The562’s coverage of Long Beach Wilson Athletics is sponsored by Joel Bitonio, Class of 2009.
There were plenty of reasons for Wilson High to celebrate last Friday.
Along with celebrating its centennial, Wilson inducted six former Bruins into its Hall of Fame during halftime of the football game.
It was a fitting way to celebrate a century of Wilson athletics, with the 2026 Hall of Fame class representing generations of athletes who made their marks at the Moore League, CIF Southern Section, collegiate and international levels.
John Sagehorn (1971), David Hodges (1986), Nicole Grayson Bodnar (2003), Matt Sagehorn (2006), Maria Sop (2008), and Nyjah Cousar (2009) were honored during the halftime ceremony.
The group’s accomplishments are as varied as Wilson’s athletic history.
Grayson Bodnar was one of the Moore League’s top throwers during her time at Wilson, earning eight All-Moore League selections in shot put and discus and winning two league championships in 2003. She earned All-CIF Division 1 honors in both events.
As a senior, she finished third at the CIF-SS Division 1 championships and posted a discus mark of 150 feet, 6 inches, ranking among the top 10 high school throwers in the country. She was also named a Track & Field News high school All-American.
Grayson Bodnar continued her athletic career at Ohio State, where she played softball from 2004-07 as both a starting and relief pitcher. She later earned a master’s degree in sports coaching from Ohio State.
Sop’s Wilson career was filled with championships.
She helped lead the Bruins to four undefeated Moore League badminton championships and served as team captain during the 2007-08 season. Individually, she won three Moore League girls doubles championships and two co-ed doubles titles.
Her success continued at UC Irvine, where she was part of the Anteaters’ 2011-12 intercollegiate badminton national championship team.
Sop eventually moved into the business side of athletics, serving as UC Irvine Athletics’ director of marketing before joining the Los Angeles Rams. She was the organization’s lead manager of marketing operations from 2019-22, including the Rams’ Super Bowl LVI championship season.
Her induction was also historic for another reason: Sop is the first Cambodian athlete inducted into the Wilson Hall of Fame.
“Being the first Cambodian athlete truly means the world to me,” Sop said. “I’m just a little girl from Long Beach, California, born and raised here. … To be the first Cambodian athlete and the first Cambodian athlete to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is truly a blessing.”
The Sagehorn family has been part of Wilson athletics for generations, and John Sagehorn’s accomplishments helped establish that legacy.
A 1971 graduate, Sagehorn earned nine All-City or All-Moore League selections in basketball and baseball. He was the Moore League basketball Player of the Year in 1971, helped Wilson win a league championship and earned All-CIF honors.
He went on to Long Beach City College, where he helped the Vikings win three Metropolitan League championships and played on two state finalist teams. He later continued his career at Southern Methodist University, where he was a starting basketball guard and starting center fielder in baseball. He earned first-team All-Southwest Conference honors in baseball in 1974.
Hodges took his Wilson career all the way to the international stage.
After graduating in 1986, Hodges attended Occidental College, where he became a four-year All-SCIAC outside linebacker, winning conference MVP and All-American honors in 1989. He also became a two-time rugby All-American.
Hodges represented the United States National Rugby Team from 1996-2004, playing in 53 games and serving as captain 27 times. He also spent eight years playing professionally in Wales with the Llanelli Scarlets, earning the club’s Player of the Year award three times.
“There’s so much history,” Hodges said. “I’m humbled, honestly, to be part of this and recognized like this. It’s amazing.”
Cousar was another standout who took her talents beyond Long Beach.
She earned 11 All-Moore League selections, four league championships and eight All-CIF Division 1 honors during her Wilson career. She won a CIF championship in the 300-meter hurdles and was a member of a state championship-winning 4×400 relay team.
Cousar went on to Ohio State, earning multiple All-Big Ten honors in the 400-meter hurdles and 4×400 relay, as well as NCAA Indoor All-American honors. She later competed at Clemson and earned All-ACC honors.
