Mt. Carmel High’s Hyden Inducted into Aztec Hall of Fame

Posted on November 9, 2010

Six individuals were enshrined in the San Diego State University Aztec Hall of Fame – including a former Mt. Carmel High School athlete — at special ceremonies Nov. 5.

A two-time first-team Men’s Volleyball All-American at SDSU, John Hyden led the nation in kills per game (7.3) in 1994 – tallying an NCAA single-match record 56 kills against Long Beach State University. His collegiate career spanned 1992-1995.

He was a member of the U.S. National Team from 1995-2000, competing in the 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games. After playing overseas, he moved onto beach volleyball in 2001, winning seven tournaments and ranking in the top 20 six consecutive years. The Mt. Carmel High graduate was voted the 2009 AVP Defensive Player of the Year.

At Mt. Carmel, Hyden led the Sundevils to the 1990 San Diego Section Boy’s High School Volleyball 3A Finals, even though he was the only senior on the squad. The team lost to three-time champion San Dieguito, but Hyden went on to stardom at college, Olympic and professional levels.

Others honored at the ceremonies were two football players, Kabeer Gbaja-Biamila (1996-1999) and La’Roi Glover (1992-1995), baseball player Doug Harvey (1955-1956), four-time All-American track star Tonette Dyer (2002-2004), and former Director of Athletics Fred Miller (1985-1995).

The Aztec Hall of Fame, presented by the Wise Foundation, inducted its first members in 1988 and has welcomed a new group of legends every year through 1999. Inductions were put on hold for two years while work was completed on the Aztec Athletics Center, which is the first permanent home of the Hall of Fame.