President Tom Stritikus introduced the new Hall of Famers at an induction ceremony Oct. 19.
“Athletics is such an important part of what we do here,” Stritikus said.
Murray Via ‘54
According to Via’s book “Bringing Back Bengal Baseball,” which he co-wrote with teammate Ed Harper ’51, Via played center field for the baseball team at Occidental, becoming the first Tiger chosen first-string All-SCIAC in three consecutive years. Via owns the all-time Occidental records for career batting average (.434) and single-season average (.500) in 1954. Via co-captained the championship team from the same year, which was also inducted into the Occidental Athletics Hall of Fame in 2019.
Via said both the Korean War and the skill of the Occidental baseball team played a factor in his decision to enroll at Occidental.
“I’m here because I [would have served in] the Korean War and because of Coach Bill Anderson, who said ‘I have a better deal for you: come play center field for Occidental baseball instead,’” Via said. “Most of all, I’m here because of the 1954 team […] I’m the byproduct of all of that talent.”
Via said it was easier to recognize his experience and success at Occidental in hindsight.
“You don’t appreciate what you had until it’s [gone],” Via said. “Looking back, you can say, ‘Wow, that was fantastic.’ Our whole team was all-conference, but team camaraderie can’t be measured. Did we play for the thrill of winning? Yes. Did we play for the thrill of setting records? Yes.”
Via said that the last game he played at Occidental in the baseball team’s fourth consecutive championship season was one of his favorite memories.
“It was like a Hollywood script: in the last game of the 1954 season, we had already won every game we played and the championship,” Via said. “In the second game of a doubleheader, [Dick Sovde ’56] throws a no-hitter and we go undefeated on the season. We really ended on a high note.”
Reiner Kolodinski ‘81
According to the Oxy Athletics website, Kolodinski transferred to Occidental in 1978 from El Camino Junior College, and joined the basketball team as a point guard. Kolodinski won team MVP honors in the 1979-1980 season as the team went on to win the SCIAC championship with an 11-1 conference record.
Kolodinski said he’s always been connected to Occidental sports culture.
“My first shots in this gym were as a middle schooler on a church retreat,” Kolodinski said. “I’m tied to this place […] what I’ve learned is that connections and relationships really matter.”
Kolodinski said one of his career highlights was beating Whittier, Occidental’s biggest rival in basketball at the time.
“Whittier hadn’t lost a conference game in four years,” Kolodinski said. “We were bracketed with them, and it was so violent that the refs called me and the other captain over to mid court about 10 minutes into the game to ask what was going on […] I think there were over 60 fouls in that game. We wasted them, and didn’t look back from there.”
Rebecca Kopchick Carcamo ‘94
According to the Oxy Athletics website, Carcamo was a premier distance runner for Occidental, setting records as a seven-time Division III All-American. She won the Division III 1992 national championship by running a 17:57.46 5K, and was a two-time SCIAC champion in cross country in 1991 and 1993.
Carcamo said she’s happy to be recognized for her achievements.
“The legacy of athletics at Oxy is exceptional, and I’m very honored to be a part of it,” Carcamo said. “Running at Oxy was the highlight of my collegiate experience […] when I think back, [it] was so much more than the competition.”
Carcamo said being a student-athlete at Occidental was a unique ordeal.
“We were scholar athletes, so we took a very balanced approach,” Carcamo said. “Coach Bill Harvey made a big effort to make sure that we understood that our whole self was important. He used this metaphor of a table, and each leg represented a different part of our lives — academics, athletics, personal relationships, spirituality, or whatever those are for each person — and that they needed to be balanced, otherwise the table was not very usable. That’s probably the standout attribute of going to a school like Oxy and pursuing athletics.”
Jacqueline Shimamoto ’14
According to the Oxy Athletics website, Shimamoto played center field for the softball team, batting .422 for her career while accumulating the most hits in Occidental softball history with 139. She received All-SCIAC selections in each of her four seasons and was named First Team All-SCIAC in 2013 and 2014.
Shimamoto said she credits her father, Tod Shimamoto, as the driving force behind her skill and motivation as a softball player.
“Arguably, the person who guided me the most was my dad, who passed away a couple years ago,” Shimamoto said. “He was my personal batting coach for my whole life. I know he would be really proud of me if he were here.”
Shimamoto said she enjoyed the bond she shared with her teammates.
“Getting to see the girls and having them be a part of your everyday life was special,” Shimamoto said. “You really got to know everyone pretty well and you celebrated everybody’s victories.”
Shimamoto said she had advice for current Occidental students.
“Enjoy your time here, because it really does go fast,” Shimamoto said. “Try to sit down, reflect once in a while, and be grateful for everything.”
Olivia Sabins
Sabins said she joined the Occidental Athletics Department in 1989, and was eventually promoted to Department Coordinator. Sabins retired in June 2025, totaling more than 36 years at Occidental in various roles.
Sabins said she loved working at Occidental because of the people that surrounded her.
“I have been asked so many times, ‘Olivia, why did you stay at Oxy for so long?’” Sabins said. “The answer has never changed: the staff. The staff is the best part about working here.”
Sabins said she tried to be a reliable and comforting presence for the athletes at Occidental.
“I’m the first person that you see when you come into the door,” Sabins said. “A lot of [students] would come in, and it was just a time for them to take a few minutes before they had to go to a meeting or a practice […] It was that exchange of visiting with each other, the human aspects, and it wasn’t related to anything. It was just about how the students were doing.”
Sabins said she appreciated how close-knit the sports culture at Occidental is.
“One of the beautiful things about Occidental is how so many people stay connected after they graduate,” Sabins said. “They love the surrounding community and they continue to return and support the college. I wouldn’t have been here 36 years if it hadn’t been such a great place to be. I’m going to really miss the people, the community and the environment. That’s the hardest thing to walk away from.”
Contact Angus Kapstein Parkhill at parkhill@oxy.edu
