LBCC’s Hall of Champions welcomed eight inductees including two football players and two track and field runners at the 2025 Induction Banquet hosted at The Grand Long Beach.
William Amelong was awarded for his time as a linebacker for the Vikings football team in the 1986-1987 season.
In 1990, while playing for the University of Alabama, Amelong played in the Sugar Bowl, an annual college football game played in New Orleans, although Alabama lost the game 25-33 to the University of Miami that year.
Amelong has also been recognized as Defensive Back of the Year for the Moore League, a high school sports league that comprises seven high schools in the Long Beach area, in 1984 and became an All-State Champion in 1987.
“I’ve been recognized before, but now I’m back home and getting honored back home is just amazing. I’m established,” said Amelong.
The Hall of Champions also honored Lafayette Fletcher, who played for the Vikings as a running back in the 1981-1982 season.
After LBCC, Fletcher went to play for Fresno State, where he was recognized as the Most Valuable Special Team Player, and later for UNLV (University of Nevada, Las Vegas), where he was voted Defensive Player of the Year in 2007.
The ceremony was attended by previous Hall of Champions football inductees like Bruce Young, Derek Santifer, and Raider Greg Townsend.
Athletic director Kal Stewart presented the inductees and gave small bits of background on each inductee as they walked up.
The first inductee Stewart presented was the first of the two track and field inductees, Sam Cesar.
Cesar is the LBCC record holder of the 4×400 relay to this day with a time of 3:07:07, and ran for the Vikings during the 1979-1980 season.
Track and field runner Sharifa Batts was also honored with induction for her many accomplishments between 1991-1993, including winning the South Coast Conference twice in 1992 and 1993.
Batts is also a two-time recipient of the Long Beach Century Club Sports Achievement Award, for 1992 and 1993, and also received the Harold Hofman Memorial Award for Outstanding Scholar Athlete, which was also awarded by the Long Beach Century Club.
“It’s great, and I think I’m one of few people to be at the LBCC Hall of Fame and at the LBCC Hall of Champions now,” said Batts.
Auggie Luuga was given a meritorious induction for his more than 30 years of volunteer work in the athletic department.
Luuga prepared and funded many football and volleyball team meals throughout the years, and developed the weekly 12-unit compliance report for athletics.
The weekly 12-unit compliance report is meant to ensure that athletes are on track to complete LBCC’s 12-unit minimum requirement for certification and/or transfer by reviewing student athletes’ academic progress and performance every week, and offering any help if needed.
Kim Hayes-Jebo, who was on LBCC’s women’s water polo team from 2003-2005, was also inducted.
Hayes-Jebo was recognized as the best defensive player in 2004 while on the team.
“It’s such a blessing to be honored and I’ll really try not to cry during my speech,” said Hayes-Jebo.
Shadie Sickles, who played softball, and Chris Brazier, who played men’s basketball, were also inducted during the ceremony.
Sickles was the South Coast Conference MVP in 1997 and won the Golden Bear Award, which recognizes athletic achievements, at Baylor University in both 1998 and 1999.
Brazier was recognized mainly for achievements beyond LBCC such as becoming a two-time best defensive player from his time at Montana State in 1983 and 1984.
Before the ceremony dinner was served on the Grand’s patio, Amelong described how seeing old teammates again all together felt almost like a reunion.