AMANDA AUGUSTUS – After completing four seasons at California as an All-American women’s tennis player, Amanda Augustus went on to capture 20 professional titles during her career on the WTA circuit. At Cal, Augustus served as team captain for three seasons and was a two-time NCAA doubles champion in 1998-99. Augustus began her coaching career at Michigan where she led the women’s team to the Big 10 championship and the second round of the NCAA tournament. Augustus was recently hired back at her alma mater as head coach of the Cal Golden Bears women’s tennis team.
EVELYN ASHFORD – One of the fastest female sprinters of all time, Evelyn Ashford claimed Olympic gold in both the 1984 and 1988 games. At the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics, she set an Olympic record in the 100-meter race. Two weeks later, she set a world record time of 10.76 seconds, which stood until 1988. At the Seoul Olympics in 1988, she saved the day for the U.S. Women by running down a Soviet and an East German in the final 100 meters to claim the gold in the 400-meter relay.
DENISE AUSTIN – In her 25 years of work to promote health and fitness, San Pedro native Denise Austin has sold nearly 20 million exercise videos and DVDs. In addition, Austin has written nine books on fitness and is now entering her 20th season on television. “Denise Austin’s Daily Workout” is the longest running fitness show on the air. A gymnast from the age of 12, Austin earned an athletic scholarship to the University of Arizona and graduated in 1979 with a degree in exercise physiology. President Bush appointed Austin a member of the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
TRACY AUSTIN – In 1979 Tracy Austin became the youngest tennis champion in the history of the U.S. Open and repeated as the tournament women’s singles champion again in 1981. A resident of Rolling Hills, CA, the former number one player in the world began playing tennis when she was just two years old. She has won numerous tournaments on the tennis circuit, including the 1980 mixed doubles title at Wimbledon, but had to cut her career short due to recurring back injuries.
SHANNON BOXX recently returned from London where she and her teammates thrilled American soccer fans by winning the gold medal at the Olympic Games. It is Boxx’s third gold medal as a member of the women’s United States soccer team. Boxx graduated from South High in Torrance where she was a four-sport star and was named to the Parade All-American high school soccer squad. Boxx played college soccer for Notre Dame where she led the Irish to the NCAA title in 1995 and was an All-East member three years. In 2005, Boxx was a finalist for women’s world soccer player of the year, finishing third.
HEIDI & HEATHER BURGE – It’s easy to imagine that Heidi and Heather Burge provided double trouble for basketball opponents when the twins played together at Palos Verdes High and then later at the University of Virginia. At one time, the 6 foot 5 inch sisters were in the record books as the world’s tallest female twins and their remarkable life stories were the subject of a Disney television movie, titled Double Teamed. After graduating from Virginia, they both went on to play professional basketball in Europe and in the Women’s National Basketball Association.
VICTORIA BRUCKER – In 1989, San Pedro’s Eastview Little League made local history by going all the way to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA. However, of even larger historical note was Eastview’s clean-up hitter and first baseman — that role was filled by Victoria Brucker, the first girl to ever play in the Little League World Series. Brucker later earned a scholarship to play softball at San Jose State and made the All-Regional Team in two of her three seasons there. Brucker skipped her senior season at San Jose State for the opportunity to return to her true love of baseball and play in the new Ladies League Baseball. She was the starting shortstop and lead-off hitter for the San Jose Spitfires, which took the league championship in the only season of the league’s existence.
ASHLEY ESPARZA – San Pedro High School softball legend, Ashley Esparza was named the Los Angeles City Softball Player of the Year an incredible three times, made All-Marine League four times, and led the Pirates to city championships in all four years of her high school career — as the winning pitcher in the title game of the last three. After graduating, Esparza attended Penn State on a softball scholarship where she made the first team All-Big Ten and third team All-American squads during her softball career with the Nittany Lions.
JANET EVANS – Janet Evans, a three-time U.S. Olympian in swimming (1988,1992 and 1996), is a native of Southern California. Dubbed the “American Sweetheart” of swimming, Evans has won four gold medals and one silver medal, however it was as a member of a very special relay team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics that brought her the most fame. Evans ran with the Olympic Torch on it’s trek across America and, in one of the most emotional sports moments of all time, it was she who passed it off to Muhammad Ali to light the flame that towered above the Atlanta Stadium. Evans has won 45 U.S. National Titles and is the only female swimmer to hold three world records concurrently, 400, 800 and 1500 Freestyle. In 1989 she also won the Sullivan Award, the nation‘s top award for amateur athletes.
Sarah Gascon – Sarah Gascon is an all-everything athlete that has excelled in numerous sports. A 2000 graduate of Mary Star High School, Gascon was a three- sport star at Southeastern Louisiana University, where she lettered in volleyball, softball, and soccer. While at Southeastern Louisiana, Gascon was a four year all-conference softball player, two time all- conference volleyball player, and she shattered an NCAA volleyball record for defensive digs. In 2004, Gascon was selected as the starting centerfielder for the inaugural USA national women’s baseball team and drove in the gold medal winning run at the first ever World Cup of Women’s Baseball. She is currently the captain of the USA women’s handball team.
JACKIE JOYNER-KERSEE – Perhaps the world’s best female athlete of her era, Jackie Joyner-Kersee claimed two gold medals at the Seoul Olympics in the heptathlon and long jump. It was the first time in 64 years that an athlete had won a multi-event competition and an individual event in the same Olympics. She finished the heptathlon with 7,290 points, 394 more than her nearest competitor, for the greatest margin of victory ever in an Olympic women’s multi-event competition. She also became the first U.S. woman ever to win the Olympic long jump competition, with a jump of 24 ft. 3-1/2 inches.
LISA LESLIE – The dominant female basketball player of her generation, Lisa Leslie once scored 101 points in only one half of a high school basketball game! At USC she was chosen to the All-American team three consecutive years and, in 1994, was unanimously chosen as national player of the year. Leslie was a standout with the U.S. women’s basketball team, which dominated international play, winning the gold medal in the 1996, 2000, and 2004 Olympic Games. One of the original members of the WNBA, Leslie was a three time MVP as a member of the Los Angeles Sparks and became the first player in the league to dunk in a game.
ANN MEYERS – Ann Meyers became the first four-time women’s basketball All-American during her days at UCLA (1975-78). She led UCLA to the 1978 AIAW National Collegiate Women’s Basketball Championship and the U.S. team to a silver medal at the 1976 Olympics. In 1978, she was named the college women’s basketball player of the year and the winner of the Broderick Cup as the outstanding female collegiate athlete of the year. The La Habra native averaged 17.4 points per game and 8.4 rebounds per game at UCLA and is still the school record holder for most assists in a career. Meyers holds the distinction of being the only female player to ever be given a tryout for an NBA team.
CHERYL MILLER – An outstanding basketball player, Miller led the USC Trojans to three final four appearances, two national titles and earned All-American honors four times. She set Trojans records in career points, rebounds, field goals made and free throws made. Miller was USC’s leading scorer and rebounder in all of her four seasons during which the Trojans compiled a 112-20 record. In 1994, Miller was appointed head coach of the Trojans woman’s basketball team and in two seasons her team went 44-14, made the NCAA tournament both years and the regional finals once. She later coached the Phoenix Mercury of the WNBA to the finals. Miller is currently a television basketball analyst for TNT.
SHIRLEY MULDOWNEY – As auto racing’s most successful woman driver, Shirley Muldowney has pioneered in a sport usually identified with men. Her will to win is reflected in how she bounced back from a tragic accident in 1984 that nearly cost her life. In the 10 seasons prior to the accident she won 17 National Hot Rod Association events and was runner-up in six. She was the first woman to win a Winston World Championship and to win a berth in the Auto Racing All-American Team.
MAUREEN O’TOOLE – Widely regarded worldwide as the greatest female water polo player of all time, Maureen O’Toole began her water polo career 23 years ago at Wilson High School in Long Beach, Calif., playing on a boys water polo team because a girls team did not exist. She was named the Most Valuable Player of the U.S. Women’s National Team 15 times, U.S. Water Polo Female Athlete of the Year five times and World Water Polo Female Athlete of the Year six times. She has been named to the All-American Team for U.S. Water Polo a record 28 times. She came out of retirement in 2000 to play for the U.S. Olympic Women’s Water Polo Team in Sydney, Australia, where she led the team to a silver medal.
LOUISE FIGLEWICZ QUICK – Louise Figlewicz earned Most Valuable Player honors in basketball, volleyball and softball in each of her three years at San Pedro High School and, in softball, was named to the All Los Angeles City team three times. In her senior year, she led San Pedro to an undefeated 31-0 season and to the City Softball Championship, She was selected as Southern California Softball Player of the Year. As a pitcher at Chapman College, Figlewicz earned All-American honors and, in 1988, became the first female athlete to be inducted into the Chapman College Athletic Hall of Fame. In 1995 she became the first female athlete from San Pedro High School to be inducted into the Sportswalk of Fame.