame, which is located on the west side of Memorial Stadium and is open to all ticket holders after each home game, was inaugurated in 1986.
Dan Cholowsky (baseball, 1989-91) – A talented infielder for the Golden Bears, Cholowsky was an All-American and All-Pac-10 third baseball as a junior in 1991 when he helped Cal to the NCAA regional final in Wichita, Kan. He earned the Clint Evans award that season as the Bears’ most valuable player, batting .339 with 57 RBI and a team-leading 18 home runs. In conference action, Cholowsky hit .348 with 11 homers. He continues to hold the school record for at-bats in a season with 274 in 1991, while his run (68) and base hit (91) totals from that year rank second and fifth, respectively, in the Cal record book. Cholowsky played eight seasons in the minor leagues, including all or parts of four seasons at the AAA level. He is currently a scout for the Toronto Blue Jays organization.
Vicky Galindo (softball, 2003-05) – A member of the silver-medal-winning 2008 USA Olympic team, Galindo still stands as one of Cal softball's top offensive players in program history. Among school season records, she continues to lead in doubles (18) and ranks third in hits (83), total bases (126) and assists (165) … also fifth all-time for stolen bases, with 61 in her career … led the Bears in runs in 2003, 2004 and 2005, and paced Cal in hits in 2003 and 2004 and batting average in 2004 … a two-time NFCA All-American (2004-05) and a three-time All-Pac-10 and All-Region selection … helped the Bears punch their ticket to Oklahoma City for the Women's College World Series each of her three years and led Cal to the 2005 Pac-10 Championship … named to the 2003 and 2004 WCWS All-Tournament teams.
Tony Gonzalez (football, 1994-96; men’s basketball 1995-97) – Considered one of the greatest tight ends in NFL history and one of the best to every play the position at Cal, Gonzalez was a two-sport letterman for the Golden Bears who starred in both football and basketball. He was named a first-team All-American by Football News and Sporting News, as well as All-Pac-10, in his final season on the gridiron as a junior in 1996. That season, he had 44 receptions for 699 yards and five touchdowns, helping Cal to the Aloha Bowl where he equaled a school bowl record with nine receptions. Gonzalez completed his career with 89 catches for 1,302 yards and eight scores. He enjoyed 16 starts and played in 82 games for the Cal basketball team, contributing 6.4 ppg and 4.3 rpg. As a junior, he helped Cal to the Sweet 16 of the 1997 NCAA Tournament, which included a 23-point effort in a win over Villanova in the second round. The 13th overall pick of the 1997 NFL Draft by the Kansas City Chiefs, Gonzalez played 17 seasons and in 270 games in the NFL for the Chiefs and Atlanta Falcons, recording 1,325 catches for 15,127 yards and 111 touchdown receptions before announcing his retirement following the 2013 season. His receptions are the second most in NFL history, while the receiving yards are fifth and touchdown catches sixth, with all three the most ever in the NFL by a tight end. He was a 10-time All-Pro, a 14-time Pro Bowl choice and a member of the NFL’s 2000’s All-Decade Team.
Alan Gresham (men’s water polo, 1980, 82-84; men’s swimming 1984-85) – Gresham lettered in two sports for the Bears, earning All-American honors in both water polo and swimming. He was a three-time All-American in water polo from 1982-84, earning NCAA Player of the Year honors as both a junior and a senior and leading the Bears to the national title both years. Gresham and Pete Cutino Jr. were tabbed NCAA Tournament co-MVPs in 1983. Gresham was also the 1984 Pac-10 Player of the Year. As a swimmer, he was the Pac-10 co-champion in the 50-yard freestyle in 1985 and claimed All-American status in both 1984 and ’85.
Mia Jerkov (volleyball, 2001-03) – A true program changer, Jerkov was a two-time All-American and two-time All-Pac-10 choice for the Bears. She led Cal to its first NCAA Tournament in 13 years in 2002 and helped the Bears into the top 25 in 2003 after a 14-year drought. Jerkov set the Cal season record for kills with 701 in 2003, a mark that still stands 73 kills above the next best on the all-time list. She also set a Cal mark for kills in a match with 39 against Washington in 2002 and finished her three-year career with 14 matches of 30 or more kills. Despite playing just three seasons at Cal (she skipped her senior season to play for Croatia's National Team), Jerkov ranks sixth on the career kills list with 1,390 and fifth in aces (54). Since leaving Berkeley, she has gone on to have a successful pro career in Europe, playing for teams in Russia, Italy, South Korea, Turkey and Japan.
Raquel Kops-Jones (women’s tennis, 2001-04) – Kops-Jones was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Senior Player of the Year and Pac-10 Player of the Year as a senior in 2004, when she was ranked No. 1 much of the season and was the first Golden Bear to win the Pac-10 singles championship. Kops-Jones and Christina Fusano captured the NCAA doubles title in 2003. The tandem was named the ITA Doubles Team of the Year in 2003, and they also claimed the 2002 and ’03 Pac-10 doubles crown. Kops-Jones was a five-time All-American in both singles and doubles, and was the 2001 Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. Since graduating from Cal, she has enjoyed a long career on the pro circuit and owns 13 WTA doubles titles, primarily with playing partner Abigail Spears.
Peter Tomasulo (men’s golf, 2000-04) – A two-time All-American and All-America Scholar as a junior and senior, Tomasulo led the Bears to the NCAA team championship in 2004. He shot a 67 in the final round of the NCAA Tournament as Cal came from six shots down on the final day to claim victory. During the 2004 season, Tomasulo broke his own school record with an average of 70.2 strokes per round. He had four top 5 finishes over the course of the year and tied for 10th place at NCAA’s. In addition, his 61 in the opening round of the ASU Thunderbird Invitational in Tempe set a school record. Tomasulo was a three-time first-team All-Pac-10 selection and a first-team Pac-12 All-Academic choice as a senior while he was selected with at least honorable mention honors in each of his four collegiate seasons. He also represented the United States as a member of a winning 2003 Palmer Cup team. Tomasulo turned professional in 2004, has ranked as high as No. 11 on the Web.com Tour money list and played in 55 career PGA TOUR events.
Brian Treggs (football, 1988-91) – Treggs was a standout wide receiver and kick returner for the Golden Bears during his career and finished in 1991 as Cal’s all-time leader in receiving yards (2,335) and receptions (167). He still ranks fifth in receptions and tied for fifth in school history in both categories, as well as eighth in career touchdown receptions (15). Treggs led Cal in receptions, receiving yards, punt return yards and punt returns each of his last three years and caught at least one pass in his final 36 games as a Bear. He helped the Bears to the 1990 Copper Bowl victory over Wyoming, and his 72-yard punt return in a 37-13 win over Clemson in the Florida Citrus Bowl the following season was the longest bowl punt return and only punt return for a touchdown in school bowl history. Treggs was voted second-team All-Pac-10 as a junior and honorable mention as a sophomore and senior. Treggs signed as a free agent with the Seattle Seahawks in 1992. His son, Bryce Treggs, is a senior on the 2015 Cal football team.
To reserve your place at the induction banquet, complete the order form above and email to cgcarp65@me.com by Wednesday, Oct. 28. Note that due to unforeseen commitments, inductees Raquel Kops-Jones and Mia Jerkov are unable to attend.
