SAN FRANCISCO -- Washington State's outstanding women's track and field discus thrower from the mid-1980s, Laura Lavine, is among 12 former student-athletes who will be inducted into the Pac-12 Conference Hall of Honor, March 9 during the Men's Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas.
Lavine was a two-time Pac-10 discus champion and a two-time NCAA discus champion and still holds the WSU record distance thrown of 189-feet 10 inches. She is a WSU Athletics Hall of Fame member and was chosen the WSU's Woman Athlete of the Decade as part of the Pac-10's celebration of 10 years of women's athletics. Additional biography information is at the bottom of this release.
The Hall of Honor class will be the 17th since its creation in 2002, but will be the first to feature legendary figures from an array of sports as the recognition pivots to be inclusive of the broad-based athletics success celebrated in the Conference of Champions.
This year's 12 Hall of Honor inductees combined for 40 All-America honors and 36 NCAA team or individual national championships as collegians. Eight represented the United States in the Olympics, with six capturing gold medals. The 2018 honorees joining Lavine include: Michael Wright, Arizona basketball 1999-2001; Linda Vollstedt, Arizona State golf 1980-2001; Matt Biondi, California swimming 1983-87; Bill Toomey, Colorado track and field 1958-61; Andrew Wheating, Oregon track and field 2006-10; Carol Menken-Schaudt, Oregon State basketball 1979-81; Kerri Walsh Jennings, Stanford volleyball 1996-99; Rafer Johnson, UCLA track and field 1955-59; Cheryl Miller, USC basketball 1982-86; Missy Marlowe, Utah gymnastics 1989-92; and Sonny Sixkiller, Washington football 1969-72.
The Hall of Honor induction ceremony will be streamed live starting at 4 p.m. PT Friday on the Pac-12 Now app and Pac-12.com to authenticated subscribers. The inductees will also be recognized in the Pac-12 Fan Plaza prior to Friday's semifinal session as well as on court at halftime of the first semifinal game.
Laura Lavine, Washington State (1984-1988) – Laura Lavine arrived in Pullman as a two-time Washington state discus champion (1983 and 1984) and left an indelible mark on the Palouse during her four years. As a Cougar, she placed fifth in discus at the 1986 NCAA Championships, earning her first of three All-America honors. She won the first of two Pac-10 discus titles in 1987 and became WSU's first woman NCAA Outdoor Track & Field champion that season. Lavine clinched back-to-back NCAA discus titles the following year with her clutch final throw of the 1988 competition. Lavine's lifetime-best discus throw still stands as the school record at 189-feet, 10 inches, tossed June 11, 1988, in Tucson, Ariz. After earning four letters as a discus and shot put thrower, Lavine continued competing, placing seventh in the discus at the 1988 U.S. 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 was inducted into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006.
