The UCSB Recreational Sports Hall of Fame Awards ceremony will take place on Saturday April 24, 2010 from 11a-2p at the Mosher Alumni House!

In anticipation of this event, let's get to know the recepients!

Hall of Fame Award

Adam Laurent - "You should dictate the race and not let the race dictate you"

Adam was born in Santa Cruz on July 6, 1971 and was a member of the UCSB club Cycling team in 1993. He first got involved with the UCSB club cycling team when the club leaders found out that he was attending UCSB, and approached him about participating in some of the races with them.  Adam felt that joining the team would assist his elite level racing ambitions, and his experience in those kinds of races brought a special swagger to the team. Together, they all learned how to win.

"I didn't know at the time how right that thought [joining the team] was.  I found huge value in collegiate racing, and it truly set the table for my racing career."

Adam accomplished a lot during his time with the team. He won 50% of all mass-start races, 5 of 6 team time trials, and placed 3^rd in both the National Collegiate Championship Road Race and the National Collegiate Championship Criterium. He was named to the All-American team, made the National Collegiate Team Time Trial Championships, and was the Western Regional Criterium Champion. Finally, in 1993 the national governing body of bike racing named Adam an All-American and put him on the USA Cycling team.

Adam's talents were not limited to the athletic arena. He was a part of the Academic Decathlon in San Luis Obispo County and came in 1^st place in geography, essay, and speech. He received the Kiwanas Academic Scholarship, and now volunteers for the Special Olympics and the Red Cross. Adam always looks for the fun in everything, especially sports. As Adam would say, "seriousness and joy are not incompatible." He takes pride in never having been a one-trick pony while an athlete and has always strived to lead an intellectual and cultural life as well. Adam approaches tasks with deep thought and exploration and views sports as both a competition and an artistic performance.

After college Adam achieved many things. Including being a member of the 1996 USA Olympic Pursuit Team. Adam said of his training, "It was life distilled down to a fine point....very intense.  It's ultimate value was that it was a form of validation for all the crazy effort, that everyone, not just those in cycling, can relate to. " Further, Adam has 2 World Championship Medals and 2 Pan American Games Gold Medals, was a member of 7 World Championship teams, and holds a Pan American Record in Team Pursuit. He won 10 National Championship titles and is the American Record Holder for the 4k Team Pursuit since 1996.

The friendships Adam developed during his time with the UCSB Cycling team are some of his strongest and most enduring relationships. Just last summer Adam and five of his friends hiked 224 miles in 8 days to complete the John Muir Trail. The highlight of his whole cycling experience came thanks to many of his past teammates. When Adam competed in the Atlanta Summer Olympics in 1996, ten of his closest friends (including eight former teammates) rented a motor home, road tripped to Atlanta, and came dressed to his races in costumes and war paint!

Chris Keets - "I have made friends around the world, seen cultures out of a fairy tale, and made a living being who I am as a person, doing what I love to do"

Chris Keets majored in Communication with a minor in English. In 1996, he became the first surfer to win the Athlete of the Year award at the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table. Chris was a member and captain of the UCSB Surf Team. In 1993, his freshman year, he was one of four people to make the NSSA National Championships. In 1994/1995 he made the NSSA National Championships before taking two quarters off to travel abroad. In 1995/1996 he was a member of the National Champions and began running surf contests as fundraisers. In 1996/1997 Chris was Captain of the Surf Team and was the runner up at Nationals. In 1997/1998 he was the co-captain of the Surf Team and went to the National Championships, finishing 3^rd.

In 1997 Chris founded the Santa Barbara Surfing Series thanks to the support and project funding of the UCSB surf team, Nancy Clayton, and the NRS director, Kevin. The series served as a continuing internship on marketing, advertising, promotions, fundraising and event directing which suited Chris's Communication background well. With the support of the University the permit fees for locations, the insurance, and other costs were covered.

The SBSS was designed for the competitive athlete in mind creating high profile events that gained exposure for top placings, provided all participants in the event with a T-shirt, lunch, and attendance prizes, heaps of prizes for finalists, and a trip for the 3 contest series winners to Isla Natividad, Mexico as the top prize. Through the events they raised funds for the John Bradbury Fund and the UCSB surfing team. The funds enabled John to take a break from his battle with cancer and vacation in Florida, as well as sent the UCSB surf team to the National Championships (funded) and a four day pre event training mission to Baja Mexico.

The SBSS was really well received in the area, as the cost was cheap, there heaps of prizes, trips were on the line, the proceeds served great causes, and for the most part were held in epic conditions. The most rewarding part of these events for Chris was seeing the look on kids faces as they got their prizes and accepted awards. Giving back was huge to him. The way that it bonded the team and raised money for causes felt so right. The series was a wonderful tool for Chris, building the educational and creative foundation for the establishment of Chris's business, Surf Happens.

Chris has overcome a number of personal challenges in life and focuses on giving back to others and the community. Chris learned how to be a leader and team member in an organizational setting, working towards individual goals that built the whole. Also, the UCSB club sports program really bonded and legitimized surfing as an organized and recognized sport. This paved the way for his later founding of the first surf teams at area schools Santa Barbara Junior High and Santa Barbara High School. Surf taught Chris more than he could ever articulate in words. "The ocean has been a constant in my life as long as I can remember, rocking me to and fro through all things good and bad. Strength of character, discipline, community, self respect, determination, love, culture, appreciation of nature. I have made friends around the world, seen cultures out of a fairy tale, and made a living being who I am as a person, doing what I love to do. Sharing the spirit and lifestyle of surfing is a dream come true."

The first year that the Surf Series was not held the Delta Delta Delta philanthropic chair asked whether or not Chris could develop a surfing contest to benefit St. Jude Children's hospital. Together they hosted the fundraising surf contest and the Tri Delta's helped staff on the day of the event while also running beach games and sand castle building contests. The original name of the event was Surf, Sand, and St. Jude; a somewhat confusing title that eventually evolved it into the St. Jude Surf Challenge. Each year they raised greater funds and Chris began coordinating surf lessons as part of the event as well.

The event has been a great fundraiser and connection to UCSB, however the most memorable thing in all six years was to have two kids Chris works with in our annual Hugs For Cubs surf day. Our annual surf day for kids with cancer is June 20^th, and this will be our sixth year hosting it. Up to 30 children afflicted by cancer and their families attend each year. After doing fundraising and working with causes for over 15 years, Chris can safely say working directly with the cause is more rewarding than any amount of money raised.

By teaching goal setting practices that apply to all facets of life, encouraging passion, determination, discipline, and education Chris has the blessing of watching kids obtain their personal bests in the sport of surfing, and in life. Teaching what you love and have learned through experience and education and watching kids pick it up is the epitome of success. Also, the evolution of his relationship with those individuals he has helped out has been transformative. "I have evolved from an older brother figure to ‘Uncle Keet,' [a title] which I proudly claim. The amount of joy I obtain watching a kid catch his or first wave, stand up and confront fears of public speaking during our weekly talent shows, learn to resolve conflict peacefully, remember to pick up trash, or just high five a friend on a wave, is equivalent to seeing a student take home a national title."- Chris Keets

Pioneer Award

Donn Bernstein

Donn R. Bernstein, or Bernie, was born on March 3, 1936 in San Francisco and is one of UCSB's Honorary Alumni. He is viewed as a "Friend of Intramurals" and was Sports Information Director from 1964-1972. Bernie moved to Santa Barbara in the early 1960's, and in the fall of 1964 he began revolutionizing Gaucho sports. He was UCSB's first Sports Information Director and hammered out press releases and features at a mind-boggling rate. He used his charm to persuade the media to come out, support, and cover UCSB sports. He quickly became very popular around school and he knew everyone who wore gold and blue. It is said that campus hasn't been quiet since Bernie arrived.

Donn was a journalist in the Bay Area, where a football contest was not just a game, but also a way of life. He brought that same attitude and excitement to the more subdued Santa Barbara. It is no coincidence that during Donn's second year, the Gaucho football team piled up victories and earned an invitation to the Camellia Bowl. Bernie's eight-year run at UCSB ended with the tragic shuttering of the football program.

After UCSB, Bernie accepted a job at the University of Washington where he was made the Husky's sports publicist. The University of Washington campus was never the same again, with Bernie inspiring passion just like he did at UCSB. Thanks for his massive success at his two previous stops, Bernie accepted a job with ABC sports and moved to New York, where he helped produce the biggest college football games every week on national television.

UCSB's Recreation Department notes that Bernie has been a long-time friend, advocate, and volunteer supporter of UCSB's Recreation Department and its intramural program since he first offered his services as a flag football and basketball official in the mid-l960s, before ineptness forced him into early retirement.

Upon his visits to the campus, Bernie has graciously given his time holding court with students, staff, and faculty. He shares his professional insight and experiences in classroom forums and smaller gatherings.

Mike Killackey

The UCSB Recreational Sports program has gained momentum over the past
20 years, and a lot of that momentum can be attributed to Mike Killackey. As a Gaucho from 1993-1997, Mike Killackey double majored in Business Economics and Sociology.
He notes, "the Department of Recreational Sports isn't just a sports program. It really is a career building program - a program designed to develop the building blocks for a solid career and healthy lifestyle." Without UCSB Recreational Sports, Mike Killackey wouldn't be the extraordinary person he is today and quite frankly, our Recreational Sports Department wouldn't be in the place it is today without his contributions.

Mike Killackey's career at Recreational Sports saw him as a gym-field
and night supervisor before reaching the position of Student Director of Marketing for Recreational Sports. As the primarystudent director, he produced fundraising activities, organized sponsorships, and increased community involvement here at UCSB. He says, "I was able to find creative ways to increase participation by providing give-aways through community sponsorship." Events like the Turkey Trot, 5K Run, and "peel-off fundraising" were established under Mike's leadership. By teaming up with groups like Woodstock's or Silvergreens, he was not only able to increase participation for events like these, but also advertise these newly established partnerships at the exact same time.

What was his goal? "It wasn't just a short term goal of marketing and getting the money. It was a long term goal of setting up the structure for a marketing department so that you had a structure and an organization in place that would allow for long term fundraising activities" Killackey stated.

As a result of Mike's incredible contributions to Recreational Sports, particularly the marketing team within the department, he will be honored with the Pioneer Award at the Rec Sports Hall of Fame ceremony, Saturday April 24, 2010 from 11a-2p in the Mosher Alumni House!

Frank Stevens

For a man who lives his life by the motto "gratitude is attitude," Frank Stevens is quite an incredible UCSB Alumni. As a graduate of the class of 1959, Frank left UCSB with not only a higher education and future wife, but also with recreational sports experience that very few students were able to obtain. Frank was recruited to become a member of the UCSB baseball team after transferring in 1957, and has been hooked on recreational sports ever since. As one of UCSB's first members of the Recreational Center Governance Board, Frank left his mark at Santa Barbara not only by hitting balls out of the park but also by being an influential member on this crucial board. Some of Frank's fondest memories at UCSB include voting 'yes' in the governance board meeting in which the creation of the MAC was finally decided upon, and, of course, meeting his lovely wife here on campus. Frank is currently an avid volunteer for the alumni association and dedicates his days to public service, volunteerism, and community service. He is an extraordinary individual that exudes gratitude everyday of his life and is well deserving of this Pioneer Award.

Intramural Legacy Teams

Vintage Gnarly - "I'm pretty sure we always had as much fun off the field as we had on it."

The history of UCSB's Intramural Sport program would not be the same if not for some legendary teams. Vintage Gnarly is one of those teams.

The team has found continued success from the formation of their flag football team in1975 until 1996, when they played in their last spring tournament together. The team was originally known as Tropicana 1, as many of the team members resided there during 1973 and 1974. The name was changed to Fertile Crescent upon a move to Del Playa, before finally becoming Vintage Gnarly with the addition of Steve Sherman. In addition to playing flag football, most members participated in several other intramural sports.

The core members of Sam Sanregret, Steve Sherman, Phil Stewart, Ron Peters and Craig Blower stayed together throughout the duration of their playing years with many others coming and going. Gnarly had great success both during their time at UCSB, and as they continued to play after graduation in weekend Spring Tournaments for the next 20 years. Year after year Gnarly would make it out of the Saturday bracket, playing in the championship game over half the time and winning the whole tournament several times.

According to Sam Sanregret, the team would come together on Fridays to start the weekend out right with a round of golf on Friday, followed by a weekend full of partying and football. "I'm pretty sure we always had as much fun off the field as we had on it."

After graduation these spring tournaments gave the members of Gnarly a common point to return to. "I think that team sports teach some of the greatest life lessons and business lessons you can have. " The intramural programs have provided these experiences for years, and continue to provide life lessons and learning experiences to students today.

Gnarly will be reunited again as they are being inducted into the Recreational Sports Hall of Fame as an Intramural Legacy Team, April 24^th, 2010 11am-2pm at the Mosher Alumni House.

Ozone Rangers - "These guys are my brothers.  We have a bond like no other athletic group I will experience"

Nothing short of the title Intramural Legacy could truly explain the Flag Football team Ozone Rangers. Having continued success throughout their years at UCSB and for the following 20 years after graduation, the Ozone Rangers are certainly deserving of this recognition as an Intramural Legacy Team.

Beginning in the fall of 1975 and throughout the next few years Larry Van Lint, Judson Marquart, Matt Benedict, Charlie Pacer and Jamie Loomis began an incredible journey in intramural sports. Their involvement with Recreational Sports started with a Flag Football team called the Crackers. With the addition of A.J. Houston, Ron Nau, Tom Richards, Richard Hay, and Tim Bearer, by the fall of 1977 the Ozone Rangers were formed.

The success of Ozone can likely be attributed to a specific play, known by the team as the "power left sweep." Often playing in Bermuda shorts, silly hats and no shoes, Ozone continued to be a success story for years to come. After years of participating in Spring Tournaments, Ozone combined with a team known as Vintage Gnarly to become one super team know as Gnarly Hole in the Ozone, which remained a great team finding themselves many wins through 1996 when the team played in their last tournament.

With so many great memories and success stories the team is looking forward to reuniting at the Alumni Awards Ceremony. As stated by Tim Bearer "These guys are my brothers, we have a bond like no other athletic group I will ever experience." The success of Ozone did not come without hard work, sweat, injuries, late nights and long days but provided its team members with some of the best times of their lives. "The competitive relationships we developed, particularly with our Gnarly bros, are life enriching."

Ozone will be inducted into the Recreational Sports Hall of Fame along with Vintage Gnarly at the Alumni Awards Ceremony on April 24^th 2010 from 11am-2pm at the Mosher Alumni House. The team will come together again as they are honored for the legacy that they leave with UCSB Recreational Sports forever.

Also being honored:

Black Tide Ultimate - Two-Time Back-to-Back-to-Back National Champions!