Campus News
UC Santa Cruz Athletics establishes Hall of Fame, announces inaugural class
The Hall of Fame will celebrate the excellence, history, and impact of Banana Slug athletics.
UC Santa Cruz Athletics has announced the creation of a Hall of Fame and unveiled the inaugural class of honorees, a new tradition that celebrates the excellence, history, and impact of Banana Slug athletics. The Hall of Fame recognizes alumni student-athletes, coaches, and administrators whose achievements helped shape UC Santa Cruz Athletics and set a standard of excellence across generations.
The inaugural 2026 class includes individuals whose stories reflect competitive success, leadership, and a deep commitment to community—hallmarks of UC Santa Cruz Athletics. Together, they represent decades of achievement across sports including soccer, basketball, cross country, swimming and diving, tennis, volleyball, and golf.
“Creating this Hall of Fame is an inspiring and important milestone,” said Chris Spells, Director of Athletics and Recreation. “We have the opportunity to recognize outstanding alumni student-athletes, coaches, and administrators, and to celebrate their tremendous contributions to UC Santa Cruz Athletics in a way that we’ve never done here before. As the Athletics department at UC Santa Cruz is in its 45th year of existence, it’s important to celebrate the past and to be inspired and excited to build for the future.”
Among the inductees are record-setting athletes whose performances still define program history. Women’s soccer standout Annick Lamb remains the program’s all-time leading goal scorer and was the first Banana Slug to earn an NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship. Men’s basketball legend John Saintignon once led all of NCAA basketball in scoring, surpassing future NBA stars during his historic season. In the pool, Matt Humphreys captured the campus’s first NCAA national championship and later distinguished himself through military and medical service, while Mollie Lewis became the first NCAA champion for the women’s swim and dive program.
The class also honors transformative coaches, including Paul Holocher, who guided men’s soccer to a national runner-up finish, and Bob Hansen, whose leadership established UC Santa Cruz as the most successful Division III men’s tennis program in NCAA history. Trailblazers like Candra Lancaster, a founding force behind the state’s first NCAA Division III women’s golf program, are also recognized for building opportunities that continue to benefit student-athletes today.The inaugural Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday, April 24, 2026, at La Bahia in Santa Cruz. All inductees will receive a personalized Hall of Fame ring in recognition of their achievements and lasting impact on UC Santa Cruz Athletics. Additional details about the ceremony, along with full biographies of each Hall of Fame inductee, are available on the UC Santa Cruz Athletics website.