Nine get called by Monarch Hall of Fame

The Class of 2023 Monarch Hall of Fame inductees to be celebrated on July 24.

By Andres Sanchez, Staff Writer

Josh Goosen-Brown is a pitching coach for the Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) Monarchs baseball team. Goosen-Brown was inducted into the Monarch Hall of Fame for his achievements as a pitcher for the baseball team in 2010. From there, he would transfer to California State University Northridge and later to University of San Diego to earn his degree in kinesiology in 2015. Photo taken in the Monarch Athletic Center of LAVC in Los Angeles, Calif. on Wednesday, March 15, 2023. (Jeremy Ruiz | Valley Star)

New inductees to the Valley College Hall of Fame were announced last week and the group is made up of former players, coaches and a founding member of the Hall of Fame.

The incoming class includes the 2013-14 women’s basketball team, Marcus Harvey, Ava Avanessian, Mary Ann Breckell, Bruno Cicotti, Josh Goossen-Brown, Stew Kops, Joe Mauldin and Raul Castillo, one of the founding members of the Hall of Fame.

Castillo, the former executive director of the Valley College Foundation, passed away in May at 54 years old. He was dedicated to student success at the college and carried an interest in athletics.

“[Raul] took me to lunch and came out of lunch as a chairperson of the Hall of Fame Committee,” said Paul Sabolic.

Castillo raised $8 million in endowments through the foundation, helping to fund many school programs including the athletic endowment campaign, which underwrites programs such as the Athletic Hall of Fame and Green and Gold Club. Under the recommendation of former Athletic Director Chuck Ferrero, Castillo convinced professor Sabolic to run the new project as chairperson of Valley’s Athletics Hall of Fame Committee.

The Hall of Fame committee announced this year’s inductees on March 10 after years of delays due to COVID-19. The committee will host an in-person event honoring the new members on June 24 in Monarch Hall at 5 p.m.

Sabolic was inducted into the hall in 2010 in recognition of his Monarch football career. He was named All-Metropolitan offensive linemen and junior college All-American in 1967.

"I wasn’t an Olympian. I wasn’t a NFL player, nor major league baseball player. I was just another college guy,” said Sabolic.

Pitching coach for the Monarch baseball team, Josh Goossen-Brown, will also be inducted into the hall for his accomplishments at Valley. During the 2010 season, Goosen-Brown was named WSC Southern Division Player of the Year, WSC Golden Glove winner and WSC 2010 All-Conference first-team selection.

“It’s a huge honor for me,” said Goossen-Brown, “One of my cousins, he’s actually in the hall of fame too as a football player. Being there with him means a lot to me.”

The 2013-14 Lady Monarchs posted a 12-0 record on their way to a Western State Conference title. The entire roster will be inducted this summer, including A’Jaee Foster, Erika Rivera, Kalia Turner, Jecenia Trinidad, Chelsea Rhamdeow, Ajai Ford, Melody Gauthier, Amanda Hubbell, Bobbie Morgutia, Myangel Johnson, Julissa Aguirre, Junious-Reliford Lunden, Bryttne Nakamura and Diana Herrera.

– With Contributions from Nicholas Orozco