Botts, Borror round out PHS HOF Class
Induction ceremony is tonight at Veterans Building
Three of the winningest athletes and teams in Porterville High School history — Julie Botts and Jennifer Borror — and the 2003 Valley champion PHS girls basketball team are part of the Hall of Fame class being inducted Saturday, April 28, at the Porterville Veterans Building.
Tickets for the induction ceremony are now on sale at Porterville’s activities window with the cost being $50 per ticket or $300 for a table of eight. The event will begin at 5 p.m. with a social hour, followed by dinner at 6 p.m. and the program at 7 p.m. No tickets will be sold at the door.
This year’s inductees will be: Shane Snow (football, basketball), Jennifer Borror (water polo, basketball, soccer, track), Todd Pixler (track), Julie Botts (swimming) and the 2003 Valley champion girls basketball team. Former coaches Rich Rankin and Diane Rankin will also be inducted. Rich Rankin was also a basketball player and is now the Porterville Unified School District’s athletic director.
Julie Botts is a 1967 graduate of Porterville High School, where she was a champion swimmer and the school’s 1967 Female Athlete of the Year. After her playing days were done, she was recognized with two 2016 College Sports Information Directors of America (COSIDA) awards.
She received a COSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award and entered the COSIDA Hall of Fame.
Jennifer Borror is one of the most decorated female athletes in PHS history. During her PHS career, she was a part of seven teams that won league titles — three in water polo, three in basketball and one in soccer.
In basketball she played in three Valley championship games, winning one and is the only female athlete to win a league championship in two sports during the same season — soccer and basketball in 2003. Borror was league Most Valuable Player in water polo and basketball her senior season as well as Tulare County Player of the Year in basketball and made the All-valley team. She scored over 1,000 points for her career.
After leaving PHS, she attended Porterville College and led PC to its only league title in women’s basketball in school history while being named the California Junior College Player of the Year. After leaving PC, she attended Chico State where she played for a Division 2 national title.
Porterville High School has always had a quality girls basketball program, but the 2003 team did what none of the others were able to do, win a Valley championship. This team was one of the most talented teams in school history.
The girls team finished with a record of 26-4 and won East Yosemite League and Valley titles.
Three of the losses were to teams that were from Northern and Southern California.
PHS won the Valley championship game against Granite Hills by 39 points and dominated all year. additionally, during the season the team won two tournament titles. Borror was the league MVP and Tulare County Player of the Year. Jennifer Nacianceno and Summer Mathews were also first team, all-league players.
The team had six players go on to play college Athletics after leaving PHS, all three of scoring over 1,000 points during their basketball careers.