Sept. 20, 2012

STANFORD, Calif. - Larissa Fontaine, the first NCAA individual champion in Stanford women's gymnastics history, will become the first from the program to be inducted into Stanford University's Athletic Hall of Fame.

Fontaine will be joined by seven other individuals: Ellen Estes '02 (women's water polo), Ron George '92 (football), Dan Hanan '90 (men's volleyball), Brad Hauser '00 (men's cross country, track and field), Misty Hyman '01 (women's swimming), Meredith McGrath `93 (women's tennis), and Jessica Mendoza '02 (softball).

All of the inductees will be honored at a private reception and dinner at McCaw Hall in the Frances C. Arrillaga Alumni Center on Friday, Nov. 9, beginning at 6 p.m. The class will also be introduced at halftime of Stanford's football game against Oregon State on Nov. 10.

Fontaine graduated in 2000 as the most decorated gymnast in school history, with five All-America honors. Fontaine arrived at Stanford after competing for the U.S. senior national team from 1991-97, taking part in two World Championships. At the 1994 individual worlds in Brisbane, Australia, she completed a unique bars dismount that came to be called "The Fontaine."

The Deerfield, Ill., native competed under coaches Mark Cook and Lisa Izzi at Stanford and helped the Cardinal to its first Pac-10 title, in 1998. She went on to win regional and national titles on vault that year. Fontaine followed in 1999 with third place in the same event and remains one of four Stanford gymnasts with multiple top-three NCAA finishes.

Fontaine later served as a Stanford assistant coach from 2002-05 under Kristen Smyth and helped the Cardinal to its first two NCAA Super Six appearances, including a school-best third-place finish in 2004.

With the addition of these eight individuals, the Stanford Hall of Fame will number 389. The Hall of Fame was the brainchild of the late Walt Gamage, the longtime sports editor of the Palo Alto Times, and the first class was inducted in 1954.