By RANDY GONZALES

rgonzales@dailynews.net

From Victoria to the hall of fame.

Victoria native Les Knoll was inducted into the Mesa (Ariz.) Community College Sports Hall of Fame earlier this month for his work with student-athletes through the years.

Knoll accepted the John D. Riggs Administrative Award for his work in the early days in establishing the Financial Aid Department at MCC, the school's web site said.

Knoll, who was the student financial aid director at Mesa from 1966 until he retired in 2001, said he was proud of helping all the students he encountered.

"In retrospect, I worked hard for every student, athlete or not," Knoll said recently.

Knoll said Mesa's enrollment jumped from about 1,700 to 20,000 students in his decades of service at the school, and he likes to think his work helped played a part in the school's growth. Still, to be honored by the school was the last thing on his mind.

"It definitely was a big surprise for me," said Knoll of his reaction to learning the news.

Knoll said his environment growing up and his schooling were building blocks for his success in life.

"I was raised in a family with nine kids, devoted parents," Knoll said. "Going to a small high school, I was able to be quarterback for three years."

But it was tennis that Knoll lettered in at Fort Hays Kansas State College after graduating from Victoria High School in 1954. He graduated from Fort Hays in 1958 with his bachelor's degree in history, then again in 1959 with his master's degree in counseling. Starting in 1959, Knoll was a teacher at Ellis High School for four years and also coached tennis. In 1963, he took a career counseling position at Arizona State University and was there for three years before taking the position at Mesa.

Knoll said a teacher and coach at Victoria motivated him to get into teaching.

"We had a football, basketball and baseball coach -- Jack Rheem -- through my junior year," Knoll said. "I just idolized that man. I just said to myself, I'm going to be a teacher like Jack Rheem."

Knoll, 72, spends six months of the year in Arizona and six months in Victoria.

"I love my roots," Knoll said. "That's why I have a second home in Victoria.

"I love the tradition and conservatism of Victoria -- and Hays," he added.

After receiving his plaque, Knoll closed his induction speech putting it all into perspective.

"I ended my speech saying life is not about the number of breaths you take, but how many things take your breath away," Knoll said.