2017 HALL OF FAME: A NIGHT FILLED WITH GREATNESS
Before a crowd of 300, twelve individuals were honored on Friday night for the 7th Fullerton College Athletic Hall of Fame Induction Dinner held on the FC campus.
With over 100 hundred years of athletic history and tradition at Fullerton College, there were folks from all different parts of the country that attended spanning many generations. It was a fantastic night that evoked memories and emotion from all who attended.
Click here to view pictures of the 2017 HoF event by Ricardo Zapata.
Below are biographies all the inductees (alphabetical order):
HOWARD BLACK (FOOTBALL & AQUATICS COACH 1966-72)
Coach Howard Black made his FJC coaching debut in the fall of 1966 when head coach Hal Sherbeck brought him on to coach the offensive line. Black was the head coach football coach at nearby Troy High School and had run a successful program.
Out of Hamilton High, Black was a star football player at Santa Monica City College, and soon found himself playing at UCLA as an offensive lineman. An arm injury cut his playing career short, and he did the next best thing... he coached. His first gigs were at Ramona High, Buena Park High, and Troy High.
Upon taking over the reins of the Hornet offensive line, Black made an immediate impact on the success of the FJC passing and running game. In 1967, Black's offensive line helped the Hornets march their way to a national championship going an undefeated 12-0. Until recently, the 1967 record for most yards rushing in a season (2,477) stood as a testament to the strength of the offensive line. The 1969 team scored a record breaking 57 touchdowns and netted 4,421 yards.
Black was also an assistant coach for the Hornet swimming and water polo teams with FC Hall of Fame Head Coach Ernie Polte. Together, they led Fullerton to a state title in 1969 and numerous conference titles.
Coach Black was also the head football coach at Cypress and Santa Ana Colleges.
DENNIS DIXON (FOOTBALL PLAYER 1964-66)
Prior to the 1966 season, Coach Hal Sherbeck wrote in his notes that tight end Dennis Dixon (Orange High) had the size, speed, and skill to truly make an impact as one of the most talented players he had come across. He also predicted that Dixon would be an All-American, which all came true.
As a freshman at FJC, Dixon was a member of the 1965 National Championship team that played in the Junior Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California. As a sophomore, Dixon led the Hornets to an undefeated 9-0-1 record, a conference title, was selected as an All-American, and was named the team's Most Valuable Player. Dixon also led the Hornets to victory in the Potato Bowl at Bakersfield College, a 32-12 win over Fresno City, scoring the game's first touchdown on a pass by Jerry Miller.
Legendary football coach Bear Bryant soon came knocking, and Dixon was offered a full-ride
scholarship to play for the University of Alabama. Coach Bryant and Dixon hit it off right away when Dennis was introduced to a crowd of fifty thousand by Coach at a Crimson Tide basketball game. Dixon did not disappoint his new school as he made history springing his new quarterback Kenny Stabler loose for what is called the "Run in the Mud". Down 3-0 in the fourth quarter to heated-rival Auburn, Dixon's crushing block on a Tiger defender broke Stabler free for a 47-yard run in rainy conditions that won the coveted Iron Bowl.
During Dixon's college football career, he had only lost four games. His record while playing at FJC stands at 21-0-1.
With his playing days behind him, Dixon remained active with a strenuous workout routine and ran in many competitive marathons. He was hired at Troy High School as a P.E. and assistant football coach. His co-workers were Nick Fuscardo (longtime Hornet baseball coach) and Bill Morris (FC basketball Hall of Famer).
In 1978 Dixon was hired as the offensive line coach at Golden West College where he worked for eighteen seasons. He took over as the head coach of the Rustler football program in 1994, but after one year at the helm his head-coaching career was cut short due to a devastating health issue. Dixon was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Dennis Dixon passed on in 1998 at the age of 50. He is remembered for his fighting spirit and for making his mark as one of Fullerton's greatest football players. He was truly a modern-day gladiator with a heart of gold.
ROBERT FROJEN (AQUATICS 1948-50)
Born in Hamburg, Germany in 1930, Robert "Bob" Charles Frojen moved to Fullerton in his junior year of high school in 1946. His coach was Fullerton College Hall of Famer Jimmy Smith. After graduating high school in 1948, Coach Smith, once again, brought Frojen in to play for him at Fullerton Junior College. Under Smith's
tutelage, Bob was a state winner in both the breaststroke and free style in swimming.
He helped the team to two state titles and two national titles. In water polo, Frojen led the Hornets to back-to-back conference titles.
During the summers of 1949, 1950, and 1951, Bob competed in the AAU completion as a member of the Whittier Athletic Club. The team was unstoppable as they won three- straight National Water Polo AAU championships. Many in the group were life guards in Huntington Beach including Tom Ostman, Ace Burns (FC Hall of Famer), Bob Horn (FC Hall of Famer), Bill Ross, Wally Wolf, and many of whom would later form the 1956 U.S. Olympic Water Polo team. The group of dedicated young men practiced at night for head coach Herber Holloway after 9:00 pm at the Whittier Athletic Club, which was closed to the public back then.
Bob attended Stanford University in 1950-52 competing in both swimming and water polo where he was the captain for both teams. A versatile water polo player, he played guard, center, and forward. Frojen was the team's leading scorer and led the team to conference titles in 1951 and 1952 going undefeated during the 1952 season.
From "Great Moments in Stanford Sports" by Pete Grothe: Stanford's 1952 "greatest of all time" swept 13 first in the 14 events in the Southern Division finals, Included, were four record-breaking performances, two by Captain Bob Frojen in the 100 and 200-yard breast-stroke.
In 1955, a team was put together under the leadership of Coach Jimmy Smith for the Pan American games in Mexico City. Included on the team were: Bob Frojen, Dean Forsgren, Bill Ross, Ace Burns, Bob Horn, and Wally Wolf. The spares were Bob Hughes, Bill Kooistra, Boyd Mickey, and Harry Bisbey. Three teams were major competitors in the United States, Argentina, and Brazil. The U.S. team took second place (silver), with Argentina placing first, and Brazil taking third place. After losing out on a bid that would have sent the team to the 1952 Olympics, the team came back to Southern California at the urging of Coach Smith, then a Lt. Commander in the Naval Reserve. Many of the players joined the Naval Air Training program to become Navy Aviators as Smith felt that he might be able to put together a Navy water polo team in the future. Smith was right as the teamed formed and many from the team went on to the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, Australia where the team finished fifth overall. Team members were: Wally Wolf, Bill Ross, Bob Hughes, Ace Burns, Bob Horn, Harry Bisbey, Tom Ostman, Jim Gaugrham, Bob Hughes, and Bob Frojen. Bob and Tom Ostman were pilot and co-pilot in the Navy.
The Olympic games marked the end of an era for Bob as he hung up his swim trunks. Squash was the focus of his athletic endeavors, and he played with great enthusiasm. Joining the workforce, Bob worked in advertising, marketing and business consulting (Bozell and Jacobs). He started three agencies in the Los Angeles area during his career.
In 1981 Bob was inducted into the U.S. Water Polo Hall of Fame.
Bob lived in the Los Feliz area of Los Angeles and enjoyed reading (history/non-fiction) and working on his 1926 home. He spent a lot of time driving with his family to the Southwest where he built a home in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Bob Frojen passed on in 2005 at the age of 75 and is survived by his loving wife, Colleen, two children, Jon and Robin.
JEFF JESPERSEN (FOOTBALL COACH 1980-16)
Longtime faculty member and beloved assistant coach of the football Hornets, Coach "J" helped the Hornets to the a state title in 1983, and his work as a faculty member, in charge of the Schoepe Wellness Center, truly brought the Fullerton community together. Coach Jespersen also had his student-followers/worshipers called the Jerspernites, who were very dedicated to his classroom teachings.
Coach Jespersen began working full time at Fullerton College in 1980, where he coached football and taught Physical Education classes. His Hornet coaching career spanned three coaches in Hal Sherbeck, Gene Murphy, and Tim Byrnes.
Jespersen, who has a background in physical fitness, also helped organize the football team's strength and conditioning program.
As a longtime defensive coordinator, Jespersen helped develop 1982 Hornet All- American Brian Noble into a standout player, who went on to star in the NFL with the Green Bay Packers. Jeff Sanchez played at Georgia University earning All-American honors and then played for the New Orleans Saints.
He also cultivated the defensive prowess of the 1983 national championship team, which yielded just 29.4 rushing yards per game during the regular season.
Many others such as former Seattle Seahawks standout Paul Moyer and former UCLA defensive end Jason Nevadomsky have achieved All-American stature under Jespersen's tutelage.
Jespersen earned his bachelor's and master's degrees at the University of Utah. After graduating, he served as head coach to the freshmen of Idaho Falls High ('70-'72).
Prior to that, Jespersen began his coaching career at Brighton High ('69-'70).
Jespersen resides in South Orange County and has five adult children: Kelly, Jocelyn, Tishara, Kenesha, and Brandt (Bubba), who played football at the University of Delaware in 2006. All of Jeff's children have played college sports (skiing, volleyball, tennis, diving, and football).
RON JOHNSON (BASEBALL PLAYER 1974-76)
When he was finishing up at Garden Grove High School, Ron Johnson turned down football scholarships to UCLA and Fresno State. His heart belonged to baseball and he soon found himself playing under FC Hall of Fame coach Mike Sgobba. Johnson did play two seasons under Hal Sherbeck's Hornet football team (defensive tackle), but elected to focus most of his attention on baseball. During the 1976 season, Johnson led the team in batting with an average of .393. He hit 8 RBI in one game against LA City College that year, a record that still stands atop the college's records.
After his days at Fullerton, Johnson moved on to Fresno State where he was a first-team All-American selection for the Bulldogs. In 1978, Johnson was drafted by Kansas City in the 24th round, the 595th overall pick.
Johnson made his major-league debut with the Royals on September 12, 1982. On December 15, 1983, Johnson was traded by Royals to the Montreal Expos for Tom Dixon.
Shortly after his playing days ended, Johnson became a coach in the Royals' minor league system for six years. Throughout the years, Johnson has coached many professional teams, including a two-year stint with the Boston Red Sox as Terry Francona's first base coach.
Coach Johnson will be entering his seventh season as the Norfolk Tide's (Orioles)
skipper. As of 2016, his 356 managerial victories with Norfolk are the most in franchise history. His managerial career currently spans 24 seasons with a record of 1,617–1,626 (.499).
Johnson and his wife Daphne have five children. His son Chris plays professionally and has been a member of the Houston Astros (2009-12), Arizona Diamondbacks (2012), Atlanta Braves (2013-15), Cleveland Indians (2015), and Miami Marlins (2016).
STEVE KIEFER (BASEBALL PLAYER 1980-81)
Steve was raised in Garden Grove, California, where growing up, his parents had a significant influence on his baseball career by coaching, encouraging and supporting him. He was a 1978 graduate of Garden Grove High School where he played baseball for the Argonauts. Following high school, he attended two years at Cerritos College before transferring to Fullerton College where he played short stop one year for the Hornets and was voted the 1981 MVP. Steve batted .355, hit 7 triples and swiped 28 bags in 1981 (4th best in the FC record books).
Steve was drafted as the 16th pick in the first round of the amateur draft in 1981 by the Oakland Athletics Baseball organization. He played for the Athletics until 1986 before being traded to the Milwaukee Brewers in the Moose Haas trade. He went on to play 11 years of professional ball with not only the A's and Brewers (1986-88), but the New York Yankees (1988-89) and the Mets (1990). He was also invited and enjoyed playing for a number of clubs over the years in the off-season; he traveled to Venezuela, Puerto Rico, and Dominican Republic. Lastly, spending a year in Italy where he played 3rd base for the Rimini Pirates before retiring from professional ball in 1991.
Steve has many experiences and fond memories of his playing days, but one of his most
memorable experiences was when he was with the Milwaukee Brewers in 1987. With
the play-by-play being announced by Bob Uecker, he had the distinction and pleasure, of being the first player in three years to hit a Grand Slam Home Run and was met at the plate by the greats, Robin Yount, Paul Monitor and Greg Brock.
Steve and his wife Karyn currently reside in Beaumont, California. He has three grown children and five grandchildren. When he is not at home enjoying his growing family, he enjoys coaching baseball, fishing, golfing, and spending time at the river.
Steve currently works in the field of Orthotics & Prosthetics as an Orthotist, as well as a coach and private hitting instructor.
JULIE POULOS (SOFTBALL PLAYER 1986-88)
A homegrown athlete, Julie Poulos was raised in Fullerton and graduated from Sunny Hills High in 1986, a classmate of current head football coach Tim Byrnes.
Poulos' two-year career at Fullerton College is quite impressive as she was the Southern California Player of the Year in 1988, earned All-State Team honors in 1987 and 1988, was a First Team All-Conference selection in 1987 and 1988, Conference MVP 1988, and was the Fullerton College Athlete of the Year in 1988. She sits amongst the leaders in Fullerton College individual softball records in ten statistics: #1 Batting Average in a season at .507 in 1988; #1 Batting Average Career at .445 during the 1987-88 seasons, #3 in Runs Scored in a season at 49 in 1988, #4 in Runs Scored in a career at 66, #3 in Hits in a season with 72 in 1988, #5 in career Hits at 105, #2 Stolen Bases in a season with 41 in 1988, #1 career Stolen Bases at 74, and #1 On-Base percentage in a season .539 in 1988, and #2 On-Base percentage in a career at .492.
After her successful days at Fullerton, Julie accepted a full-ride scholarship to UCLA. She played softball for the Bruins from 1989-90 winning the College World Series in 1989.
Poulos graduated from UCLA in 1992 with BA in Clinical Psychology, and then went on to graduate from Cal State Dominguez Hills with MA in Clinical Psychology, with counseling emphasis.
In 2005 Julie became a licensed Marriage & Family Therapist and has been employed by County of Orange Social Services Agency (SSA) since 1994, where she completed child abuse investigations for several years before being promoted to a supervisor. Building and overseeing innovative programs to support and serve high risks teens, Julie is currently the manager of Forensic Child Abuse Investigations and Child Abuse Prevention efforts for Orange County SSA. She receives and handles all inquiries and complaints from the State, Board of Supervisors, Juvenile Justice Commission, grand Jury, and community and consumers on behalf of SSA. Her role is to ensure that quality and responsive services are provided to consumers, and to make recommendations regarding policy and practice.
DANNY ROGERS (BASKETBALL PLAYER 1952-1954)
Danny Rogers was a key component in bringing Fullerton College its first state title for basketball in 1954. It did not come easy for the Hornets as they played in the title game the year before losing to College of the Sequoias in a heartbreaker 80-78. It was Rogers' freshman season when he, Jim Sterkel and Dave Hall led the team to a 20-10 overall record and a conference title. Danny was an All-State selection.
Back playing for FC Hall of Famer Alex Omalev for the 1953-54 season, Rogers helped Fullerton win another conference title and got his team back in the state title game beating Grant Tech 65-57 for FJC's first basketball title. For his efforts, Rogers was an All-State selection for the second time. He was the first Hornet athlete to make the All-State team two years in a row. Danny was also named the State Tournament MVP.
Basketball was not the only sport Rogers played while at Fullerton. He managed to letter in five sports running on the cross country and track teams, playing on the tennis team, and playing baseball. He was given the Art Nunn award for earning all of those letters.
Danny went on to play at USC with Jim Sterkel and Jack Mount where they became part of the starting varsity team. With the Trojans, Rogers was the starting point guard for two seasons. He had a very good season his senior year breaking the all-time season scoring record of Bill Sharman by scoring 463 points and averaged 19.4 points per game in PAC-8 play. Rogers broke the record for most free throws attempted in a game (26 against Oregon). The record still stands today. As for the 463-scoring record, it stood strong for 42 years until Harold Minor broke it in 1992.
After his playing days, Rogers went into the U.S. Army and then back to USC to earn his general secondary teaching credential. He taught high school at Newport Harbor for two years and then returned to USC again to work as an assistant coach for the Trojan basketball team. Coach Rogers was then tabbed to be UC Irvine's first head basketball coach. In two seasons, he led the Anteaters to a 15-11 record.
Rogers left coaching and worked for a Nutrilite, the World Football League (WFL), and in real estate before retiring 2011. His most fulfilling job was working as the President and CEO of Goodwill of Orange County. He worked there for ten years enjoying every moment of the job helping people with disabilities. During his time at Goodwill, he increased the company budget from thirty million to over a hundred million. Rogers helped build the Goodwill Marketplace and the Goodwill Fitness Center designed to provide access to all people with disabilities to specific instruments to improve their health.
Danny married his USC sweetheart Sheila Murphy in 1960. They have been married for 56 years and have four children and seven grandchildren.
GLENN THOMAS (FOOTBALL COACH 1973-1997)
Beloved coach Glenn Thomas joined the Hornet coaching staff in the spring of 1973. He was handpicked by Hornet head coach Hal Sherbeck liking what he saw in the reputable head coach at nearby Magnolia High School.
Taking over as the chief of the offensive line, Thomas was an integral part of the success of the offense. He was one of the architects in teaching Hornet Tradition and setting the tone with his infectious can-do attitude that delivered positive outcomes. In 1983, Fullerton went on to win a national championship and nearly another in 1988. Ten conference titles were won during Thomas' tenure with the Hornets.
Coach Thomas began his coaching career at Freemont Junior High in Anaheim where his teams went 21-0 in three years. He then coached at Loara High School with Coach Herb Hill for eight seasons winning five league titles along with a CIF 3A Champion- ship. In 1971, Thomas was chosen as the head coach for the Magnolia High School football team.
Glenn and Grace Thomas have been married for 57 years and have two adult children and six grandchildren. When their kids were young, they were very involved with the Fullerton football program. Their son Galen rode on the bus with the team to games and their daughter Gaylene cheered as a junior cheerleader with the Hornet cheer team.
Coaching many Hornets in twenty-five years of service, Coach Thomas goes down as of the most respected and influential coaches in the college's history, not only coaching the game of football but the game of life.
DR. ROBERT WARD (1968-74)
A true American, Bob Ward was born on Independence Day in 1933. A natural athlete, Ward excelled in sports as a young man's quarterback at Burbank High School and as a star member of the track team. His interest in strength training began when he was twelve years old when he began lifting weights during junior high physical education classes. After graduating from high school, Ward attended Whitworth College, where he received a Bachelor's Degree in Physical Education. While at Whitworth, Ward was an All-American Football player and also shined as a member of the track team, specifically in the events of Shot, Discus, Javelin, and Pole Vault. In 1956, Ward began a new chapter of his life when he married his beautiful and accomplished wife, Joyce C. Ross. He taught at Evergreen High School before returning to school at the University of Washington to obtain a Master's Degree in Physical Education. In 1959, Ward returned to California and began his renowned coaching career. Ward coached high school football and track for six years, before moving on to Fullerton Junior College, where he served as the head track coach. As Hornet, Coach Ward led his team to three straight wins in the Conference championships. In 1974, the Fullerton track team won the California State Championship. Four of the college's records from that year still stand. During this time at FJC, Ward was an active member of the community. He coached the Fullerton Rugby Club for three years and won the Southern California Championship. He also served in the USMCR Artillery. As part of his duties, he helped design a physical fitness program for young boys called the "Devil Pups."
Ward returned to school once again in 1971 to Indiana University and received his Doctorate. His experience qualified him to serve as a member of the United States Olympic Committee in Track and Field. Perhaps the greatest success in Ward's coaching career came in 1976, when he was hired by the Dallas Cowboys. Working with the Cowboys for 13 years, Ward did extensive research on predicting success in the NFL. He designed the ProTrain Computer Program, as well as equipment that was invaluable for training athletes. Ward emphasized the importance of the ability to transfer the strength and power developed through training to the playing field. The Cowboys' legendary head coach, Tom Landry, praised Bob's ingenuity. He once stated, "Bob's done a great job of developing machines and strength/striking devices that are going to be able to transpose right over into offensive line technique."
Ward's impressive coaching career with Head Coach Tom Landry included ten winning seasons, a Super Bowl Championship in 1977, and a Pro Bowl win in 1983. Ward's expertise in the field of Strength and Conditioning was obviously invaluable to the athletes, who dramatically improved under his guidance.
Since retiring from the Dallas Cowboys in 1989, Ward has remained an active member of the Strength and Conditioning Community. He spent four years developing a Computer Graphic Player Analysis. From 1995-2001, he served as the Director of Sports Science and Nutrition for Mannatech International. In addition, from 2001-2007, he was the Director of Sports Sciences for Advocare. Currently, Coach Ward is an entrepreneur working with the Sports Science Network.
Coach Ward has received many honors for his pioneering work in the Strength and Conditioning field. In 1992, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame of his Alma Mater, Whitworth College. In both 1998 and 2004, he was named the World Champion in the Weight Pentathlon. He holds an impressive six World Records for Weight and Hammer Throw, for ages 70-74. In addition, the USATF Masters named him the "Field Athlete of the Year," in 2002. Then in 2003, Bob was inducted into the USA Strength and Conditioning Coaches Hall of Fame.
"Building The Perfect Star" is Dr. Bob Ward's latest book about the man who brought science to football. The forward is by Dallas Cowboy great Randy White.
Coach Ward currently resides in Dallas, Texas with his wife, Joyce. He has two beautiful daughters, Shannon and Erin, who both live in the Dallas area with their husbands and children. Coach Ward has one granddaughter and five grandsons. Continuing the tradition of their father and grandfather, all are actively involved in athletics!
DAVE WILSON (FOOTBALL PLAYER 1977-79)
Dave Wilson came out of Katella High School and tried to start his career in 1977 for the Hornets and, on his first play, suffered a season-ending wrist injury. It got better after that. He was the quarterback for the Hornets in 1978 and 1979, completing 60 percent of his passes over his two years and throwing 15 touchdown passes. As a sophomore, he was named second team All-American despite a season-ending in- jury early in the eighth game of the season. At the time, Dave ranked as the Hornet's number one single-season and career passer, while holding records in completions in a single game (31), yards passing in a single game (398), attempts in a season (229), completions in a season (151), yards in a season (1,917), and completion percentage for a season (.662). Wilson's career stats at Fullerton: 219 for 362 for 2,902 yards with 15 touchdowns and a completion percentage of .605.
After leaving FC, he transferred to Illinois, where he played what many regard as the finest game a college quarterback has ever had. The opposing Ohio State Buckeyes were ranked #1 in the pre-season poll and had beaten the Illini by at least 30 points for the past eight seasons. When the game started out with the Buckeyes taking a 28-0 led, nobody blinked. But Wilson completed 43 of 69 passes for 621 yards and six touchdowns – all NCAA records at the time, despite losing 49-42, in a memorable game that took nearly four hours. While Wilson's records have been broken, no one has compiled these numbers against a top team like the Buckeyes. Wilson finished 10th in the Heisman Trophy voting.
Due to inconsistencies between JC and NCAA eligibility rules, he was ruled to have completed his eligibility after one year at Illinois and the New Orleans Saints selected him first overall in the supplemental draft. He was heir apparent to the legendary Archie Manning, but a knee injury ended his rookie season in 1981 and affected him for the rest of his career. In an 8-year NFL career, Wilson completed 551 passes in 1039 attempts for nearly 7,000 yards for the Saints.
DEBI WOELKE (BASKEBALL PLAYER & COACH 1976-78 & 1997-2014)
As a player, Debi Woelke helped lead the Hornets to a state title in 1978 under legendary coach Colleen Riley. As a coach, Woelke took over the reigns of her mentor and hero, Coach Riley, where she coached the Hornets for 15 years (1997-2012) winning six conference titles and coached a successful women's golf program for two years (2012-14).
Coach Woelke wrapped up her impressive fifteen-year basketball-coaching career at FC in 2012 with a 330-163 (.669) overall record finishing her last season 21-9. From 2008 to 2012 Woelke led the Hornets to four consecutive Orange Empire Conference titles. She was voted the Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year in 1998, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2012. She was also named as the State Coach of the Year in 2010. Woelke takes a lot of pride in her 87% graduation rate and the 47 student athletes that received scholarships to continue their basketball careers while receiving their educational degrees from four-year universities.
Woelke won her 400th game as a college head coach on January 19, 2011 (a 65-58 road win against Riverside College); and she notched her 300th win as Fullerton's head coach on January 21, 2011 (a 62-53 win vs. Orange Coast College). Under Woelke, the Hornets posted eleven 20-win seasons, including the last six campaigns, where FC compiled an impressive 153-47 record. Under Woelke's leadership, the Hornets qualified for post-season play in 14 out of 15 seasons.
The 2009-10 season was one of Woelke's most successful as she led the Hornets (32-2 overall) to the State Championship game where they fell to Ventura College in the title game 59-47. Her overall college coaching career spanned 22 years beginning at UC Riverside and then Fullerton College where her overall record stands at 440-253. In addition to her coaching honors, Coach Woelke received several "Teacher of the Year" honors. She was one of five finalists for FC "Teacher of the Year" in 2005. In 2006 Debi was voted SCOPE's "Physical Educator of the Year". In 2007, Debi was honored as FC "Teacher of the Year".
Before accepting her dream job at Fullerton College, Debi coached at UC Riverside from 1990-1997 where she com- piled a 102-89 record and led the Highlanders to several "Firsts" including first appearance in the CCAA Post Season Tournament, first NCAA playoff berth and first CCAA Post-Season Tournament Championship. Woelke stepped down as the winningest women's basketball coach in UCR history.
Prior to her college coaching years, Debi coached and taught at her alma mater, Valencia HS, for 7 years. Her last three years (1986-1989) she served as Head Basketball Coach compiling a 59-21 (.738) overall record after winning the CIF 4A Championship. She was named Orange League and CIF Coach of the Year in 1989.
Woelke took over as the Head Coach for the Fullerton College Women's Golf Team in 2012 and made an immediate impact in only 2 years with a 99-27 (.786) overall record, winning the Orange Empire Conference Tournament and taking her team all the way to the State Finals for the first time in FC's history. Her team was 4 strokes from winning a State Championship. Debi was voted Orange Empire Conference Coach of the Year in 2013.
In 2011, Woelke achieved one of her personal goals raising $20,000 for the Colleen Riley Scholarship Fund through the Fullerton College Foundation, which gives deserving student-athletes a $1,000 scholarship each and every year.
