On the 50th anniversary of the historic Title IX legislation that paved the way for the success of women’s sports, WSU Athletics announced they will induct an all-female class to their Hall of Fame.

Eight individuals and one team will be inducted to the WSU Athletics Hall of Fame including Eka Burduli (tennis, 2005-08), LaToya Harris (volleyball, 1999-2002), Kiersten Dallstream (soccer, 2006-09), Anastasia Kostina (golf, 2003-06), Celestine N’Drin (track & field, 1986-90), Georgette Reed (swimming/track & field, 1988-91), head coaches Tammy Crawford (rowing, 1990-2002) and Lisa Fraser (soccer, 1989-94) and the 1991 WSU Women’s basketball team.

The eight individuals and the 1991 Women’s basketball team will be honored at an induction dinner on Friday, Sept. 16 at Beasley Coliseum. The inductees will also be honored the next day at the WSU vs. Colorado State football game.

Burduli came to WSU from Israel on a tennis scholarship and achieved a school-record 91 singles victories including 28 wins in her senior season, becoming the first player in WSU history to achieve three-straight 20-win seasons. She led WSU to the 2008 NCAA Championships and made her second appearance at the NCAA Singles Championships.

Today, Burduli is an assistant professor at the WSU School of Nursing in Spokane.

Harris was a highly decorated volleyball player with three All-Pac-10 First-Team selections and was a member of three NCAA Championship tournament teams, including the 2002 Elite Eight squad. She left WSU with the school record for aces (143). 

Harris crossed paths with current WSU volleyball head coach and former player Jen Greeny, who was a graduate assistant coach during Harris’ freshmen year. Years later, Greeny recommended Harris to replace her as head coach of Lewiston, Idaho’s Lewis-Clark State College volleyball program. She held that position for seven seasons before moving back to her hometown, Portland, Ore. in 2017.

Dallstream helped WSU soccer to consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances for the first time in program history in 2008 and 2009. She scored 30 goals and was responsible for 76 points.

In 2010, she was selected ninth overall in the Women’s Professional Soccer League Draft by the Los Angeles Sol. However, LA left the WPS, so she was selected by Sky Blue FC in the 2010 WPS Dispersal Draft. In 2011, she was traded to the Boston Breakers and in 2013 signed with the Seattle Reign and played in the inaugural National Women’s Soccer League season and six more seasons with the Regin afterward.

She retired in 2019 after over a decade of college and professional soccer.

Kostina was a two-time NGCA All-American and a member of three NCAA West Regional teams for WSU Golf. She was a three-time All-Pac-10 selection and won three individual tournament titles on her way to six team titles during her time at WSU.

She moved from Russia to America to play college golf.

N’Drin was a two-time All-American in the 800-meter dash. She holds WSU program records in the 400-meter and 800-meter events. She was Pac-12 champion four times, two times in the 800m (1987, 1990), once in the 400-meter (1989) and as a member of the 1987 1600-meter Relay Team. She represented Ivory Coast in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.

Reed began her WSU athletic career on the swim team. However, injuries required her to pivot to track and field, specifically shot put. She became a two-time All-American and holds WSU’s school record. She was a 17-time Canadian National shot put champion and two-time discus champion. 

Her father, George Reed played football at WSU and is also a member of the school’s Hall of Fame.

Crawford was WSU rowing’s first head coach of the reestablished varsity program for over a decade. Crawford led the infant program to one National Championship and five Pac-10 Championships.

Fraser was the inaugural coach of WSU soccer and coached the team for five seasons from 1989-1994. Under her leadership, each of WSU’s first five seasons were winning seasons.

The 1991 WSU Women’s Basketball team was the first in program history to qualify for the NCAA Tournament, a feat that would not be accomplished again for 30 years. Harold Rhodes, 1991 Pac-10 head coach of the year, led the ‘91 squad. Four players averaged double figures.

WSU Athletics would not be the same without the noteworthy contributions of these nine inductees. Each will join 221 other individuals and teams as part of the WSU Athletics hall of fame.

Title IX of the Civil Rights Act prohibited schools that receive federal funding from discriminating against students on the basis of sex. It was signed into law 50 years ago: June 23, 1972.

Several Cougs were critical to the passage and mission of Title IX including Karen Blair, Sue Durrant, Marcia Saneholtz, Jeanne Eggart Helfer and Jo Washburn who were each honored on Feb. 11, 2022 at the WSU Women’s basketball game vs. UCLA.

Blair was the lead of a group of WSU student athletes and staff who sued WSU in the Washington state supreme court for equal treatment of women’s sports programs. In the late 70s, Blair’s track and field team was one of only five women’s sports programs at WSU.

Durant was an educator, coach and administrator at WSU for 40 years starting in 1962. She coached the volleyball team for 12 years (1963-75) and the women’s basketball team for 10 seasons (1971-72, 1973-82).

Durant played an integral role in women’s sports at WSU and across the state as a part of Blair vs. Washington State University.

Saneholtz was a WSU Athletics administrator for 28 years. She guided the merger of the men’s and women’s athletic departments into one unified athletic department.

Eggart Helfer was an accomplished athlete on the track and field and women’s basketball teams. She scored more points (1,967) than any Cougar basketball player, male or female. A record which stands today. She took a year off basketball to attempt to qualify for the 1980 Olympics. She fell one spot short of qualifying for the Olympics but set the WSU javelin throwing record, which stands today.

Washburn was a celebrated faculty member at WSU for 40 years and was the women’s athletic director from 1965-82. She passed away Sept. 15, 2020.

Each of these five fierce leaders paved the way for the success of countless women across WSU, the state of Washington and the entire country including the eight indivudals and one team that will be welcomed to the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame in September.