Pacific Announces 2006 Athletic Hall of Fame Class

A pair of All-Americans, the school's first wrestling champion and a pair of conference players of the year highlight the University's 15th Athletic Hall of Fame induction class.

Photo: Pacific University

FOREST GROVE - A pair of All-Americans and a past NCAA regional champion lead the 15th induction class of the Pacific Athletic Hall of Fame.

Baseball All-American Warren Arakaki, basketball All-American Brett Jefferies and NCAA Pacific Coast wrestling champion Chuck Peterson lead class of six individuals who will be honored in a ceremony on Sat., Oct. 14th at 7:00 PM, at Pacific's Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center.

An invitation-only dinner and reception for inductees and current Hall of Fame members will precede the ceremony.

The three are joined by 16-time letterwinner Victor "Quincy" Adams - who will receive his award posthumously, gymnastics champion Cindy Wacker Nehring and softball pitching standout Jennifer Sharp.

Admission to the ceremony is free. For more information, please contact the Pacific Athletic Office at (503) 352-2767 or the Alumni Office at (503) 352-2057 or visit www.goboxers.com/hof.

Warren Arakaki earned All-American honors as a second baseman in 1980 after leading the Northwest Conference with a then-school record .456 batting average. That same year, Arakaki was named to the NAIA's All-America Scholar Athlete Team and was a nominee for the United States Baseball Federation's Golden Spikes Award for the top collegiate baseball player in the U.S.

Arakaki was a three-time All-NWC First Team selection (1980, 1981 and 1982), was twice named Pacific's most valuable player and led the 1982 team with a .403 batting average. A 1983 graduate of Pacific's School of Physical Therapy, Arakaki resides in Hilo, Hawaii.

Brett Jefferies led the 1996-97 Pacific men's basketball team to the Northwest Conference championship, a No. 5 national ranking and the second round of the NAIA Division II National Tournament.

The 1997 NWC Player of the Year and All-American averaged 20.3 points (third in NWC) and 8.3 rebounds per game (first in NWC). In addition, Jefferies was named First Team Little All-Northwest in 1997 and was the NAIA Division II National Player of the Week.

A three-time All-NWC selection, Jefferies finished his career ranked No. 4 on Pacific's all-time scoring list (1,604) and third on the all-time rebounding list (579). A native of Perth, Australia, Jefferies returned home after graduation to play professionally with the Melbourne Tigers. He currently resides in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Chuck Peterson holds the distinction of being Pacific's first wrestling champion, capturing the 1958 NCAA Pacific Coast crown at 191 pounds. He went on to compete at the 1958 NCAA Wrestling Championships, a one-division affair that predated the NAIA National Tournament.

Peterson also won the 1957 NAIA District II title as a heavyweight and captured the 191-pound title in 1958.

A 12-time letterwinner in football, wresting and track and field, Peterson was the 1958 NWC champion in the discus and his 144 foot, 1 inch mark was the school record for 15 years. In football, Peterson was a First Team All-NWC selection in 1958 and 1959. Peterson currently lives in Tillamook.

The late Victor "Quincy" Adams earned 16 letters at Pacific, four each in football, basketball, baseball and track and field. Competing before the formation of the Northwest Conference, Adams was named First Team All-Northwest Non Conference in 1921 and 1922 as both a halfback and kicker.

He also excelled on the hardwood as a forward and in baseball at both first base and shortstop. Upon graduation, Adams enjoyed a rich high school coaching career that included stops at Ione, North Bend, La Grande, Pacific and Bandon high schools.

He returned to Pacific to coach the men's basketball program from 1956-60, and led the 1956-57 Badgers to the NWC championship. Adams passed away in 1973. His son, Donald, will accept on his behalf.

Cindy Wacker Nehring ranks among the best gymnasts in Pacific history and was among the top in the nation when she graduated in 1978. Nehring was the 1975 Northwest Regional Women's Collegiate Gymnastics Association all-around champion, taking first place in the vault and floor exercise and second in balance beam.

She went on to finish 10th in the all-around at the National Gymnastics Championships and was the women's all-round champion at the Oregon U.S. Gymnastics Federation Championships.

After missing the 1976 season with a knee injury, Nehring went on to take second in the all-around at the 1977 Northwest College Women's Sports Association championships and was ranked among the top-24 gymnasts in the nation. Nehring and her husband, former Pacific basketball standout Scott Nehring, live in Woodburn.

Jennifer Sharp ranks among the best in the long history of great Pacific softball pitchers. Sharp was named the 1998 NWC Player of the Year after leading the Boxers to the conference title.

She compiled a 17-3 record and a 1.06 earned run average that season, striking out 118 and holding opponents to a .190 batting average. Sharp was 10-0 and held a 0.44 ERA against conference opponents that season. She was also an Honorable Mention All-NWC selection in 1996.

Sharp currently holds Pacific single season record for earned run average (1.06), wins (17), and saves (3), shares the single season record for complete games (19) and held records for innings pitched (146.1) and strikeouts (118) until 2003. A native of Dallas, Oregon, Sharp currently resides in Portland.

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