Washington State Cougar Athletic Fund

DOROTHEA COLEMAN (1990) - During her tenure at Washington State University from 1948 until her retirement in 1975, Dorothea Coleman was one of the most respected advocates for girls' and women's sports in the nation.  The West Virginia native grew up in Illinois, graduated from the University of Iowa in 1941 and later earned a Master's from the University of Oregon and a doctorate from Southern Cal.  She was, throughout her career, an advocate of expanded opportunities in sports for women.  This posture came long before the more modern Title IX emphasis.  She was active in the Northwest College Women's Sports Association, founded in the 1960s, an organization that provided sports competition for women on a regional basis before any comparable organization existed.  Coleman was an early leader in rule changes regarding women's sports and was also very active in many non-sports related organizations at WSU, including the University Senate and Academic Standards committee.  From her arrival at WSU until 1962 she was the only coach for all women's intercollegiate team sports.  Her field hockey, volleyball and basketball teams were very successful during those years.  With other coaches joining the staff and taking over field hockey and volleyball in 1962, "Dort" continued her success in basketball, finishing off a distinguished coaching career by winning the NCWSA title in 1971.  She started her teaching and coaching career in the public school system of Normal, Illinois, in 1930.  During World War II, she was the highest ranking WAC in the European theatre.  During her four-year military stint, she achieved the rank of Lt. Col. in the WAAC-WAC and spent 22 months in several European, North African and Mediterranean theatres.  Now residing in Payson, Arizona, Dorothea Coleman is unable to be with us tonight.  Accepting on her behalf is long-time WSU colleague Marilyn Mowatt.

SUE DURRANT (2017) – Sue Durrant  spent more than 40 years at Washington State University as a professor, coach and administrator, receiving honors and recognition for her work on the court and in guiding female student-athletes. From her first position as an instructor of the Women’s Physical Education Department in 1962 through her time as director of sport management in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling that culminated in 2005, Durrant was an award-winning educator as well as one of the finest coaches in school history. She led the volleyball program for 12 seasons from 1963-75 and guided the women’s basketball program for 10 seasons from 1971-72, and then again from 1973-82. She guided the basketball program to leagues titles in 1978 and 1979, and previously captured the Northwest Regional Championship in 1972, advancing to the Sweet 16 of AIAW Championship. Her winning percentage of .575 (134-99) was the highest of any coach in program history with more than two years service upon her retirement. Her greatest contribution to Washington State may have come with her work in the landmark Title IX case, Blair v. Washington State, which required equal treatment for female student-athletes in the state of Washington. Durrant, along with others, championed the efforts of women’s rights in collegiate athletics, which resulted in foundational changes in how universities support women’s programs. Durrant received numerous awards for her work while at Washington State, including the Honor Fellow Award by the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, Outstanding Services in Women’s Sport by the Women’s Sports Foundation, the Honors Award from the National Association of Collegiate Athletic Administrators and the Lifetime Achievement Award by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women.

JEANNE EGGART (1988) - The most prolific scorer in Cougar basketball history, Jeanne Eggart was a standout in both basketball and track during her career at WSU, 1977-82.  She scored 1,967 points during her four-year career, more than any Cougar before or since, male or female.  The former Walla Walla High All-American set the WSU javelin record as a sophomore and the mark still stands, the oldest record on the books.  After pacing WSU in just about every statistical category during her freshman and sophomore basketball seasons, Eggart took a year off from hoops and turned her attention to track in an attempt to make the USA Olympic Team.  Her efforts almost paid off when she finished fourth at the 1980 Olympic Trials, missing third place on the team on the last throw of competition.  One of WSU's most dominant basketball Athletes of all time, she was an All-Northwest Basketball League pick four times and three times was selected to the Kodak Region IX all-star team.  She was an all-academic pick boasting a 3.4 grade point average and was three times named the Inland Empire's Female Athlete of the Year.  The former Clarkston High coach is now girls' basketball and track coach at Mead High in Spokane. Married to Mike Helfer.

ERIN ELDRIDGE (2016) - A naturally talented breaststroker out of Kirkland, Wash., Erin Eldridge made a splash immediately after stepping on the Washington State campus. As a freshman in 1996-97, she broke pool and school records in the 100 and 200-meter breaststrokes events and won the 200 breaststroke at the Husky Invitational, eclipsing a meet record and earning an NCAA consideration time. As a sophomore, Eldridge became the first Washington State swimmer in the 21-year history of the program to qualify for the NCAA Championships after placing in the top 10 in two events at the Pac-10 Championships. She broke her own school and pool records in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes and went on to finish 23rd and 26th, respectively in the 100 and 200 breaststrokes at the NCAA Championships. With the help of her coach at WSU, Rocco Aceto, Eldridge adjusted her training the summer of 1998, prior to her junior season and it paid off. In the 1998-99 season, Eldridge became WSU swimming’s first NCAA All-American, as she placed 13th in both the 100 and 200 breaststrokes at the national championships. In the process, she broke her own WSU and pool records once again and became the first Cougar to medal at the Pac-10 Championships, finishing third in the 100 breaststroke. As a senior Eldridge returned to the pool where she made her third-straight trip to the NCAA Championships and became a three-time NCAA All-American after placing eighth in the 100 breaststroke. Eldridge was a four-year recipient of the team’s Most Outstanding Award and was named WSU’s Pac-10 Medal Winner. Following graduation in 2000, she qualified and trained for the Olympic Trials. 

WHITNEY EVANS (2013) - Whitney Evans earned eight All-American certificates to become the most decorated female student-athlete in WSU history. She captured the 2003 NCAA Outdoor high jump title after placing second, third and fourth at previous NCAA Outdoor Championships. During her Cougar career she also tallied second, fourth and sixth place high jump finishes at NCAA Indoor Championships. Evans earned her first All-America honor as a freshman in the heptathlon where she finished seventh at the national meet. She also accumulated three Pacific-10 Conference high jump titles and four Mountain Pacific Sports Federation Championships indoor titles. Her lifetime-best high jump mark of 6’1 1/4” was second-best in school records in 2003 and her heptathlon total of 5,579 points ranked third-best all-time at WSU and was the Canadian Junior record. Evans was named the United States Track & Field Coaches Association 2003 national Woman Scholar-Athlete of the Year; she was accorded the Pac-10 Post-graduate scholarship and named the 2002 WSU Finance Student of the Year. Evans was the 2005 Canadian National Champion.

CAROL GORDON (2004) - A long-time leader nationally in women’s athletics, Dr. Carol Gordon served as chair of the WSU Department of Physical Education for Women from 1962 until retiring in 1983. She also coached Cougar field hockey and tennis teams from her arrival until 1966. Gordon taught psychology of sport classes in addition to her coaching and administrative duties at WSU. She served as president of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIWA) in 1973-74, and was a member of the AIWA/NCAA Joint Committee and the NCAA Long Range Planning Committee. She has been honored as the recipient of the WSU Faculty Women of the Year Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators. A native of Goffstown, N.H., Gordon attended Goffstown High and then Oberlin College in Ohio. She coached and taught at the University of New Hampshire and the University of Utah before joining the WSU faculty in 1962.

JENNIFER GRAY (2012) - A native of Puyallup, Wash., Jennifer Gray earned four varsity letters with Cougars and still stands as one of the greatest rebounders in school history. Her 22 rebounds against Western Washington and Boise State, both in 1975, still stand at the top of the WSU single-game leader chart, as she holds the single-season rebounding records with 294 rebounds and 14.7 rebounds per game during her senior season. She holds the school record with a career mark of 9.6 rebounds per game and ranks 22nd in the WSU career record books with 822 points and eighth with a .480 field goal percentage, which at the time was a school record. She also ranks sixth with a career average of 13.3 points per game, also a school record at the time. During her freshman season, the Cougars went on to compete in the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Championships, the first national basketball championship held for women. As both a junior and senior, Gray led her Cougar teams to second place in the NCWSA, notching a 9-2 mark in 1973-74 and a 10-4 league mark in 1974-75.

KATIE GRAY (2012) - One of Washington State’s best all-around athletes of the 1970s, Katie Gray earned four letters in basketball, excelled in track as a jumper and played volleyball and tennis. Gray finished her career with 207 steals, then the second-best mark in school history, while it now ranks tied for fifth. She scored 587 points, averaging 7.6 per game, while grabbing 2.7 steals per game over her four-year career with the women’s basketball team. As a senior in 1976-77, Gray averaged 9.3 points per game, shooting at a .594 clip (92-for-238). That season she grabbed 86 steals, eighth-best in a single-season by a Cougar. As a senior, she scored in double-figures 10 times, including a career best 21 points against Alaska-Fairbanks. In her first two seasons, the Cougars were a combined 25-10 and placed second in the NCWSA in each of the respective years.

JANET HARMAN (2006) - Two-sport athlete Janet Harman graduated from WSU in 1952 with a degree in physical education, then combined a brilliant sports career with teaching. As a Cougar she competed in field hockey, but bowling, was where she really excelled. She was a member of WSU’s first women’s bowling team, undoubtedly the team anchor. She was a polished bowler when she arrived at WSU, spending much of her childhood in her father’s bowling center in Walla Walla. At age 15 Harman set the all-time women’s league record in Walla Walla. Later she bowled a WIBC record 792 series. A member of Chi Omega sorority at WSU, she served as vice-president of the WRA and was a member of the ICC. Harman was inducted into the prestigious women’s International Bowling Congress Hall of Fame in 1985 and is a member of several other halls of fame. During her career she won numerous bowling titles, set several records, was Southern California Bowler of the year in 1962 and 1964 and was named Oregon Female Athlete of the Year in 1956. Harman died at age 61 while living in California.

KERI KILLEBREW (2009) - To say Keri Killebrew was a trend setter at Washington State may indeed be an understatement. Her list of accomplishments reads like “Who’s Who of College volleyball,” which she was. After transferring from Weber State and sitting out the 1989 season, she burst onto the Cougar scene and over the next three years set numerous WSU match, season and career records. During her junior season, she led the Cougars to their first-ever NCAA Championship tournament appearance while ranking seventh nationally in assists. Her finale came as a senior in 1992 when she became WSU’s first player to receive All-America status. She again led WSU into postseason, where the Cougars captured the National Invitational Volleyball Championship while becoming the first school in tournament history to sweep through the tournament without losing a game - victorious in 18 straight games. The NIVC Championship MVP winner concluded her career with 5,848 assists, the eighth-best mark in NCAA D-I history. Her three-year WSU total was a school record 4,553 assists. Killebrew coached in the college ranks for several years, then moved into the real estate business in Milwaukee, Wis.
 

LAURA LAVINE (2006) - Laura Lavine left Issaquah High School as a two-time state discus champion (1983 and 1984) and her best toss (154-1) still ranks in the top 25 in the state of Washington.  As a Cougar, Lavine placed fifth in the discus at the 1986 NCAA Championships, earning her first of three All-America honors.  In 1987, she won the first of two Pac-10 discus titles and became WSU’s first woman NCAA Outdoor Track & Field champion.  Lavine proved her first national title wasn’t a fluke by repeating as the NCAA discus champion the following year, clinching the title with her clutch final throw of the 1988 competition.  Lavine’s lifetime-best discus throw of 189-feet, 8 inches, tossed June 11, 1988, in Tucson, Ariz., still stands as the school record.  After earning four letters as a discus and shot put thrower, Lavine continued competing, placing seventh in the discus at the 1988 US Olympic Trials and competing at the 1992 Olympic Trials.  In 1996, Lavine was selected WSU’s Woman Athlete of the Decade as part of the Pac-10’s celebration of 10 years of women’s athletics.  She resides in Chandler, Ariz., where she works as a retail manager.

KIM LYNASS (2012) - Kim Lynass is the best student-athlete in Washington State soccer history. The Spokane native lettered from 1990-93 and left school holding over 20 school records. Lynass set an NCAA record by scoring a goal in nine-straight matches over the 1990-91 seasons. Her 30 goals and 1.50 goals per game as a freshman ranked third and fourth, respectively in the NCAA record book at the time. She finished her career ranked in the NCAA top 10 for goals, goals per game and points per game. Two decades after leaving Pullman, Lynass still held the top four spots on the Cougars’ single-season goal list. Of her 83-career goals, 23 of them were game-winners. She scored two or more goals in a match 22 times, including four matches with four goals. Lynass was named NCAA Far West All-America First Team (1993), Pac-10 All-Academic (1993) and a Pac-10 Medal Winner in 1993, Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference Player of the Year (1991) and two-time All-Northwest Collegiate Soccer Conference First Team (1990-91).

ERIN McCLEAVE (2015) - A native of Rutherglen, Australia, Erin McCleave (2015) is as one of the most decorated Cougars in Washington State swimming history. A freestyle specialist, McCleave dominated every distance from the 100 to 1650 freestyle, finishing her career with school records in the 100, 200, 500, 1000, and 1650 freestyle events, in addition to a pair of records in the 400 medley and 800 freestyle relays. As a junior, McCleave qualified for the 2006 NCAA Championships in the 200, 500, and 1650 freestyle events, setting a school record with an 11th place finish in the 1650 free. McCleave returned to the national championships as a senior, where she finished 10th in the 1650 freestyle, breaking her own school record. McCleave became the first swimmer in Cougar history to earn Honorable Mention All-American honors and was the first WSU swimmer to be named national collegiate swimmer of the week and Pacific-10 Conference Swimmer of the Month. A three-time All-American, McCleave was nominated as NCAA Woman of the Year in 2007. After graduating, McCleave went on to represent Australia at the 2007 World University Games where she placed ninth in the 1500 freestyle. In 2008, McCleave took gold in the 1500 freestyle at the Australian National Swimming Championships.

MARCIA MILES (2017) - Marcia Miles came to Washington State in the fall of 1982 and immediately proved herself as one of the hardest working Cougars’ to grace the hardwood. She earned two First Team All-Northern Pacific Athletic Conference awards during her career while earning Women’s Basketball New Service All-America honorable mention recognition in 1985. As a senior, Miles took home WSU’s Outstanding Female award for her all-around excellence. One of the best scorers to ever put on a WSU uniform, Miles etched her name in the Cougars record books for scoring in a career when she became WSU’s fourth player to reach 1,000 points in her career. She finished her illustrious career with 1,485 points while averaging 15.0 point per game, both marks which ranked second all-time upon her graduation. She finished her career with three of the top-four scoring seasons in WSU history at the time, including posting 483 points during her senior season, which ranked second. She did much of her damage at the free-throw line where she hit 78.9 percent of her attempts, setting the Cougars’ all-time record at the time.

MARY MOORE (2015) -  Mary Moore was a shy girl who enjoyed competing in track and field because she could high jump in relative obscurity. That was until she set a national age record by clearing 5-feet, 8 inches at age 13, and then broke the national prep record before her junior year at Issaquah High School, by high jumping 6-2 at the 1981 Eugene Track City Classic. Her 6-2 bar still stands as the prep record for the state of Washington. As Moore’s obscurity turned to notoriety, her love for track and field continued to bring her success. At the NorPac Outdoor Championships, she won the high jump title in 1985 after finishing as the runner-up the year before. Moore was a three-time All-American and two-time NCAA Indoor high jump champion winning titles in 1984 as a freshman, and in 1985 as a sophomore. She finished fifth at the 1984 USA Olympic Trials after clearing 6-1 1/4. At the time of her induction, Moore continued to hold the WSU school high jump record of 6-3 (1.90m), set at the 1985 indoor national meet.

JULIE NEWNAM (2012) - Julie Newnam’s legacy extends from her achievements at Washington State University to her accomplishments competing for the United States. Newnam was member of the ski team at WSU in 1978 and 1979. She finished 50th in nationals in the cross-country relay as a junior. As a senior, Newnam won cross-country titles at three invitational competitions. After her WSU career, Newnam went on to compete for the United States. In 1985, she was named Athlete-of-the-Year in the biathlon by the U.S. Olympic Committee. That year, she was America’s top-ranked women biathlon competitor on the national point list, won a World Cup event, and finished second in the 10K and third in the 5K events at the USBA National Championships.

CASSANDRA OVERBY (2015) - Cassandra Overby was a four-year letterwinning forward that brought a unique combination of size and agility along with a soft touch around the basket that hadn’t been seen at Washington State. Former Cougar head coach Sue Durrant said of Overby prior to her freshman season, “Cassandra is just beginning to tap the talent she has. She will be one of our key players at the post position and has one of the finest shooting touches of any player we have had at Washington State.” Durrant was spot on as Overby, playing from 1980-84, proved to be one of the best scorers and rebounders in Cougar basketball history. The Inglewood, Calif. native burst on to the scene as a freshman, as she earned All-Northwest Women’s Basketball League honorable mention. Overby reached new heights her final two seasons, pacing the team in scoring and rebounds as a junior before nearly averaging a double-double as a senior, earning an AIAW Kodak All-America nomination. Overby finished her Cougar career as the program’s all-time leading rebounder with 875, third in blocks with 81, tied for third with 15 double-doubles and was the second player in school history to surpass 1000-career points, finishing with 1,158.

STEPHANIE PAPKE (2019) - Stephanie Papke’s career placed her alongside an elite class of Washington State Volleyball student-athletes. The 6-foot setter from Auburn, Washington posted an incredible list of accomplishments throughout her athletics career (1993-97). After redshirting as a freshman and playing the following year, it was during her sophomore season where Papke began to show off her potential. Papke was named an All-Pac-10 honorable mention, along with sharing team most valuable player honors with Sarah Silvernail, and earning Pac-10 All-Academic second team honors. Her junior season she excelled both on and off the court, as she was selected to the AVCA All-American second team, earned All-District 8 honors, and was the first Cougar volleyball player to be voted by coaches to the All-Pac-10 team, and earn Pac-12 All-Academic first team honors. She went on to lead the conference in 1996 in assists per set with 13.92, and finished sixth nationally in the stat category. Papke capped off her WSU Volleyball career earning All-Pac-10, and Pac-10 All-Academic honorable mention honors, during her senior season. The awards did not stop there however, as Papke was WSU’s Pac-10 Medal Winner, and was a NCAA Woman of the Year nominee as well. Overall she helped WSU Volleyball established a winning mentality, making four total trips to the NCAA Tournament during her career with the Cougars, including an Elite Eight appearance in 1996, and a Sweet Sixteen trip in 1997.

ERICA PERKINS (2015) - By the time Erica Perkins finished her career at Washington State in 2002, she had set the gold standard for all Cougar tennis players to follow. In her first year she helped WSU to the NCAA Championships for the first time in school history, the first of four appearances during her days in a Cougar uniform. As a sophomore she reached the NCAA Singles Championship, another first for a Cougar tennis player, and remains the only player to accomplish that feat three times. She battled an injury that forced her to miss her junior season, but she responded by winning 43 matches over her final two seasons and reached a high of No. 23 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association national rankings. Her accolades are astounding: three times an All-Pacific-10 Conference honoree, three times a Pac-10 All-Academic first-team selection, a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-American, including a first-team selection as a senior. She held national rankings in each of her final three years, received the ITA Cissie Leary Award for Sportsmanship following the 2001 season and was WSU’s Pac-10 Conference Medal female recipient signifying the outstanding student-athlete as a senior. By the time she departed WSU, she held the school record for career singles victories while receiving an undergraduate degree in history and master’s in education administration. 

DIANA PICKLER (2016) - When the very athletic Diana Pickler arrived from Texas, she brought a number one U.S. junior heptathlete ranking and her best training partner and fiercest competitor, her twin Julie. Diana displayed a dynamic quality in her performances. During her Cougar career she won the Pac-10 heptathlon title in 2007 after runner-up and fourth-place finishes. She earned five All-America certificates in seven national championships. As coachable as she was versatile, Pickler set school records in the 100m hurdles, pentathlon and heptathlon and was in WSU all-time records top five standings in the 60m hurdles, high jump and long jump. She was WSU’s 2007 Pac-10 Conference Medal winner. Pickler was the runner-up at the 2007 USA Track & Field Championships and at the IAAF World Outdoor Championships she finished 25th. At the 2008 USA Indoor Championships, Diana won the pentathlon and Julie finished second. Diana’s third-place at the 2008 USA Trials made her the first WSU woman graduate to compete at the Olympic Games as a member of the USA team. A hamstring strain forced her to withdraw from the heptathlon at Beijing but she went on to win the USA Outdoor heptathlon in 2009 with 6,290 points.

PAM QUALLS (2015) - Pam Qualls had established a solid national reputation as a prep speedster in Sacramento. As a member of the USA Junior Olympic Team, Qualls competed at the Pan Am games and earned a gold medal as a member of the 400m relay team and a silver medal for the 200m dash. While not totally sure she wanted to attend a school so far north, once Qualls donned the crimson and gray singlet, competing from 1985-88, she sliced Washington State school records one after another. She was the NorPac champion in the 100m and the 200m in 1986 as well as a top three finisher in the 100m and 200m at the 1987 and 1988 Pacific-10 Conference Championships. Qualls was a four-time All-American with national top eight finishes in the indoor 55m, and the outdoor 100m and 200m. At the time of her Hall of Fame induction, nearly 30 years later, Qualls still held the WSU 100m record of 11.52 seconds, 200m record of 23.30, and indoor 60m record of 7.31.

ELLANNEE RICHARDSON (2019) - As fierce a competitor on the track as a coach on the sidelines, Ellannee Richardson (2019) etched her name in Washington State lore as one of the greatest Cougars to wear Crimson and Gray. Richardson was a five-time All-American heptathlete and sprinter at WSU, taking second place at the 2003 and 2002 NCAA Heptathlon Championships and earned another All-America certificate anchoring the 4x400m relay to seventh place at the 2003 NCAA Indoor meet with a school-record time. Additionally, she anchored the 1600m relay squad to a school record outdoor time as well. Richardson’s 2003 senior awards included: WSU’s Pac-10 Medal Winner, Pac-10 Postgraduate Scholarship, Arthur Ashe Jr. Sports Scholar First Team, NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship, and Verizon/CoSIDA National Academic All-American second team. Upon graduation she joined the WSU coaching staff, leading the next generation of sprinters for a decade where her relay teams consistently ran WSU top ten times every season. In 2006, Richardson was named the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association West Region men’s sprints/hurdles Coach of the Year. In 2011, the men’s 400m relay won the Pac-10 title in a time of 39.48, the second-fastest in WSU history. As a professional competitor, Richardson finished fifth in the 400m dash at the 2004 USA Indoor Track & Field Championships and at the 2004 US Olympic Trials, she narrowly missed the 400m hurdles final after running a personal best time in the prelims.

JENNIFER ROBERTSON (2016) - Jennifer Robertson (1988-93) had a WSU cross country and track and field career filled with Pac-10 titles and NCAA All-America honors. As a freshman, she finished in the top five at the Pac-12 Cross Country Championships, ran on Team USA at the World Junior Cross Country Championships in Norway, won Pac-10 outdoor titles in the 3000m and 5000m, placed third in the 3000m at the NCAA Championships in a school-record time of 9:33.46, won the USA National Junior 3000m title, and competed for Team USA at the Pan American Junior Championships. She started her sophomore year earning the Pac-10 Cross Country Woman of the Year award after winning the individual title. That spring she finished 11th in the 3000m at the NCAA Championships. Following foot surgery, she took an unwelcomed redshirt year. While many suspected she would not recover from her injury, Robertson returned for a strong 1993 senior track season, running school-records in the 1500m, mile, 3000m and 5000m. Her 1500m time of 4:14.69, still stands at the time of her induction while her 5k record held for a decade and her 3k record held for 21 years. In the 3000m, she finished fourth at the Pac-12 Championships and ninth at the NCAA Championships, earning her third All-America certificate. Upon graduation Robertson held school records in the 1500m, mile, 3000m and 5000m. In addition to excellence in running, she was a Pac-10 All-Academic First Team selection three times.

LISA ROMAN (2019) - A native of Langley, B.C., Lisa Roman arrived at WSU from Fraser Valley as a sophomore in the spring of 2010. The newcomer made an immediate impact as she led Cougar rowing back to the NCAA Championships after missing out in 2009. As a member of the varsity eight crew, she helped lift the Cougars to a 13th overall finish at the 2010 NCAA Championships, as her crew placed 14th. The following year her varsity eight crew placed 11th at the NCAAs and the team finished 12th overall. A two-time All-Pac-12 honoree (2011, 2012), Roman was named Collegiate Rowing Coaches Association Division I Second Team All-America in 2012. During and following her collegiate career, Roman was actively involved in international racing for her native Canada. Her Olympic dream was sparked when she made the Canadian U23 team and won gold with the eight at the 2011 U23 World Championships. She began competing on the senior international circuit in 2013 with the eight, winning silver in 2014 to go with bronze medals in 2013 and 2015. In her Olympic debut at Rio in 2016, the eight advanced to the A final, finishing fifth. Following her Olympic appearance, Roman captured back-to-back silver medals in the women’s eight at the 2017 and 2018 World Championships. In 2016 Roman was named to the Pac-12 Women’s Rowing All-Century team and in the fall of 2018 was named the 14th best rower in the world by row2k.

JENNI RUFF (2012) - Jenni Ruff earned four varsity letters (1992-96) with the Cougars and finished her career with her name sprinkled throughout the WSU record book. The Mossyrock, Wash. native averaged in double-figures her final three seasons and led the team in scoring her junior and seniors seasons while helping the Cougars post 16 and 17 win campaigns, respectively. Ruff capped her career with arguably the best season in Cougar women’s basketball history, posting WSU single-season records of 685 points, nineteen 20-plus scoring efforts including seven 30-plus scoring performances and a 23.6 ppg scoring average while starting all 29 games as a senior. Ruff also set single-season records with 203 made free throws made and set the single-game scoring record with 41 points against California. To go along with scoring, Ruff also led the Cougars in rebounding at 8.8 rpg and added 70 steals and 90 assists and averaged 25.6 ppg in Pac-10 games. Following her senior campaign, Ruff was named Honorable Mention All-America by the Associated Press, All-District VIII by the WBCA and First Team All-Pac-10 Conference.  Ruff finished her career second in scoring with 1,526 points, second in free throws made and attempted (400-560), third in scoring average (14.0 ppg), tied for third in assists (381), fifth in rebounding (727) and fifth in career starts (96) while playing 109 games. She is one of two players (Jeanne Eggart) to record over 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 300 assists.

MARCIA SANEHOLTZ (2016) - During her 28 years as an administrator at Washington State University, Marcia Saneholtz (2016) was a part of, and at times guided, the Cougar Athletic Department through campus-defining and transformational periods. From when she joined the WSU Athletic Department in 1979 through her retirement in 2007, Saneholtz was a tireless advocate for the student-athlete and a nationally recognized leader in Title IX legislation. She was a guiding force in WSU’s transition from separate men’s and women’s athletic programs to one unified athletic department in the early 1980s. Saneholtz played a crucial role in WSU Athletics’ transition to an on-campus health care partnership with the university’s health and wellness and university counseling services, as well as the development and management of WSU’s student athletic training program. Additionally, she led the $30 million Bohler Renovation and Addition project in the mid-1990s and initiated WSU’s involvement in hosting NCAA Championships at the Spokane Arena. Three times she served as interim athletic director at Washington State, served two terms as vice president of the Pac-10 Conference, and received numerous national honors for her work as an administrator, including the NACWAA National Administrator of the Year, for which she served as President and on its Board of Directors. She also received the Pathfinder Award from the National Association of Girls and Women in Sports, the WSU Woman of Distinction Award and a Lifetime Achievement Award. Upon her retirement, WSU’s volleyball court was renamed Marcia Saneholtz Court, in her honor. She is also a member of the Inland Northwest Sports Hall of Fame Scroll of Honor and the Bowling Green Athletic Hall of Fame, her alma mater.

LINDA SHERIDAN (2004) - After graduating from WSU in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education, Linda Sheridan became one of the most successful high school coaches in Washington prep annuls. During her career at Shadle Park High in Spokane, Sheridan coached teams won 849 times and lost just 222 times. Her volleyball and basketball teams won seven State titles, 17 Greater Spokane League championships, and advanced to State tournaments 32 times before her retirement in 1998. She is the winningest coach in Spokane prep history, male or female. Sheridan returned to her high school alma mater in 1975. As the volleyball coach, her teams were 482-99, captured 10 GSL titles, qualifying for the State tournament 19 times and won State championships in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1993. Her 1993 team was the first team to go through the State tournament without losing a game. She was equally successful coaching basketball, winning seven GSL titles while posting a 367-123 record in 20 seasons. Her 1988 and 1989 Shadle Park teams won State championships. Sheridan is also a member of the Inland Empire Sports Hall of Fame.

SARAH SILVERNAIL (2001) - Dominated Pacific-10 Conference and NCAA volleyball during her illustrious career with the Cougars. She was a two-time All-American, the 1996 Pacific-10 Conference Athlete of the Year after earning Pac-10 Athlete of the Week honors six times in her career, and a three-time All-District VIII selection. Silvernail still holds the WSU records for career kills (1,848), single season kills (649), and most kills in a match (39). Born in Spokane, schooled in Yakima and Tacoma, the 6-1 middle blocker truly was the best Athlete in the state of Washington and was selected 1996 Female Athlete of the Year by both the Greater Spokane Sports Association and the Tacoma News Tribune, in addition to being a finalist for the Seattle P-I's Star Award. Silvernail was the backbone of Cougar volleyball teams that reached the second round of the NCAA tournament in 1993, the first round in 1994, the second round in 1995 and the regional championships in 1996, her final collegiate season when she won team MVP honors. During her career she tallied double-figure kills in 96 of 120 matches (.800). In March of 1997, she was named to the USA National Team and spent the summer in Colorado Springs training for the 2000 Olympic Games. Silvernail played professionally with the USPV league in Chicago and is currently playing on a pro team in Switzerland

HELEN SMITH (1993) - Helen G. Smith traveled great lengths to reach Washington State University in 1925 and once she arrived at the Pullman campus, she was there to stay.  The 1919 graduate of Oberlin College was director of physical education at the American College for Girls in Istanbul, Turkey before accepting a position at WSU.  Hired as an instructor of physical education for women, Smith impressively moved up the ladder of academic success at WSU in quick fashion.  While advancing to an assistant professor status, she also was named acting chair of the department in 1927 and from then until her retirement, Smith led WSU's physical education program for women.  In 1928 the university removed "acting" from her title, naming her the full-time chair.  Later she was promoted to associate professor (1933) and then to full professor (1943).  During her career at WSU Smith also found time to earn a master's degree from Columbia University in 1931 and a PhD from New York University in 1944.  Smith was a staunch believer in the efforts of the American Association of Health, Physical Education and Recreation (AAHPER) and was credited with being one of the organizers of the association in Washington.  She also held offices in numerous professional organizations on a regional and national level and was very active as a member of the Western Society for Physical Education of College Women.  One of Smith's favorite activities was camping.  During her tenure at WSU she taught camping courses and worked in close association with the Campfire and Girl Scout organizations of the area.  She also was an organizer of the Inland Empire Camping Association and the American Camping Association.  Shortly after her retirement in 1961, the women's physical education building at WSU was named in her honor - Smith Gym.  Helen Smith died in 1985 while living in Arizona.

LAURIE TURNER (2012) - In Washington State University Hall of Famer Richard Fry’s book, The Crimson and the Gray, Laurie Turner was nicknamed the “Too Tall Guard” as at 5-11 she rose above her competitors in many ways. Her senior year, 1979, was her finest as she scored 13.7 points and grabbed 6.0 rebounds, while recording 57 assists and 57 steals. That same season she scored a then-WSU record 29 points against Seattle University and later was named to the All-Northwest Basketball League second team and to the National Scouting Association AIAW Region IX All-America team. After her playing career was over at WSU, she and Harold Rhodes (later a WSU head coach) were assistants to head coach Sue Durrant before Turner was named head coach at Eastern Oregon State College. At Eastern Oregon Turner added head volleyball coaching duties and later became the athletic director, the start of her career in athletic administration. In 1986 she was named the head basketball coach at the University of Idaho and currently serves as the athletic director at Pacific Lutheran University.

JOANN WASHAM (1982) - JoAnn Washam is the first Washington State University student to have participated in national championships in two sports as a Cougar.  She played in the collegiate golf championship in 1971, and in 1972 was a member of the Cougar women's team in the AIAW basketball nationals.  Since then, she has been one of the leading money-winners on the Ladies' Professional Golf Association tour, finishing ninth in the final standings in 1980 with winnings of $107,063 and recording an outstanding 73.01 scoring average for 28 tour events.  JoAnn began her golfing at the age of 8 and won her hometown club championship in Auburn at the age of 13.

JOANNE WASHBURN (2012) - During a nearly 40-year career at WSU, including serving as women’s athletic director from 1965-82, Joanne Washburn presided over unparalleled growth of the women’s athletics program. During her time as women’s athletic director, the women’s athletic program grew to 12 teams and included eight sports: volleyball, basketball, field hockey, skiing, tennis, track & field, gymnastics, and swimming. Additionally, the budget grew from a mere $2,000 to eclipsing $1 million. Teams and individuals represented WSU in all sports at the regional level and as national competitions were developed, WSU qualified individuals and teams as well. During Washburn’s tenure, the school was a charter member of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics (AIAW). In addition to serving as a WSU Athletics administrator, Washburn coached at the school, and had a distinguished career as an instructor and professor for the school’s physical education department. 

KIM WELCH (2013) - When Kim Welch completed her four-year career at Washington State in 2005, all one had to do was look at the unprecedented numbers she put up to realize she will be remembered as a pre-eminent athlete in school history. As a sophomore, she earned All-America honors after finishing fifth at the 2003 NCAA Championships, becoming the first WSU golfer, man or woman, to earn that honor. She repeated as an All-American the next year after leading the nation with five tournament wins. As a senior, she tied for third at the Pac-10 Championships, the highest finish at the conference championships by any WSU golfer, man or woman. Furthermore, no other female golfer at WSU had ever finished in the top 10 at the Pac-10 Championships; Welch did it twice in her career (ninth-2003). In addition to being a two-time All-American, Welch also earned All-Pac-10 honors four times. In all, Welch completed her WSU career with 11 wins, 31 top-10 finishes and 40 top-25 efforts, all school records. She finished in the top 10 in over 60 percent of events played.