Selections comprise those athletes with great high school, college careers and beyond
Steve Clark
Steve Clark competed in the Olympics not once, but twice as a relay swimmer in the 1960s.
The first time was 1960 in Rome, when Clark was a junior at Los Altos High. "I was kind of a kid and was in awe of everything," said Clark, a reserve who swam in two relay races during the trials that year. "But four years later in Tokyo, I was more experienced."
That experience helped him bring home three gold medals. Clark was an integral part of three winning U.S. relay teams: the 400-meter freestyle, the 800 free and the 400 medley. This would later earn him a spot in the International Swimming Hall of Fame.
Clark graduated from Yale University in 1965, leaving with five NCAA individual swimming titles. He went on to Harvard Law School and now works in San Francisco as a financial manager for pro athletes.
The former Los Altos resident got his start in swimming as a youngster with the Santa Clara Swim Club. This prepared him for a stellar high school career, in which he claimed five section championships. Following his senior season, Clark won the national short course competition in Connecticut.
Doug Cosbie
Doug Cosbie enjoyed a football career most people only dream of.
The 1975 graduate of St. Francis High spent 10 seasons playing tight end for the National Football League's most popular team - the Dallas Cowboys. And during that time, the Cowboys won three Super Bowls. Cosbie was voted to the Pro Bowl three times and finished his career with 300 receptions and 30 touchdowns.
Cosbie's success surprised a lot of people - even those at St. Francis. "He was a good player at St. Francis, but not spectacular," said longtime team statistician Joe Schram. "He really developed in college."
Cosbie, who grew up in Mountain View, spent his college days at Santa Clara University. He had 120 catches and 10 touchdowns in his college career. The Cowboys then chose him in the third round of the 1979 draft.
Cosbie is now an assistant football coach at UC-Berkeley. He still lives in Mountain View with his wife and five children.
Lorrie and Ronnie Fair
It's doubtful this area has produced a better sister act than Lorrie and Ronnie Fair. The twins, who graduated in 1996, may be the best one-two punch in Los Altos High soccer history.
During their junior year, the Fairs led the Eagles to the Central Coast Section championship. Ronnie was named CCS Player of the Year, while Lorrie took all-CCS honors.
The Los Altos residents also helped their club team, the Sunnyvale Roadrunners, win the under-16 national title in 1994.
Lorrie has gone on to capture two more national crowns with the University of North Carolina, where's she's a junior. A third-year starter for the top-ranked Tar Heels, Lorrie earned All-American honors in 1997.
Ronnie, meanwhile, is playing closer to home at Stanford University. She's in her third year as a starter at midfield for the nationally ranked Cardinal. After 12 games, Ronnie was second on the team in goals with four.
The Fairs don't stop playing when the college season ends, though. Both spend the summers playing on U.S. national teams.
Lorrie was the first alternate to the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team and has been touring with the senior national team ever since. Ronnie played with the under-20 national team last summer.
The twins credit their father and first coach, Ben, for much of their success. "His dreams were our dreams," Lorrie said. "He got us into soccer and a lot of other sports."
And they don't plan on giving up soccer anytime soon.
"I definitely want to play after college," Ronnie said. "I'd love to play with my sister on the national team."
Lorrie agreed, adding: "I want to play until my legs fall off."
Dan Forsman
Dan Forsman's road to the Professional Golf Association tour began at the Los Altos Country Club, the place where his father introduced him to the game in 1971.
The 13-year-old soon got hooked on golf, and he proved to be a fast learner. By the time Forsman graduated from Awalt High in 1976, he was among the top junior players in the area.
Forsman, who grew up in Mountain View, went on to star at Arizona State. He turned pro in 1982, qualifying for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach that year.
Forsman notched his first PGA win in 1985 at the Quad Cities Open. Since then, he's captured the Bay Hill Classic (1986), the Hutton Open (1990) and the Buick Open (1992). As of last week, Forsman had career earnings of $3,965,441.
He now lives in Provo, Utah, with his wife and two children.
Brian Garrow
There's a handful of area residents who have been to Wimbledon, but Brian Garrow is probably the only one of them who actually played in pro tennis' most prestigious event. And he did so three times.
The 1986 graduate of St. Francis High competed in several major tournaments during his pro career, which began in 1989. Garrow was a U.S. Open doubles semifinalist in 1990 and an Australian Open doubles quarterfinalist in 1991.
The former Los Altos Hills resident left the pro circuit in 1992 and now attends law school at Pepperdine University.
While at St. Francis, Garrow claimed the CCS singles championship as a senior. He then moved on to UCLA, earning All-American honors three straight years. His best season came in 1988 when he and his partner won the NCAA doubles title. Garrow also reached the NCAA finals in singles that year.
He left UCLA after his junior year to go pro.
Brad Lyman
Brad Lyman was a triple threat during his time at Los Altos High, excelling in three sports. The 1968 graduate was an all-league selection in football and basketball and qualified for the state meet in track.
Lyman's greatest achievements came in the two outdoor sports. As a junior, he quarterbacked a Los Altos football team that ranked second in the state.
"We were really good," Lyman said. "We blew teams out of the water."
His prep track career included placing fifth in the 100-yard dash at the state meet his senior year. Lyman's talents led to a scholarship to UCLA, where he continued to flourish in both sports.
He ran the mile relay in track, helping the Bruins win the NCAA championship in that event in 1970.
UCLA took advantage of Lyman's speed by moving him to wide receiver in football. He led the team in receiving his senior year, prompting the NFL's Houston Oilers to draft him in the 10th round.
Lyman made the club as a rookie in 1973, often playing the role of third receiver. But he suffered a knee injury before his second season and decided to hang up his helmet.
He now works at Cornish & Carey Real Estate in Palo Alto.
Bernie Olmos
Bernie Olmos was the master of the mat when it came to local wrestling in the 1960s.
The 1967 graduate of old Mountain View High went undefeated as a sophomore, junior and senior, winning 115 straight matches.
Olmos then moved onto Foothill College in Los Altos Hills, where he was a two-time All-American. The 118-pounder lost just three matches in his Foothill career, with two of those defeats coming in the state finals.
This earned Olmos a scholarship to UC-Berkeley. He won 90 percent of his matches at Cal and qualified for the nationals as a senior. However, he wasn't able to compete because Cal's athletic program was on probation.
"You never know what could've happened," said Olmos, who beat the eventual national champ earlier that season. "It's too bad it had to end like that."
Olmos, now the principal at San Jose's Overfelt High, credits his success to hard work and inventiveness.
"I used to lie in bed and think of moves that hadn't even been thought of yet," he said. "I wrestled in my mind."
Lisa Sharpley
It may be hard to believe, but Lisa Sharpley was cut from the first volleyball team she ever tried out for. As a sixth grader, Sharpley wasn't deemed good enough to make Bay Club, a now-defunct club team.
Today, the 1994 graduate of Los Altos High is considered one of the top players in the nation. And that humbling experience 11 years ago may have something to do with her success.
"It was good for me," Sharpley said. "It definitely motivated me in a huge way."
Sharpley's parents found another club team for her to play on that year and her game blossomed. She went on to start all four years at Los Altos High, leading the team to the state semifinals as a senior.
The 6-foot setter was pursued by colleges across the country and ultimately chose Stanford.
This turned out to be a wise move. The Cardinal won national titles three out of the four years she started at setter. Sharpley is one of just five players in NCAA history to play on three championship teams.
She graduated last spring with 4,288 totals assists, putting her third on the school's all-time list. Sharpley made the All-America team three times in her career.
"Stanford was so much fun, and I'm sad it's over," she said.
Sharpley is now playing on the U.S. National Team, which leaves Sunday for Japan.
Samantha Shaver
Los Altos High athletic director Monica Lodge remembers Samantha Shaver well.
"She was a very gifted person who could do anything," Lodge said. "She was a top volleyball player and was good at soccer and track, too."
Shaver, who graduated from Los Altos in 1986, played a major role in the school's volleyball dominance of the last decade. In her senior year, the Eagles finished as runner-up in the state tourney.
Shaver then moved on to UCLA, starring as a 5-foot-9 outside hitter. The Bruins won the NCAA title her senior year.
But Shaver's career didn't end there. She went on to play for the U.S. National Team and nearly made the 1992 Olympic team. She also spent five years in the Pro Beach Volleyball League, honored as defensive player of the year in 1994.
The former Los Altos resident now lives in San Diego.
Sandy Wihtol
Let's say the powers that be in Los Altos, Los Altos Hills and Mountain View joined forces to open a sports hall of fame.
While financing would probably rank as the biggest dilemma, narrowing the list of candidates for inclusion would be right up there. That's because a lot of fine athletes have grown up in this area. The Town Crier could fill 60 pages with worthy candidates, but this story has been confined to just three pages.
To reach this limit, a list of 80 athletes - some we chose, some recommended by readers - had to be whittled down to 11. This meant raising the bar on the requirements. First off, candidates had to grow up in one of the three communities. And they must have excelled in high school and college athletics or beyond.
So without further adieu, here's who made the cut:
Sandy Wihtol doesn't recall all the wins and losses of his baseball career, but the Homestead High grad does remember the first batter he faced in the major leagues.
"It was John Mayberry," said Wihtol, who came up with the Cleveland Indians in 1979 as a relief pitcher. "He hit a grounder to first, and I covered the bag for the out."
Wihtol went on to pitch 30 more games during his four years in the big leagues, a career cut short due to an elbow injury in 1984. He finished with a 1-0 record, one save and a 3.75 ERA.
Wihtol, now the baseball coach at Los Altos High, holds the distinction of being drafted twice by major league clubs.
The Kansas City Royals grabbed him in the 13th round of the 1973 draft, shortly after his senior year at Homestead. Wihtol, who grew up in Mountain View, had an ERA under 1.00 that season and made two state all-star teams.
Expecting to be drafted higher, Wihtol decided to play college ball in hopes of raising his value. The strategy worked.
After a year at De Anza College, where he pitched the first no-hitter in school history, the Indians picked him in the third round of the 1974 draft. He signed with the team and worked his way up through the minors.