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The Pit at Vanguard University in Costa Mesa picked up its nickname in the 1970s based on the vibes during athletic contests.
The small, cozy gym rocked during men’s basketball games and wrestling matches, and the standing-room-only crowds were loud and boisterous.
“It was the fact that Coach (Jack) Robinson moved the bleachers close and onto the gym floor and lowered lights, making it look like a pit,” said alum Randy Powell, a standout wrestler in the ’70s. “The Pit was filled with wild, yelling fans and somebody started saying ‘We were in a pit.’”
The Christian school’s highly regarded wrestling program, however, was dropped after the 1975 season and has been dormant ever since – until now.
In the fall, Vanguard will add two sports – men’s volleyball and wrestling – to its athletics portfolio. It is the first time Vanguard has offered an National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics men’s volleyball program to its student-athletes.
“We are excited to bring men’s wrestling and men’s volleyball to Vanguard University and the Orange County community,” Director of Athletics Jeff Bussell said. “Being located in one of the greatest regions for wrestling and men’s volleyball, we are prepared to offer student-athletes the opportunity to continue their athletic career while earning their college degree with a Christ-centered perspective. In speaking to the community on both of these new sports, there has been a great deal of enthusiasm already. We look forward to investing and having a transformational impact on each student-athlete that comes through Vanguard University.”
In the 1970s, when the school was known as Southern California College, the wrestling program dominated the small-college scene with three straight NAIA District III championships. In 1975, the wrestling team finished 20-0 and pushed its winning streak to 35 straight victories, while six members qualified for the NAIA national championships in Sioux City, Iowa, led by 142-pounder Paul LeBlanc. The ’75 wrestling team was inducted into the Vanguard Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007. The school featured wrestling from 1972 to ’75.
Vanguard will be the first four-year college in Orange County to offer wrestling, creating an opportunity for the 245,000 male high school wrestlers in the U.S. to compete at the collegiate level. The school competes in the Golden State Athletic Conference.
The Lions’ men’s volleyball team will compete in the GSAC and serve as the second NAIA school in Orange County with a program, and the fourth in California. The school is expected to announce the hiring of coaches for wrestling and men’s volleyball this spring.
In the fall, Vanguard will have 16 sports, eight each in men’s and women’s athletics.
The building known as The Pit has a storied past and served numerous functions. It was originally at the Santa Ana Army Airbase during World War II and hosted the Servicemen’s Club. It was reassembled and relocated from nearby Orange Coast College to its current home at 55 Fair Drive.
According to Vanguard’s Head Librarian, Archivist and Alumna Pam Crenshaw, “famous Hollywood movie stars entertained the troops in our gym such as comedian Bob Hope, comedian Jack Benny, entertainer Eddie Cantor and ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his two wooden dummies, Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd,” with many performances on national television.
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