BURLINGAME HIGH SCHOOL

ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME

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The BHS Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremony is held on alternating years
when the Burlingame - San Mateo Little Big Game is held at Burlingame High School.

INDUCTION CLASS 2010

The Burlingame-San Mateo Little Big Game is scheduled for 11:00 am, Saturday, November 13, 2010.
The Induction ceremony in years past has been held in the BHS multipurpose room.
Your ticket to the Induction Ceremony typically includes a continental breakfast and a ticket to the game.
Details are usually published in the Fall edition of the Panther Postscripts

INDUCTION CLASS 2008

1940 VARSITY FOOTBALL TEAM In 1940, the varsity football team, coached by the legendary Swede Righter, was named PAL football champions for the second year in a row. The seniors on this team had played football at BHS since their freshman year and possessed the most outstanding record that any group of football players had gained in the history of the school. They were undefeated in the PAL during their two years on the frosh-soph team and their two years on the varsity team. They finished the 1940 season undefeated. With five players on the All-PAL First Team and two players on the Second Team, BHS dominated the 1940 All-PAL football team. BHS players on the All-PAL First Team were: Frank Carrillo '41, George McLean '41, Barry McDonald '42, George Gator '41, and Bob Cote. Ron Cameron '41 and Ward Bowers '42 were members of the All-PAL Second Team. Other prominent members of the 1940 BHS team were Charlie Barr '42, Arnold Pederson '41, Bob Jenkins '41, Bob Kester '41 and Derrill Manley '41.

ROGER REDIG, 1948, was a track star during his years at BHS. He was a member of Vic Mangini's first championship track team at Burlingame in the spring of 1946 and was captain of the 1948 varsity track team. In 1948, he placed first in the long jump and second in the 220-yard dash at the PAL finals at Stanford. At the Inter-Scholastic State Track Meet, he placed fourth in the long jump and 5th in the 220-yard dash. At the 20-30 relays in San Jose, he placed first in the hundred-yard dash and received a trophy for Outstanding Athlete from the City of Burlingame. Roger played football in his senior year and received a football scholarship to Santa Clara University. He was a member of the championship Orange Bowl team that defeated Kentucky. He also ran track for two years. During the Korean War, he served in the United States Air Force and was a pilot, flying F-84 bombers. He is a retired civil engineer, resides in Los Gatos, and is married his Burlingame High School sweetheart, Jeanne Stark '51.

HARVEY KOEPF, 1951, came to BHS in his junior year as a transfer from Oakland Tech High School. He made an impact immediately by becoming a starter on the football, baseball, and basketball teams. He lettered six times and made All-PAL First Team in football and baseball. Before his arrival at Burlingame, he played baseball for the Oakland American Legion on the National Baseball Champions. Harvey then attended Willamette University in Oregon where he continued in football and baseball. He signed a professional baseball contract with the Sacramento Solons of the Pacific Coast League. He played six years with other minor league teams. He later became a professional baseball scout for the Padres, Pirates, Giants and Tigers for forty-three years. During this time, he and his wife taught school in Half Moon Bay where he currently resides.

TED FARLEY & TERRY BECHTOLD, 1957, were first cousins, teammates, and best friends while at BHS. Ted Farley lettered four years in baseball where he started three years on the varsity team. He also lettered three years in football. Terry Bechtold moved to Burlingame in his junior year and started at second base for two years. Ted and Terry were a dynamic double-play combination for the varsity baseball program. Ted received a scholarship to Willamette University where he played on the varsity squad as a freshman. He was coached by former Burlingame great, Harvey Koepf, who is also being inducted into the Sports Hall of Fame today. After a tryout with the San Francisco Giants, Ted played summer ball in Canada. Terry Bechtold went to the College of San Mateo after graduating from BHS, and played there hitting thirteen home-runs his first year. In 1958, they both enrolled at CSM, and both signed major league bonus contracts with the St. Louis Cardinals. Their paths continued to cross as they played several years in the minor leagues. After retiring from baseball, both married and had children. Ted was a successful contractor in the Bay Area. He moved to Truckee in 1982. Terry passed away a year ago. As Ted states: "He was my best friend, my cousin, my brother".

RON ANDERSON, Coach, joined the faculty of BHS as a teacher in 1965. That year he was the assistant varsity football coach of the undefeated Mid-Peninsula League championship team. He coached for eleven more years and the football team won two more Mid-Peninsula football championships. In 1969, he took over the helm of the Burlingame golf program and coached the team for thirty years. During the mid 70s, his golf team lost only one match in four years and the golf program dominated the MidPeninsula League. He coached good golfers such as Nathaniel Crosby '79 and Joby Ross '80 who are both in the BHS Sports Hall of Fame. Tom Spencer was another of his outstanding athletes. Ron won numerous Mid-Peninsula League titles and several CCS titles for Burlingame and took several individual players to Northern California championships. He retired in 1999 and resides in Foster City with his wife.

DUNCAN JOHNSON, 1968, was a three-sport athlete at Burlingame High School, lettering in football, wrestling, and track, for nine letters. He lettered four years in football, playing offensive and defensive tackle in his junior and senior years. He earned Mid-Peninsula Honorable Mention awards as both offense and defensive tackle. Duncan lettered four years in track and broke the varsity shot put record at 55' 2" in a dual meet with San Mateo as a sophomore. In 1967 he was MPL shot put champion and went on to place second in the Central Coast Sectional Championship. In 1968, he repeated as MPL shot put champion. He competed for one year as a heavy weight wrestler and compiled a two-win one-loss record before injuring his back. He currently resides in the Reno area.

BRUNO BALDINI, 1982, had an outstanding career at BHS. He was a starter on the varsity basketball team for four years and was MPL All-League for all those years. The team won the championship in 1980. He set an MPL free-throw percentage of 92.7% for the season which has not been surpassed. He also played freshman football. Bruno went on to the University of California at Santa Cruz and for four years was a starter on the basketball team. He was named to the First-Team All-League Honors for the Bay Area Intercollegiate Conference and named Santa Cruz Most Valuable Player all four years. He was team captain in 1987. His record is legendary in Santa Cruz history. He married his high school sweetheart and has five lovely daughters. He is now a successful real estate broker and helps support the Burlingame High School basketball program.

JEFF BUSSANI, 1982, was an outstanding football and baseball player in his four years at Burlingame High School. He lettered four years in football and was named to the 1981 All-County football team. In his senior year, he was named "Senior Athlete of the Year". Jeff continued his athletic prowess at Menlo College where he received a Fulbright scholarship in football. He made the All-Conference football team in 1983. He currently resides in the Rocklin area where he is an account executive with CBS in Sacramento. He is raising two sons who have excelled in athletics and both are attending college. His mother, Denise Figone Elliott, was a 1958 graduate of Burlingame High School and a former "Miss Burlingame".

KATHRYN "KATIE" MAY, 1995, was an all-round athlete at BHS, lettering in softball, volleyball, and basketball. She was "Athlete of the Year" in all four of her years at Burlingame. In 1995, she was All-League and All-Star in softball. She was also San Mateo County's "Most Valuable Player" in softball. At BHS, Katie was on the Service Commission and also found time to play in the school band and in jazz groups. After graduating from BHS, Katie attended University of California at Berkeley where she continued as short-stop for the "Bears" and was Honorable Mention All-Pac 10. She is the current record holder of Career Assists in baseball. While at UC Berkeley, she also found time to play in the marching band. Katie currently resides in Alameda and works in the sports marketing field. She is Director of Hospitality for Eclipse Television.

INDUCTION CLASS 2006

Charles Edmund “Bud” Finger, 1937 (deceased), was an outstanding all-round athlete at BHS. He starred in football, baseball, basketball, track, and golf and made All-PAL in football, basketball and golf. Bud attended Menlo College and is in the Menlo Athletic Hall of Fame for football and golf. He was a Small College All-American for football and golf. Bud went to Stanford where he was an NCAA medallist in golf and was on the NCAA Champions Team (1941-1942). He joined the Navy as a Lieutenant during WWII and served in Europe. After the war, he went back to Stanford as Director of Golf and Head Golf Coach (1946-1980). He coached the 1953 NCAA National Championship golf team and coached Stanford to 13 Pacific Eight Conference golf titles. He is in the Stanford Sports Hall of Fame for golf and was inducted into the NCAA Coaches Hall of Fame in Columbus, OH. His family tells us his best accomplishment was being their Dad. “He was a Great Dad and we miss him.”

Dan Hale, 1943, was a 3-sport athlete at BHS. He lettered in football, basketball, and tennis. He played first-string guard on the football team and in his senior year was All-PAL in basketball. He was one of the highest scoring forwards in the league. His coach, Lee Lancaster, once told him that he and Byron Van Alstyne were the best pair of forwards he had coached at BHS. He played tennis all four years at BHS. In 1941, he won the PAL doubles title with Bob Rubin and in 1942, he won the PAL singles title. That year he also reached the semi-finals of the California State Junior Tennis Championship. He entered the Army Air Corps after graduation and became a pilot. After the war, he played tennis at the University of California and recreational tennis during his working years. He now lives in Oregon where he has played in several senior tournaments. Lately he has been playing golf three times a week.

Robert “Bob” Kane, 1944, was a 4-sport athlete while attending BHS. He lettered 4 years in basketball and was picked 3 years as an All-PAL player. He lettered 2 years as a quarterback on the football team and received Honorable Mention All-PAL in 1943. His big thrill was catching a touchdown in the Little-Big Game. Burlingame won 14-0. He lettered 2 years as a catcher on the baseball team and 2 years on the tennis team. After graduation, he served in the US Navy for 3 years. Bob played on the SMJC championship basketball team coached by Ray Balsley. He graduated from USF law school and was appointed to the Superior Court bench in San Mateo Co. and in 1971 to the State Court of Appeals. He also served as the Ambassador to Ireland. He is now retired and lives with his wife, Keke, in Clovis, CA. They have been married for 55 years and are blessed with 3 sons, 2 daughters, and 10 grandchildren. Alumnus of the Year 1985, IN MEMORIAM (1926 - 2007)

John Treu, 1952, was a 4-year letterman in both football and track at Burlingame. He was coached by Vic Mangini and was a class pole-vaulter, high jumper, and hurdler on several championship teams. In football, he played tight-end on the co-PAL Championship team. John later played 1 year at Menlo College, joined the army and returned to football at the College of San Mateo and later at Cal Poly. He got his teaching credential and coached 9 years for the Department of Defense all over the world, including France, Italy, England and Japan. From 1971 to 2000, he taught physics and chemistry at San Marin High School in Marin where, for 27 years, he was a successful football coach. His teams won 13 league championships and 3 NCS titles. John currently resides in Capistrano Beach, CA.

Ted Treu, 1955, lettered 9 times at BHS. He was a 4-year starter on the BHS football and baseball teams. He played shortstop and pitcher all 4 years on the baseball team. He also played 30s basketball. After graduation, Ted entered the Army. He attended CSM and played 2 years of football where he was captain of the 1958 Big Eight Championship team. He went on to SF State and played on the only undefeated football team the school ever had. He was named to the All-Far-Western Conference Team. Ted played semi-pro football locally. He was invited to participate in 7 World Championships at the Ironman competition in Hawaii. In 1988 he competed against his son – a great bonding experience. (Ted says: “Oh yes, he kicked my butt.”) He and his wife live in Redwood Shores.

Jesse Undlin, 1955, was considered one of the county’s best pole-vaulters between 1953 and 1955. Vic Mangini was his coach during those years and Jesse steadily improved and won many titles and set many records. His best high school vault was 13’2” in 1955 (the best height in Northern California at the time). Through his efforts, the Burlingame varsity track team was able to win the PAL Championship, the NCS Group II, and the NCS Finals. Jesse received an athletic scholarship to the University of Colorado where he vaulted 14’ ¼” in his frosh year and became the top college freshman pole-vaulter in the nation. In 1957 he won the Kansas Relays 14’ 0” and the Big 8 Outdoor Championship. He and his family currently reside in Vacaville, CA.

Roberta Alpers was a Teacher/Coach at BHS for 35 years (1960-1995). She coached many championship teams including 10 boys’ tennis team championships, 17 girls’ tennis team championships, and 11 regional team championships. She also coached a National Collegiate Singles and Doubles champion, Linda Gates (1981), who was at Stanford for 4 years. (Linda is in the SM County and BHS Athletic Halls of Fame.) Roberta was director of the California CCS Individual Tennis Tournament for 10 years, PAL Chairperson for 20 years, and CCS Representative. She was inducted into the San Francisco State University Hall of Fame in 1992. Roberta taught many other sports, as well as academic subjects, at BHS and was chosen Coach of the Year at BHS in 1992. The list of her accomplishments goes on and on! She and her husband, Arthur, raised a son and two foster daughters.

Gary Goodrich, 1971, was a 4-year letterman in wrestling at BHS under the coaching of Jack King. Mr. King said that Gary was the best wrestler he ever coached and that Gary was an extremely well polished wrestler with a great amount of technique. In his junior year, he was co-captain of the team and the Mid-Peninsula League Champion 168 lb. wrestler. He placed #2 in CCS. Gary was captain of the team in his senior year and was undefeated that year. He placed 1st in the Mid-Peninsula League, but was injured and was unable to participate in the CCS and State Tournament. He also lettered in freshman football and participated in shot put at BHS. Gary went on to Skyline College where he wrestled and went to the State Finals. He is in the Skyline Sports Hall of Fame. He graduated from Cal Poly, is married, and has 3 sons. He is the assistant wrestling Coach at Irvington High School.

Peter Diepenbrock, 1982, was a 4-sport letterman in basketball, baseball, tennis and cross-country. In his freshman year, Peter was frosh-soph first-team All-League in basketball and the team’s MVP. During his sophomore year, he was on the cross-country team, the frosh-soph basketball League Champion team, the first-team All-League, and was the team’s MVP. He joined the varsity basketball team in his junior year and was the BHS team’s MVP and Junior Athlete of the Year. In his senior year, he was first team All-League in basketball, first team All-County, first team All-Northern California and the BHS basketball team’s MVP. He went on to Menlo College and was All-League in basketball as a sophomore. He received his degree at UCLA. Peter coached the Women’s National Basketball Team in Denmark and was assistant basketball coach at UC Davis. He is currently a teacher/coach at Palo Alto High School and this year he led his basketball team to a State Championship.

Steve Bortolin, 1984, was an outstanding athlete during his four years at BHS. He lettered in football, soccer, and baseball in his last three years and won many titles. He was Sophomore Athlete of the Year, received the Frosh-Soph Coaches Award, and was the frosh-soph soccer team’s MVP. In 1982, he was the Soccer Championship goalie and MVP for the varsity football team. He was chosen Outstanding Athlete in his junior and senior years. Steve played in the North-South Boys Club All-Star game in 1983. After graduation, he attended CSM and received the Special Team Award in football. He and his wife now reside in Oregon where he works as a foreman for a major plumbing company. He joins his sister Corinne Bortolin Armstrong (1987) in the BHS Athletic Hall of Fame.

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Ernest A. Scheppler, 1934, was President of the ABS and in the German Club while at BHS. He played basketball and ran track. After graduation, he attended the University of Santa Clara and the Los Angeles School of Optometry. At Santa Clara he was on the basketball and baseball teams. He served 4 years with the Medical Corps in the U. S. Army. He has been an optometrist for 50 years in Burlingame. Ernie was the BHS alumnus of the year in 1993. (Ed. Other sources indicate he was named Alumnus of the Year in 1990.)

Arthur "Bud" Belton, 1937, was on the Student Council, an officer of the Block "B" Society and played in the orchestra. He was All-PAL in football, basketball and track. He attended College of San Mateo and UC Davis. As a Private and commissioned officer, he served with the Medical Service Corps from 1941-1945. He received his DDS degree from UCSF in 1950 and was a self-employed dentist in Burlingame until 1981.

Paul Armstrong, 1940, was All-League in basketball while at BHS and received letters in basketball and swimming. He was also active with ABS, played in the orchestra and was on the Student Council. He attended San Mateo JC (where he was VP of the Student Body), University of Minnesota, San Jose State, Stanford and San Francisco State. He was in the U.S. Infantry during WW II.

Ron Dawson, 1951, participated in football and track all 4 years at BHS. He held the PAL record in the 220 yard dash (a record that lasted for 29 years). Ron also set records in the broad jump as well as the 440 and 880 relays. He later served in the U.S. Army.

Carl Roepke, 1952, was president of his Junior class and on the Student Council. His sports included football, baseball and track. In 1952 he was captain of the football team, on the All-PAL Football First Team, Northern California Player of the Week and captain of the North-South Shrine All-Star game in LA. Carl attended the University of Utah and the University of Michigan.

George Cantaloub, 1953, played football, basketball and ran track while at BHS. He was president of the Block "B" Society, All-PAL, PAL Player of the Year, All-Northern California Lineman of the Year, All-NCS and Sixth Team All American. He played football at San Jose State and served in the U.S. Army.

Byron Van Alstyne, 1944, was an All-League basketball player while at BHS. He participated in music as well as sports. His schooling included Menlo JC, USC and Stanford. Byron was in the Navy for 1 -1/2 years. He taught and coached at Menlo JC, Jefferson and Westmoor High Schools.

Bruce Van Alstyne, 1945, was an All-Conference football player at BHS. He also played basketball and tennis and was President of the ABS. After graduation he served in the U.S. Navy. After the military he attended Menlo College and Stanford. While at Stanford he played in the 1950 East-West Game.

Wally Vickery, 1947, earned letters in tennis and basketball. In his freshman year he won the NCS doubles. In 1945, 46, and 47 he won the NCS singles. Wally attended San Mateo JC and won the #1 National JC doubles. He also attended Golden Gate College, USF, and Santa Clara. His military career included 2 years in the Army.

John "Phil" Hazelrig, 1965, was Student Council President, a class officer in his Sophomore and Junior years and won varsity letters in football, basketball and baseball. He attended Chapman College and the U.S. Naval Academy where he played football and basketball. Phil retired from the Navy as a Captain and is currently working at NASA's future Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy.

Linda Saefke, 1984, was involved in three athletic programs while at BHS: volleyball, basketball and softball. She was on the varsity squad in each program for all 4 years. Linda was All-County in basketball and softball in 1983 and 1984. Linda attended College of San Mateo and San Francisco State.

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