Hall of Fame

Hall of Fame Members

Outstanding Athlete

Chad Amaral '92

Matt Amaral '92

Bob Burlison '74

Chip Campion '68

Steve Clayton '76

Peter Cling '66

Chris Dalman '88

Joey Dansby '88

David Esquer '83

David Fales '09

Tom Fanoe '64

Wayne Garvis '62

Nate Holaday '68

Greg Lane '88

Marc Matock '94

Clem Richardson, Jr. '67

Outstanding Coach

Bob Burlison '74

Steve Clayton '76

Norm Costa

David Esquer '83

Greg Lane '88

Angelo Ross, Jr.

Tony Rossi '66

Outstanding Team

1992 Basketball Team

Palma Icons

Steve Clayton '76

Greg Higgins

John Oliverio '69

Lucille Scattini

Steve Soper

Bill Salmina '58 - Bill was a three-sport athlete who played a key role on the varsity football team. As a senior guard in basketball, he scored 306 points and set a career high and school record with 25 points against Holy Cross. On the baseball diamond, he was a third baseman, hitting .333 as a senior. He was an All-CAA selection and also ran track. Bill went on to play baseball at the University of San Francisco, where he lettered.

Paul MacDonald '70 - Paul was an athlete and coach. Paul graduated from Palma in 1970, having played baseball for all four years. In 1975, Coach Mac returned to his alma mater to begin coaching. He coached both football and baseball. Mac concluded his coaching career at Palma in 1986, achieving back-to-back MTAL Championships, which marked the first championships for Palma Baseball. 

Rob Smets '77 - During the 1981-2000 Wrangler Bullfighting Tour, Smets finished in the top six 17 times and won the championship five times, setting a record. He was selected six times as a cowboy protection bullfighter at the NFR (1983, 1985, 1987, 1989-90, 2000). Additionally, he was an eight-time Professional Bull Riders (PBR) World Finals bullfighter from 1994 to 1995 and 2000 to 2005. At the 2001 PBR World Finals, Smets transitioned from his traditional baggy clown outfit to a sports jersey and shorts featuring his sponsors' logos. This change set the standard for future PBR bullfighter outfits, as by 2003, all bullfighters in the organization had replaced traditional clown outfits and makeup with sports jerseys and shorts adorned with corporate sponsor logos. In the following years, many bullfighters in other organizations adopted the sports jersey and shorts look while retaining their makeup.

In 2006, Smets was inducted into the ProRodeo Hall of Fame. He was also inducted into the Texas Rodeo Cowboy Hall of Fame in April 2010 and received the inaugural PBR Jim Shoulders Lifetime Achievement Award in 2011. He was inducted into the Salinas Valley Sports Hall of Fame in 2014. In 2017, Smets was honored with induction into the Bull Riding Hall of Fame in the Bull Fighters category. By 2019, he was inducted into the Rodeo Hall of Fame of the National Cowboy & Western Heritage Museum.

John Sup '77  - In the fall of 1973, Brother Willie Doyle encouraged John to sign up for cross country. By the end of his senior year, John had established himself as Palma's greatest distance runner and the best in the county. He set school records in all three distance events, with two of those records still standing today. He also recorded the county's best mile time, which still stands, and excelled in the 2-mile as well. Notably, John became the first Palma athlete to reach the finals in any event at the California State Track and Field Championships.

In cross country, John was crowned the 1976 MTAL League Champion and led the Chieftains to their first-ever title in the sport. On the track, he played a crucial role in initiating the Palma track dynasty of the '70s and '80s by winning three individual league titles and securing two Region IV titles.

After graduating from Palma, John attended Monterey Peninsula College for two years, where he continued to compete in cross country and track and field. He was a member of two Lobo Coast Conference cross country championship teams, winning the individual title in his sophomore season while placing 2nd at Nor-Cal and 5th at State that same year. On the track, John showcased his speed by winning two conference titles each in the 800m and 1500m. He was also the 1979 Nor-Cal 1500m Champion and finished second at State with an impressive time of 3:45.9.

Following his time at MPC, John transferred to UC Berkeley, where he became the Golden Bears' top middle-distance runner for two seasons. He graduated from Cal in 1981 and continued to race at a national-class level, eventually achieving a personal best of 3:43.7 in the 1500m.

Dirk Giannini '91  - High School - Dirk came up to play varsity as a sophomore which was quite an honor at the time. It was rare to bring up sophomores to varsity. The only way it was done was if they could start.  Dirk was a three-year starter on defense and also played tight end on offense. He was rated in coach Rossi's opinion as one of the two best defensive linemen that he has ever coached. Dirk loved working hard at practice and was self- motivated which showed when he played in the game. He was a fierce competitor that did not like to lose. He made all league his junior and senior year and all county his senior year and was picked to play in the all-star game. Dirk wasn’t the biggest or the fastest but was definitely the toughest.

College -  After high school Dirk received a scholarship to play football from the University of Santa Clara, he played there for two seasons but sadly the school dropped the football program. Dirk then was recruited to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo where he earned a starting position on the defensive line. He got hurt his first year then redshirted came back and played his senior season.

Earl "EJ" Rowland '01  - EJ began his basketball career at Palma. After graduating, he played at CSU Dominguez Hills, Hartnell, and then Saint Mary’s. His professional career spanned nineteen seasons, during which he played in countries such as Australia, Latvia, Germany, Italy, Spain, Turkey, Israel, Russia, Iran, and Poland. Some of EJ’s achievements include being named an All-American at Hartnell and playing in the NBA’s Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs and Dallas Mavericks before moving to Europe. The VTB United League honored EJ as the Most Valuable Player and scoring champion in 2013. In 2019, EJ was inducted into the Russian League’s Hall of Fame. In addition to being a professional basketball player, he is also the owner of GRRR Clothing Company. In 2024, the Saint Mary’s basketball coach invited him to serve as an assistant coach at his alma mater, returning to the court to coach alongside his college mentor. 

Sam '55 and Shirley Lavorato - Sam was the first ASB President, an athlete, and part of the inaugural class to graduate from Palma. He served as the president of the Board of Directors and the Parents' Club, leaving a legacy through his sons Sam '83, John '85, Chris '88, and his grandchild Samuel '01. He was married for 59 years to his beloved wife, Shirley. The extent of Shirley's contributions, which include volunteer services, board memberships, and philanthropic endeavors, is too vast to detail here. She was recognized both locally and globally, receiving the Benemerenti Medal from Pope Benedict XVI, the Honoree Award from the American Cancer Society, the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alliance on Aging, the Partner Award from the Christian Brothers Foundation, the Philanthropy Award from Salinas Valley Memorial Hospital, and the National Philanthropy Award. As a recipient of the Benemerenti Medal for "Good Works," she was honored for her significant efforts, support, and service to clergy and laypersons. This special recognition followed her leadership in the initiative to build The Blessed Edmund Rice Chapel, as large as a church, at Palma School. Shirley served as the president of the Palma Board of Directors for two years and was a committee member for fourteen years. She volunteered in the Development Foundation office for eight years and was on the Parents' Club Board while her three sons attended Palma. She organized the Brothers Retirement Mass and Brunch for many years and was also the face of Palma's St. Patrick's Day luncheon. 

Click here to view the photo gallery for the 2023 Palma School Hall of Fame.