The Speakers

Alvin Davis

Alvin Davis was an All CIF baseball player at John W. North High School in Riverside, CA as well as an All American first baseman at Arizona State University, where he captained the Sun Devil baseball squad which captured the NCAA baseball championship in 1981. He graduated from A.S.U. in 1982 after earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration/ Finance.

Davis went on to play professional baseball for nine years with the Seattle Mariners, California Angels and the Kintetsu Buffaloes of Japan’s Pacific League. While with the Mariners, he played in the 1984 M.L.B. All Star Game and was named the 1984 American League Rookie of the Year. Alvin compiled a .280 batting average, with 160 home runs and 683 RBI’s during his career, finishing as the Mariners’ career leader in eight different offensive categories.

Jason Negro

The 2019 season brought great success to Brave Nation. Behind the leadership of the #1 prep quarterback in the nation, the Braves took on a daunting preseason challenge and beat national powers De Matha, Good Counsel and Don Bosco Prep and entered the Trinity League with a solid 5-0 record. The Braves made their record setting 7^th straight appearance to the CIF-SS Open Division Finals, defeating rival Mater Dei in dramatic fashion, coming back from a 28-5 deficit, to earn the CIF Championship. Following the defeat of De La Salle to earn the California State Championship title, the Bosco Braves were named undisputed National Champions. Coach Negro was named Press-Telegram Dream Team Coach of the Year, CIF-SS Open Division Coach of the Year, and earned the Cal Hi Sports Coach of the Year and Decade honor, as well as recognition from Max Preps as both the National Coach of the Year and National Coach of the Decade.

Coach Negro currently resides in Fountain Valley with his extremely supportive wife, Carrie (St. Joseph HS, ’91) and their two beautiful daughters, Rylie (15 years) and Reese (12 years). In addition to his coaching duties, Coach Negro also serves as a member of the CIF Southern Section Football Coaches Advisory Committee, is a member of the Eastbay Team Sales Advisory Board, and an annual participant of the Nike High School Elite Coaches Summit.

Devin Wendel

Currently, I serve as the Athletic Director & Activities Coordinator at Mt. Abraham Union Middle & High School in Bristol, Vermont. After graduating from Mt. Abraham in 2007 I went on to obtain my BS in Athletic Training from Endicott College and have since worked in both capacities as a Certified Athletic Trainer and Athletic Director here in Vermont. In addition to my sports medicine background, I also hold certifications as a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength & Conditioning Association and was just recently recognized as a Certified Master Athletic Administrator through the National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA). Additionally, I obtained my MA in Coaching and Athletic Administration through Concordia University Irvine this winter. I have a passion for teaching the concepts of strength and conditioning and leadership to coaches, student-athletes, and anyone else who is willing to learn. Through my background in sports medicine, strength and conditioning, and athletic administration it is my goal to provide the best possible experience for student-athletes everywhere. I still live in Bristol with my family and when not at work I will likely be found fly fishing on one of our local trout streams.

Cori Close

Cori Close was named the Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach on April 21, 2011, and is currently 198-104 (.656) overall. The 2020-21 campaign will mark Close’s milestone 10th season at the helm of the Bruins.

2019-20 was an historic year for Close and the Bruins. UCLA won its first 13 games of the campaign, setting a new program record for the most consecutive wins to start a season. The Bruins’ win over then-No. 6 Stanford marked Close’s 100th-career Pac-12 victory. A win over the Trojans in the Pac-12 Tournament quarterfinals won the Bruins the season series over their crosstown rival. UCLA would, ultimately, finish the year 26-5 and was set to host the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament. The national postseason schedule, however, was canceled due to COVID-19.

Close helped guide the Bruins to a myriad of individual honors this past season. Junior Michaela Onyenwere earned AP Third Team All-America acclaim and also garnered All-Pac-12 recognition. Senior Japreece Dean also earned All-Pac-12 honors while Charisma Osborne picked up Pac-12 All-Freshman accolades. Dean was drafted with the 30th overall pick by the Chicago Sky in the 2020 WNBA Draft, becoming the fifth draft pick across Close’s tenure at the helm.

Page updated

Report abuse