PULLMAN – Five Washington State teams, a former star Cougs linebacker and a longtime volleyball coach will be inducted into WSU athletics’ Hall of Fame this fall, the school recently announced.
The teams that will be honored by WSU on Oct. 23 are: the 1976 baseball team, the 1981 football team, the 1985 women’s cross country team, the 1996 volleyball team and the 2006 rowing team. Lee Blakeney (1980-84), a star linebacker for the Cougs, and former volleyball coach Cindy Fredrick, who led WSU to new heights during her 15-year tenure, will also be inducted.
The 1976 Cougars baseball team earned a bid to the College World Series – the program’s most recent appearance at the event in Omaha, Nebraska. WSU set the program record for wins (43) and claimed the Pac-8 North title. The Cougars hosted and won the West Regional en route to a CWS appearance.
The 1981 WSU football team went 8-3-1 and earned an invite to the Holiday Bowl invite – the program’s first bowl game in 50 years – where the Cougars lost to BYU. Jim Walden earned the Pac-10 Coach of the Year honor and two players – tight end Pat Beach and safety Paul Sorensen – captured All-America recognition.
The 1985 women’s cross country team tied for seventh at the NCAA Championships – still the best finish in program history. The team’s top five runners finished in the top 70 at nationals. The team won three meet titles during the season.
The 1996 WSU volleyball team posted a 27-6 record (14-4 in Pac-10 play), setting a program record for regular-season wins. The team advanced farther in the NCAA Tournament than any prior squad in program history, reaching the Elite Eight. The team was led by senior middle blocker Sarah Silvernail, who earned Pac-10 Player of the Year and first-team All-America honors.
The 2006 women’s rowing team finished fourth at the NCAA Championships, the highest national finish by a women’s sport in school history. The team placed second in the conference championships, the highest finish in team history. Sarah Waterfield was a first-team All-American. Coach Jane LaRiviere was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year.
Blakeney set the WSU football record for career tackles with 524. A three-time All-Pac-10 selection, Blakeney recorded 153 tackles as a senior – second most in a season in program history.
Fredrick compiled a 278-192 record over 15 seasons as the Cougs’ volleyball coach, leaving WSU with more wins than any other women’s coach in school history. She led WSU to nine NCAA Tournaments, including appearances in the Elite Eight in 1996 and 2002. WSU posted 10 winning seasons under Fredrick, who earned the Pac-10 Coach of the Year award in 1995.