SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference will induct its 14th Hall of Honor class on Saturday, March 9, at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas. Nine individuals, one from each member institution, will be recognized in a special ceremony as part of the 2024 Credit Union 1 West Coast Conference Basketball Championship. 
 
The 2024 WCC Hall of Honor class includes Gonzaga’s Franceska Fairbanks (women’s cross country), LMU’s Anthony Ireland (men's basketball), Pacific's John Dunning (women's volleyball head coach), Pepperdine’s Dwayne Polee (men’s basketball), Portland’s Rob Conner (men’s cross country head coach), Saint Mary’s Omar Samhan (men’s basketball), San Diego’s Stan Washington (men’s basketball), San Francisco’s Luis Sagastume (men’s soccer) and Santa Clara’s Julie Ertz (women’s soccer). 

Franceska Fairbanks, Gonzaga 
Cheska Fairbanks won the 1996 WCC Cross Country Women's Individual Championship in a course-record time of 17:26 in the 5K as a sophomore, becoming the first Zag to win the individual title. She led a charge of four Bulldogs finishing in the top seven as Gonzaga claimed the team title for the first time in program history. Fairbanks later became the first Bulldog to compete in the NCAA Championships, placing 14th in the national race, earning All-America honors in the process. Her finish remains the best in program history at the NCAA Championships. She boasted All-WCC First-Team accolades as a freshman in 1995 and a sophomore in 1996. In track & field at Gonzaga, Fairbanks held the program records in the 3,000-meter race for both indoors and outdoors for over 15 years. 

Anthony Ireland, LMU
Anthony Ireland competed at LMU from 2010-14 before embarking on a nine-year professional career in Europe. He earned First-Team All-WCC honors three times from 2012-14. His 2,169 career points rank third in program history. Ireland earned LMU's first NABC All-District honor in 2011-12 and Second-Team All-NABC recognition as a senior. Additionally, Ireland picked up Lou Henson Preseason Mid-Major All-American recognition, and was named to the Bob Cousy Award Watch List and Senior Class Award Top-50 as a senior. In 2019, he was inducted in the LMU Athletics Hall of Fame. He later founded the AI3 Leadership Academy in 2015, which was created with the intent to produce future leaders, both on and off the court, focusing on youth development and community leadership, while emphasizing the opportunities that discipline, hard work and passion can develop. 

John Dunning, Pacific
John Dunning served as head coach for Pacific volleyball from 1985-2000, leading the Tigers to two NCAA championships in 1985 and 1986, as well as a runner-up finish in 1990 and a trip to the national semifinals in 1999. Under his guidance, Pacific won five conference championships and appeared in 16 consecutive NCAA Tournaments. Dunning’s complete 32-year collegiate head coaching record was 888-185, and his teams garnered 24 top-10 finishes. Dunning was named the AVCA National Coach of the Year in 2001 and 2016, and was inducted into the AVCA Hall of Fame in 2011. He won Big West Coach of the Year four times and was inducted in the Pacific Hall of Fame in 2007. He coached 16 All-Americans, among them Olympians Elaina Oden and Jennifer Jones. Dunning currently serves on Pacific’s Athletics staff as a special assistant to the Director of Athletics, focused on competitive excellence.

Dwayne Polee, Pepperdine 
Dwayne Polee transferred to Pepperdine for his final three seasons of college basketball after starting at UNLV. Polee was named the WCC Player of the Year in 1985 and 1986, along with two-time All-WCC First-Team honors. In addition to the Conference recognition, he garnered multiple All-America honors in 1986 and was named to the NABC All-District team in both 1985 and 1986. Polee's collegiate career was topped off with a pair of WCC regular-season titles and NCAA Tournament appearances. Polee was a third-round selection (54th pick overall) in the 1986 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. He also played professionally for the Colima Lemaneros in Mexico from 1989-91 and was a member of the U.S. traveling team in Europe from 1987-89. Polee later went on to serve as the Director of Player Development at San Francisco. 

Rob Conner, Portland
At the helm of Portland men's cross country and track & field for the last 34 seasons, Rob Conner has guided the Pilots to 23 NCAA Cross Country Championship appearances, with 10 top-10 finishes, and he has coached 50 All-Americans. Conner guided the 2017 Pilots to a second-place finish at the NCAA Championships, followed by a third-place finish in 2018. Conner-led Pilot teams have been ranked in the national Top 25 all but one year since 1991. Most recently, he led Matt Strangio to win the 2023 WCC Men's Individual Championship at the WCC Championships. Conner also served as head coach for the Portland women's team until 2002, leading the Pilot women to 12 conference titles in 13 years. The 1993 squad placed sixth at the NCAA West Regional, followed by the 1994 team placing seventh at regionals.
 
Omar Samhan, Saint Mary’s 
An honorable mention All-American in 2010, Omar Samhan enjoyed a stellar collegiate career at Saint Mary's before amassing a 10-year international professional career. During his senior year, Samhan averaged a double-double, earning First-Team All-WCC honors for the second straight year and he was named the WCC Defensive Player of the Year. Samhan and the Gaels went 28-6 in 2010, winning the 2010 WCC Tournament Championship in the process. He scored 61 points in two NCAA Tournament wins that year, including 32 in a win over Villanova, sending Saint Mary's to the Sweet 16 for the second time in program history and the first time since 1959. Samhan graduated from Saint Mary’s as the all-time leader in field goals made (737), blocked shots (258) and games played (133), with the field goal and blocked shot records still holding today. He is one of two Gaels in program history to finish with 1,000 career points and 1,000 career rebounds.
 
Stan Washington, San Diego
Stan Washington ended his collegiate career at San Diego in 1974 as the program's career scoring leader with 1,472 points, a record that stood until 2008. His record for career assists of 451 remained until 1996, as well. Washington is considered perhaps the greatest pure scorer in Torero program history. He remains at or near the top of multiple USD career statistical categories including single-game assists (14 - tied for first), single-season field goals (229 - second all-time), single-season points per game scoring average (19.2 - second all-time) and career field goals (621 - third all-time). He accomplished these feats while playing in the era before three-point shooting and when freshmen could not play on the varsity squad. A three-time All-American, Washington was drafted by the Washington Bullets in the fourth round of the 1974 NBA Draft, becoming the first Torero to be drafted in the NBA Draft in program history. He was inducted into USD's Hall of Fame in 2010. 
 
Luis Sagastume, San Francisco
Luis Sagastume played midfield for the San Francisco men's soccer team from 1964 to 1967. He was tabbed a Second-Team All-American in 1966 after helping the Dons win the NCAA championship that season. In 1967, Sagastume served as head coach for the USF junior varsity soccer team and led that squad to a 30-2 record over the span of two seasons. In 1974, he became an assistant coach at Chico State, simultaneously playing and coaching for the San Antonio Thunder of the NASL in 1975. Sagastume later became head coach at San Francisco State in 1978, compiling a two-year record of 22-8. In 1980, he took the head coaching job at Air Force, serving as head coach until retiring in 2007 with a record of 303-196-43. He received the United Soccer Coaches Latino Award of Excellence in 2020. Sagastume was inducted into the San Francisco Athletics Hall of Fame in 1974 and into the San Francisco State Athletics Hall of Fame in 2009. 
 
Julie Ertz, Santa Clara 
One of the most accomplished players in Santa Clara women's soccer's storied history, followed by a decorated professional and U.S. Women's National Team career, Julie Ertz played for the Broncos from 2010-13. She totaled 31 goals in 79 collegiate games. A breakout freshman season in 2010 culminated with her being named the WCC Freshman of the Year and Second Team All-WCC in addition to WCC All-Freshman honors. As a senior, she was named WCC Player of the Year and a First Team All-American for the third straight year. Her senior campaign ended with a career-high 12 goals and eight assists, helping Santa Clara finish as the second-best scoring offense in the nation and secure a final national ranking of No. 7. She was also a three-time semifinalist for the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy. Ertz was selected as the third overall pick by the Chicago Red Stars in the 2014 NWSL Draft. As a member of the U.S. Women's National Team from 2013-23, she made 123 appearances and scored 20 goals. Ertz competed for the USWNT in the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio and helped USA win the 2015 and 2019 FIFA Women's World Cups. Ertz was named the U.S. Soccer Female Player of the Year in 2017 and 2019. She retired from professional soccer in 2023. 

For a full list of WCC Hall of Honor inductees click here.