Washington State University Athletics

Laura Lavine left an indelible mark during her four years at Washington State. She arrived in Pullman as a two-time state discus champion (1983 and 1984) from Issaquah High School..  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 and in 2018 was inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor.