Join us for the 2025 Santa Clara Athletics Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony on May 3rd, 2025 as we celebrate the class of 2025.
2025 Inductees
Bronco Bench Foundation
Maureen "Mimi" Sherman Braatz '76 | Rowing
Jeff Baicher '93 | Men's Soccer
Paul Bravo '93 | Men's Soccer
1989 Men's Soccer Team
Event Details:
Date: May 3rd, 2025
Location: Leavey Center
Cocktail Social: 5:00pm
Program Starts: 6:00pm
Dinner: 6:15pm
Program resumes: 7pm
Attire: Business Casual
Parking: Leavey Center lot
Inductee Bios
Jeff Baicher '93 | Men's Soccer Baicher helped lead Santa Clara to two NCAA Tournament appearances and one national championship title in his two seasons with the program. Joining Santa Clara from Foothill College, where he helped the team capture the 1988 state championship title, Baicher saw instant success in his junior campaign at SCU and was a key piece for the 1989 National Champions. He was named the WCC's Player of the Year, led the conference with 20 assists (the most in program history), ranked fifth nationally in assists per game, and was named the Offensive MVP of the 1989 Men's College Cup after scoring the lone goal for the Broncos in their double OT thriller vs. Virginia in the national championship game. Baicher's senior year saw the Sunnyvale native help guide the Broncos to another NCAA Tournament bid. He once again led the league in assists (17) and earned both First Team All-WCC and All-Far West honors. In his two years with the program, Baicher tallied 15 goals and 37 assists, which still stands as the most in program history. Both of his season assist totals also rank first and second-most in program history in a single season. Following his Santa Clara days, Baicher was a member of the US Men's National Team where he played in over 20 games in 1990 and 1991, and earned a cap each year. In 1996, he was selected by the San Jose Clash in the Major League Soccer (MLS) Draft and played for both San Jose and the New England Revolution before retiring. Following retirement, he went into coaching and is currently the Director of the De Anza Force club team. Paul Bravo '93 | Men's Soccer Like Baicher, Paul Bravo also joined Santa Clara by way of Foothill College following their 1988 state championship title run and had an immediate impact for the 1989 National Champions as a junior. After earning Offensive MVP honors of SCU's Met Life Tournament, Bravo went on to lead the WCC in both scoring with 16 goals and total points (40) en route to earning First Team All-WCC honors. Both his goal and total points tallies rank second in a single-season in program history. Bravo helped the Broncos return to the NCAA Tournament once again in his 1990 senior campaign and nearly led SCU to a first round win over Fresno State after scoring in overtime to put the Broncos ahead 2-1, however the Bulldogs came out on top with a game-winning score in the final seconds. He finished the year with a team-high 10 goals and once again was a First Team All-WCC pick. Bravo wrapped up his Bronco Career tied for fifth in program history with 26 goals. He went on to become the eighth overall selection in the inaugural MLS Draft in 1996 by the San Jose Clash, where he teamed up once again with Baicher. He played six total seasons in the MLS with the Clash and Colorado Rapids, and was a three-time All-Star. During his time with the Rapids, he notched a franchise-record 39 goals. Bravo was also a member of four U.S. Men's National Teams where he earned four caps. Upon his retirement, he also went into coaching. After bouncing around as an assistant for multiple MLS Teams, he also found his way to the De Anza Force club team where he continues to coach today. Maureen 'Mimi' Sherman-Braatz '76 | Men's Rowing A barrier buster and a real Bronco, 'Mimi' arrived at Santa Clara from Bakersfield in the fall of 1992. In her four years with the Broncos, she made a major impact both on and off the water. She joined SCAAP in 1972, where she tutored grammar school kids in Alviso and eventually become co-chair of the organization. Upon graduation, she was a nominee for the St. Claire Medal. Sherman joined the men's crew as a freshman as the team's coxswain, a multi-purpose position that serves as both an onboard coach and motivator. In her role, she was responsible for implementing the agreed upon strategy and, if necessary, make adjustments on the fly, let the crew know where they were in relation to other boats, what the stroke rate was, the distance to the finish and how to get into the opponents' heads while maintaining a straight course. She was part of an undefeated freshman boat (Frosh 8) that swept Stanford, San Diego State, Loyola, UCLA and Oregon in the regular season. The Broncos then hosted the Western Sprints at Lexington Reservoir, their home water. Santa Clara sent a Frosh 4 to the IRA Collegiate National Championships in Syracuse, N.Y., including Sherman, who became the first woman to compete in the IRA since its inception in 1895. In 1974, she accompanied a men's crew to England to compete in the Nottingham Regatta, but was barred from competing due to her sex. With Sherman calling strokes for the Lightweight 8 in the 1975 and 1976 seasons, the Bronco Crew was a consistent winner, including medal finishes in the Crew Classic and a third-place finish at the Sprints behind powerhouse west coast programs Washington and Cal. The '76 season culminated with Santa Clara earning an invite to row in the 1976 Henley Royal Regatta where Sherman ended the 134-year tradition of "men only" by becoming the first woman to ever compete. The 1976 Redwood summed up who she was beautifully: "No one will forget Mimi Sherman, the coxswain who made history by becoming the first woman to row at Henley, the world's oldest regatta. She too became someone who could be respected on the crew, and her desire to compete at the highest levels is an example to all rowers who have donned a Bronco Uniform." 1989 Men's Soccer Team After nearly a century of intercollegiate sports, Santa Clara reeled in its first NCAA Championship in 1989 thanks to a brilliant season from the men's soccer program. Led by ISAA National Coach of the Year Steve Sampson, the Broncos were undefeated in the regular season and were ranked first in the national polls ahead of the 1989 NCAA Tournament. Santa Clara cruised through the first three rounds with home wins over Fresno State (2-1) and UCLA (2-0) before taking down Indiana, 4-2, in the NCAA Semifinal in Piscataway, N.J. to set up a date with Virginia with the national championship title on the line. The championship game was played on Dec. 3rd in Piscataway in miserable conditions that saw a wind chill of 10 degrees below zero and wind gusts that affected nearly every kick that sent the ball in the air. Virginia found the back of the net first and the Broncos answered in the 83rd minute on goal by Jeff Baicher. The teams proceeded to play two thrilling defense-heavy overtime periods. With neither team unable to score throughout the 60-minute duration of overtime, the officials declared both teams co-champions. It was the third and final time in history that the NCAA recognized men's soccer co-champions. The Broncos finished the 1989 season with a 20-0-3 record and a school-record 78 goals. Seven players were named All-WCC including Baicher, the WCC Player of the Year, and First Team All-America selection Cameron Rast. Bronco Bench Foundation Through the efforts of Sal Sanfillipo and the Campisis, plus the legal help of Ed Panelli, the Bronco Bench was established in 1962. Its goal was to construct an on-campus stadium to provide a true home field facility for the resurrected football program and the established baseball team. This dream was realized with the completion of Buck Shaw Stadium in 1962, a dual-purpose campus facility seating about 8,000 fans, but capable of cramming in 10,000. After construction of the stadium, the Bench turned its focus to building an endowment to fund scholarships for Santa Clara Athletics. Working with organizations, families and friends of the university and its athletic teams, today the Bronco Bench Foundation has nearly 79 Endowed Scholarships and its endowment has grown to over $49,761,327. More than 60 years since its founding, the Bronco Bench is still going strong, raising funds to help Santa Clara Athletics be the best they can be. The Bench continues to have a highly visible and positive impact on Santa Clara's Student Athletes; first by helping to provide a first class, D1 experience on the court, the course, the pitch, the field, and the water, and then after graduation, supporting them in their career paths. The Bronco Bench continues to be the 'bench' mark for both success and relevance.
Pricing:
**Registration Closes: April 30th, 2025**