STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford Athletics continued its Title IX 50th anniversary celebration earlier this fall, highlighted by the induction of the first all-female Hall of Fame class in school history.
Featuring some of the most recognizable names in collegiate and professional women's athletics spanning multiple eras, the 10-member Class of 2022 is comprised of record-breakers, program icons and innovative trailblazers, all embodying the spirit of Title IX while contributing to Stanford's unparalleled excellence in women's sports.
Former student-athletes include: Lisa Bernhagen Ramos (women's track and field), Elaine Breeden Penrose (women's swimming and diving), Margie Dingeldein (women's water polo), Ashley Hansen Church (softball), Carly Janiga Reardon (women's gymnastics), Nneka Ogwumike (women's basketball), Christen Press (women's soccer) and Sally Voss Krueger (women's golf).
Tara VanDerveer (women's basketball) was inducted for her legendary coaching career, which enters a 37th season in 2022-23, while longtime volunteer Linda R. Meier received special recognition for her service to the department.
The class was inducted in an evening ceremony on Friday, Sept. 9, at Bing Auditorium and publicly introduced on Saturday, Sept. 10, during Stanford's football game against USC.
In addition to producing a combined four NCAA team championships and six NCAA individual titles, multiple inductees have also claimed Olympic medals or been honored as their sport's national player of the year. All eight former student-athletes were recognized as All-Americans in multiple seasons.
Student-athletes are eligible for induction 10 years after their final competition season (included below).
The Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame was originated by Walt Gamage, a longtime sports editor of the Palo Alto Times. Gamage, who had previously worked on many neighborhood newspapers in the Chicago area, moved to Palo Alto in 1944 and quickly became interested in Stanford sports. In early 1954, Gamage organized a Hall of Fame. The first class of inductees, including 34 of the greatest names in Stanford sports history, was announced in a full-page spread in the Palo Alto Times on December 21, 1954.
Lisa Bernhagen Ramos • Women's Track and Field • 1986-89
- Helped Cardinal to finish sixth at NCAA Outdoor Championships (1986) and NCAA Indoor Championships (1987) while producing a runner-up finish at 1985 WCAA Championships
- 1987 NCAA indoor high jump champion, the only Cardinal female to win an NCAA title in that event
- Placed among the top four at NCAA Championships four times, including a victory and two runner-up finishes (1988 outdoors, 1989 indoors)
- Set the collegiate high jump record (including indoors and outdoors) of 6-5 ½ (1.97 meters) on Feb, 2, 1987, in Flagstaff, Arizona, a jump that remains the third-highest in collegiate indoor history
- No Cardinal athlete has come within four inches of her indoor school record (6-5 ½) or two inches of her outdoor school record (6-2) since they were established in 1987
- Six-time All-American in the high jump (indoors from 1987-89, outdoors from 1986-88)
Elaine Breeden Penrose • Women's Swimming and Diving • 2007-10
- Guided Cardinal to four NCAA appearances (2007-10), NCAA runner-up finish (2010) and a Pac-10 title (2010)
- Four-time NCAA champion (100 butterfly in 2010, 200 butterfly in 2007, 2009-10)
- 24-time All-American, tied for ninth in school history and four shy of the record
- 7-time Pac-10 champion (100 butterfly in 2009-10, 200 butterfly in 2007-09, 200m medley relay in 2007, 400m medley relay in 2010)
- Two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team (2009-10), NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient (2010)
- Olympic medalist (2008 silver in 4x100m medley relay with Team USA)
Margie Dingeldein • Women's Water Polo • 1999-2002
- Led Cardinal to its first NCAA championship (2002) in school history
- Guided Cardinal to its first two MPSF titles (2000-01), representing the program's only back-to-back conference crowns
- Four-time All-American, one of only 14 players in school history to earn recognition in all four seasons
- Ranks seventh in school history in career goals (187)
- Four-time Association of Collegiate Water Polo Coaches (ACWPC) Academic All-American (1999-2002) and three-time MPSF All-Academic honoree (2000-02)
- Olympic medalist (2004 bronze with Team USA)
Ashley Hansen Church • Softball • 2009-12
- Member of two NCAA Super Regional teams (2009, 2011) while guiding Cardinal to four NCAA appearances (2009-12)
- USA Softball Player of the Year (2011), the only player of the year selection in program history
- Two-time National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) All-American (2009, 2011)
- Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year (2012), Pac-10 Player of the Year (2011), Pac-10 Newcomer of the Year (2009)
- Ranks second in school history in career triples (18), third in career batting average (.402), career hits (301) and career runs (192), and fourth in career RBI (179)
- Cardinal's single-season record holder in batting average (.495 in 2011), hits (95 in 2011) and triples (8 in 2012)
Carly Janiga Reardon • Women's Gymnastics • 2007-10
- Fueled Cardinal to three NCAA Super Six appearances (2007-08, 2010), including a national third-place finish in 2008
- 2010 NCAA champion on the uneven bars, one of three gymnasts in school history to claim an individual national championship
- Nine-time All-American, including first-team honors on uneven bars, balance beam and all-around as a senior
- Five-time Pac-10 champion and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (2007), helping also guide Cardinal to a Pac-10 title (2008)
- Member of Pac-12 Women's Gymnastics All-Century Team, one of 16 conference gymnasts selected representing four decades
- Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2010) and NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship recipient (2010)
Linda R. Meier • Special Recognition (Service)
- Founded the Cardinal Club, the scholarship program for women's athletics in 1978
- Built a strong community of Cardinal Club supporters and, in 1984, held a teleconferencing event that raised $1 million in one night
- First woman to chair the Stanford Athletics Board and the only person to hold the title for two separate terms
- Collaborated with Cal for the 100th Big Game auction that generated over $1 million per school in 1997
- Honored in 2001 as the 21st recipient of the "Degree of Uncommon Citizen", a degree awarded only when the president of the university deems it appropriate to honor individuals with rare and extraordinary service to Stanford
Nneka Ogwumike • Women's Basketball • 2009-12
- Powered Cardinal to four NCAA Final Four appearances (2009-12), including a national runner-up finish in 2010
- Three-time All-American, earning recognition from the Associated Press (AP) and WBCA (Women's Basketball Coaches Association)
- Led Cardinal to four consecutive conference titles (2009-12), named Pac-10 Player of the Year (2010) and Pac-12 Player of the Year (2012)
- Ranks second in school history in career free throws made (555), third in career points (2,491) and career field goal percentage (.583), and fourth in career rebounds (1,226)
- Selected in first round (No. 1 overall) of 2012 WNBA Draft by the Los Angeles Sparks, having played 11 seasons for the franchise
- Honored as WNBA Rookie of the Year (2012), WNBA Most Valuable Player (2016), WNBA champion (2016) and seven-time WNBA All-Star (2013-15, 2017-19, 2022)
Christen Press • Women's Soccer • 2007-10
- Led Cardinal to four NCAA appearances (2007-10), including national runner-up finishes in 2009 and 2010
- MAC Hermann Trophy recipient (2010), Soccer America Player of the Year (2010), Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Year (2010) and three-time All-American (2008-10)
- Pac-10 Player of the Year (2010) and Pac-10 Freshman of the Year (2007) while directing Cardinal to a pair of Pac-10 titles (2009-10)
- School record holder in career points (183), goals (71) and shots (500) while ranking second in career assists (41)
- CoSIDA Academic All-America First Team (2010) and Pac-10 Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2010)
- Two-time World Cup champion (2015 and 2019 with Team USA), totaling 155 appearances and 64 goals as a member of the national team
- Selected in first round (No. 4 overall) of 2011 WPS Draft by the Washington Freedom, named WPS Rookie of the Year (2011) and currently playing for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL)
- Olympic medalist (2020 bronze with Team USA)
Tara VanDerveer • The Setsuko Ishiyama Director of Women's Basketball (1985-present)
- Entering her 37th season at Stanford, has compiled a 1,005-208 (.829) overall record since arriving on The Farm in 1985-86
- Became the all-time winningest coach in women's college basketball history on Dec. 15, 2020, and is a five-time national coach of the year (1988-90, 2011, 2021) and 17-time conference Coach of the Year
- Led Cardinal to three NCAA championships (1990, 1992, 2021), one of four coaches in the history of the sport to win at least three titles
- Additional team achievements during her Stanford tenure: 14 NCAA Final Four appearances, 39 conference titles (24 regular-season titles, 15 tournament), 17 seasons of 30+ wins
- Additional individual achievements during her Stanford tenure: two Wade Trophy Player of the Year honors, two Naismith Player of the Year honors, 34 first-team All-America honors, 19 conference Player of the Year awards
- Member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (2011) and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (2002)
- Head coach of USA Basketball National Team that captured gold at 1996 Olympics, producing a 60-0 record in 1995-96 and 88-8 overall record
Sally Voss Krueger • Women's Golf • 1976-79
- Enrolled as a walk-on and member of 1976 Pac-8 championship team
- Placed seventh overall at the 1978 Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Championships
- Two-time Women's Golf Coaches Association (WGCA) All-American (1978-79), earning first-team accolades
- California Women's Amateur champion (1979)
- 10-time San Francisco City Women's Golf champion, with her victories at the event spanning four decades
- Among the few women invited to play the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, when she first participated in 1996
- Northern California Golf Association (NCGA) Hall of Fame inductee (2018)