Halls of fame stimulate nostalgia and analysis. They excavate exciting memories and invite historical comparisons, preserve famous moments and celebrate career-long stats.
So it is with Stanford's Athletic Hall of Fame. The newly announced class of 2009, headed by baseball star Mike Mussina, will provoke plenty of "remember when" conversations while also testing fans' knowledge of the record books.
Mussina's fellow inductees are football's "Touchdown Tommy" Vardell and Dick Horn, tennis's Patrick McEnroe, volleyball's Lisa Sharpley-Vanacht, swimming's Wade Flemons, golf's Kathleen McCarthy-Scrivner and track's Monal Chokshi.
Nationally known for an 18-year major league pitching career with the Baltimore Orioles and New York Yankees, Mussina, '91, was a freshman All-American when Stanford won the College World Series in 1988. Before becoming a first-round Orioles draft pick in 1990, Mussina compiled a 25-12 record and a 3.89 earned run average over 49 games.
Vardell, '91, who went on to the NFL, set a number of school touchdown records during his time on the Farm, including the single-season mark of 20 in 1991. The season before, he rushed for four TDs in a 36-31 win over top-ranked Notre Dame.
Horn's accomplishments evoke a much different era. One of four defensive backs elected in 1991 to Stanford's all-century team, Horn, '52, MD '59, was a letter winner from 1949 through 1951. The '51 season culminated in a Rose Bowl berth against Illinois (which won 40-7).
McEnroe was an All-American from 1986 through 1988, with the first and third years also distinguished by team NCAA championships. McEnroe, '88, an ESPN commentator, is the captain of the U.S. Davis Cup team.
Sharpley-Vanacht, '98, a three-time All-American, contributed to three NCAA volleyball titles and a 125-8 record from 1994 through 1997. She ranks fourth in assists on Stanford's all-time list.
Chokshi's All-American performance helped Stanford to its first NCAA cross-country championship in 1996. Chokshi, '97, was the 3,000-meter winner at the NCAA championships in 1998.
McCarthy-Scrivner, '87, joins Shelley Hamlin, '71, Anne Quast Sander, '59, and Mickey Wright, '56, as the women golfers in Stanford's hall. She was a letter winner each year from 1984 through 1987.
Flemons, '82, won the individual national championship in the 200-yard backstroke in 1981. He represented Canada at international events including the Pan American Games and was a member of the country's Olympic team in 1980 (when Canada joined in the boycott of the Moscow Games).
