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| For Immediate Release | Contact: Felicia M. Torrez |
| Oct. 19 , 2009 | Phone: (559) 934-2132 |
Lee Akin is one of six individuals being inducted into the West Hills College Coalinga Athletic Hall of Fame. Akin, now retired, was a professional bull rider for 11 years. Akin qualified for the National Finals Rodeo three times in 1996, 2000 and 2001 and he qualified for the PBR Finals five times 2001 through 2005.
West Hills College Coalinga announces 13th Annual Athletic Hall of Fame inductees
West Hills College Coalinga is busily preparing for the upcoming 13th Annual Athletic Hall of Fame which is scheduled for Saturday, October 31st. This year’s hall of fame is at the Keck Park Community Center with a no host social hour starting at 5 p.m. with dinner and ceremony following at 6 p.m. For more information or to purchase tickets, contact Gina Tollison at (559) 934-2452.
Inductees for this year include Lee Akin of Weatherford, Oklahoma; Ken Dore of North Vancouver, Canada; Mitch Forte of Los Angeles; Robert B. Lee of Aiea, Hawaii; George Sula of San Diego and the late Robert Whitmarsh.
Lee Akin graduated from Hemet High School in 1992 before attending West Hills College Coalinga. At WHCC, he was a member of the rodeo team and competed in bull riding.
After West Hills, he transferred to South Western Oklahoma State University in Weatherwood, Oklahoma and competed on the rodeo team in bull riding. Akin graduated from SWOSU in 2002 with a bachelor’s degree in biology. He was a professional bull rider in the PBR and PRCA for 12 years. He qualified for the National Finals Rodeo three times in 1996, 2000 and 2001 and he qualified for the PBR Finals five times 2001 through 2005.
Akin has appeared in Cosmopolitan Magazine as Oklahoma’s Most Eligible Bachelor and also was a guest on the MTV series Made, ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition and the Caroline Rhea Show.
He has been self employed for 15 years and serves on the Ghana Foundation Board and the Resistol Relief Fund Board.
Ken Dore came to West Hills from Carson Graham High School in North Vancouver, Canada in 1974. While at West Hills, he competed in football and track.
Dore’s honors include all state punter, first team all-conference punter, second team all conference tight end, most valuable offensive player and member of the week twice.
He was a member of 4x100 relay team and set a school record of 42.6 seconds. In 1975, he received a school letter in track.
For the past 20 years, Dore has been a custom home builder supervisor/coordinator. He is active in his community coaching little league baseball, minor football, soccer, ice hockey, basketball and elementary school track & field.
Upon his graduation from Coalinga High School in 1971, Mitch Forte attended West Hills College Coalinga and competed in football and track.
Forte holds the record for 110 meter high hurdles at WHCC. He also held the record for indoor 60 yard high hurdle but the event is no longer contested. In 1973, he was a conference champion in the 110 high hurdles and the 400 individual hurtles.
Forte was the starting tailback for the 1971 football team and the starting cornerback for the 1972 football team. In 1972, the team was the state champion runner-up.
Forte continued his education and track & field career at California State University Northridge. He received two bachelor’s degrees in political science and pan African studies.
In 1974, the Northridge track team was the NCAA Division 2 champions. Forte was also the senior class president in 1976.
Forte received a master’s degree in public administration from California State University Los Angeles in 1978.
Robert B. Lee graduated from Waipahu High School in Waipahu, Hawaii before attending West Hills College Coalinga in 1954. He competed in baseball for two years and football and basketball for one year.
He was all-conference in baseball both years he played at WHCC.
He transferred to Sacramento State College in 1956 and then transferred to Emporia State Teacher’s College, Emporia Kansas in 1957.
Lee is now retired from the Hawaii Department of Education where he worked for 35 years.
George Sula came to West Hills from Lemoore High School in 1972 and competed in football and track.
While at West Hills, Sula was team co-captain and all-conference. He was the 1973 conference champion for pole vault and in 1974 he was third place in the pole vault.
Sula transferred to California State University Sacramento where he was the first player to rush 1,000 plus yards. He was recognized as player of the year for the western conference and was inducted into the Sacramento Metro Athletic Hall of Fame. He was on first team all conference and first team little all American.
The late Bob Whitmarsh graduated from Kailua High School in Kailua, Hawaii and enrolled in West Hills College Coalinga in 1962. He competed in football for two years and baseball and basketball for one year. He was honorable mention at West Hills.
He transferred to California State University Northridge in 1965 where he was team captain and received the coach’s award.
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West Hills Community College District serves the west side of the San Joaquin Valley and is part of the California Community College System. Its two colleges, West Hills College Coalinga, which includes North District Center, Firebaugh, and West Hills College Lemoore, serve more than 7,000 students on campus and online each semester.