Longtime Cerritos College coach and administrator Jeanine Prindle has been inducted into the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Hall of Fame. Prindle will be joined as an inductee by her twin sister Donna Prindle, who competed in baseball and softball for the Falcons before embarking on a coaching career that started at Cerritos and concluded at Long Beach City College.

The CCCAA will be inducting seven into their annual Hall of Fame ceremony, while six of these seven “sisters in sport” attended community colleges and played together at Cal State Long Beach. While at CSULB, they captured the 1973 AIAW Volleyball National Championship, while the seventh served as their coach at CSULB in ‘72. Many returned to community colleges to teach and coach while others served their community in other ways. Joining both Prindle sisters are Marti Brugler (Cabrillo College), Kristi Kay Conklin (Long Beach City College), Ann Heck (San Diego Mesa College), Lou Ann Terheggen Selsky (El Camino College) and Cherlyn Woods (El Camino College). 

Jeanine Prindle began her community college career with her sister Donna, at Cerritos College where they played both volleyball and basketball, the only sports offered at the college for women at the time. Jeanine then transferred to Long Beach State with her sister, where they joined the women’s volleyball team and finished 2nd to UCLA in 1972 and won the AIAW Volleyball National Championship in 1973. Jeanine earned her Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree in Physical Education from CSULB and a second Master’s degree in Counseling from Azusa Pacific University. 

Jeanine returned to Cerritos College to teach and coach in 1976, began coaching both volleyball and basketball and remained the Falcons volleyball coach until 1996, posting a record of 335-106 over her coaching tenure. Her teams won eight consecutive South Coast Conference titles, made three State semifinal appearances and won the state championship with a 28-0 record in 1992. She coached six All-Americans, 14 All-State players and had more than 50 athletes receive scholarships to four-year universities. Jeanine was named the South Coast Conference Coach of the Year four times, as well as the California Community College Women’s Volleyball Coaches Association Coach of the Year in 1991. She also served as the President of the California Community College Women’s Volleyball Coaches Association. In addition to Jeanine’s accomplishments on the court, she has had a tremendously successful administrative career, most recently becoming the PE Department Chair. She has held various positions in the HPE/Athletic Division, including being the Interim Division Dean and Athletic Director. She has been recognized as an outstanding educator by the CCCPE, earning the Outstanding Teacher of the Year award in 2001.

As for Donna, she began her community college career at Cerritos, where she played volleyball and basketball with her sister. She then transferred to Cal State Long Beach because, “If you wanted to be a teacher of PE you went to Long Beach”. Donna quickly recognized the other volleyball players as fellow community college athletes and joined the Long Beach State team, where the rest is history as they finished 2nd to UCLA in 1972 and won the AIAW Volleyball National Championship in 1973.

Donna Prindle first returned to community colleges to coach the Cerritos College women’s softball team and then departed for Long Beach City College where she has spent most of her career with the Vikings. She served as head coach for the women’s basketball team from 1976â€Â1988 and for the volleyball team for 20 years. In basketball, she coached LBCC to seven conference titles and was named conference Coach of the Year three times as well as State Basketball Coach of the Year in 1981. In volleyball, she led the Vikings to six consecutive South Coast Conference Championships (1995-2000) and four State championship semifinal appearances. She was named conference Coach of the Year twice (1995, 1996) and was named SCC Coach of the Year in all sports in 1996.

To add to Donna’s impressive resume, in 1996 she was inducted into the Long Beach State Hall of Fame and in 2008 she joined the Long Beach City College Hall of Champions. Most recently, in November of 2012, Donna was inducted into the California Community College Women’s Volleyball Coaches Association (CCCWVCA) Hall of Fame. Donna has also served as a part-time faculty member at Cerritos College.

The CCCAA Sports Hall of Fame is the highest honor bestowed in California community college athletics. Founded in 1984, the Hall of Fame has sought to recognize those who have made the most of their experiences as California community college student athletes, coaches and administrators, maximizing their own potential to better themselves and those with whom they come into contact. The seven new HOF members will join 114 previous inductees in the Hall, which features some of the most recognizable names in amateur and professional sports. 

The CCCAA Hall of Fame page complete with past nominees and bios can be found at http://www.cccaasports.org/history-hof.asp. The CCCAA Hall of Fame Induction Banquet and Ceremony will be held on Wednesday, March 27 at 6:00p.m. in conjunction with the CCCAA Annual Convention at the San Mateo Marriott Hotel in San Mateo, CA.