Former football player Kyle Thornton and volleyball player Katy Ryan were both recognized as the Tom Hansen Medal award recipients for the 2024-2025 season. The Tom Hansen Medal is awarded for demonstrating the highest level of excellence through a combination of academic achievement, athletic performance, and leadership within the Pac-12. The award was renamed in 2009 to the Tom Hansen Conference Medal in honor of Tom Hansen, who retired in June of that year after serving 26 years as commissioner of the Pac-10 Conference.
Ryan was a four-year letter winner at WSU and finished off her collegiate career in December with a fourth consecutive postseason appearance. She ranked 7th at WSU for all time points scored with 1,387. Ryan started all 28 games in her senior season, earning All-WCC First Team and WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention.
WSU outside hitter Pia Timmer (left) and opposite Katy Ryan (right) celebrate after sweeping UW, Nov. 25.
Ryan also put up 92 blocks during the season with her season best seven blocks against LMU on Nov. 29. She was on the Pac-12 Honor Roll two times and finished with a 3.66 GPA getting her degree in elementary education.
“[I try] to be a steady presence on the court,” Ryan said in an interview with WSU Athletics on Oct 6 2023. “Ups and downs, I want my team to trust in me.”
Kyle Thornton was a linebacker at WSU for six years. Thornton started on the field his red shirt freshman year and would play the rest of his five years.
Thornton was named team captain in 2024 and recorded 41 solo tackles and 71 total tackles. He was also named PAC-12 2024 Scholar Athlete of the Year. Kyle earned his undergraduate degree in economics with an impressive 3.84 GPA before continuing his academic journey in the MBA program at WSU.
Linebacker Kyle Thornton tackles a Husky receiver to prevent a touchdown in the redzone.
A standout in the classroom as well as on the field, he was named to the PAC-12 Academic Honor Roll four times during his college career. Thornton also secured the game winning tackle in the 2024 Apple Cup against the Huskies at Lumen Field on Sept. 14.
“So grateful for all of the opportunities, all the amazing memories, all the amazing moments I’ve had as a Coug,” Thornton said in an interview on Dec. 16 2024
Thornton started a job as Assistant Defensive Line Coach at Wake Forest University in March of 2024 following his old head coach Jake Dickert.
Thornton and Ryan were both highly praised by their teams and the Washington State community during their time in the crimson and gray.
