Centennial
Celebration

Pac-12 Women's Track & Field Athlete of the Century: Jackie Joyner-Kersee

Throughout her collegiate career at UCLA, Jackie Joyner-Kersee was the most dominant American athlete in both the heptathlon and long jump events. She was the NCAA heptathlon champion in 1982 with a point total of 6099 and in 1983 with a total of 6365. In the long jump competition, she placed second in 1982 and third in 1983. She also was a member of the 1600-meter and 400-meter relay teams and competed in the 100-meter Hurdles event. Overall, she was the most prominent member of the UCLA track and field team, leading her school to the NCAA Championships team title in both 1982 and 1983. To this day, Joyner-Kersee remains the UCLA school record-holder in both the heptathlon and the long jump. She also retains UCLA's second highest mark in the high jump competition and third highest time in both the 100- and 400-meter hurdle events. In addition to her achievements in track and field, Joyner-Kersee was a four-year starter on the UCLA women's basketball team, playing from 1980-83 and 1984-85. She played a total of 121 games, scoring an impressive 1,167 points and grabbing 752 total rebounds. She is still listed among the UCLA Bruins' best in career scoring and rebounding. Joyner-Kersee went on to win six Olympic medals following her college career. After winning the Silver Medal in the heptathlon in 1984, she took the Gold in the event in 1988, setting a world record point total of 7,215 that still stands. She repeated as Gold Medal winner in the heptathlon event both in 1992 and 1994 as well. She also won the Bronze in the long jump competition both in 1992 and 1996. Joyner-Kersee won the Sullivan Award as the nation's top amateur athlete in 1987. She has also received many other renowned titles including being named Sports Illustrated for Women's Greatest Female Athlete of the 20th Century (2001), Track & Field News' Athlete of the Year (1986, 1987,1994) and the Associated Press' Summer Olympian of the Century (1999).

Pac-12 Women's Water Polo Player of the Century: Brenda Villa

A 2012 Olympic gold medalist, two-time Olympic silver medalist and 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, Villa has served as a member of the USA Water Polo 2011, 2001 and 1998 FINA World Championships teams. She was a 2010 FINA World Cup gold medalist and a 2002 FINA World Cup silver medalist, in addition to being a member of the USA Water Polo 1999 and 1998 FINA World Cup teams. A three-time Pan American Championships gold medalist (2003, 2007, 2011) and a 1999 Pan American Championships silver medalist, Villa was the 2001 AWPCA Player of the Year and a 2002 NCAA champion. To add to her accomplishments, Villa is a three-time first team All-American (2001, 2002, 2003) and is eighth in Stanford history in career goals with 173. Villa’s career-high 69 goals in 2001 is fourth in Stanford single-season history.

Pac-12 Men's Rower of the Century: Jake Wetzel

The Golden Bears also received the Pac-12 Men’s Rower of the Century honors through Jake Wetzel (California, 1999-2002). A three-time National Champion and Freshmen National Champion, three-time World Champion and five-time World Cup medalist, Wetzel was a four-time National Champion during his tenure at Cal, only losing one dual race in his entire career. He was a key member of the record-setting 1999 varsity as well as the 2001 and 2002 varsities which all went on to win the IRA by comfortable margins. The consummate student-athlete, Jake went on to win the Oxford/Cambridge Boat Race in 2006 while completing his MSc in Financial Economics at Oxford. He would also eventually complete a PhD in Finance at the University of British Columbia. While at Cal, Jake started his international rowing career which would become one of the most successful of all time. Beginning in 1998 and stretching through to 2008, Jake won the World Championships three times in three different boat classes (4+, 4-, and 8+) which shows his versatility as a rower. During that time he also added four World Cup Gold medals and one Bronze medal. His crowning performances have to be in his second and third Olympic Games where he won Silver and Gold, respectively. After an epic, side-by-side race with the British 4- in Athens, Jake's 8+ won in dominating fashion to take the Gold in Beijing.

Men's Varsity Eight of the Century: Washington - 1936

The Varsity Eight of the Century title goes to the 1936 Washington team. The entire National Championship varsity eight of 1936 represented the U.S. at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany, and won the gold medal. The nine members of the boat were honored by the National Rowing Hall of Fame in 1936 and inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1971. Eight of the nine members of the boat won multiple championships, with a total of 18 National Championships in the whole boat.

Pac-12 Women's Rower of the Century: Eleanor "Elle" Logan

Two-time Olympic Gold medalist Eleanor Logan of Stanford was named the Pac-12 Women’s Rower of the Century. Logan captured her first Gold Medal in the United States Women’s Eight during the 2008 Olympics in Beijing while an undergraduate at Stanford. She won her second Gold Medal in the U.S. Women’s Eight in the 2012 Olympics in London. While at Stanford, Logan also helped the Cardinal win its first NCAA championship. A Pac-12 Champion in 1V8, she rowed in V8 that set NCAA course record and Pac-12 Championship record at Lake Natoma. Named 2011 Pac-10 Athlete of the Year and a four-time CRCA First Team All-American. Logan is one of the most versatile women’s rowers in U.S. History: world Champion in W8+ in 2010, 2011 and 2014 World Champion in the women’s four in 2009. Also a World Championship bronze medalist in the women’s pair-2015, she finished fifth in the women’s single at the 2013 World Championships and a World Championship Under-23 bronze medalist 2007.

Women's Varsity Eight of the Century: Washington - 1997

The Varsity Eight of the Century honors go to the 1997 Washington team. This group won the first-ever NCAA Championship in women’s rowing when the NCAA began sponsoring the event. Six members of this group went on to repeat as NCAA Champions in 1998, and five members of this varsity eight went on to row for their National Teams.

Pac-12 Men's Golf Player of the Century: Phil Mickelson

The Pac-12 Men’s Golfer of the Century, Phil Mickelson, was with the Sun Devils from 1989-1992. With ASU, Mickelson was one of only four players to be named first-team All-American for four years. He won a school record 16 tournaments, including NCAA titles in 1989, 1990 and 1992, and was named Pac- 10 Player of the Year three times (1990-92). Also a U.S. Walker Cup member in 1989 and 1991, Mickelson was the U.S. Amateur champion in 1990, and was the only player to win outright NCAA crowns in freshman and sophomore seasons.

Pac-12 Women's Golf Player of the Century: Annika Sörenstam

Arizona’s Annika Sörenstam (1991-92) was named the Pac-12 Women’s Golfer of the Century. She was the first freshman to ever win the NCAA Division I Championship in 1991, and was named the NCAA Co-Player of the Year that same year. Sörenstam led the Wildcats to 14 team championships, and won seven collegiate titles. The winner of 90 international tournaments (most wins to her name all-time), she has also won 72 LPGA tournaments, including 10 majors. Sörenstam was a 2003 inductee to the World Golf Hall of Fame.

Pac-12 Men's Tennis Player of the Century: Steve Johnson

The Pac-12 Men's Tennis Player of the Century, Steve Johnson, won NCAA team titles in all four seasons and won two NCAA singles titles (2011-12) with the USC Trojans. Johnson finished 20011 and 2012 as No. 1 college player for USC, ending with 72 straight wins. He was the 2011 2012 ITA Player of the Year and Pac-12 Player of the Year. Johnson was also part of the 2009, 2010 and 2012 Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year.

Pac-12 Men's Doubles Team of the Century: Bob Bryan & Mike Bryan

The Pac-12 Men’s Tennis Doubles Team of the Century, Bob Bryan and Mike Bryan of Stanford, has 16 Grand Slam Doubles titles, 109 doubles titles won and was the No. 1 tandem in the world (jointly) for a record 438 weeks.

Pac-12 Women's Tennis Player of the Century: Patty Fendick-McCain

The Cardinal also took the Pac-12 Women's Tennis Player of the Century honor with Patty Fendick-McCain. The 1986 NCAA singles champion, 1987 NCAA singles champion and four-time All-American was also the 1987 Pac-10 Player of the Year. Fendick-McCain was part of three NCAA championship teams (1984, 1986, 1987), member of 1987 Pac-10 championship team and the 1987 Honda Broderick Award winner. A member of Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame, she was the 1988 WTA Rookie of the Year, 1991 Australian Open Doubles Champion and member of U.S. Federation Cup and U.S. Wightman Cup.

Pac-12 Women's Doubles Team of the Century: Amanda Augustus & Amy Jensen

Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Century, Amanda Augustus and Amy Jensen (California), was the 1998 & 1999 NCAA Doubles Champion for the Golden bears.