WALSH, WHITFIELD TO HALL OF FAME
Kerri Walsh, '00 (left), who helped spur Stanford to NCAA women's volleyball championships in 1996 and '97 and twice won Olympic gold medals in beach volleyball, is among the nine new members of the University's Athletic Hall of Fame.
The honorees, heavy with stars from the 1990s, also include football's Bob Whitfield, '93, an offensive tackle who was named a first-team All-American in 1990 and '91 and went on to a 15-year career in the NFL. Other inductees from that era are Mhairi McKay, '97, a first-team All-American for the women's golf team in 1994, '96 and '97; Alex Kim, '01, who compiled a 133-25 record on the men's tennis squad from 1997 to 2001 and won a national singles title in 2000; Stan Spencer, '91, a first-team All-America pitcher with a 14-1 record in 1990; and Trisha Stevens, '91, whose four years as a letter winner on the women's basketball team included the 1990 national championship season.
Men's basketball great Don Griffin, '69, the school's fifth all-time leading scorer when he graduated, represents the late 1960s, and swimmer Jay Mortenson, '89, won the 100 backstroke and 100 butterfly at the NCCA championships in 1988. Don Shaw was elected with credentials from serving as a head coach for the women's volleyball team and later the men's squad during a Stanford career spanning more than 25 years.
HEADY DAYS FOR FIELD HOCKEY
An 8-1 start to the season shone a sudden spotlight on the field hockey team, which soared to No. 8 in the national coaches poll, its highest ranking since reaching No. 6 in 1987. Four of the victories came against teams in the top 20: Cal, SUNY-Albany, Northeastern and Indiana. The accomplishment may have been a first; the program lacks a complete recorded history for previous seasons.
The match against Cal was played at Stanford and attracted a record crowd of 633, who saw the Cardinal defeat its No. 12-ranked NorPac Conference rival 3-2. This is Stanford's second season under head coach Tara Danielson.
Photo: Dani Vernon/Stanfordphoto.comFRESHMAN GOLFER WINS FIRST TOURNEY
Patrick Rodgers, a two-time high school state champ in Indiana, was the individual winner at September's Olympia Fields/Fighting Illini Invitational. He became the first Stanford golfer to win his first collegiate tourney since Tiger Woods did it 17 years ago.
Rodgers, who met up with the team in Illinois after competing in the Walker Cup in Scotland, shot 68-70-68 to prevail by three strokes. The Stanford team also triumphed, finishing 16 strokes better than Oklahoma State in a 15-school field.
