June 17, 2009
SAN DIEGO - The San Diego State Department of Athletics will welcome a new class this winter of five individuals and one team into its Aztec Hall of Fame, presented by the Wise Foundation.
The newest Aztecs to enter the Hall of Fame include three football players in running back Mario Mendez (1961-63), linebacker Jeff Staggs (1965-66) and offensive lineman Ralph Wenzel (1964-65), All-American volleyball player Toni Himmer (1980-83) and five-time men's tennis All-American Oliver Maiberger (2000-03). In addition, SDSU's 1966 wire service college division national championship team will also be honored.
The new class will be enshrined on Hall of Fame Weekend, slated for Nov. 6-7. The official induction will take place Friday evening at the Aztec Athletics Center, while the group will be recognized on the field at halftime of the home football game against TCU on Saturday.
The Aztec Hall of Fame, presented by the Wise Foundation, inducted its first members in 1988 and has welcomed a new group of legends every year through 1999. Inductions were put on hold for two years while work was completed on the Aztec Athletics Center, which is the first permanent home of the Hall of Fame. Not including this year's class, 103 individuals and four teams have been inducted since the Aztec Hall of Fame's inception.
For more information about the Aztec Hall of Fame induction ceremony, contact the Aztec Athletic Foundation at 619-594-6444. Football game tickets are available through the Aztec ticket office at 619-283-SDSU.
The following is a quick look at the newest Aztec Hall of Fame members:
1966 Wire Service College Division Football National Champions
Finished with an 11-0 record and a 5-0 mark in the California Collegiate Athletic Association ... Won the Camellia Bowl in Sacramento by a 28-7 margin over Montana State ... Coached by Don Coryell with assistance from John Madden and Joe Gibbs ... Notable names included quarterback Don Horn, wideouts Tom Nettles, Craig Scoggins and Haven Moses, offensive lineman Steve Duich, defensive end Leo Carroll and linebacker Jeff Staggs.
Toni Himmer - Women's Volleyball
1980-81-82-83
All-American in 1982 ... WCAA Player of the Year in 1982 ... All-WCAA in `82 and '83 ... NCAA Regional All-Tournament in '83 ... All-SDSU Collegiate Classic in `82 and All-NIT in '82 ... Set school record in hitting percentage (.371) and was top five in all stats for the WCAA in 1982 ... 3rd in career blocking points (324.5) ... 4th in career hitting percentage (.325) ... 10th in career service aces (129) ... 2nd in blocking points with 153 ... Injury hampered her senior season.
Oliver Maiberger - Men's Tennis
2000-01-02-03
Three-time All-American singles selection (2001, 2002, 2003) and two-time All-American doubles performer (2002, 2003) ... Earned Mountain West Conference Player of the Year honors in 2001 and 2002 and was the league's co-recipient of the award in 2003 ... Holds the SDSU record with 111 career victories and .799 winning percentage (111-28) in singles competition ... Is also tops on the Aztecs' all-time list with 103 individual victories and 59 team wins (with Ryan Redondo) in doubles play ... Won the program's only national tennis title when he teamed with Redondo to capture the doubles crown at the 2001 National Collegiate Indoor Championships ... He and Redondo also reached the finals of the NCAA Doubles Championships in 2003... Was named MWC Player of the Week on 12 different occasions and earned academic all-conference distinction in each of his four seasons on The Mesa... His senior season, he was ranked as high as eighth nationally in singles and was ranked number one in doubles.
Mario Mendez - Football
1961-62-63
All-CCAA RB in 1963...Awarded Simcox Trophy as Aztec MVP in 1963... Recorded two 100-yd. rushing games in his career ... Played with the San Diego Chargers as a WR in 1964.
Jeff Staggs - Football
1965-66
Linebacker on Aztecs' 11-0 team that won the Camellia Bowl in 1966 ... First team all-conference as a senior ... First Aztec selected in the 1966 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers in the third round (26th overall pick) ... Member of the Chargers from 1966-71 and in 1974 ... Also had a two-year stint with St. Louis from 1972-73 ... San Diego native.
Ralph Wenzel - Football
1964-65
Offensive guard, who was tabbed a first-team all-CCAA selection in 1965 ... Earned the team's Byron H. Chase Memorial Trophy in 1965, as the team's top lineman ... Team went 16-4 in the two seasons he lettered ... Played six NFL seasons, including five with Pittsburgh and one with San Diego ... Selected in the 11th round of the Draft by the Green Bay Packers in 1966.