Bruce Smith, Athlete: Basketball and Track

                                                                       

 

  During the time Bruce attended Ventura College, he was an outstanding two-sport star, excelling in basketball and track. In fact, he is a rare double winner of MVP awards. Bruce achieved this as MVP of the basketball and track teams for two years.   

 In basketball, playing for Coach Jim Whelan, Bruce earned all-Western States Conference honors. Later that year, while a member of Tuck Mason's track team, Bruce would also be honored as all-Western States Conference for his accomplishments in the long jump and high jump.

 Bruce set a school record in the high jump which still stands today: 6'11" which at the time ranked him in the top 50 high jumpers in the world. Bruce also set a school record in the long jump of 25'11". During the 1976 season, Bruce won the California State Championship in the long jump which earned him an invitation to the 1976 Olympic Trials.

 After Ventura College, Bruce transferred to Oregon State University on a full athletic scholarship to participate in both basketball and track.

 After his college career, Bruce played basketball for over four years with Meadowlark Lemon's Bucketeers a group of traveling professionals who were on occasion joined by Wilt Chamberlain. In his final year with the Bucketeers, Bruce had the opportunity to play before his hometown fans in a game at Ventura High School.

 Bruce worked for Kinko's for many years. Always interested in helping his community, he has coached VYBA basketball, numerous club teams and has been an individual development consultant for the past 20 years.

 Bruce still resides in Ventura.