Hometown Report: Shrock returns from Venezuela with stories, trophies

Dave Shrock returned home from Venezuela with awards in hand and stories to tell.

“Venezuela is going through some rough times right now,” he said. “They overcame major adversity with their economy and were wonderful hosts. My Spanish was OK, so were able to talk.”

Shrock, 60, a physical education and health instructor at Modesto Junior College, built his reputation as one of the West Coast’s most respected track and field coaches. That led to his being named the men’s coach for the national team at the second Pan American Cross Country Championships last weekend at the Caraballeda Golf Course in the state of Vargas, Venezuela. The event was considered a prelude to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August.

The Americans, to Shrock’s satisfaction, fared better than good. Donald Cowart won the elite men’s title – he covered the 10K course in 31 minutes, 19.56 seconds – and led his team to the top of the overall standings. A total of 130 athletes from 11 countries braved the warm weather.

“Cross country athletes are very focused,” Shrock said. “Some of them have competed at past Olympic Trials, and you might see them trying to make the Olympic team.”

Shrock has contributed to USA Track and Field Development and coaching education programs for more than four decades. He traveled to Latin America as an expedition leader for overland and adventure travel companies before he arrived at MJC as the head coach from 1997 to 2005.

His teams at MJC won two Northern California titles and were runners-up three times. Today, he serves as president of the 8,000-member Pacific Association, a contingent of track athletes and officials. Modesto is home to 375 association members.

Shrock started his coaching career at College of San Mateo before he coached cross country and assisted on the track team at Stanford and San Jose State.

CCAA honors Donnelly – Grace Davis girls basketball coach Shannon Donnelly can take her team to Fitzpatrick Arena at Cal State Stanislaus and point toward her name on the honors wall. In 2003, Donnelly’s No. 35 became the first jersey number to be retired by the Warriors.

It wasn’t retired by accident. Donnelly is the most decorated women’s basketball player in the program’s history. The graduate of Ceres High School was a three-time WBCA third-team All-American, and she holds 38 school records.

The California Collegiate Athletic Association has not forgotten what Donnelly did at Stanislaus. The league will induct her and others into the CCAA Hall of Fame during a dinner June 1 in Santa Rosa, and Donnelly will enjoy an additional honor – she’s the first CCAA inductee in women’s basketball.

“I was definitely surprised and shocked but grateful and humbled,” Donnelly said. “I wish my whole team could be inducted with me. I didn’t do it by myself.”

Donnelly totaled 2,088 points and 1,191 rebounds, and she’s the only Warrior to r top the 2,000-point and 1,000-rebound marks. With that, she was a four-time All-Region and an All-CCAA selection. Donnelly was named Stanislaus’ Female Athlete of the Year in 2003, the year she led the Warriors into the NCAA Tournament.

Also to be inducted by the CCAA is basketball coach Pat Douglass – former coach at Manteca High and Columbia College – who led Cal State Bakersfield to NCAA Division II titles in 1993, ’94 and ’97. Douglass, a former guard at Pacific, amassed a record of 257-61 during his 10-year term with the Roadrunners.

Wiggin breaks through for MJC – Paul Wiggin, born in Modesto and raised in Lathrop, said he learned mental toughness during his 1952 season with the MJC Pirates. That year became a springboard to a career as an All-American at Stanford, an NFL champion (Cleveland Browns, 1964) and distinguished coach and administrator.

Wiggin, 81, will be inducted this year into the California Community College Sports Hall of Fame. He’s the first inductee from MJC. In 2005, he was inducted into the College Football Hall of fame in South Bend, Ind. Incredibly, he played 146 consecutive games without injury for the Browns before he retired.

But he’s never forgotten MJC. He returned for an MJC game and a night in his honor in 2014.

A farewell award for Boswell – Bob Boswell is retiring after a 38-year run as MJC athletic trainer and professor. In addition, he inspired 70 students who became certified athletic trainers and countless others in related sports medicine fields. He has also worked with the Oakland A’s for the past 15 seasons in spring training and has traveled the globe to work at world and international competitions in several sports.

With that, Boswell will be inducted into the California Community College Athletic Trainers Association Hall of Fame. He’ll be recognized at the Far West Athletic Trainers Association Convention on July 13 in Keauhou, Hawaii.

This story was originally published March 12, 2016 at 5:11 PM with the headline "Hometown Report: Shrock returns from Venezuela with stories, trophies."