Thursday, June 5, 2014

ORLANDO, Fla. - Lynda Goodrich, former athletic director at Western Washington University, will be honored with the presentation of the Division II  Athletics Directors Association Lifetime Achievement Award.

The Lifetime Achievement Award is given to athletics directors who have exemplified superior achievement during their career at the Division II level. 

The award will be presented at the NACDA (National Association of College Directors of Athletics) convention next Tuesday (June 10).

"Lynda led Western Washington to unprecedented success during her 26 years at the helm of the Vikings," D2 ADA President Anita Barker, director of athletics at Chico State, said.  

Goodrich has been an icon, not only on the Western Washington campus, but also nationally.

Under her leadership, WWU captured nine national championships and another nine individual national titles, while posting five straight top 15 finishes (2008-13) in the Learfield Sports Directors' Cup and five straight Great Northwest Athletic Conference (GNAC) all-sports titles. 

Goodrich is no stranger to the coaching ranks either, having coached golf, tennis, track and field, volleyball and basketball during her tenure.  She coached women's basketball for 19 seasons, compiling 411 wins and making five national tournament appearances.

Goodrich was instrumental in rebuilding and reshaping the WWU athletics program, helping raise funds for a strength and fitness center, softball field upgrade and the installation of a multi-purpose field, while introducing an annual fund drive, auction and golf tournament to help raise funds for scholarships.

Softball and golf were added as varsity sports for women and attendance increased across all sports during her tenure.

She has been inducted into multiple halls of fame, including the NAIA HOF in 1996. Nationally, she earned NACDA West Region Athletics Director of the Year honors in 2006 and was named WWU's Sports Impact Person of the Century (1900-99).