Metro Conference names second Hall of Fame class

The 13-school Metro Conference announced its second annual Hall of Fame class, and it’s loaded with stars.

The inductees will be honored Oct. 19 in a banquet held in Olympian High School’s multi-purpose room.

Tickets are $45; reservations can be made by emailing metroconferencehof@gmail.com by Friday.

Here’s a look at the honorees:

Tracy Y. Crawford, Southwest High School: A three-time South Bay League champion in the shot put and discus, she captured the state championship in the discus in 1986 with a throw of 156 feet, 2 inches. She went on to a record-setting career at BYU.

Christina Murguia, Castle Park High School: A three-sport standout, Murguia lettered all four years in volleyball, basketball and softball. She was named CIF Player of the Year in basketball as a senior. Murguia played collegiately at San Diego State, where she was named 1994 WAC Tournament MVP and the 1995 WAC Player of the Year.

Nicole Meyer-Sandez, Mar Vista High School: A letterwinner in volleyball, basketball and softball, Meyer-Sandez was an All-CIF player oin the circle. She went on to a stellar career at Southwestern College and was inducted into the college’s Hall of Fame in 2015. She was a longtime member of the Mexican National Team.

Andy Sanchez, Castle Park High School: A 1969 graduate, Sanchez earned all-league honors in baseball and football, where he was an All-CIF running back. Sanchez played at Southwestern, where he was named a Junior College All-American in baseball, before playing football at USD and Cal Poly Pomona.

Mike Collins, Chula Vista High School: A graduate of Chula Vista, Collins returned to the school as boys basketball coach in 1972. Over a 30-year career, he won 492 games and 10 league titles, and was named Metro Conference Coach of the Year eight times. He is a member of the San Diego High School Coaching Legends Hall of Fame.

Jim Knox, Mar Vista/Eastlake: A graduate of Mar Vista High School, Knox built volleyball programs at Mar Vista, Eastlake and Southwestern College over a 30-year career. He is in the San Diego High School Coaching Legends Hall of Fame.

Lori Morris, Montgomery High School: Morris took over an 0-27 girls basketball program and built it into a seven-time league champion.

Gene Alim, Mar Vista High School: Alim was an all-league player in football, basketball and baseball who went on to teach and coach for 37 years in the Sweetwater District. His football teams captured seven straight league titles and two CIF championships in 1983 and 1984.

Ron Pietila, Sweetwater High School: A three-sport player in high school, Pietila was all-league in football, basketball and baseball and was an All-CIF baseball pick in 1965. He went on to a 35-year teaching and coaching career in the Sweetwater District, winning 506 games and 23 straight league titles in girls soccer. His teams won more than 300 straight league matches.

Gil Warren, Sweetwater High School: Warren was a star in football and track in the late 1950s. He started his coaching career in 1967 at Castle Park, leading the Trojans to CIF championships in 1968, 1994 and 1996. He is a member of the San Diego High School Coaching Legends Hall of Fame.

Dr. Ed Brand, Sweetwater School District: Brand was superintendent of the Sweetwater District from 1995 to 2005 and again from 2010 to 2014. He was named California Superintendent of the Year in 2004.

Phillip Brents, Sweetwater High School: Brents has been a sportswriter at the Star-News since 1987.