Athletic Hall of Fame

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Anthony “Tony” Petersen II is honored with the Doc Buchanan Award, celebrating over four decades of selfless contributions to Clovis Unified students, athletes and the community. Throughout his career, Tony exemplified the core values of the district and was a living example of setting high standards and competing first against yourself and then against a standard.

Across 13 different schools and over a career that includes service as a teacher, coach and long-time principal, Tony modeled what it means to compete with class. He served as a teacher, guidance instructional specialist, learning director and then principal at Nelson and Gettysburg elementary schools. His dedication to the community of CUSD encompassed a wide variety of co-curricular activities including football, basketball, baseball, wrestling, soccer and track, but wrestling always held a special place in his heart. A passionate wrestler and coach, Petersen co-founded the 7-Up Elementary Wrestling Tournament and regularly supported the annual Doc Buchanan Invitational.

Petersen was a standout multi-sport athlete, lettering in five sports at Washington Union High School and four at Reedley College, where he set scoring records in basketball and won a conference doubles tennis championship. Drafted in 1952, Tony served in the U.S. Army Special Services, and played on the Army basketball and baseball teams to entertain the troops. His remarkable versatility earned him professional contract offers from the Boston Celtics, St. Louis Cardinals and Philadelphia Eagles, but Tony chose family and service over pro sports, completing his degree and starting a career in Clovis Unified in 1964.

In 2000, seven years after retiring, 69-year-old Petersen returned to teach at Century Elementary alongside his wife, Tina. Beloved by parents and students as “Mr. P,” the pair worked together into their 80s. Before his passing in 2019, Petersen was named a CUSD Exceptional Person and Alta Sierra’s Most Unforgettable Teacher. His legacy endures through the Gettysburg Elementary Library Media Center named in his honor and a family that includes seven children, 16 grandchildren, 20 great-grandchildren and generations of Clovis Unified students and educators.
 

Background

Interview

Coaching History

• 1986-2017 Clovis High School

Boys Cross Country

• 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2005, 2006 CIF Central Section Team Championship
• 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003, 2016 League Team Championship
• 2006 California State Team Runner-Up, DII

Girls Cross Country

• 1996 California State Team Championship 
• 1996, 1997, 1999, 2005, 2006 CIF Central Section Team Championship 
• 1995, 1996, 1999, 2003, 2008 League Team Championship

Accomplishments

• 1997, 1998 San Joaquin Valley Coach of the Year
• 1999 Clovis High (Oxford College) Teacher of the Year 
• 2007 CIF Central Section Model Coach Award
• 2010 Clovis High (Yale Division) Exceptional Educator Award

Background

Interview

Clovis Unified History

• Clovis Elementary School
• Clark Intermediate School
• Clovis High School

College

• 1961 Mercy Bowl Champion, Fresno State (10-0 record)
• 1961, 1962 All-CCAA 
• 1962 All-Coast
• 1962 All-American

Accomplishments

• 1963 Drafted by the Chicago Bears
• 1964 All-United Football League Award, Defensive Tackle
• 1965 All-Continental Football League Award, Defensive End

Professional

• U. S. Treasury Department, Intelligence Division, Criminal Investigator with the I.R.S.
• U. S. Attorney, Special Prosecutor

Background

Interview

Clovis Unified History

• Jefferson Elementary
• Dry Creek Elementary
• Kastner Intermediate
• Clovis West High

High School Swimming

• 1984, 1985 League Team Championship
• 1985 CIF Central Section Team Championship

High School Water Polo

• 1982, 1983, 1984 League Championship 
• 1982, 1983, 1984 All-League
• 1982, 1983, 1984 All-CIF
• 1983, 1984 CIF Central Section Championship 
• 1983, 1984 All-American\
• 1984 Clovis Independent Award 
• 1985 Clovis West High School Male Athlete of the Year

College – University of California, Berkeley

• 1986, 1989 NCAA Runner-Up 
• 1987, 1988 NCAA Championship
• 1989 NCAA All-American, Division I
• 1989 Captain Cal Berkeley Water Polo Team

Post College

• 3-Time USA Water Polo National Champion
• 7-Time USA Water Polo Masters National Champion
• 5-Time USA Water Polo Masters All-American
• 5-Time Gold Medalist Masters World Championships 
  • 1998 - Casablanca, Morocco
  • 2002 - Christchurch, New Zealand
  • 2008 - Perth, Australia
  • 2012 - Riccione, Italy
  • 2023 - Kyushu, Japan
• 2-Time Silver Medalist Masters World Championships
  • 2000 - Munich, Germany
  • 2019 - Gwangju, South Korea

Accomplishments

• Member of The Olympic Club Hall of Fame
• Co-Founder of The Peter J. Cutino Award – Annual Award to DI Male and Female Water Polo Players of the Year

Background

Interview

Coaching History

• 1984 - 1994, 2006, 2007 Clovis Swim Club 
• 1985 - 1994 Clovis West High School 
• 2006 - 2012 Clark Intermediate School
• 2006 - 2015 Clovis High School

Accomplishments

• 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993 Girls League Championship
• 1990 California State Girls Swim Coach of the Year
• 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Boys CIF Central Section Championship 
• 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Boys League Championship
• 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994 Girls CIF Central Section Championship

Background

Interview

Clovis Unified History

• Fort Washington Elementary
• Kastner Intermediate School
• Clovis West High School 

High School Water Polo

• 1991 CIF Section Team Championship

High School Swimming

• 4 Years Varsity Swimming
• 1991, 1992, 1993 All-American
• 1991, 1992, 1993 CIF Section Championship,  200 Individual Medley 
• 1991, 1992, 1993 CIF Section Championship, 500 Freestyle
• 1993 200 Individual Medley, Fastest Time in the Nation at 1:47.65. Set Central Section Record. Still holds Central Section Record.
• 1993 Set Central Section Record in 500 Freestyle at 4:26.17. Held Record for 31 Years. 
• 10-Time Section Champion
• 6-Time All-American

College - University of Michigan

• 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 NCAA National Champion, 800 Freestyle Relay
• 15-Time All-American
• 3-Time Big Ten Champion
• 1995 Gold Medalist World University Games, 800 Freestyle Relay
• 1997 World University Games in Italy, 5th place, 400 Freestyle
• Athletic Academic Achievement Award

Background

Interview

Clovis Unified History

• Alta Sierra Intermediate School
• Clovis High School

High School

• 1999, 2000, 2001 California State Champion
• 2001 Ranked #1 in Nation by NHSCA and Wrestling USA Magazine
• 2001 NHSCA Senior National Champion
• 2001 Dapper Dan USA Team
• 2001 Wrestling USA Dream Team
• 2001 Garrison Award for Outstanding Scholar/Wrestler in the USA
• 2001 Western Regional Winner of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame’s Dave Shultz High School Excellence Award
• 2001 CIF Central Section Athlete of the Year
• 2001 Clovis High School Athlete of the Year
• Valedictorian
• National Honor Society

College - University of Illinois

• 2003 University of Illinois Freshman Male Athlete of the Year
• 2003, 2004 NCAA Division I All-American 
• 2003 NCAA Division I Runner-Up
• 2004 Big Ten Wrestler of the Year
• 2004, 2005 Big Ten Champion

Coaching Accomplishments

• 2011 Highest NCAA team finish (11th) in Stanford Wrestling history at the time
• 2016 Highest NCAA team finish (20th) for University of Pennsylvania 
• 2019 First Team Conference Championship in Stanford Wrestling history

Background

Interview

Clovis Unified History

• Cedarwood Elementary
• Alta Sierra Intermediate School
• Buchanan High Schoo

High School Cross Country

• 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 CIF Central Section Team Championship
• 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 CIF Central Section Champion
• 2004 Fresno Bee Runner of the Year
• 2004 First Female to Qualify for Footlocker National Championship from the Central Valley
• 2004, 2006 All-State

High School Track and Field

• 2004, 2005 CIF Central Section Champion, 3200M
• 2004, 2005, 2006 Conference Champion, 1600M
• 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007 Conference Champion, 3200M
• 2005, 2006, 2007 CIF Central Section Champion, 1600M

College - University of Washington

• 2008 Second Team All-Pac-10
• 2x Qualifier NCAA Regionals, 5000M
• 2008 Team USA World Cross Country Championships, Edinburgh, Scotland - 38th place
• 2008 PAC-10 Team Championship
• 2008 NCAA DI Team Championship

Accomplishments

• 2014 University of Washington Athletic Hall of Fame - Women’s 2008 Team inducted for a Perfect Season, a Perfect Score over Oregon at PAC-10 Championships and NCAA Division I Championship

Background

Interview

• CIF Central Section Division I Champions
• Cal-Hi Sports California Team of the Year
• Ranked No. 1 in the Nation by USA Today
• Ranked No. 1 in the State by MaxPreps
• Ranked No. 1 in the State by Cal-Hi Sports
• Cal-Hi Sports Team of the Decade

Head Coach: Tom Donald

Assistant Coaches: Jason Donald, Brad Fontes, John Gross, Joe Kemp, Bryan Marsoobian, Pat Ruth, John Sylvia, Jimmy Wilson

Record: 30-1

Team Members:

• Parker Allen
• JT Arruda
• Kyle Briscoe
• Jordan Dittmann
• Josh Friesen
• Grant Gambrell
• Gio Guzman
• Brady Hormel
• TJ Hormel
• Logan Krause
• Fred Laningham
• Chris Lopez
• Matt McGrady
• Kyle McKenney
• Jamal O’Guinn
• Carson Olson
• Alex Peralta
• Zach Presno
• Ronnie Red, Jr.
• Hunter Reinke
• Jake Renteria
• Chase Rocamora
• Niko Rossi
• Quentin Selma
• Blake Wells
• Cory Williams

Background

Interview