Seven to be inducted into WSU Hall of Fame
A diverse group of seven – four-All-Americans, a two-sport standout, a pioneer in women’s athletic administration and a popular coach who led the Cougars to five football bowl games – will be inducted into the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame in the Class of 2016.
An induction dinner will be held Sept. 16 at the Davenport Grand Hotel in Spokane with the honorees recognized the next day during the WSU-Idaho football game in Pullman.
Marv Chamberlain, Erin Eldridge, Jason Gesser, Mark Hendrickson, Mike Price, Jennifer Robertson and Marcia Saneholtz will bring to 213 the number of members in the WSU shrine that was chartered in 1978 at the direction of then-president Glenn Terrell and athletic director Sam Jankovich.
The Class of 2016:
Marv Chamberlain (baseball, 1970-74): Hit .383 with 16 home runs his senior season, which was capped by being named an ABCA/Rawlings first-team All-American as an outfielder. … He broke or tied 10 school records that season, including games played (159), hits (166) and at-bats (494). … As a sophomore, he led the Pacific-8 Conference in hitting at .415.
Erin Eldridge (swimming, 1996-2000): A three-time All-American, she ended her WSU career as the school record-holder in the 100 and 200 breaststroke. Received the team’s Most Outstanding Award each of her four years and was WSU’s Pac-10 Conference Medal winner her senior year.
Jason Gesser (football, 1998-2002): One of WSU’s most accomplished football players, setting 15 school records by the time he graduated. … A quarterback who played under Mike Price, he led WSU to back-to-back 10-win seasons (2001-02) for the first time in school history.… First-team All-American by College Football News in 2002 when he was also Pac-10 Offensive MVP as selected by the league coaches.
Mark Hendrickson (basketball/baseball, 1992-96): A four-year letter winner in basketball, he finished fourth in career scoring with 1,496 points and second all-time with 927 rebounds. … A two-time All-Pac-10 first-team selection. … He also pitched for the Cougars baseball team as a junior. … One of just 12 athletes to play in both the NBA and baseball’s major leagues, he played four seasons in the NBA followed by 10 years in the major leagues.
Mike Price (football coach, 1989-2002): Guided WSU to five bowl games in his 14-year Cougars career. … The only coach in program history to take WSU to five bowl games. … He was named National Coach of the Year after leading WSU to the 1997 Rose Bowl. … Price led WSU to three 10-win seasons and twice was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
Jennifer Robertson (track & field, 1988-93): A three-time All-American, all in the 3,000 meters. … As a freshman she captured Pac-10 titles in the 3,000 and 5,000. … Also won the Pac-10 cross country title as a sophomore. … She held school records in 1,500, mile, 3,000 and 5,000 when she graduated.
Marcia Saneholtz (administrator, 1979-2007): A respected national figure in collegiate athletics, particularly in the area of Title IX. … She was 1997 National Administrator of the Year by the National Association of Collegiate Women’s Athletic Administrators. … In 2010, she received the NACWAA Lifetime Achievement Award, the WSU Samuel H. Smith Leadership award and the WSU Woman of Distinction award.
More information on the Hall of Fame Weekend will be released this summer.
Info: Bridget Slaybaugh, (509) 335-0220, or