by Laura Czingula
Editor in Chief
Each year the University of La Verne inducts past athletes and faculty that have stood out into the University’s Hall of Fame. This year, six new members were added to its long list.
In order to receive this honor, an athlete must have earned at least two letters in one sport or one letter in two sports and have attended the University of La Verne a minimum of two years. The athlete cannot be considered until five years after the class in which he or she graduated.
According to the University, the following ULV athletes did meet the criteria and were officially inducted into the Hall of Fame Saturday night at the Sheraton Suites Fairplex hotel.
Larry Kampmeier graduated from La Verne (then La Verne College) in 1967.
Kampmeier started at safety on the football team for four years and played quarterback as well. He was the third baseman on the baseball team, batting .343 his sophomore year and .363 his junior year. He was voted second in the Pomona Progress Bulletin Top Ten College Players, but Kampmeier’s true talent was on the basketball court.
During his freshman year, he averaged 19.7 points per game and was second in scoring in the conference. He led the team in scoring his junior year and by his senior year, he averaged 20.2 points per game as a guard and scored 27 percent of the team’s total points. He was co-captain of the team his senior year, was named All-Coast guard and was selected to the 1967 NAIA All-District team.
Kampmeier now owns and operates his own business and he and his wife, Rosalie, live in San Juan Capistrano.
“I’m very grateful,” said Kampmeier. “La Verne is a great place, I grew up here and went to high school and college here.”
During his acceptance speech, Kampmeier mentioned how his coach Roland “Ort” Ortmayer was a great man and was always there for him.
“What can I say about Ort that hasn’t already been said a bunch of times?” he said. “Ort did a tremendous job in the class room as well as on the court.”
Some baseball fans may notice the name Dan Quisenberry. He has played for the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals.
Quisenberry pitched for both teams and retired with a career 56-45 record and a 2.69 ERA. He was an American League All-Star in 1982-1984 and set a major league record for saves in a season with 45. But before he made it to the big leagues, he was a huge standout at La Verne College, too.
Quisenberry pitched for two seasons, winning a total of 31 games and set an LVC record with 19 wins in one season. In 1975 he left school and signed with the Royals.
Frank Rothrock accepted his award for his father, Sam Rothrock, who was unable to walk to the podium. Sam graduated from LVC in 1935 and was a three-sport athlete, playing football, basketball and baseball.
In football, he played offensive and defensive end. As a forward on the basketball team, he was the second leading scorer his senior year, and on the baseball field, he excelled as a second baseman.
“On behalf of my father, he thanks everyone,” said Frank Rothrock. “We are awfully proud of him.”
Another inductee was Rich Cruz, who was a two sport star in both baseball and football, graduating in 1968.
Cruz played linebacker, was co-captain and an All-League selection his senior year on the football team. He was named Most Valuable Defensive and All-Around player for the 1967 season. On the baseball field, he hit .317 and was ranked 10th in NAIA in doubles with 11. During his sophomore year, he hit five home runs and 14 doubles.
Shirley “Squack” Moore, a member of the LVC class in 1943, was a four-sport athlete at ULV.
Accepting his award he said, “I’m proud to have went to La Verne. I made at lot of friends through athletics. There is always La Verne some where in my life.”
Moore was a first baseman, quarterback, forward and played on the tennis team at LVC. He was named 1943 Athlete of the Year, and after graduation, he served in the United States Navy before beginning an illustrious 27-year high school coaching career.
The last inductee and the only female to be awarded this year was Tricia Wright.
As a four sport athlete and a winner of 13 letters, Wright succeeded on the volleyball team, earning SCIAC Player of the Year honors as well as All-American honors. On the basketball court she was named to the All-SCIAC team twice, and led the team to a championship in 1989. As a softball player, she was a first All-League selection and a letter winner in track and field in the javelin throw.
She now serves as an assistant women’s volleyball coach at Utah State University.
“It’s unbelievable to have accomplished this. You always think, one day I will be in there, [the Hall of Fame case] and I’m in,” said Wright.
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.
