Two of the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame founders, Conrade Mayer and Mike Marando (left) are eager to celebrate the 10th annual induction ceremony this fall. Photo courtesy of Mike Marando

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - This September, the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame is celebrating its 10th anniversary with the induction of another class of stellar athletes. Perhaps no one is prouder of the milestone than Rancho Cordova’s very own Conrade Mayer. 

Mayer, a Rancho Cordova resident for more than 57 years, is regarded as the person responsible for helping create the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame.

A staunch community activist, Mayer is a well-respected figure in the city and has worn many hats over the years when it comes to his contributions to athletics. As the CEO of the Cordova Lancers Leaders and Legends mentorship program, while also being a member of the Rancho Cordova Student Athlete Coalition, the Cordova High alum said he felt it was necessary to create a place where teams, players, coaches and contributors could be recognized for their efforts after the Rancho Cordova Athletic Association was founded in 2013.  

“When we found out about the number of outstanding individuals in our community, holding onto our history and wanting to promote those athletes, having a sports hall of fame was a way to capture all the greatness and store it for others to see,” Mayer said. “A lot of community pride was thought of when we went into creating it and we want to make it special each and every year by finding those people that were outstanding and putting them in a place where our community could see them.”

Upon the inception of the Hall of Fame, Mayer sought out fellow community members who understood the importance of athletics to the community and wished to honor the rich history of standout athletes to come from the area. Mayer would soon welcome the likes of Cordova Community Council Executive Director Shelly Blanchard, media personality Ken Rudulph, former Cordova High School coach Dave Franzoia, and former Cordova Green Sheet & Sacramento Union sportswriter Mike Marando into leadership roles within the Hall of Fame selection committee.

Over the years, the group has gathered periodically to discuss who might be deserving for induction, and much in the way of a sibling relationship, occasionally debate amongst each other until they come to an agreement on each year’s class of enshrines. At the end of the day, they all understand the importance of athletics to the community and want to make the best selections possible to honor those who have accomplished so much. 

“There’s a number of reasons why it’s important,” Mayer said. “For one, it’s historic, a legacy, something to show our kids. I’m a firm believer in if you can’t see it, you can’t be it, so sharing with them who’s-who and all these wonderful things we have in our community is very important. We love to celebrate and love getting together, so this gives ourselves and people in the community a night where we just get together and celebrate. We're all one city and one community getting together on one night, having the biggest reunion known to man."

With this year being the 10th anniversary, the event in September figures to be extra special and hold even bigger significance. Mayer and the rest of the selection committee are looking forward to the festivities. 

"For me, for anybody, 10 years is significant," Mayer said. "In marriage, in relationships, in working. It's been a quick 10 years in us finding the right people, making difficult decisions, wrestling with the selections and all this just to make sure we put the best of the best out there. Now, we don't get it right every year but we get it right enough to where there are very little complaints. The only challenge is that we can't induct them all."

This year’s ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 13, at Rancho Cordova City Hall, 2729 Prospect Park Drive. Tickets are $30 and can be purchased at https://form.jotform.com/cordovacouncil/rcaa-reception-tickets-2025.