MEET THE
HOOP HISTORIANS
Peter's Birthday: July 23
Noel's Birthday: December 30
Residence: Kansas City, Missouri -- Final Fours Attended: (12) 1998-2009.
As you can see by their family picture, Peter and Noel come from a four generation family of Final Fours. Noel’s grandparents, Bill and Julie Andrews, devout Kansas Jayhawks fans, started attending Final Fours together in the early years of the NCAA Tournament when it was held annually in Kansas City. The couple would still attend the tournament even as it moved around the country. Granddaughter Noel continued the tradition with her husband Peter as they have been present the last twelve NCAA tournaments together and have brought their son Brendan to his first Final Four in Atlanta (in 2007) when he was only four months old!
Click Here for the Peter & Noel Sotta NCAA Game Log
Birthday: February 24
Residence: Lombard, Illinois -- Final Fours Attended: (14) 1992, 1997-2009.
Joe occupies the position of Executive Director of the Hoop Historians. A coach, official and athletic administrator for over 25 years, Spagnolo was the director of the prestigious Proviso West Holiday Basketball Tournament during the past three decades. Joe was named to the Holiday Tournament's All-Time All Tournament Team in 2000 which includes Illinois prep legends Isiah Thomas, Kevin Garnett, Doc Rivers and Mark Aguirre. Spagnolo coached five different sports at his alma mater and coached athletes there that would later play in the NFL, the NBA and in Minor League Baseball. Most recently “Spags” has filled his winters as a successful varsity boys basketball official and worked state tournament assignments in each of the past three years. He also umpired the Williamsport Senior League Illinois State Baseball Tournament in 2003. In addition to officiating, Spagnolo is the courtside statistician for DePaul University men’s basketball games. He also is the webmaster for the Hoop Historians website and the Information Technology Database Administrator at Proviso Township High Schools.
Other Notable Sporting Events Attended: MLB All-Star Game 2003; Masters Golf Tournament 2007.
Click Here for the in-depth Joe Spagnolo profile
Click here for the Joe Spagnolo NCAA Game Log
Birthday: May 16
Residence: Kildeer, IL -- Final Fours Attended: (3) 1982, 1984, 1999
Bob has been a true fan of sports, attending both collegiate and professional games over the years. He was a season ticket holder at DePaul University for 15 years, Bob has attended three final fours and three other legs of the NCAA Basketball Tournament, including hosting a cookout for Hoop Historians members at the 2009 West Regional in Glendale, Arizona. An Accountant and Consultant by trade, Mr. Stan shares a high respect and love of the game of basketball, and is the co-chairperson of the Compliance Committee of the Hoop Historians.
Birthday: January 18
VERN VEGSO
Residence: Hemet, California -- Final Fours Attended: (14)
1986-1993, 1995-1996, 1998-1999, 2005, 2008.
Vern is the Special Assistant to the Head Men's Basketball Coach at San
Jacinto College. Vern's duties include being in charge of fund raising
and game operations for home and away games, in addition to coordinating
travel plans, pre-game meals, awards banquets and being director of youth
summer basketball camps. Vern has coached at the prestigious Five-Star
Basketball Camp, which has had more than 360 players later play in the NBA.
In addition to Five-Star, Vegso has been the on-floor director for J
Robinson Intensive Camps -- working events in North Carolina, Minnesota and
Washington. Vern is a 16 year member of the National Association of
Basketball Coaches, and has served as the former basketball coach at Desert
Christian High School in California and as Director of Basketball Operations
at Bakersfield College and Cal State Fullerton. In addition to
coaching responsibilities, Vegso also served as Media Coordinator for the 1993 NCAA Western
Regional and was a stat crew member for the PCAA and Big West Tournaments.
Click Here for Vern
Vego's NCAA Game Log
Birthday: April 26
Residence: Chino, California -- Final Fours: (29) 1979-95, 1997-98, 2000-09.
It's been a family affair for the Wilson family at the Final Four. Frank has attended all but two championships since 1979, his wife Cath has gone to 17 Final Fours and their daughter Meredith has been present at six national title weekends. In 2005, Frank embarked on a March Madness Campaign with a 3-1/2 week, six thousand mile trek that took him to first round games in Nashville, the regional in Chicago and the Final Four in Saint Louis. Wilson managed to visit with relatives in Tennessee, spend time with former workers in Cincinnati, and travel to Atlanta for a wedding while squeezing in all that basketball in three different cities. Currently, Frank is the chairman of the Social and Entertainment Committee of the Hoop Historians.
Other Notable Sporting Events Attended: MLB All-Star Game 1953; NASCAR Motor Trend 500 1965; Kentucky Derby 1967; NBA Finals 1970; Olympic Games 1984; Rose Bowl 1993; Byron Nelson Classic 2005.
Click here for the Frank Wilson NCAA Game Log
Click here for the Cath & Meredith Wilson NCAA Game Log
Birthday: May 3
Residence: Chicago, Illinois -- Final Fours Attended: (15) 1993-1994, 1997-2009.
A member of the Hoop Historians Board of Directors, Bruce is a retired head librarian at the Chicago Public Library, Ziemer has been actively involved as a student of sports since his days as an Andy Frain Usher at Wrigley Field during the Cubs pennant runs of 1967-1969. A graduate of the University of Illinois and the University of Kentucky, Bruce has been a devout fan of both team’s programs. Among his fondest Final Four memories include the Wildcats national championship victories in 1996 & 1998. Bruce has always found time for sports, as he and his wife Janice enjoyed their Arizona honeymoon with 11 spring training and three NBA games. The couple finally tied the knot after a courtship that lasted for 11 years. They have traveled to Edinburgh, Scotland for eleven straight summers to attend the Edinburgh Arts Festival. Interests include Victorian Literature and Scottish Folk Music, as he is the owner of over 3000 books and an extensive CD collection. Bruce and Janice share their home with their tomcat, Balzac, their second Kentucky "wildcat" adopted from Lexington, Kentucky.
Other Notable Sporting Events Attended: NASL Soccer Bowl 1981; National League Championship Series 1984; World Cup 1994.
Click Here for the Bruce Ziemer NCAA Game Log
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