A regular column by Athletic Director Bill Husak.
September 2002
Athletics Director's Update
In more than 96 years of athletic history here at Loyola Marymount University, we within the LMU community have been fortunate to witness the achievements of some truly special student-athletes. Thousands of student-athletes have graced the halls and the fields of LMU over the decades.
On Friday, Sept. 6 LMU retired just its eighth jersey, that being of No. 14 Sarah McFarland. While leading the Lion volleyball team to the NCAA Tournament as a junior and a senior, McFarland became LMU's only two-time All-American, while also being named the school's Female Athlete of the Year twice. She was a three-time first-team All-West Coast Conference and American Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region selection. The native of Michigan City, Indiana, led the nation in kills for two consecutive years in 1999 and 2000. In addition to leading the nation in kills for two straight years, this former outside hitter etched her name into the NCAA record book as well. Her 762 kills during her final campaign set a new NCAA single-season kills per game record at 7.78. She holds two of the NCAA's top three positions in kills per game. Her 7.35 kill per game average in 1999 ranks third.
With the achievements of McFarland, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on the athletes whose jersey's hang from our facilities to recognize the role they have played in shaping our truly successful tradition.
McFarland was the third volleyball player to have her jersey hung from the rafters of Gersten Pavilion. Preceding her was No. 9 Tracey Holman and No. 2 Mardell Wrensch. Holman was a four-year letterwinner and starting setting for the Lions from 1994-1997. She set a high standard for LMU volleyball as the all-time career assist leader (5,362 assists, 13.25 apg) at LMU and in West Coast Conference history. After leading the Lions to their-straight conference title as a junior, Holman garnered Volleyball Magazine All-American accolades. She was a four-time first-team All-WCC selection, the only athlete in LMU history to claim such an honor. Wrensch, who was a teammate with Holman her final two seasons, was a WCC first-team selection for three consecutive season, earning WCC Scholar-Athlete honors all four seasons. Wrensch holds the school's all-time career and single season record for attack percentage and the single season record for block solos.
Also claiming three student-athletes on this prestigious list is the baseball program, which retired the jerseys of No. 10 Jerry Stone, No. 44 Billy Bean and No. 54 Tim Layana in March of 2000. Stone played a key role in guiding the Lions to its first conference baseball championship in 1973. One of the greatest catchers in school history, Stone earned All-WCAC and All-District honors in his final season. Also in that season, Collegiate Baseball named him a first-team All-America selection. One of the greatest pitchers in LMU history, Layana helped guide the Lions to its only College World Series appearance in 1986. A first-team All-WCC pick as a senior, Layana was tabbed the conference Pitcher of the Year. He is the career-record holder in innings pitched (511), strikeouts (405), complete games (33) and wins (34). Layana went onto pitched for the Cincinnati Reds when they won the 1999 World Series. While Layana was one of the greatest pitchers in school history, his teammate, Billy Bean, might be one of the programs best all-time offensive weapons. Bean was the offensive power that helped the 1986 team to the World Series, hitting .353 in his career at LMU. He holds a spot in 20 different statistical categories at LMU, including at bats (822), runs scored (216), hits (290), RBI (204), triples (16) and total bases (449).
The final two retired jerseys belong to No. 44 Hank Gathers and No. 30 Bo Kimble from the men's basketball team. Possible two of the Lions most famous players, Gathers and Kimble helped the LMU men's basketball team to its most successful run in school history, helping LMU to three of its four basketball titles. Gathers was one of the most prolific players in NCAA history as he led the nation in both scoring (32.7 ppg) and rebounds (13.7 rpg) as a junior, only the second player in NCAA history to lead the nation in both categories. He finished his career as LMU's all-time leading scorer with 2,490 points, an average of 28 per game. Gathers' teammate, Kimble, led the nation in scoring as a senior with an amazing 35.3 points per game. He finished his career fourth all-time at LMU in scoring with 2,010 points. His 1,131 points in the 1989-90 season is ranked sixth for a single season in NCAA history and tops at LMU. He is the only player to score more than 50 points in a game at LMU, doing it an amazing four times.
I believe that many of this year's athletes have the potential to be as successful as these eight athletes that have preceded them. We should all look forward to watching them compete and cheering them on. We can never be sure who will become the next Sarah McFarland - someone who has achieved so much that the University honors them by retiring their number.
Go Lions!
Bill Husak, AD
