1999 Husky Hall of Fame Inductees Announced
November 11, 1998
Seattle, WA - Football players Steve Emtman, Ernest Steele and Walter Harrison, basketball player Joe Cipriano, gymnast Dale McClements Kephart, high jump specialist Rick Noji and the 1977 men's crew newest members of Husky Hall of Fame
Husky football player Steve Emtman headlines the list of 1999 Husky Hall of Fame inductees. The lineman who won the Lombardi Award and Outland Trophy and was the No. 1 pick in the 1992 NFL draft joins basket ballplayer and coach Joe Cipriano, football players Walter Harrison and Ernest Steele, gymnast Dale McClements Kephart, high jump specialist Rick Nojiand the 1977 men's crew as the newest members of the Husky Hall of Fame.
These athletes will be introduced at halftime of the Nov. 14 Washington-UCLA football game. The Husky Hall of Fame Celebration, sponsored by the University of Washington Alumni Association and Athletic Department, is scheduled for April 23, 1999, the evening before the spring football game. Created in 1979, the Husky Hall of Fame honors athletes, teams, coaches and administrators who have contributed in an outstanding way to the University of Washington and its athletic program.
For information on the Husky Hall of Fame Celebration, call the Alumni Association at (206) 543-0540.
1999 Husky Hall of Fame Inductees
Joe Cipriano, Basketball 1950-53 Point guard Joe Cipriano led the Huskies to three consecutive Pacific Coast titles (1951, 1952, 1953) and a third- place finish in the 1953 NCAA Tournament. Washington was 79-15 while he played for the Huskies and Cipriano was selected to play in the East-West All-Star game. He served as the freshman coach at Washington and head coach at the University of Idaho before moving to the University of Nebraska. Cipriano became the winningest coach in Nebraska basketball history, compiling a 254-196 record before his death in 1980.
Steve Emtman, Football 1989-1991 Steve Emtman is the most decorated lineman in Husky history and perhaps the most decorated football player at Washington. Besides his All-American accolades (Associated Press, United Press International, Football News, Walter Camp Football Foundation, Football Writers Association and Sporting News), Emtman garnered numerous other awards in leading Washington to the 1991 national championship. He was the anchor of a defense that allowed only 67.1 yards rushing and 9.2 points per game. A two-time Pac-10 Defensive Player of the Year, he is the only Husky to win the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award, and placed fourth in the balloting for the Heisman, the highest finish ever for a Husky. Emtman skipped his senior year to enter the NFL draft and was the first overall pick in 1992.
Walter Harrison, Football, 1940-42 A member of the All-Time Husky Team for the first 50 years, Walter Harrison was a two-way player for the Huskies, playing center and linebacker. Winner of the Flaherty Inspirational Award, he served as the 1942 team captain. A second-team All-American, he was a unanimous first-team All-Coast selection and played in the Shrine East-West All-Star Game. Harrison was voted UW Athlete of the Year in 1942 and graduated with honors. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps, earning the rank of captain.
Dale McClements Kephart, Gymnastics 1964-65 Dale McClements Kephart was a founding member of the womens Husky gymnastics club. In 1965, she represented Washington at the first womens collegiate championships, winning three of the four events, leading the Huskies to a second-place finish. She was a member of the 1963 Pan American Games team and the 1964 Olympic team. She was inducted into the U.S. Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
Ernest Steele, Football, 1939-1941 An All-American selection, Ernest Steele was one of the top return men for Washington. In the 1940 game against WSU, he scored on an 87-yard punt return and a 83-yard kickoff return to lead the Huskies to a 33-9 victory. He followed his playing days at Washington with a successful NFL career. Steele played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1942-48, earning All-Pro honors in 1943. He held the single-season NFL record for punt return averages (26.4 yards).
Rick Noji, Track and Field 1986-90 Rick Noji is among the best track and field athletes to ever compete at Washington. The high jump specialist was a six-time All-American, won a Pac-10 title and finished third in the NCAA championships. He was successful on the international level as well, competing in three World Championships (1991, 1993 and 1995) and three U.S. Olympic Trials (1984, 1992 and 1996). His jump of 7feet, 6 1/2 inches still stands as the best in Husky history.
1977 Men's Crew The team of John Stillings (coxswain), Mike Hess, Jesse Franklin, Terry Fisk, Mark Miller, Mark Umlauf, Ross Parker, Mark Sawyer and Ron Jackman surprised the rowing community in 1977. The Pac-10 and national champions defeated the British National Team at Henley in the Grand Challenge, earning the first victory for the U.S. at this event in 18 years.
