Santa Ynez High inducts seven into school’s Wall of Fame

Newest members honored at Rio Memorial Field before Pirates football game on Sept. 19

In an annual ceremony to honor its athletic past, Santa Ynez High School used the evening of Friday, Sept. 19, not only to stage a football game between SYHS and Nipomo, but also to recognize five former student-athletes and one former coach and faculty member for their induction into the schoo’s Wall of Fame.

In a ceremony preceding the kickoff, the school honored former soccer, swim, and Iain McPherson, former Pirates volleyball star Meghan Mosebar, former football and track star Josh Hartman, water polo, soccer and swimming standout Chris Pace, former football star Kelley Moore, and football and golf standout Parker Colvin.

Retired SYHS teacher Dave Smith accepted the Wall of Fame plaque for Iain McPherson, a native Scot who spent 26 years as a coach and teacher at SYHS before his untimely death in 1999. Known for his tough love approach, he earned respect from students and players by pushing them to achieve more than they thought possible. As an All-American swimmer himself, he coached numerous athletes to CIF, All League
MVPs, and All-American.

Smith was a colleague and good friend of McPherson’s when both were at SYHS.

“I got here in 1975, and he had been here for three or four years already and we became good friends,” Smith said. “I was a swimmer, and I had a sister who spent some time in Scotland, so we had a lot of common ground.”

Smith said McPherson left a lasting legacy with the Pirates’ aquatic sports programs

“He really made a mark in water polo and swimming,” Smith said. “I’m glad I was able to come accept this plaque for him and also happy I got to see some of his former athletes come to see this.”

Meghan Mosebar, who lives in Florida, was also unable to attend the ceremony in person, but Meighan Dietenhofer, a former teammate, was able to accept the plaque for her. After a standout career in high school, she played Division I volleyball at Purdue and William & Mary. She is currently a teacher and club volleyball coach in Rockledge, Florida.

Josh Hartman, who accepted his plaque along with his daughter Willow, was a standout in football and track at SYHS before graduating in 2006. On the football field, Josh was named the team’s Most Valuable Player and honored as the school’s Most Valuable Male Athlete in his final year. After high school, Josh concluded his athletic career at Chapman University, playing football while earning a bachelor’s degree in business with an emphasis in finance.

Chris Pace, who accepted his plaque carrying his young son, Jonah, not only was a three-sport star at SYHS, but outside of athletics was an Eagle Scout, Boys State School Rep, and senior class president. He continued his water polo career at the U.S. Air Force Academy, where he graduated in 2008, and went on to a distinguished USAF career.

“They’ve been calling me for quite a few years, but with me moving all over being with the Air Force, I could never schedule it,” Pace said. “Finally, one year they called and I brought up a few old teammates of mine and asked if they were on the wall, and they said, ‘oh, we got them in years ago!’ So I figured it was time to get this done.”

While some of his fellow inductees came in from out of town, Pace has moved back to the Santa Ynez Valley, bringing his family in to settle here just a couple months ago.

Kelley Moore, whose brother Mitch as on hand to accept his plaque, graduated Santa Ynez in 1972. He went on to play football at Allan Hancock College and Chico State. After graduating from CSU Chico in the spring of 1977, Dr. Kelley Moore has been blessed to have had a lifetime,49 years in the coaching profession. After stints at Hancock and Thiel College, he has been an assistant football coach at Arizona Western University.

Parker Colvin played four years (2005-09) of football and golf at SYHS, earned the Jeff Rio Memorial Scholarship and was named the most Valuable Male Athlete for the Class of 2009. After graduating
high school, Colvin attended Cal Lutheran University, where he played four years on the golf team, serving as team captain. He graduated from CLU with a degree in exercise science with an emphasis on sports medicine.

“I’m super honored to be inducted, I was at this school for four years and I loved it here,” Colvin said. “I made sure to bring my old letterman’s jacket to wear to this, just to show everyone, I still bleed black and orange.”