Listen: Mike Marando, President, Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame
“Champions,” a new exhibit showcasing Rancho Cordova’s rich and storied sports history at the Mills Station Arts & Cultural Center (MACC). It's free to the public and runs through Saturday, Sept. 10, 2022.
Presented in the spirit of the Rancho Cordova Sports Hall of Fame, the exhibit brings to life dozens of male and female Rancho Cordova area sports stars of the past, dating back to the 1960s, up to present day. Loaded with gear, equipment and other accoutrements of the era, the Champions exhibit includes photos and historical anecdotes of several Cordova High teams, including the nation’s No. 1-ranked football team, the 1975 Cordova Lancers; and the 1984 section champion varsity baseball and girls’ basketball teams.
The exhibit will feature several former pro baseball players, including 11-year MLB pitcher Randy Lerch; former White Sox and New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel; pitchers Chris Bosio, Steve Finch, and Zach Crouch, among others; football greats including Coye Francies and Reggie Young; and basketball standouts including Vickie Baugh and Mike McCullough, who went on to become a top executive with the NBA’s Miami Heat.
Also featured are swimmers Ryan Yantis, who served as Chief of Public Affairs for the Pentagon during 9/11, and Angie Matheu, a section-record holder, and American River College Athlete of the Year; Lee McFann, a late 1960s multi-sport athlete who went on to become a three-star USAF general; and, longtime coach Kelly Crawford, who played on the LPGA golf circuit.
A special section honors many of Cordova’s coaches who laid the blueprint for the city’s success in several sports. Dewey Guerra, Ron Lancaster, Clarke Massey, Dave Andreotti, and John McCants will have their stories featured as well.
Cordova’s influence in the boxing and MMA world is also well-represented, with Mike Sedillo, a member of the California Boxing Hall of Fame, and, Chad “Savage” George, who parlayed a terrific wrestling career at Cordova into becoming a world-class MMA fighter.
Also included are several notable achievements, school, section, and state record-holders.