Mike Marando is a Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame founding member. He is a longtime Rancho Cordova advocate. Photo courtesy of Mike Marando

RANCHO CORDOVA, CA (MPG) - A few weeks ago, the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame inducted its 10th anniversary class. Eight former athletes, an incredible Lancers baseball team and the group of original founders were inducted before a raucous crowd of better than 275 people.

What is a Hall of Fame and what is its importance to the city?

I have been a Hall of Fame committee member since the Hall of Fame’s inception in 2015, serving the last four years as committee chair. The Hall of Fame recognizes and honors individuals who have distinguished themselves in athletic or coaching achievement with a strong connection to Rancho Cordova. I enjoy telling and sharing their stories, those who achieved recognitions that often go far beyond the playing fields.

In the days preceding this year’s induction, the Hall of Champions sports exhibit was shown at the Mills Station Arts & Cultural Center (MACC) in Rancho Cordova. Any Cordova fan visiting the exhibit didn’t need to wait long to see a familiar face or name. The exhibit’s artifacts and mementos were donated by scores of former players and coaches, artfully put together through the tireless work of MACC curator Cheryl Gleason with an assist from Cordova Community Council Executive Director Shelly Blanchard.

Each year brings forth new storylines that not only resonate in perpetuity but are examples for future generations in which to aspire.

Alan Withers, a longtime coach, community volunteer and sportsman, received the night’s longest applause. A former 1960s-era Illinois track star, Withers coached in our community for more than 40 years. During the 1976 Bicentennial, I always wondered whose idea it was to paint all those fire hydrants with patriotic designs. It was Withers’ ninth-grade history class that took up the task.

The state-ranked 1981 Lancers baseball team received a sustained and warm welcome as the crowd reacted to every player shown on the videoboard as if being announced as a starting lineup at an All-Star game. Well, in many ways, they were. This team had seven players at some point drafted by Major League teams.

The most visibly emotional response came as John Donch was being inducted. I remember John vividly in high school. He was a year younger than me but I recall him as a leader and someone that people gravitated toward. Looking at his career, it’s easy to see why. John is a beloved throws coach who mentored and coached hundreds of young athletes over a 30-year coaching career. John suffered a stroke several years ago and his legacy was showered by a thunderous ovation that left not a dry eye in the house.

I was quite taken by the Atwood family, who sent no fewer than 14 family members to celebrate Kevin Atwood, the first baseman for the baseball team. Kevin passed away several years ago and it was heartwarming to see the entire Atwood clan rise to their feet to recognize him.

Celebrated for extraordinary talents on the football field, Joey Ortiz overcame devastating injuries after being hit as a pedestrian by a speeding vehicle and ensuing addiction to drugs and alcohol to forge an athletic comeback and successful sales career. His testimony of 17 years sober is one that gives hope to anyone battling such addictions.

I found Nia Dorner an absolute inspiration. A former high school and college track star, Nia is the epitome of a can-do spirit whose life achievements are to be admired. Parents of young daughters would be wise to look at Nia’s career as a blueprint for success. And the great part is, she’s back in Rancho Cordova.

Damon Boddie, the football star of 1991, later served several combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan over a 14-plus-year career in the military during a very tumultuous time in our nation’s history. His is also a road-to- redemption story that I found compelling. Today, Damon operates a cool hair salon and boutique in Sacramento.

Jackie Gerhrke Jones excelled as an elite infielder for Cordova and later for Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo. Switching to catcher in college was not easy but she learned the trade over a few seasons and became an elite backstop for the Mustangs. But Jackie also placed equal emphasis on education, earning a bachelor’s degree and an MBA. Today, Jackie works for Duke Energy.

Keyana Smith, a 2001 Cordova High School graduate, is the latest in an elite group raised in the famed Cordova Villa neighborhood. And let me tell you, before Friday Night Lights became popular, there was Cordova Villa long before. Keyana was a star softball player here and in college but what impressed me the most were the two master’s degrees she earned. And she’s putting them to good use at Southern Methodist University.

I could not be more humbled than to stand alongside our founders’ group of Conrade Mayer, Shelly Blanchard, Dave Franzoia and Ken Rudulph. We call it a team sport for this reason: our Hall of Fame Committee is outstanding and I would be remiss if I didn’t mention those with whom we serve: Tony Faryniarz, Coach Max Miller, Frank Griffin, K.C. Clark, Tim McCandless, Terry Behrens, Pete Morgera, Michelle Trotter and Rodney Robinson.

Over the course of 10 years, the Hall of Fame has inducted 154 individuals and another 300-plus members of several teams.

As we set sail for the next decade, choosing a Hall of Fame inductee is not an easy task. Rancho Cordova has more than 60 years of sports history in its quiver. And just when we think the applicant pool might be getting thin, several noteworthy individuals are brought to the table, due in large part to our community’s evolving nature. As we look at an applicant’s career and connection to Rancho Cordova, which are key metrics for consideration, we’re always mindful of those who have achieved a successful post-athletic career.

Today’s Rancho Cordova youth have the opportunity to become the Hall of Famers of tomorrow, honing their athletic skills on the same hallowed Rancho Cordova playgrounds forged by their legendary predecessors. Youth who are carving their own future stories. Here. In the All-America City of Rancho Cordova.

Mike Marando is a 1973 Cordova High School graduate and current committee chair of the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame.