The Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table inducted seven new members into its Hall of Fame on Monday night in a ceremony held at the Cabrillo Pavilion.
This year’s class featured five standout athletes, one coach and a special achievement honoree.
The inductees were Mike Gorton, Russ Hafferkamp, Elysia Hodges Mitchell, Stamatia Scarvelis, Sari Small, Ed Gover and Dave Loveton.
The event was co-emceed by KEYT’s Mike Klan and Noozhawk’s Barry Punzal. Amidst the crowd of attendees were SBART Hall of Fame members, many of whom swapped stories from the long and rich history of Santa Barbara sports.
Gorton’s strong golf career as a San Marcos Royal led to a legendary World Long Drive career that lasted 33 years and earned him a spot in the SBART Hall of Fame.
Hafferkamp was inducted thanks to his decorated career with USA Water Polo which featured 29 All-American honors in the Masters Division and 14 more in the Open Division.
Mitchell ran her way into the Hall of Fame, breaking records as a track & field star at both San Marcos High School and Westmont College.
Scarvelis turned a record-breaking track & field career at Dos Pueblos into a lifetime of achievements in the hammer throw and shot put, including competing in the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics.
Small is one of the most influential SBART Hall of Famers, as she was one of the first female athletes at Carpinteria High School in 1960, paving the way for many athletes over the years.
Gover coached his way into the Hall of Fame, serving as the head coach of SBCC Women’s Volleyball for 28 years in a tenure that included 11 conference titles and a record of 378-216.
Loveton rounded out the inductees as this year’s special achievement nominee thanks to his years spent as a sports writer for the Santa Barbara News-Press and the sports information specialist for SBCC.
For full bios on this year’s inductees, visit the links below:
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