Four inducted into WWU Athletics Hall of Fame

Three former athletes and a former administrator/coach were formally inducted into the Western Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame Feb. 5.

The foursome includes Steve Chronister, regarded as the best men's tennis player in school history; Ray Ciszek, a professor and coach from 1948 to 1962; Cathy Johnson Evans, who helped the 1998 softball team to the school's first national championship; and Rob Visser, who averaged a rare double-double in points and rebounds in basketball as a senior.

The four inductees bring the hall's membership to 117. 

Steve Chronister

Named the WWU men's tennis Athlete of the Century in 1999, Chronister was the school's number one player all four years he competed for the Vikings from 1974 to 1977. He won the Evergreen Conference singles championship in 1974 and played on a doubles team that took the league title in 1975, the school's only outright championship in the 30-year history of the Evco.

Chronister also was an Evco singles finalist in 1975, a NAIA District 1 singles finalist in 1977 and a district doubles finalist in 1974, 1975 and 1976.

Following his collegiate career, Chronister won a gold medal at the Washington Centennial Games in 1991 after being a bronze medalist in 1989. He represented the state of Washington in the Buick Mixed Doubles Championship (Western U.S. Finals) in 1989 at Tucson, Ariz.

Chronister graduated from Western in 1978 with a bachelor's degree in education.

In his 33rd year as a teacher and coach at the high school level, Chronister's boys and girls tennis squads have a combined record of 659-95, a winning percentage of .874.

In boys tennis, he coached at Sehome High School for 22 years (1979-2000, 296-34) and this fall completed his 11th season at Bellingham High School (2000-10, 125-40). His teams have won 11 league championships, 11 district titles and 10 squads have gone on to place at state.

In girls tennis, Chronister coached at Sehome for seven years (1990-93 & 98-2000, 101-5) and at Bellingham for the last 10 seasons (2001-10, 137-16). His teams have placed six times at state, captured nine league championships and five district titles and posted a 58-match winning streak from 2006 to 2010.

The 54-year-old Chronister was the Western men's and women's tennis coach for two years (1994-95) and coached boys basketball at Sehome in 1990, winning the district title and placing sixth at state, and two seasons (2006-07) at Bellingham.

A 1973 Sehome High graduate, Chronister went to state three times in tennis, once reaching the quarterfinals.

Ray Ciszek

Ciszek was a professor in the WWU Physical Education department from 1948 to 1962, except for a leave of absence to complete his doctorate degree at Boston University during the 1954-55 school year. Upon his return, Ciszek was appointed chair of the men's department and handled those duties for seven years (1955-62).

Ciszek also headed the Viking track and field program for 12 years, coaching nine All-Americans. Among his top athletes were half-miler Ted Whan, distance runner Jim Freeman, steeplechaser Don Trethewey, high jumper Herman Washington, javelin thrower Darrell Pearson, shot putter and discus thrower Ken Swalwell, sprinter Jerry Joyce, and two-miler Gerry Swan.

Ciszek also assisted in the football program at Western from 1948 to 1954. In 1958, he worked with the South African National Track and Field team for four months in preparation for the British Empire Games as part of a U.S. Department of State program.

In 1963, Ciszek left Western to accept a position with the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education and Recreation where he worked for 32 years before retiring in 1994. He was director of the AAHPER Peace Corps Program and International Activities, and for six years (1963-69) also held the joint position of Assistant Secretary General of the International Council of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

Since retiring in 1994, Ciszek has helped coach cross country and track at a number of high schools near his residence in Reston, Virginia.

Ciszek earned his bachelor's degree at Illinois in 1947 and two years later obtained his master's degree. He played football four years as an end for the Fighting Illini and was a quarter-miler in track for two seasons. Ciszek played in the 1947 Rose Bowl, helping Illinois to a 45-14 win over UCLA in its first post-season appearance.

The 86-year-old Ciszek was recently inducted into his high school Hall of Fame in Hobart Ind. He was the 440-yard state champion there in 1943.

Ciszek has four sons and two daughters. He and wife Catherine have been married for 35 years.

Cathy Johnson Evans

A member of Western's All-Century softball team, Johnson Evans was a catcher-first baseman on the 1998 Viking squad that won the NAIA national championship, the school's first national title in any sport. She was named WWU Female Athlete of the Year for 1997-98 and earned NAIA national all-tournament recognition.

As a junior that season, Johnson Evans hit .401 (59-for-147), batting in 44 runs with 18 doubles and three home runs, all team highs. She scored 27 runs and had a squad-best .585 slugging percentage with eight game-winning hits. Johnson Evans committed just eight errors in 264 chances (.970) and took part in eight double plays.

A two-time NAIA Pacific Northwest Sectional all-star and three-time all-league selection, Johnson Evans set 12 school career records, with marks for runs batted in (104), doubles (38), home runs (6) and slugging percentage (.481).

Johnson Evans led the Vikings in hitting as a sophomore with a .381 average, hitting in a school-record 13 straight games.

After graduating from Western in 1999 with a degree in anthropology, Johnson Evans was the head coach for one year (2000) at Skagit Valley CC and an assistant coach in charge of hitting for five seasons (2001-05) at NCAA Division I Virginia. Virginia ranked 15th nationally with a .292 batting average in 2001 and in 2004 was 16th in batting average at .295 and 17th in slugging percentage.

A graduate of Hudson's Bay High School in Vancouver, Wash., Johnson Evans currently conducts hitting clinics while raising two sons, Connor 3 and Jacob 1, with husband, Michael, in Decatur, Georgia. Michael, also a Western graduate, is a political science professor at Georgia State.

Rob Visser

Visser earned honorable mention Converse All-American honors as a senior in 1975-76, averaging 17.4 points and 11.6 rebounds. He is the last Western player to average a double-double in those two statistical categories, and his rebound average was the second highest in school history.

Visser finished his three-year career second among school leaders in blocked shots (168), third in rebounds (725) and 15th in points (1,024).

A member of Western's All-Century team, Visser was a NAIA District 1 and Evergreen Conference all-star for the Vikings. He earned a tryout with the Portland Trailblazers of the NBA and played professionally three years in Holland, competing in the FIBA World Cup in 1977, and participated on that country's national team that placed 13th at the World University Games in 1978.

Visser also played on Amateur Athletic Union teams for six years, winning a national title as a member of Brewster Heights Packing in 1981 after placing fifth nationally as a member of the Whatcom Fircrests in 1980. He was one of two players selected by the Senior Men's AAU Board as its recommendations for the U.S. Olympic team tryouts.

Visser earned his bachelor's degree in technology education at Western in 1976 and is in his 33rd year as part-owner of Price & Visser Millwork, Inc. He is in his 17th season as an assistant coach at Western.

The 56-year-old Visser also was the head coach at Lynden High School from 1992-95, directing the Lions to three straight district playoff berths and one trip to the Class A state tournament. He also was an assistant on two LHS state championships.

A Lynden High graduate, Visser helped the Lions to the state tourney as a senior. He also played two years at Bellingham High School.