CHRIS CHANDLER
Six new members will be inducted into the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame in a
ceremony on the field at Safeco Field before the Aug. 11 game between the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles.
Chris Chandler, James Edwards, Rosalynn Sumners and Joyce Walker are scheduled to be present at the Tuesday night game and the late John Owen and late rowing legend George Pocock will be represented by family members.
“This is a major-league class for the state hall of fame and these folks’ induction before a major-league game is most fitting,” said Marc Blau, executive director of the State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame.
Chandler, who earned letters in five sports at Everett High School, was MVP of two bowl games as a Washington Husky. In a 17-year NFL career, Chandler passed for 170 touchdowns and more than 28,000 yards. He led Atlanta into the 1999 Super Bowl after a 14-2 regular season record.
Edwards, a 7-footer from Seattle’s Roosevelt High School, played 19 seasons in the NBA following an All-American career as a Husky. He won two NBA championship rings with Detroit (1989, 1990) and one with Chicago (1996). He scored 14,862 points and collected 6,004 rebounds in his pro career.
Walker is considered one of the best female basketball players in state history. She led Garfield High School to a state championship and in the 1980 tournament opener outscored the entire Renton team with 40 points in a 68-35 victory. She starred at Louisiana State where she averaged 25 points, played in Europe and later was one of the first woman to play with the Harlem Globetrotters. She coaches girls basketball at Garfield.
Sumners, who grew up in Edmonds, was the world figure skating junior champion in 1980, U.S. national champion in 1982, 1983 and 1984 and a silver medalist in the 1984 Winter Olympics. A member of the U.S Figure Skating Hall of Fame, Sumners toured professionally with Disney on Ice and the Stars on Ice show.
Owen was at the P-I for 36 years until 1993 and seven times was named state sportswriter of the year. He was sports editor as well as columnist for much of that span and also wrote a popular food column “Intermediate Eater” that he continued to write after retiring. Owen died last year.
Pocock was a native of England and a master boatbulder who was invited by UW rowing coach Hiram Conibear to establish his shell-building business on campus. He mentored UW coaches and athletes and became famous internationally as a boat-builder and rowing authority. His expertise and contributions to the 1936 UW crew that won the Olympic Gold Medal are described in the best-selling book “The Boys in the Boat.”
The State of Washington Sports Hall of Fame was started by sportscaster Clay Huntington of Tacoma in 1960. The addition of this year’s class will bring the total of inductees to 195. Photo and biographical profiles of all honorees can be found at www.washingtonsportshof.com.