SAN FRANCISCO – The Pac-12 Conference announced Wednesday the 2020 class to be inducted into the Pac-12 Hall of Honor, including Washington State's Jeanne Eggart Helfer. The Hall of Honor is the Conference's most prestigious recognition of the greatest on and off-field contributors to Pac-12 athletics. Formal induction will take place Friday, March 13 during a ceremony prior to the semifinals of the 2020 Pac-12 Men's Basketball Tournament in Las Vegas, presented by New York Life. Following induction, the class will be honored during a special halftime ceremony of the day's first semifinal matchup at T-Mobile Arena.
 
The 2020 Hall of Honor class will be the 19th since its creation in 2002, and the third to feature legendary figures from an array of sports after the Pac-12 expanded the field to be inclusive of the broad-based athletics success across the Conference of Champions. Each year a new inductee from each Pac-12 university is welcomed into the Hall of Honor.
 
"The extraordinary achievements of this year's Hall of Honor class represent the very best of our universities' rich history of excellence athletically, academically and professionally," said Pac-12 Commissioner Larry Scott. "The Pac-12 is incredibly proud to call them our own and to honor their legacies."
 
From Olympic Gold Medalists and Super Bowl Champions to NBA and WNBA veterans to NCAA Champions and collegiate athletics trailblazers, the 2020 class features another star-studded list of inductees, including:

Sean Rooks (Arizona)                                     
Melissa Belote Ripley (Arizona State)            
Don Bowden (California)                                
Bill Marolt (Colorado)                                      
Dan Fouts (Oregon)                                        
Joni Huntley (Oregon State)                           
Jennifer Azzi (Stanford)
Jonathan Ogden (UCLA)
Barbara Hedges (USC)
Kathy Kreiner-Phillips (Utah)
Lincoln Kennedy (Washington)
Jeanne Eggart Helfer (Washington State)

Among the many combined accolades of this year's inductee class includes:

• 20 NFL Pro Bowl selections
• 12 seasons in the NBA
• Numerous Olympians, Olympic gold medalists, NCAA championships, world records, All-American recognitions, Hall of Fame inductions, Super Bowl appearances and retired jersey numbers
• Conference Player of the Year recognitions
• Honda Sports Awards
• Rose Bowl appearances
• Senior leadership who played key roles in establishing women's athletics on campus
• The first woman ever to receive an athletic scholarship on campus

 
Jeanne Eggart Helfer, Washington State (1977-82)
A double threat at Washington State, Jeanne Eggart Helfer was one of the most ferocious scorers in Cougar basketball history while also setting the school javelin record as a sophomore. She was the first woman to receive an athletics scholarship at Washington State, netting a legendary 1,967 points during her four-year career, an all-time Cougar scoring record that stood for 38 years until the 2019-20 season. After graduating, she went on to coach the Mead High School Panthers in Spokane, Wash., leading the girl's basketball team to three state titles in the 1990's. She would also later coach at Mt. Spokane High School. Now a member of the Pac-12 Hall of Honor, Eggart Helfer is also a member of several other Halls of Fame, including the Washington State Athletic Hall of Fame.
 
Washington State Pac-12 Hall of Honor Inductees:
2002     Craig Ehlo
2003     Jack Friel
2004     George Raveling
2005     Gene Conley
2006     James Donaldson
2007     Vince Hanson
2008     Mark Hendrickson
2009     Isaac Fontaine
2010     Paul Lindemann
2011     Ray Sunquist
2012     Steve Puidokas
2013     Jim McKean
2014     Ed Gayda
2015     Bennie Seltzer
2016     Keith Morrison
2017     Carlos Daniel
2018     Laura Lavine
2019     John Olerud   
2020     Jeanne Eggart Helfer