MA 19th HOF

Nineteenth AnnualMarin County High School

Athletic Hall of FameInduction Banquet

Saturday, November 4, 2006Embassy Suites Hotel

San Rafael

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Marin Athletic FoundationBoard of Directors Advisory Board

Michael Daly, President Sharon AdamsJoe Ayoob Peter Arrigoni

Kasey Childs Briare Sandy BoydJeff Brusati Mary Jane BurkeGary Burns Joan Capurro

Carney J. Campion Eugene ClahanJudith B. Colton Kit M. ColeWilliam L. Cope Dan Coleman

Carl Cox Peggie DalyGary Frugoli William Daniels

John S. Graham Ken DonaldsonJohn Heilmann Mario GhilottiRick Lafranchi John Govi Vicki McDill Jim KingRichard Nave Thomas KnopfLori Saia-Odisio Walter KostaRobert E. Spain Kenneth MacDonaldNatu Tuatagaloa Matt MacPheeChris Weber Terrel Mason

Marie McCarthyEMERITUS Peter Mitchell

Marion Higgins Robert TeasdaleSharon ValentinoJamie Williams

Executive Director: Patty Brusati

Hall of FameCommittee

Bill Brody Fred MackJeff Brusati Vicki McDillGary Burns Hank MoroskiDon Collins Rich NaveMario Ghilotti Phil RoarkGeorge Lewis Susie Woodall

The purpose of the Marin Athletic Foundation is to support and insure a full rangeof quality sports programs for all students at MCAL high schools. MAF funding sup-ports athletics at Branson, Drake, Marin Catholic, Novato, Redwood, San Marin, SanRafael, Tamalpais, Terra Linda and Tomales. Individual, business and organizationdonations are vital in MAF’s fundraising efforts. Tax-decuctible contributions maybe sent to:

Marin Athletic FoundationP.O. Box 150930

San Rafael, CA 94915(415) 472-1165


Program6:00 p.m.Reception

7:00 p.m.Grand Entrance of Inductees

7:30 p.m.Dinner

Welcome and IntroductionsMichael Daly

President, MAF Board of Directors

Introduction of InducteesDon Collins, Master of Ceremonies

Presentation of Plaques

The Marin High School Athletic Hall of Fame, established by the Marin Athletic Foundation,recognizes and honors athletes who distinguished themselves in Marin County high schoolsports. It also gives recognition to coaches and others who made significant contributions tohigh school athletics in Marin County. The annual induction banquet is held in the fall.

2006 Inductees20 Year Anniversary — Graduated 1986 or before

Nancy Camera Clary – San Rafael – 1981Missy Donnelly – Marin Catholic – 1983

Art Foster – Tamalpais – 1963Eric L. Lessley – San Marin – 1976

Gregory S. Loberg – Terra Linda – 1980Jennifer Lucas – Novato – 1986

50 Year Anniversary — Graduated 1956 or before Robert Beedle – Tamalpais – 1952

CoachesRichard DeMartini – Marin Catholic

Tom Lyons – Redwood

Special RecognitionMike Nelson


AcknowledgmentsMarin Athletic Foundation gratefully acknowledges:

Major SponsorRich & Dolly Nave

The Marin Athletic Foundation also extends special thanks to the following:

Dave Albee and Dave Allen of the Marin Independent Journal for the program preparation

Burns Florist for their donation of the boutineers

Mr. Ed Uriarte of Classic Wines of California for the wine donation


Bob BeedleAthlete — Tamalpais 1952

It was 1951 and Matt Hazeltine was bound for an All-Americancareer with Cal and then a standout 14-year stint with SanFrancisco 49ers. He had graduated from Tam, leaving BobBeedle and his teammates wondering how good a team theymight be without him.

In an early-season game against Santa Rosa, Beedle believedthe Indians were a team of destiny. Tam was holding on to a 20-19 lead late in the contest, but Santa Rosa was driving towarda winning score.

Just then Paul Knoles came out of nowhere to make a game-saving pass interception for Tam.

“He was out of position,” Beedle said. “It was instinctive. Hesaid he just ran to the spot where he thought the pass would bethrown.”

Tam avoided an upset and Beedle and his teammates went on to post an undefeated season. Soimpressive was it that years later the I.J. dubbed that ‘51 Tam squad as its “Team of the Century.”

Beedle, a tackle, was named to the All North Bay League first team in football, yet he also wasquite a track man. He was a record-setting shot putter and discus thrower who, in 1951, won bothevents in the Marin County meet then took first place in the discus at the North Bay Leaguechampionships at Tam and in the Redwood Empire meet.

Though Beedle’s football career after Tam was brief -- two years at College of Marin and twoweeks at San Francisco State -- his involvement in athletics continued. He coached the DrakeHigh School track team in shot put and discus and later served as the school’s athletic director.

Beedle, a 30-year career firefighter in Marin, also had a secret life as a professional wrestling referee. He worked “Big Time Wrestling” matches at the Cow Palace and throughout the WestCoast for five years.

Later in life, Beedle started playing tennis and rode his bike six miles a day to stay in shape. Heand his high school sweetheart, Edna, live on a ranch on land the Beddle family purchased inOccidental in the late 1800s.

Nancy Camera ClaryAthlete — San Rafael 1981

Though she was a star basketball and tennis player at SanRafael High School, Nancy Camera Clary’s claim to fame cameas a softball player for two reasons:

1) She was a second baseman for four years on the first softballteam at the school when the MCAL recognized it as a sport.The Bulldogs won 48 consecutive MCAL games and fourleague championships after that.

“We were kind of a dynasty in softball,” she said.

But an even greater accomplishment for Camera Clary cameyears later when 2) she convinced her 50 something year-oldmother, Cecile, to play for her adult fastpitch softball team onenight when the team was shorthanded and facing a possible forfeit.


“Mom, I need a right fielder,” Camera Clary said.

After upsetting Redwood and its star player (2000 Marin HOF inductee) Caren ChoppelasHorstmeyer in the MCAL playoffs in her junior year and being named team MVP and first teamAll MCAL her senior year, Camera Clary eventually went to UC Santa Barbara to play basketball.But her basketball coach there was also the softball coach so she was cut from the basketball teamin order to concentrate on playing softball. Camera Clary did end up making the basketball teamher junior year.

But, as a senior, Camera Clary decided to play neither and chose instead to focus on somethingelse.

“I think I’m going to get a college degree,” the business economics major said.

Basketball always has been Camera Clary’s favorite sport and that continues today living inNovato where she works part time for Dr. Elmo Shropshire at Laughing Stock Records. Aftercoaching at Novato and Marin Catholic high schools, Camera Clary, now a mother of two boys,became a basketball referee.

“It (coaching) took so much time and it was thankless. Refereeing is less thankless than coach-ing,” Camera Clary said. “Plus I get to go to about 20 different schools in a year instead of working at just one.”

Missy DonnellyAthlete — Marin Catholic 1983

Last year, Michelle “Missy” Donnelly was invited to the MarinAthletic Foundation Hall of Fame banquet as a guest of 2005inductee Mary Knudsen-Bracken, her high school softball teammate.

This year, Donnelly has been invited back — to be inductedinto the HOF herself, nominated by Marin Catholic coach SusieWoodall.

“She always wanted me to play volleyball (at MC),” Donnellysaid. “But I told her I could barely get through two sports. Ican’t play three.”

Donnelly, who now lives in American Canyon, played basket-ball for four years for the Wildcats, but it was on the softballdiamond where she shined, beginning in 9th grade when

Donnelly was voted first team All-MCAL and deemed a “freshman sensation” in this newspaper.

“That (nickname) stuck with me for four years,” Donnelly said, laughing. “Other players (opponents) would come up to me and say ‘We’re going to kick your (behind).’”

They didn’t have much success. In Donnelly’s junior year, the 5-foot-8 right-handed pitcher started the season with a 7-1 record and 1.50 earned run average. She also pitched 24 innings inthree games over four days.

“I was pretty much it and I didn’t mind it,” she said. “You’re only as good as the players behindyou.”

Or the umpire behind the plate. Donnelly always had a word or smirk for them.

“I was fairly competitive,” said Donnelly, who had a .519 batting average as a senior. “People whoknow me will tell you I always had a great time with the umpires. I hate to lose.”

Donnelly played softball at St. Mary’s College where she was an all-district pitcher and first baseman and graduated with a degree in economics and business administration. She is current-


ly vice president of Ocean services with the Pasha Group. Donnelly doesn’t have time for softballor basketball anymore.

“I’m completely retired,” she said. “I play golf now.”

Art FosterAthlete — Tamalpais 1963

If all goes according to plan, Art Foster, a 6-foot-3, 227-poundall Nor Cal tackle at Tam High in 1962, will attend the MarinAthletic Foundation Hall of Fame banquet for his well-deserved induction. But you may not recognize him. He’s beena busy man.

In 1974, Foster and his high school sweetheart, Margaret, converted to Islam. His Islamic name is Ibrahim Bilal and hiswife’s name is now Jaleelah Bilal. According to Foster’s sister,Royce McLemore of Marin City, her brother has 17 children, 10with Margaret and seven more with a sister wife. Islamic lawallows a husband to have more than one wife. Foster has morethan 20 grandchildren.

McLemore said one of her brother’s motivations for attendingthe MAF banquet is a goodwill mission to enlighten and showthat Muslims are friendly, kind, peace-loving people, unlike Muslim extremists dominating the terrorism across the world.

Foster is currently living in Saudi Arabia where he had been teaching English for Saudi Airlines.His best athletic days are behind him. He was all MCAL in football, basketball and track at Tam.

“He was definitely outstanding in all those sports,” his sister said. “He had the personality to gowith it.”

In high school, Foster was the star rebounder for a poor-shooting Tam basketball team. He wasknown to leave the locker room at halftime to fire up the student body by leading them in cheers.

“He was the kind of guy who was very popular with all the kids around school,” said Ed ChavezSr., his high school basketball coach.

Foster also was a champion high jumper on the school’s track team and, in football, he was goodenough to earn an athletic scholarship to Santa Clara University. Foster was an All West Coastdefensive end as a senior, but a career-ending knee injury prevented him from ever playing withthe AFL’s San Diego Chargers, who drafted him. He eventually had knee replacement surgeryand soured on a sport that brought him so much joy. He played Pop Warner football and, as ayoung teen, used to the take the bus into San Francisco with his brother, Ron, to stand in line fortheir father, LeRoy, to purchase tickets for him and his friends to San Francisco 49ers games atKezar Stadium.

Eric LessleyAthlete — San Marin 1976

As a coach at TCB Wrestling Club in Anaheim Hills, Eric Lessley is trying to teach junior highschool-aged wrestlers — not to mention his 9-year-old son, Gray — to be as passionate andintense about the sport as he was when he was a champion at San Marin High School, HumboldtState University and in the Army.

Well, maybe not quite as intense. Lessley’s approach was first place-or-bust and he cut weightand ran a lot of extra miles not to lose.


“For me, it was finals or nothing,” Lessley said. “It was a bigletdown emotionally if I wasn’t going to win.”

That helps explain why Lessley finished sixth in the state meetin his senior year with the Mustangs or settled for fourth placein other post-season tournaments. It can’t overshadow the factthat he had an incredible wrestling career. At San Marin, hewon 21 matches in a row as a sophomore, won the first of twoMCAL championships as a junior and went undefeated (26-0)in dual meets as a senior, twice beating his chief rival, SteveMarkey of Alameda. Of the 20 regular-season tournaments hecompeted in , Lessley was the MVP in all but two of them.

“I tried to make sure I won every match,” he said. “I tried topin every single guy in the first period and make sure no onescored against me. It wasn’t just to beat everybody. It was todominate them.”

Wrestling sometimes consumed Lessley’s life and his battle tomake weight. In his final season at San Marin, Lessley had 3.2

percent body fat. In his senior year at Humboldt State, Lessley trained by running 11 miles a day.It paid off. He won the 142-pound NCAA Division II championship in 1985 with his father, Don,in his corner.

After college, Lessley joined the U.S. Army in Fort Campbell. Ky. and made the All-Army team.His wrestling workout partner was Randy “The Natural” Couture, future Ultimate FightingChampionship Hall of Famer. Lessley, now a CPA, served as supply support in Kuwait for theMIAI Abrams tank battalion during the Persian Gulf War.

After that, Lessley retired from competitive wrestling and got involved in the sport as a refereeand coach, helping re-rebuild the wrestling program at Canyon High School.

“We’re doing what we can for the sport and what we can for the kids,” Lessley said.

Greg LobergAthlete — Terra Linda 1980

Greg Loberg has so many funny football stories to tell but,according to his wife and high school sweetheart Terri, he is sohumble he mostly keeps his tales and tremendous accomplish-ments to himself.

Like the time he and his Trojans teammates upset St. Ignatiusat Miller Field on a last-second TD that S.I. players swear onlyoccurred because Loberg’s dad, Bob, was running the clockthat day.

Like the time at College of the Redwoods where Loberg and hisbrother, Erik, and their Terra Linda teammates completed aperfect season by winning the NCS championship on animperfect day. The game was played in a driving rainstormand Trojans players on the sideline stood ankle-deep in waterbecause it was flooding.

Like the time Loberg was a back-up offensive lineman for the USFL’s Los Angeles Express and heand his teammates would joke about the team’s quarterback, who didn’t have a car and bummedrides to and from practice. A QB named Steve Young, Pro Football Hall of Famer.

All in all, Loberg, now a mortgage banker living with his wife and two kids in Petaluma, had a fascinating football career. Though he was a 6-foot-4, 235-pound lineman, he was voted his team’s


MVP in high school. He then played four years at Cal, becoming the fourth brother in his familyto compete in college football. Loberg, a Honorable Mention All-Pac 10 guard, was drafted by theUSFL’s Oakland Invaders, who cut him two days after he reported late to their training camp inArizona. He wound up playing with the L.A. Express, yet broke a fibula during a pile-up in agame against the Philadelphia Stars.

After starting for the USFL’s Denver Gold in 1985 and spending a training camp injured with theNew Orleans in 1986, Loberg came back to Marin and began work as a stock broker. Then in 1987,when the NFL players went on 24-day strike, the Saints called him and asked him to come playfor them.

“I remember it was Sunday,” Loberg said. “I turned to my wife and asked, ‘Should I go?’ She said,‘Sure.’”

Thus, Loberg fulfilled his childhood dream of playing in the NFL. He played in three games forthe Saints.

Jennifer LucasAthlete — Novato 1986

With her induction into this year’s Marin Athletic FoundationHall of Fame, Jennifer Lucas becomes the first third generationmember of her family to be bestowed such a MHOF honor, joining her father, Don, and grandfather, Carl “Red” Brown.

“That’s very cool,” she said. “That really makes it a very satisfying achievement.”

And Lucas has many times had satisfying achievements. Sheremembers riding her bike as a ninth grader from San JoseMiddle School to Novato High School to practice with varsityteam.

“I was a little overachiever,” Lucas said, laughing.

In her senior season with the Hornets, she remembers beatingRedwood in the MCAL championship game when she and most of her team’s starters had the flu.

“We were all sick and yet were able to rise above that illness to pull out a win,” said Lucas, whorecalled playing with a fever of 102 degrees. “I think we all celebrated by going home and goingback to bed.”

The Hornets — 62-2 in Lucas’ final two years — went on to post a perfect season, 35-0, cappedwhen Lucas, averaging 15 points a game during the season as a 5-foot-7 point guard, erupted for32 points in a 72-65 win over Chino High in the California Division II state championship game.

“It was one of those nights I didn’t think I’d ever keep shooting,” she said. “That game gave methe confidence to go do whatever the heck I wanted to do.”

Lucas, who was all-MCAL in volleyball and an unanimous all-league in softball as a freshmanand sophomore, went on the play basketball at Santa Clara where, nearly 19 years later, she stillowns the school’s single-game record for assists (15).

After graduating from Santa Clara with a 3.7 GPA, Lucas enrolled in medical school atGeorgetown University in Washington, D.C. She decided to try another sport — rugby — andsoon played it well enough to play on the U.S. national women’s rugby team that advanced tothe championship game of the Hong Kong Internationals in 1999.

Now a hematologist oncologist at California Cancer Care in Greenbrae, Lucas has recently addedone more achievement in her life. She and her domestic partner, Jennifer Emberly, are proud parents of a one-month-old son, Maxx.


Rick DeMartiniCoach — Marin Catholic girls basketball

The inspiration for Rick DeMartini to become a coach camefrom legendary Petaluma High School football coach SteveEllison and Super Bowl-winning coach Mike Holmgren whenDeMartini was a tight end, defensive tackle and punter atSacred Heart High School when Ellison and Holmgren werehis head coach and assistant coach, respectively.

But the inspiration for DeMartini to become a girls basketballcoach came from his mother-in-law, Joanne Greco. She used totease her husband and DeMartini so much whenever theycoached their boys basketball team in CYO that DeMartini suggested she coach her own team. Greco took the dare butsoon after called DeMartini for help, asking him to be an assis-tant coach on her girls basketball team, St. Patrick’s inLarkspur. That was DeMartini’s first experience teaching girlshow to play basketball. He’s done real well.

For example, in December of 2002 DeMartini took his Marin Catholic varsity team to the prestigious Nike TOC in Arizona. He requested that the Wildcats play in the toughest division.They were seeded eighth and played top-seeded Thunder Ridge High of Highlands Ranch, thenthe No. 1 team in the country in preseason led by UConn-bound Ann Strothers coming off a 24-1 season when they were two-time defending Colorado State Class 5A champions.

The Wildcats were given no chance by tournament organizers.

“They gave us no respect,” DeMartini said. “They thought they (Highlands) would beat us by 20or 30 points.”

The Wildcats won and went on to win their first state title that season. They finished 25th in USAToday’s Super 25 final rankings. Highlands Ranch finished fifth, though losing to Marin Catholicthree months earlier.

“It was a tremendous accomplishment for a small school coming out of Marin County,”DeMartini said. “When we defeated them, I thought ‘This group is really something special.’”

Special? Seven players off that 2002-2003 state championship team at Marin Catholic, led byStanford’s Brooke Smith, went on to play NCAA Division I basketball.

Tom LyonsCoach — Redwood

Tom Lyons’ success at Redwood High School can be measuredin numbers. Rising numbers.

When he took over as boys and girls track coach at the schoolin the spring of 1994, there were only 35 kids on the team. Incross country that fall, there were only 15 students on thesquad.

“I had no idea what to expect,” Lyons said. “I guess I thoughtthere would be more.”

Eventually, more students started competing for Lyons andTiffany Hansen became his first individual champion and Top10 finisher at state. Lyons’ programs eventually turned theproverbial corner.


“It probably took three years,” he said. “At that point, it looked like we could be competitive witheveryone, not just some of the teams.”

Thanks to the Lyons, the Giants got bigger and better real fast. In his coaching career at Redwood,the track team at one time grew to 150 members and the cross country team topped 75, roughlyfive times greater than where he started.

“My memories are really team-oriented,” Lyons said. “Redwood was represented at the statemeet 10 years in a row. That’s hard to do.”

In 1999, Lyons’ boys track team overwhelmed its competition on this side of the Golden GateBridge.

“That team was as good as any track team,” he said. “We scored over 200 points as a team (in theMCAL meet). We were so deep and competitive. We wound up winning the Redwood Empirethat year by 40 points.”

Lyons’ boys cross country team won 54 consecutive MCAL dual meets and amassed a leaguedual meet record of 79-8 in his 11-year coaching stint. He coached an individual state Division IIIcross country champion — Jake Schmitt, who was also a three-time MCAL champ.

After being named NCS Honor Coach and CIF State Model Coach in 2004-2005, Lyons, a self-employed engineer who lives in Fairfax with his wife and two boys, accepted a faculty positionat San Francisco State University to coach its men’s and women’s cross country teams. His parents are flying out from Connecticut for his induction into the Marin Athletic Foundation Hallof Fame.

Mike NelsonSpecial Recognition — Marin Catholic/Terra Linda

There may come a time during a high school game when a player and coach don’t exactly see eye-to-eye about what’s happening on the field. The coach is too busy or the player istoo frustrated or confused to meet.

That’s when 82-year-old Mike Nelson of Nicasio would cometo the rescue and calmly act as a liaison to help all partiesinvolved — player, coach, parents and fans — communicatebetter and soothe any sore feelings.

“I’m always on the sideline. I talk to them all the time,” Nelsonsaid. “I tell them to do their best. I give them examples of howthings were for me.”

When Nelson was a teen-ager, he kept his cool and playedsmart. He organized his own baseball team in the Queens-Nassau League in New York. He was a player/manager at 14 and George Vecsey, then of the LongIsland Daily Press, deemed him “the Bill Terry of the league.”

Nelson played football and baseball at his high school in Queens. The third baseman on his teamwas Eddie Yost, who went from high school to the Washington Senators. Nelson, the team’s rightfielder, was all set to join a Brooklyn Dodgers semipro farm team out of high school, but hewas classified 1A in the military draft.

So instead of playing pro baseball, Nelson joined the Merchant Marines. He participated in D-Day and the invasion of Normandy in World War II.

“Fortunately, I was watching out there,” Nelson said. “I was anchored.”


In 1961, Nelson moved his family to Marin County and ultimately became president of Trans-Global Import Resources and owner of the Olema Farmhouse. His son, Tom, graduated fromTerra Linda High School and went on to play baseball at St. Mary’s where Mike one day wascoaxed out of retirement to play in an alumni game.

“I was about 52 years old and I went 2-for-3,” Nelson said. “That was my final glory.”

Nelson’s daughter, Susan, graduated from Marin Catholic where Nelson generously and enthu-siastically became a chief benefactor for the Wildcats sports programs. In 1980, he was anointedas an honorary coach. He is a fixture at MC both financially and spiritually.

“That’s what made me contribute for 27 years,” Nelson said. “The fact I was always there tohelp.”


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