Franceska Fairbanks Named to 2024 WCC Hall of Honor Class
12/20/2023 4:17:00 PM | Cross Country
The ceremony takes place on Saturday, March 9
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – The West Coast Conference will induct its 14th Hall of Honor class on 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. Former Gonzaga cross country and track standout Franceska Fairbanks will represent the Bulldogs in this year's class.
The 2024 WCC Hall of Honor class includes 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
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 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 and field at Gonzaga, Fairbanks held the program records in the 3,000-meter race for both indoors and outdoors for over 15 years.
The 2024 WCC Hall of Honor class includes 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
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 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 and field at Gonzaga, Fairbanks held the program records in the 3,000-meter race for both indoors and outdoors for over 15 years.
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