Cypress College Alumni Compete in Tokyo Olympics
For Immediate Release
August 24, 2021
Contact: Marc Posner
(714) 484-7006
Cypress College can now add two more names to its list of Olympians after two of its former students participated in the Tokyo Olympics this year.
Amanda Fama, of the Italian softball team, and Alon Leichman, of the Israeli baseball team, competed this summer in their respective events. Both athletes played for Cypress College while they were enrolled as students, with Fama playing from 2008-2010 and Leichman pitching from 2011-2013.
Fama, who plays shortstop, is the first-ever Charger to represent Cypress in softball at the Olympic games. While at Cypress College, Fama won a state championship in 2010 and three Orange Empire Conference (OEC) championships. She was inducted into the Cypress College Hall of Fame in 2017.
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Leichman pitched on behalf of Team Israel during the Tokyo Olympic games. He and his team went up against South Korea, the United States, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. While at Cypress, Leichman was given the coveted closing pitcher role, and led the team to the state finals in 2013, where the Chargers clinched the California Community College Athletic Association (CCCAA) Championship that year.
Cypress College Athletic Director Wes McCurtis said the college recognizes the value of supporting its student athletes, and it is committed to helping them move on to succeed in their academic and athletic endeavors.
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“As a community college, we have a limited window to impact student-athletes’ lives,” said McCurtis. “Ultimately, there is nothing more exciting than seeing our student-athletes embrace the opportunity they have here at Cypress, move on, and reach new heights in whatever they do. Amanda and Alon are role models for our student-athletes and alumni, highlighting the success that hard work and perseverance can lead to. That’s what our athletic program at Cypress is all about.”
Fama and Leichman are not the only alumni who went on to compete in the Olympics. Cypress College former Olympians include water polo player Bernice Orwig, judo athlete Tony Okada, and baseball player Augie Ojeda, who also went on to play in Major League Baseball for the Chicago Cubs, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Minnesota Twins.
About Cypress College:
Cypress College offers students a pathway to their future in an environment in which employees commit to joining students on their educational journey. The college’s half-million-plus alumni include actors, athletes, doctors, executives, mechanics, nurses, and teachers. For some, Cypress College is the ticket into their university of choice, and for others, it provides essential training for a prosperous career. Just one Cypress College class is often all it takes to provide cutting-edge skills that lead to a promotion or a new job.
Cypress College’s 16,000 students and the highly qualified teaching faculty are proud of the many excellent academic and vocational programs. Cypress College provides a pathway for each of our students, offering 56 university-transfer majors, 174 career-certificate programs, and degrees in 98 areas of study. The college’s traditional semesters begin in January and August, while short-term courses start throughout the year. A Cypress College education costs $46 per unit — $138 for a typical, full-credit class — California’s lowest tuition. Eligible first-time students qualify for free tuition through Cypress College’s Charger Experience promise program. Financial aid and scholarships are also available to qualifying students.
Cypress College is one of three campuses in the North Orange County Community College District and a member of the 116-campus California Community College system. The college primarily serves the cities of Anaheim, Buena Park, Cypress, Garden Grove, La Palma, Los Alamitos, Seal Beach, and Stanton.
Located at 9200 Valley View Street in Cypress, the college is easily accessible from several Southern California freeways, including the 5, 91, 605, 22, and 405. The campus is just a stone’s-throw from Downtown Disney and Knott’s Berry Farm.
In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Cypress College’s instruction and services are offered primarily in a remote format. Students can access support services online at cypresscollege.edu/coronavirus.
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