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PULLMAN, Wash. -- - Washington State University will induct five former athletes, coaches and administrators into the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame in ceremonies Feb. 21 at the Compton Union Building.

Headlining this year's induction will be long-time women's coach and administrator Carol Gordon, Olympic gold medalist Julius Korir, men's basketball coach George Raveling, who guided WSU to two NCAA tournaments, one of Washington's most successful prep coaches, Linda Sheridan, and All-America football player Mike Utley. All but Korir are slated to attend the induction ceremonies.

The addition of five new members to the WSU Athletic Hall of Fame brings to 104 the number of athletes, coaches and administrators who have been honored since 1978.

This year's WSU inductees include:

Carol Gordon.

CAROL GORDON: A long-time leader nationally in women's athletics, Dr. Carol Gordon served as chair of the WSU Department of Physical Education for Women from 1962 until retiring in 1983. She also coached Cougar field hockey and tennis teams from her arrival until 1966. Gordon taught psychology of sport classes in addition to her coaching and administrative duties at WSU. She served as president of the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIWA) in 1973-74, and was a member of the AIWA/NCAA Joint Committee and the NCAA Long Range Planning Committee. She has been honored as the recipient of the WSU Faculty Women of the Year Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletic Administrators. A native of Goffstown, N.H., Gordon competed in numerous sports during her prep career at Goffstown High and was a four-sport star at Oberlin (Ohio) College. Before graduating from Oberlin in 1948, she has lettered in field hockey, tennis, basketball and volleyball. Gordon began her teaching and coaching career at the University of New Hampshire in 1948. Six years later, in 1954, she became a teacher and coach at the University of Utah while also combining academic work to receive both her master's degree and doctorate in psychology and educational psychology. She also found time to coach basketball, volleyball, field hockey and tennis before joining the WSU faculty in 1962. While at Utah she was twice honored with Utah Faculty Women of the Year honors. Gordon continues to live in Pullman while in retirement.

Julius Korir.

JULIUS KORIR: One of WSU's most honored distance runners, Julius Korir captured the 1984 Olympic Gold Medal in the steeplechase and went on to become one of the greatest distance runners in Cougar history. Korir first stepped foot on the WSU campus in the winter of 1983 and immediately made a statement, capturing the Pacific-10 Conference steeple title as a freshman. Ranked ninth in the world that year, he also was runner-up at the NCAA meet in the steeple and fifth over 5,000 meters. In the spring of 1984 Korir won every steeple race he entered until the final of the NCAA meet, where he finished second with a PR time of 8:19.85. He had even greater success that season in the 5,000m, winning every collegiate race, including the Pac-10 and NCAA titles. Winner of the Pac-10 steeple title, he was named the outstanding athlete at the Pac-10 Championships. Later in the summer, at the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Korir blitzed the steeple field with times of 8:29.8, 8:17.40 and 8:11.80 in taking home Kenya's only Gold Medal. His winning time in the final ranked him second on the WSU, Pac-10 and collegiate list behind former Cougar and countryman Henry Rono. After the Olympics, the general studies major return to WSU to compete indoors in 1984-85 and then outdoors in 1985-86. In the spring of 1986 he won every collegiate steeple race he entered, including titles at the Pac-10 and NCAA championships. Korir attended Kaptumo Secondary School in Kapsabet, Kenya, and was an emerging international star prior to enrolling at WSU. In 1982 he captured the Commonwealth Games steeple title in Brisbane, Australia. Later the same year he won the Gold Medal at the All-African Games in Egypt and then was second at the East-Central African Games.

George Raveling.

GEORGE RAVELING: One of the winningest coaches in WSU basketball history, George Raveling guided the Cougar hoop fortunes from 1972-1983 and during his 11 years, took the school to two NCAA tournaments. The first appearance was in 1980 and marked the first time WSU was included in the NCAA bracket since finishing second in 1941. Three years later Raveling had WSU back in the Big Dance. Raveling finished his WSU career with 167 wins, 136 losses, and had seven winning seasons, including five straight from the 1975-76 campaign through the 1980 season. Among his outstanding players were Don Collins, Bryan Rison and Steve Harriel, who all earned All-Pacific-10 Conference first team honors. Collins went on to play in both the NBA and CBA after setting the WSU record for career steels and finishing third in scoring. Raveling was the Pac-10 and UPI Pac-8 Coach of the Year winner in 1976 and later was the league's coach of the year winner in 1983. This spring Raveling will be honored by WSU with his induction into the Pac-10 Basketball Hall of Honor. Raveling continued his collegiate coaching career after leaving WSU, first at the University of Iowa, 1983-86, then at the University of Southern California, 1986-94. He guided the Hawkeyes to back-to-back 20-win seasons and NCAA tournament berths in 1985 and 1986. While coaching at USC, the Trojans advanced to the NCAA tournament in 1991 and 1992 and competed in the NIT in 1993 and 1994. Prior to taking over at WSU, Raveling was an assistant coach at his alma mater Villanova, and at Maryland. The Washington, D.C. native attended St. Michael's High School in Hoban Heights, Penn. While at WSU Raveling was an assistant coach for the USA team at the 1979 Pan American Games and the West Regional coach at the 1979 U.S. Olympic Sports Festival. He also was an assistant coach for the U.S. Olympic Trials in 1980. Raveling, who has worked for Nike since his retirement from USC in 1994, has authored two books on rebounding drills, "War on the Boards" and "A Rebounder's Workshop." He also has been a color commentator for FOX Sports Net, often drawing assignments for Pac-10 games.

Linda Sheridan.

LINDA SHERIDAN: After graduating from WSU in 1969 with a bachelor's degree in physical education, Linda Sheridan staked her claim to being one of the most successful high school coaches in Washington prep annuls. During an award-winning and championship career at Shadle Park High in Spokane, Sheridan won 849 games and matches and lost just 222 times, a winning percentage of 79.3 percent. While guiding Shadle Park in both basketball and volleyball until her retirement in 1998, her teams won seven State titles, 17 Greater Spokane League championships, and watched her teams advance to State tournaments 32 times. The winningest coach in Spokane prep history, male or female, Sheridan was honored with the naming of the gymnasium at SPHS in her honor. Also a teacher at Shadle Park, Sheridan earned her master's degree from Whitworth College. A scholarship has been established in her honor that goes to athletes who go beyond their personal limitations and in doing so encourage others to do the same. Sheridan was no stranger to Shadle Park High when she joined the faculty and coaching staff in 1975. Prior to her athletic career at WSU, which included basketball, Sheridan attended high school at SPHS, graduating in 1965. During 24 seasons as the Shadle Park volleyball coach, her teams were 482-99 and captured 10 GSL titles, qualifying for the State tournament 19 times. Shadle Park won State championships under her guidance in 1984, 1985, 1987, 1988 and 1993. They were also third twice and fourth twice. Her 1993 team was the first team to go through the State tournament without losing a game. She was equally successful coaching basketball, winning seven GSL titles while posting a 367-123 record in 20 seasons. Her 1988 and 1989 Shadle Park teams won State championships and the 1981 team was runner-up in the State tourney. Shadle Park qualified for the State tournament 13 times in basketball. Sheridan is also a member of the Inland Empire Sports Hall of Fame.

Mike Utley.

MIKE UTLEY: When Mike Utley wrapped up his distinguished collegiate football career at WSU in the fall of 1988, he departed as the most highly decorated gridiron star in Cougar history - including his selection to six All-America first teams. His success in college propelled him to the National Football League where he was an early third round selection by the Detroit Lions in the spring of 1989. Three months later he was playing in the NFL and three years after entering the league his football career came to a crashing end. In early November 1991, Utley suffered a severe injury during Detroit's game with the Los Angeles Rams. The sixth and seventh cervical vertebra were fractured, rendering him a quadriplegic. Not one to let the injury defeat him, Utley was carried off the field while giving his now famous "thumbs up" signal. Little did anyone know at the time that his gesture to the fans would become his trademark. Since then Utley has formed the Mike Utley Foundation and uses the foundation and proceeds from the sale of "Thumbs Up" merchandise to aid in the research of spinal cord injuries. His foundation has three purposes: raise money for research, educate people in wheelchairs, along with their families and friends, and help people understand that rehabilitation is one of the most critical parts of recovery. Utley has made guest appearances on numerous national radio and television programs to promote his Foundation and its work and he has received countless awards citing his courage and dedication. An active athlete to this day, Utley enjoys snow skiing, kayaking, scuba diving, boating, jet skiing, hand cycling and water skiing. Utley enrolled at WSU in the fall of 1984, after being recruited out of Kennedy High in Seattle by then Cougar coach Jim Walden. After redshirting in 1984, Utley broke into WSU's starting lineup at tackle four games into the 1985 season. By the end of his career he had started 42 straight games, including the last 34 at guard. He helped WSU to an Aloha Bowl victory over Houston in 1988 as the team set a school record for total offense with 5,439 yards. After the season Utley was selected to play in the Hula Bowl, East-West Shrine Game and the Senior Bowl, and became just the second Cougar player to receive consensus All-America status by the NCAA.

Tickets to this year's induction dinner and ceremony are available by contacting Lori Olson at the WSU Athletic Foundation office in Spokane, P.O. Box 1495, Spokane, WA 99210, or by phone at 509-358-7541. Ticket reservations can also be made by sending an e-mail to Olson at olsonl@wsu.edu. E-mail orders should include a VISA or Mastercard number, name of the card holder, the expiration date, and a list of those attending the ceremonies.

Tickets are $25 and must be ordered by Feb. 16. The WSU Athletic Hall of Fame reception will begin at 6:00 p.m. at the CUB Ballroom in Pullman, with dinner scheduled for 7:00 p.m., followed by the induction ceremonies. The new inductees will also be honored at halftime of WSU's 2:00 p.m. women's basketball game against the Washington Huskies.

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