Team USA water polo superstar Tony Azevedo (class of 2004) and 17-time NCAA All-American swimmer Shelly Ripple (class of 2002) have both been nominated for selection into the Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame.
The two represent a portion of an 8-member class that will be inducted as part of a private reception and dinner on Friday, September 16th.
Azevedo graduated from Stanford as their all-time leading scorer, which he held at 332 goals (until it was broken by Bret Bonanni this past season). He was a four-time recipient of the Peter J. Cutino Award, given to the top collegiate men’s water polo player, and let Stanford to back-to-back NCAA titles in 2001 and 2002.
This summer in Rio will be the 5th Olympic Team for Azevedo, who is currently the captain of the U.S. Men’s National Water Polo Team.
In Ripple’s time on The Farm (as Stanford is colloquially known), she earned 17 All-America honors, 11 Pac-10 titles, and was the 2002 NCAA Champion (and record-breaker) in the 200 fly (1:53.23). During her senior season, she was also a part of American Record setting 200 and 400 yard medley relay teams, and was the NCAA runner-up in the 100 fly.
During her freshman season at Stanford, she broke the National Age Group Record in the 100 yard backstroke before turning more fully to her butterfly specialty later in her career.
Ripple, while done with her competitive career, is still involved in swimming as the CEO of Crawfish Aquatics in Louisiana.
Read about all 8 inductees in the Hall of Fame class of 2016 in the press release below:
STANFORD, Calif. – The 2016 Stanford Athletics Hall of Fame class includes Tony Azevedo ’04 (men’s water polo), Alicia Craig ’05 (track and field), Dr. Patricia Cornett ’76 (women’s golf), Casey Jacobsen ’03 (men’s basketball), Amber Liu ’06 (women’s tennis), Shelly Ripple ’02 (women’s swimming), Steve Stenstrom ’94 (football) and Toby Stevenson ’00 (men’s track and field).
Special recognition will be awarded to Don Liebendorfer ’24, the first full-time college sports information director in the country.
The eight inductees will be honored at a private reception and dinner on Friday, Sept. 16. The group will also be honored during Stanford’s football game against USC on Saturday, Sept. 17.
Tony Azevedo ’04
Azevedo left The Farm as Stanford’s all-time leading scorer with 332 goals, until Bret Bonanni eclipsed the mark this season with 360. As a sophomore, Azevedo scored a single-season school record 95 goals, and was the first four-time winner of the Peter J. Cutino Award, given annually to the top collegiate men’s water polo player. Azevedo is a four-time All-American and MPSF Player of Year. He led the Cardinal to consecutive NCAA titles in 2001 and 2002. A four-time Olympian expected to be named to his fifth Olympic team in July, Azevedo is widely considered one of best water polo players in the world. Azevedo scored 13 goals in Sydney in 2000, 15 goals in Athens (2004), 17 in Beijing (2008) while capturing a silver medal, and 10 in London in 2012. Born in Brazil, he is the current captain of U.S. Men’s National Team. Azevedo graduated with degree in international relations.
Alicia Craig ’05
In 2004, Craig set the collegiate 10,000-meter record in time of 32:19.97, which remains a Stanford mark and is now No. 9 among American collegians. Craig claimed back-to-back NCAA championships in the 10,000 in 2003 and 2004, earning 10 All-America honors. She placed second in the 2004 NCAA indoor 5,000, and had a collegiate PR of 15:25.75 in the 5,000. A three-time Pac-10 champion in the 10,000 in 2003-2004-2005, Craig won MPSF indoor titles in the 5,000 (2003) and 3,000 (2004). She was a four-time All-American in cross country. Craig won four Pac-10 cross country team titles and one NCAA championship (2003). She finished third at the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championships and sixth in 2003 and also won a 20K national championship as a post-collegian. She was named to Pac-12 All-Century teams in cross country and track and field.
Dr. Patricia Cornett ’76
A walk-on from Salinas, California, Cornett helped lead Stanford to conference titles in 1975 and 1976, and was a WGCA All-America first team selection in 1975. Cornett competed in four National Collegiate Championships, finishing third and eighth. She earned a biology degree on The Farm. Cornett played for the U.S. Curtis Team against Great Britain and Ireland in 1978 and 1988 and captained the squad in 2012. Cornett has participated in 60 USGA events. She qualified for eight U.S. Women’s Opens and 21 U.S. Women’s Amateurs, reaching the semifinals in the latter in 1976 and 1982. Cornett competed in 24 U.S. Mid-Amateurs and finished second in 1987. She has also participated in seven U.S. Senior Women’s Amateurs, advancing to quarterfinals in 2009. Cornett captured the Women’s Western Amateur in 1990, is a two-time winner of the California Amateur Championship, and three-time titlist of the San Francisco City Championship. She is the Associate Chair of Education in the Department of Medicine at UCSF and does clinical work in hematology/oncology at the San Francisco VA Medical Center. Cornett is one of 10 Master Clinicians in the Department of Medicine at UCSF and in the fall of 2016, will be transferring her clinical work to UCSF Medical Center.
Casey Jacobsen ’03
One of the most dangerous outside shooters in school history, Jacobsen played three years for the Cardinal, amassing 1,723 points, which ranks fourth all-time. He was named a consensus All-America first team as a sophomore in 2001 and second-teamer as junior in 2002. A three-time All-Pac-10 selection, Jacobsen was co-Freshman of the Year in 2000, and a Naismith Player of the Year finalist as a sophomore. He ranks fourth in school history in three-point field goals made (222), sixth in scoring average (18.1) and three-point field goal attempts (.427), and eighth in free throws made (407). Jacobsen averaged 21.9 points in 2001-02, third most in Stanford history, and poured in 49 points against Arizona State, second-best in program history. As a sophomore in 2000, he banked in 13-foot game-winner with 3.6 seconds left to lift No. 3 Stanford to an 84-83 upset over No. 1 Duke in the Pete Newell Challenge. The 22nd overall pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 2002 NBA Draft, he played five seasons in the NBA, then competed in Europe, where he was the German League finals MVP in 2007 and 2010. He is now a college basketball analyst for FOX Sports and Pac-12 Networks.
Amber Liu ’06
A four-time All-American and four-time All-Pac-10 first team selection, Liu helped Stanford capture NCAA titles in 2004, 2005 and 2006. Liu won NCAA singles titles as a freshman and sophomore, becoming one of five players in program history to accomplish the feat twice. She compiled a 92-21 record in singles during her career. Liu was a 2005 NCAA doubles finalist, and named the 2003 and 2004 ITA National Player of the Year. She earned the Honda Award in 2004. In 2006, Liu was named ITA National Senior Player of the Year. She sparked the Cardinal to an NCAA-record 86 straight wins and 107 consecutive home victories. Liu was member of four Pac-10 title-winning teams (2003, 2004, 2005, 2006), and was chosen to the Pac-12 All-Century Team. She was a three-time Pac-10 All-Academic first team selection, and was named outstanding female senior by Stanford Athletic Board, earning a degree in economics. Liu is married to tennis pro Michael Chang and the couple have three children.
Shelly Ripple ’02
A seven-time NCAA champion (four relays and three individual events) and 17-time All-American, Ripple won 11 Pac-10 titles. As a senior, Ripple won the NCAA title in 200 fly with an NCAA record time (1:53.23). She also set American records as part of the 200 and 400 medley relay teams, and finished as the national runner-up in the 100 fly. In the Pac-10 Championships, Ripple won the 100 fly, 200 fly and 200 IM, setting meet records in latter two. As a junior, she earned NCAA-maximum seven All-America honors and swam backstroke legs on event-winning medley relay teams. Ripple helped the Cardinal set NCAA and U.S. Open records in 200 IM with time of 3:32.43. As a sophomore, she placed second at NCAA Championships in the 200 back, third in 200 fly, and fifth in 100 back. As a freshman, she finished fourth in the NCAA Championships in the 100 back, bettering the national age group (17-18) record. Ripple competed in 2001 FINA World Championships, taking sixth in 100 fly and eighth in 200 fly. She also won a gold medal in the 800 free relay. Ripple earned gold as part of 400 medley relay team at 1998 Goodwill Games. During her time a Stanford, Ripple received a degree in communication. She is married to Dr. Barrett Johnston and they have four children. Ripple is the CEO of Crawfish Aquatics and Exerfit Family Fitness Center.
Steve Stenstrom ’94
One of the most productive quarterbacks in school history, Stenstrom started 41 games during his four-year career and broke 11 school and seven Pac-10 passing marks. Stenstrom holds career marks for passing yards (10,911), completions (866) and 300-yard games (15). He threw 72 touchdown passes, third all-time, and set a single-season school and conference record by throwing for 3,627 yards in 1993. Stenstrom ranks third in Stanford history in passing efficiency (141.4). In 1993, he led the Cardinal to a league co-championship and the program’s first 10-win season since 1940, capped by 24-3 victory against Penn State in the Blockbuster Bowl. A fourth-round pick by Kansas City in 1994 NFL draft, he played five seasons, including one with 49ers. Stenstrom currently serves as the President of Pro Athletes Outreach and lives in Colorado with his wife, Lori (’93), and their four children, Brooke (18), Blake (16), Lindsay (15) and Ashley (13).
Toby Stevenson ’00
A six-time All-American (three indoor, three outdoor), Stevenson set a school record in the pole vault as a sophomore in 1998 by clearing 18-2 1/2 to win the NCAA Outdoor Championships title, becoming Stanford’s first individual champion in 20 years. Stevenson was runner-up at 1999 NCAA Outdoor Championships. As a junior, he cleared 17 feet eight times. As a senior, he bettered his school outdoor record by vaulting 18-9 1/2 to win the Pac-10 title and finished second in the NCAA Championships. Indoors, Stevenson vaulted 18-4 1/2, second-best in Stanford history. In the 2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece, he earned a silver medal. Stevenson won gold medals in the 2003 Pan American Games and 2004 USA Indoor Championships. Raised in Odessa, Texas, he was the top-ranked 18-year-old pole vaulter in the world in 1995. A former Texas state champion, Stevenson established 24 school records competing for Permian High School. He was the first elite international pole vaulter to wear a helmet. Stevenson earned a Stanford degree in economics. He served as assistant coach on the Cardinal track and field team, and is now an assistant track and field coach at the University of Kentucky.
Don Liebendorfer ’24
The Sports Information Director at Stanford from 1925-69 (45 years), Liebendorfer wrote “The Color of Life is Red,” the definitive history of Stanford athletics, and designed the press box at Stanford Stadium. A charter member of the Helms Athletic Foundation Hall of Fame for Sports Information Directors, Liebendorfer served as editor of the student daily and sports editor of the yearbook when he attended Stanford.
Well deserved. Shelly’s family has done enough to be inducted as well, offering the training camp grounds for athletes(is it only men’s swimmers?) at their spot in Louisiana. Also of note, Steve Stenstrom has a daughter excelling in our sport – Brooke I believe. And of course Tony is the GOAT polo player in the US since fellow Furd alum Gary Sheerer, class of 1902 or something. Kidding Gary, more like class of ’60 something.