NORTHRIDGE, Calif. --- On Sunday, July 24, the Matadors inducted a new class into the Matador Hall of Fame at a luncheon and ceremony at the Warner Center Marriott. More than 400 Matador friends and family attended the event, which was highlighted by emotional acceptance speeches and lots of celebration.
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The new Matador Hall of Famers include:
President Dianne Harrison
CSUN President Dr. Dianne Harrison started the day by highlighting CSUN Athletics' recent achievements, including the department's new Under Armour partnership, alumnus Irv Zakheim's $1.5M gift to CSUN Baseball and improvements to the overall fan experience. She was followed by Athletic Director Dr. Brandon Martin, who told the room how the new Hall of Famers set the bar high as examples for current student-athletes and coaches.
"Today's inductees exemplify comprehensive excellence," said Martin. "They represent courage, determination and the drive to be the best. And most importantly, all of those Matadors being honored today love our university. They continue to be outstanding ambassadors and advocates for our university and continue to leave indelible marks in the San Fernando Valley community and across our nation. In essence, all of our Matadors being honored today are champions." Â
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But the show was stolen by the heartfelt messages shared by the inductees and their presenters.
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CSUN Head Baseball Coach Greg Moore and Dean of the Michael D. Eisner College of Education Michael Spagna introduced Charnofsky, with Moore sharing some remarks from CSUN alum and MLB Hall of Famer Dick Enberg, who couldn't make the ceremony because he was in Cooperstown at another Hall of Fame induction.
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Charnofsky, who following his baseball career has been teaching psychology at CSUN for 55 years, gratefully accepted and shared anecdotes with the room about some of his favorite memories coaching baseball at CSUN and playing for the Yankees.
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Former CSUN men's basketball Fluke Fluker introduced Chevalier with stories about how the former student-athlete overcame adversity, in high school, college and beyond. Chevalier, who became a bit emotional accepting the award, was proud to be recognized for his athletic and academic achievements at CSUN and shared a message of inclusion and unity with the group.
Athletic Director Brandon Martin
Next up, fellow Matador Hall of Famer Marwan Ass'ad introduced Kirk, sharing highlights from Kirk's successes at CSUN and his professional soccer career. Kirk's acceptance speech connected his Matador memories with the full campus experience, as he shared anecdotes from time with teammates and fellow student-athletes during his time at CSUN.
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Unger was presented by former teammate Chris McGee, who thanked "Matty O" for his personal and professional successes and credited him with inspiring a team that saw lots of success, as well as a lifetime of friendship. Unger accepted, sharing memories from National Championship games, practices and road trips.
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The 1984 and 1985 Softball Teams wrapped up the day, with 30 team members and coaches present. The group reminisced on their back-to-back championships with a slideshow and shared memories from former assistant coach Debbie Ching, team member Barbara Jordan and head coach Gary Torgeson. Â
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Throughout the day, the common theme of how each inductee's time as a Matador has impacted his or her life after college kept arising. From lifelong friendships, to lessons learned from teammates and coaches to how to overcome adversity, comprehensive excellence was present all around.
HALL OF FAME HIGHLIGHT VIDEO:
PHOTO GALLERY:
(7/27/2016) 2016 Matador Hall of Fame
Stan Charnofsky Induction Speech (presented by Greg Moore & Michael Spagna, Ph.D)
Andre Chevalier Induction Speech (presented by Fluke Fluker)
Joey Kirk Induction Speech (presented by Marwan Ass'ad)
Matt Unger Induction Speech (presented by Chris McGee)
1984 & 1985 Softball Teams (presented by Debbie Ching, accepted by Barbara Jordan)
