Seven individuals, led by former basketball/football star Nate Robinson and Olympic gold medal coxswain Mary Whipple, along the 1984 University of Washington football team, were named Tuesday to the Husky Hall of Fame. The 2016 class will be inducted during a campus ceremony Oct. 22.
In addition to Robinson (2002-05) and Whipple (1999-02), the class includes Olin Kreutz (football, 1995-97), Sara Pickering (softball, 1994-97), Sanja Tomasevic (volleyball, 2002-05), Brad Walker (track and field, 2002-05), and radio broadcaster Bob Rondeau (1978-present). The 2016 class:
Olin Kreutz: A 1997 consensus All-America selection by the Associated Press, Kreutz made All-Pac-10 first teams in 1995 and 1997 and won the 1997 Morris Trophy as the conference’s top lineman. Kreutz played 13 seasons in the NFL, 12 with the Chicago Bears, and made six Pro Bowl teams. He was named to the NFL’s All-2000 Team.
Sara Pickering: A first-team All-America in 1996 and 1997 (first two-time All-America choice in Washington history), Pickering helped lead the Huskies to their first conference title in 1996. She started every game at second base for four consecutive seasons, finishing her career with 15 school records, including an NCAA record 91 doubles. Pickering has been a softball coach since 1998.
Nate Robinson: Robinson started his UW career as a cornerback on the football team, then switched full-time to basketball. He made third-team All-America in 2005 and first-team All-Pac-10 in both 2004 and 2005, twice helping the Huskies reach the NCAA Tournament. Robinson played 11 seasons in the NBA and won the All-Star Slam Dunk competition three times.
Bob Rondeau: He joined the UW radio crew in 1978. Since 1980, he has been the voice of Huskies¾ football for all but three seasons. He has also served as the voice of UW basketball since 1985. Rondeau has been Washington state’s Sports Broadcaster of the Year 10 times.
Sanja Tomasevic: The National Player of the Year in 2005 and also Pac-10 Player of the Year that season, Tomasevic was a member of Washington’s national championship team in 2005. She still holds UW records for total attacks in a match (96) and service aces in a season (58) and a career (156). She played professionally in Europe for eight years before becoming a college coach at Arizona State.
Brad Walker: A four-time All-America in the pole vault, Walker won two NCAA indoor titles (2003-04) and two Pac-10 outdoor titles (2002-03). Following his Husky career, Walker in 2008 set an American record at 19-9¾. A two-time Olympian (2008, 2012), Walker also won a gold medal at the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan. He is a coach at Washington State.
Mary Whipple: A winner of three NCAA titles as a coxswain with the varsity eight in 2001 and 2002 and the varsity four in 1999, Whipple made first-team All-Pac-10 in 2002. A three-time Olympian, Whipple coxed the USA to a silver medal in Athens in 2004 and to gold medals in Beijing (2008) and London (2012). Whipple also coxed the UW team that won the Henley Prize at the Henley Royal Regatta in 2000.
1984 football team: Finished the season with an 11-1 record and won the Orange Bowl with a 28-17 victory over Oklahoma. The Huskies finished No. 2 in both the Associated Press and United Press International polls. Four team members — DT Ron Holmes, LB Tim Meamber, LB Fred Small and K Jeff Jaeger — earned All-America recognition.
