IRVINE, Calif. -- UC Irvine is proud to announce the Athletics Hall of Fame Class of 2026, featuring All-Americans, NCAA participants, Big West champions, two professional athletes and a pioneer of women's sports.

The 2026 class includes Simone Ferrera (women's soccer), Keston Hiura (baseball), Perry Parker (men's golf), Jim Snyder (men's tennis), Shar Wallander (women's volleyball coach) and Alex Young (men's basketball).

"Once again this year's Hall of Fame class exemplifies the excellence and diversity that defines UCI Athletics," Athletic Director Paula Smith said. "From pioneering women's sports to competing on the world stage, these six inductees have left an indelible mark on our program. Their achievements in the classroom, in competition, and in their professional careers represent the very best of what it means to be an Anteater."

The class will be celebrated at a ceremony on Feb. 13, 2026 and introduced the next day at the men's basketball game against Cal State Fullerton at the Bren Events Center.

Since the Hall of Fame was started in 1983, UCI has 116 inductees.

SIMONE FERRARA / Women's Soccer / 1995-98
Ferrera holds the school record in career assists with 27 and is tied for fourth for most assists in a season with nine in 1996. The midfielder didn't just facilitate, she was an offensive threat, recording 55 career goals, which is 10th all-time. Ferrara earned second team All-Big West in 1996 and honorable mention in 1998. She was a member of UCI's first Big West Championship team in 1997. Ferrara went on to play professionally and is the only Anteater to play in the World Cup, playing for New Zealand in 2007.

KESTON HIURA / Baseball / 2015-17
Hiura was the 2017 Big West Field Player of the Year after winning the national batting title with a .442 mark. The three-time first team All-Big West selection was also honored as the  Big West Freshman Player of the Year and several All-American selections. He was named a Golden Spikes Award semifinalist, claiming Big West Player of the Week four times. In 2016, he reached base in a nation-high 52 consecutive games that included a 19-game hitting streak. He was drafted as the ninth overall pick in the first round of the 2018 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Milwaukee Brewers. He played four big league seasons with the Brewers and also has been in the Tigers, Angels and Rockies organizations.

PERRY PARKER / Men's Golf / 1982-86 
Parker won the 1986 Point Loma Invitational and was a member of four Anteater tournament team titles. The second team All-Pacific Coast Athletic Association honoree was selected as the District 8 Representative to the 1986 NCAA Championship at the Bermuda Run Country Club. Following his UCI career, Parker continues to play professionally, touring on the Asian, Australian, Australian Legends, Canadian, Japanese, Nike, and PGA tours. He has qualified for three United States Opens (1992 at Pebble Beach, 1997 at Congressional CC and 1998 at Olympic Club) and has won five professional events  from 2016-present. Parker, who has Hemophilia, is a national spokesperson and motivational speaker in the bleeding disorders community.

JIM SNYDER / Men's Tennis / 1980-83
Snyder is the school record holder for singles wins, logging a record of 132-53 for his career. He also ranks sixth in doubles wins (84-46) and fifth in singles winning percentage (.714). He was a member of UCI's first DI NCAA team, advancing to the quarterfinals in 1983. The two-time Big West team champion, was named Big West Player of the Year in 1981, 82, 83, the first player to win three consecutive titles and only one of two to this day, He was a three-time Big West champion at No. 1 Singles as well as No. 1 Doubles (1981, 82, 83). Individually, Snyder qualified for the NCAAs in singles twice. The Anteaters were ranked as high as 10th nationally, while Snyder was 47th in singles and 23rd in doubles.

SHAR WALLANDER / Women's Volleyball Coach / 1972-79
Wallander served as the head coach of the women's volleyball team from 1972-79. It was her leadership in getting the women's volleyball program started, pioneering women's sports on campus. With Wallander at the helm, the Anteaters were the 1972 Southern California Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Division II League B Champions with a an 8-0 record. The team won the Southern California Women's Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Division III Championships in 1973 and the Division II League Champions in 1974. In 1975, UCI went 18-15 overall and made the post-season taking third place at the AIAW Small College National Championships.

ALEX YOUNG / Men's Basketball / 2012-16
Young is the only player in UCI history to record at least 1,000 points, 500 assists and 500 rebounds in his career. He currently ranks No. 1 in UCI career assists (576), fourth in steals (154), 12th in points (1,324), 19th in three-point field goals made (130) and 29th with 504 career rebounds. The guard played on four consecutive postseason teams at UCI, including UCI first NCAA Tournament team. He played in 139 career games, winning 93 times. He was named to the 2016 All-Big West Conference Second Team as well as All-Big West Honorable Mention selection in 2014 and 2015. He was honored as Big West co-Freshman of the Year in 2013.
 
UC Irvine Athletics Hall of Fame (116)
1983 (5)
Dave Baker (basketball), Lindsay Morse-Bennett (tennis), Al Irwin (water polo/swim coach), F. Anthony Massimino (water polo/swimming), Steve Scott (track/cross country)

1984 (3)
Gary Figueroa (water polo/swimming), Bruce Ibbetson (rowing), Gary Wheelock (baseball)

1985 (4)
Darlene Bailey (volleyball), Robert Ernst (rowing), Bill Leach (water polo/swimming), Brad Lewis (rowing)

1986 (3)
Dr. Wayne Crawford (administrator), Randy Howatt (water polo/swimming), Mark Nelson (basketball)

1987 (3)
Jeff Malinoff (baseball), Jeff McDermaid (sailing), Ralph Serna (track/cross country)

1988 (4)
Daniel Aldrich (founding chancellor), Thomas Boughey (water polo/swimming), Bob Chappell (tennis), Mike Martin (water polo/swimming)

1989 (3)
Gary Adams (baseball coach), Katherine Hamilton (basketball), Jim Kruse (water polo/swimming)

1997 (4)
Peter Campbell (water polo), Linda Dempsay (administrator), Kevin Magee (basketball),Myron McNamara (tennis coach)
1998 (4)
Jeff Campbell (water polo), Bill Mulligan (basketball coach), Buffy Rabbitt (track/cross country), Jerry Wisz (golf)

1999 (4)
Edward "Ted" Newland (water polo coach), Ben McDonald (basketball), Jill Harrington (track/cross country), Trevor Kronemann (tennis)

2000 (4)
Pat Glasgow (water polo/swimming), Tod Murphy (basketball), Jean Nachand (tennis), Greg Patton (tennis coach)

2001 (4)
Tom Spence (baseball), Scott Brooks (basketball), Bob Nealy (water polo/swimming), Glenn Cripe (tennis)

2002 (4)
Duvall Hecht (crew), James Malm (sailing), Beth McGrann-Alsen (cross country/track), Brian Pajer (swimming)

2003 (4)
Allah-mi Basheer (women's basketball), Rocky Craig (baseball), Chris Duplanty (men's water polo/swimming), Mark Kaplan (men's tennis)

2004 (3)
Greg Jablonski (men's tennis), George Newland (men's water polo), Tim Tift (basketball coach/administrator)

2005 (4)
Jeff Cunningham (men's basketball), Popi Edwards (women's volleyball/track and field)
Leticia Oseguera (women's basketball), P.J. Polowski (men's soccer)

2006 (5)
Mauricio Bardales (men's track and field), Nicole Bucciarelli (women's soccer), Wayne Engelstad (men's basketball), Len Miller (men's cross country/track and field coach), John Vargas (men's water polo)

2007 (4)
Ed Ahlmeyer (men's cross country/track and field), Scott Carnahan (men's tennis), Cheri Graham (women's basketball), Donnie Rafter (men's volleyball)

2020 (8)
Jane Chin (women's golf), Mike Evans (men's water polo), CoCo Goodson (women's soccer), Jerry Green (men's basketball), Jayson Jablonsky (men's volleyball), Vince O'Boyle (Cross Country/Track Coach), Kris Roberts (women's volleyball), Rod Spence (baseball)

2021 (9)
Ryan Bailey (men's water polo), John Chin (men's golf), Mike Gillespie (baseball coach), Charles Jock (men's track), Jerry Maras (Men's basketball/baseball), Chesea Nagata (women's swimming), Bob Olson (Administrator), Tanya Taylor (women's soccer), Kelly Wing (women's volleyball)

2023 (7)
Jessy Cardey (women's water polo), Brad Evans (men's soccer), Skye Green (women's track & field), Selanne Henderson Pendelton (women's golf), John O'Brien (men's water polo), Ben Orloff (baseball), Michael Sabatino (men's track & field)

2024 (8)
Charlie Brande (m&w volleyball coach/men's basketball), Lauren Collins (women's track & field), Will Davis II (men's basketball), Danielle de Seriere (women's soccer, Eddie Erazo (men's swimming), Scott Gorgen (baseball), Danielle Warde (women's water polo), Tom Warde (men's water polo)

2025 (9)
Daniel Bibona (baseball), Carson Clark (men's volleyball), Mike Heckman (men's basketball), Maria Myers (women's tennis), Kari Pestolesi (women's volleyball), Jeff Powers (men's water polo), Kristina Smith (women's tennis), Ralph Cicerone (Chancellor), Dan Guerrero (Athletic Director)

2026 (6)
Simone Ferrera (women's soccer), Keston Hiura (baseball), Perry Parker (men's golf), Jim Snyder (men's tennis), Shar Wallander (women's volleyball coach), Alex Young (men's basketball)