The court inside Golden Gymnasium has been named Champ Cartwright Court, in honor of the late Champ Cartwright, who is considered to be the father of athletics, basketball and physical education at PC and PLNU.
A court naming ceremony was held before the Homecoming basketball games on Feb. 15, with several members of Cartwright’s family in attendance, along with several notable PLNU Men’s Basketball alumni.
Cartwright left a lasting impact on Pasadena College and Point Loma, serving in a variety of roles, but first as a student-athlete. After attending Pasadena College as a freshman, Cartwright was drafted into the Army, where he served for three-and-a-half years, before returning to PC in 1946 and playing on the first basketball team in school history.
He quickly established himself as the best player on the team, leading the team in scoring in each of his three seasons. Cartwright also played football, track, and softball for Pasadena.
He went on to become an assistant coach for the famous Firehouse Five men’s basketball team before becoming head coach in 1955. Champ was the head coach for 13 seasons, accumulating a 231-126 record and leading the program to three NAIA district championships.
In addition to his time spent as head coach, Cartwright became the school’s athletic director and served as chair of the physical education department, which he started.
In total, he spent 20 years as a teacher and coach, coaching basketball, baseball, football, golf, track, and tennis. Cartwright is a member of the PLNU Athletics Hall of Fame and was an inductee in the inaugural Hall of Fame Class of 1982 for his contributions both as a player and coach.
Champ and his wife, Virginia, whom he met at Pasadena College, have four children – Gay, Lorie, Karen, and Gary – three of whom graduated from Point Loma. They also have 10 grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.
Champ passed away in March 2023 at the age of 99, but his impact and legacy remain to this day.
