The Aquatic center is named after Glenn Kovas, a water polo and swimming coach at Carlmont. Kovas had taught and coached for over 30 years. He was a student at Carlmont when it opened in 1952. He started coaching and teaching business math and economics in the 60s.
“He had an intense passion for water sports. To be able to teach for over 30 years, you need passion. He was very loyal to Carlmont,” Said Jim Kelly, head swim coach since 1999. “He had almost a sixth sense for swimmers, he could predict what their final time would be just by seeing how fast they were.”
Carlmont’s softball field is named after James Liggett, who has been a teacher and coach for many years.
As a softball coach, Liggett has won over 900 games, including league, CCS, and state championships. He has been coaching since 1976, and is claimed the greatest softball coach in California high school history. He also played minor league baseball for a few years.
Liggett also has taught math at Carlmont since 1967, and he still substitutes at Carlmont now.
The main gymnasium is named after the devoted Terry Stogner. Stogner was the Athletic Director and coach of the Boys Varsity Basketball team at Carlmont for 35 years. He was also the Physical Education chairperson for 27 years.
He graduated Carlmont in 1960 and met his wife here, who is a retired award winning teacher. His son is the Athletic Director at Woodside Priory in Portola Valley and his daughter is the supervisor of counselors in the Santa Barbara Public School System.
“We are a family obviously committed to education,” said Stogner. Now, Stogner is the Commissioner for Pacific Athletic League (PAL), and has been for the past eight years.
The school community/committee made the decision to name the gym and he was honored at his last home basketball game with a pregame surprise ceremony.
“I am honored and proud to have my name on the gymnasium wall,” Stogner added. “I have a picture of the gym here in my office at the San Mateo County Office of Education and I even have a piece of the old gym floor on my wall that an ex-student got for me when the old floor was torn up for a new one.”
Stogner’s impact on Carlmont has made him an important individual to our community. “Carlmont was and always will be a big part of my life.” Stogner commented.
The football field is named after the late Bruce Usher. Starting in 1968, he was a math teacher here at Carlmont for many years as well as started the Calculus program. He also coached track and JV football. As a football coach, he had an outstanding winning record of 43-6.
On Friday September 25, 1977, Usher was complaining about severe headaches before a game against Serra High School. During the game Usher had a heart attack on the field, and was taken to the hospital immediately.
Usher had a severe cerebral hemorrhage, and died that Sunday at only 33 years old.
According to the “Merced Sun-Star” newspaper published on Sunday September 27, 1977, Usher was “well-liked and committed to excellence.”
Carlmont’s baseball field is named after Bill Hurst. “He was the head chairman of the first athletic department at Carlmont as well as a great baseball coach.” Said Patrick Smith, athletic director and P.E. teacher at Carlmont.
Hurst died of a heart attack in 1972, according to Carlmont’s yearbook from 1973. His “entire life was dedicated to his work in athletics and to the youngsters in his charge.”
