Photos by College of the Redwoods Athletics – Mike Woychak

College of the Redwoods will induct a new class into the school’s athletics hall of fame this week, honoring the inductees at a dinner on Friday night and recognizing them at halftime of Saturday’s football game.

The new class includes long-time Corsairs head trainer Mike Woychak and the 2002 CR softball team.

Woychak was with the Corsairs for more than three decades, serving as the trainer from 1983 to 2004 and as a full-time faculty instructor from 2004 to 2013

“Mike was always a calming and steady presence in our department under some of the more stressful situations when dealing with athletic injuries,” CR Athletic Director Bob Brown said. “His demeanor for students was ideal in letting them know everything was going to be all right, no matter how minor or serious an injury may be.”

Woychak served as head athletic trainer longer than anyone else in CR history, while working with more than 200 student athletes each year, but that’s not all he brought to the table.

“He was also a great leader for our lecture first aid, strength training and kinesiology courses,” Brown added. “You were well prepared if you took a course from Mike as he was very thorough with curriculum. He was a great mentor to all of us coaches and really helped us all in understanding the importance of keeping things in a healthy balance and perspective when coaching at this level.”

The 2002 Corsairs softball team, meanwhile, will be inducted into the hall of fame on their 20th anniversary.

That year the CR women finished 33-9 and posted the best record in program history.

This is also the first women’s team to be inducted into the CR Athletics Hall of Fame, a notable achievement during the 50th anniversary of Title IX.

The 2002 CR softball team, from left to right, (back row) Mary Grounds, Jackie (McKellar) Heuberger, Alison Hawes, Kelsie Parks; (middle row) Amy Landing, Sarah Boling, Lindsey (Cardoza) Reed, J.C. Michel; (front row) Maggie White, Sarah (Delsman) Mankewich, Micaiah (Platto) Corley, Jennifer Bride, Connie McGonagle, Taralyn Ipina, Kellie Shaner,  Sarah (Davis) Bestul.

The team was led by head coach Maggie White, along with assistant coaches Sarah (Davis) Bestul and Sarah (Delsman) Mankewich. 

Two time all-conference and all-state selection Jennifer Bride also played a key role in the team’s success, pitching 246 innings with 261 strikeouts and an ERA of 0.94. 

She finished the season with a 29-9 record. 

At the plate, the Corsairs were led that year by all-conference players J.C. Michel (.339) and Connie McGonagle (.323).

“In my 25 years as the head softball coach at CR this team had the best team chemistry, and everyone understood their role on the team,” White said. “It is unusual to have a team like this and they were a pleasure to coach.”

The 2022 class will be honored during a dinner at Bear River Casino on Friday night and will be introduced to the crowd at halftime of Saturday’s game against Foothill at the Redwood Bowl.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Mike Woychak was the head trainer at CR from 1983 to 2004.