Ron Agostini was from the first graduating class of East Union High.
That was back in 1969. The longtime sportswriter started at the school three years earlier when EU – the campus was still under construction during that fall of 1966 – opened with freshman and sophomore classes being held at Manteca High.
As the student body vice president, he served on those various committees that chose everything from the school colors, mascot, crest, ring, and even the constitution.
By his senior year, Agostini was voted student body president and was a three-time MVP on the EU golf team.
Next Thursday, Sept. 26, he’ll be honored as grand marshal at his alma mater during the homecoming parade.
It departs Neil Hafley School at 11:30 a.m. and travels west down Northgate Drive past East Union High and McParland School before turning south on London Avenue to the McParland School Annex where the procession will end.
The Lancers will take on Patterson on Friday, Sept 27, during Valley Oak League play at Dino Cunial Field.
Next month, Agostini will be inducted to the Sac-Joaquin Section Hall of Fame in Sacramento.
He’s also a 1974 graduate of Fresno State, having attended Delta College prior to that and playing for the Mustangs golf team.
Agostini embarked on his newspaper career working at the Selma Enterprise before returning home, working at the Manteca Bulletin followed by a long career at the Modesto Bee – he retired in 2017, but is still active as a writer, contributing to local magazines as well as the online www.frontrowpreps.com.
During his 40-year career in journalism, Agostini was a five-time national award winner of the Associated Press Sport Editors (medium-sized newspapers) along with numerous awards from the California Newspaper Editors Association, all in sports writing.
He was twice (1999 and 2017) recognized as Media Person of the Year by the PGA of Northern California not to mention State Community College Media Person of the Year (1988).
Agostini is the past president (2004 through 2006) and member of the board of the California Golf Writers and Broadcasting Association.
In addition, he covered major sporting events – U.S. Opens, Masters golf, Super Bowls, World Series, World Cups, etc. – while still keeping up on collegiate and local preps.
Agostini and his wife, Laura, have been married for 36 years. Their daughter, Shelly, is a 2015 graduate of Ripon High and graduated in 2019 from UCLA.
