LOS ANGELES, Calif. – Occidental College Athletics held it's 2026 Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Sunday, October 4, ushering a brand-new class of six Tigers.
 
Each Occidental alum reflected on past experiences in their playing, or coaching career, citing the relationships they grew within their community as memorable and impactful to their time both at Oxy and following.
 
Lynn Mehl, the former coach of Occidental's 1982 National Champion women's tennis program then subsequent Division III Coach of the Year honor in 1983, shared gratitude for the athletes she coached and administrators she worked with as both a coach, professor and athletics director. Mehl noted an interesting fact that Occidental won the first-ever women's DIII championship under her tutelage.
 
Doug McAdam, men's basketball class of 1973, followed Mehl. His induction was a journey down memory lane, reflecting on his team's success, personal accolades and appreciation for former teammates. McAdam and his 23-0 freshman squad – freshmen could not play on the varsity team at that point in time – closed their season with a 10-point victory over Division I Long Beach State. The team at that point coached by legend Jerry Tarkanian was a game that wasn't originally scheduled. The Tigers had UCLA on the docket, but McAdam noted the Bruins cancelled the game, jokingly (but maybe not much so) out of fear of losing to a Division III squad.
 
The third inductee was Tom Colley, Cross Country and Track & Field class of 1973. Colley, one of Oxy's great distance runners shared a vivid memory of the frigid 1977 Cross Country National Championships meet that the Tigers won as a team in Cleveland, Ohio. Held at the Highland Golf Course, he described the runners lined up across two different fairways at the starting line. Colley went on to lead Oxy in fourth, and remembered the results being announced that he and the squad defeated Humbolt by three points.
 
A nine-time All-American in Michele Trimble de Boucoud, Cross Country and Track & Field class of 1989, followed. Her speech focused on the fun times had by her and her teammates throughout her time as a Tiger. She noted stories of going to meets and other events packed into coach Bill Harvey's car like "sardines." She also shared her time going to cross country camp in Lake Tahoe with the team and competing in rigorous athletic competition like "chubby bunny" – where players tried to see who could fit the most marshmallows in their mouths.
 
Anna Celaya, women's basketball class of 1999, was the fifth inductee. Introduced by her twin sister Bobbie, Celaya received a heart-warming and passionate intro sharing her career accolades and a story from the duo's youth of Celaya competing in a boys league at the age of 11. Once on the stage, Celaya shared stories of breaking out of her shell with age after growing up timid. Well, timid she wasn't on the court, scoring over 2,000 points in her career at Oxy.
 
The final inductee was Steven (Vandy) Van Deventer, swimming and diving class of 2015. Vandy is one of the most decorated swimmers in Occidental history, winning two national championships in the 200 breaststroke, but that seemed far from possible as Vandy opened up about his reluctance to compete as a collegiate swimmer heading into Oxy. He made note of the team making him fall back in love with swimming through their compassion and "weirdness" which he resonated with. As a freshman, the seniors shared with Vandy a vest to be worn by swimmers who competed at a high level, a gesture he said made him comfortable with the team. He wore the vest during his presentation. Vandy still swims competitively today.
 
All told, four of the Hall of Famers were national champions, and two were prolific talents on the basketball court, posting historic numbers as both individuals and as a team.
 
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