State House passes resolution honoring CWU’s Dr. Gary Frederick
The state House of Representatives approved a resolution Jan. 26 honoring Dr. Gary Frederick, a renowned athletic coach, highly regarded teacher, and respected administrator at Central Washington University (CWU).
Frederick’s more than half-century career at Central included 38 seasons as a head coach of men’s and women’s sports, during which his teams assembled a record of 718 victories, including numerous awards and championships.
House Resolution 4605 was sponsored by Rep. David Taylor, a 1995 Central graduate, who is a long-time family friend, and was a player on Little League and Babe Ruth baseball teams coached by Frederick in Kittitas County.
“I’ve known Dr. Frederick for more than 30 years, and grew up with his stepson, Doctor David Zirkle, so there are a lot of memories and shared history,” said Taylor, R-Moxee. “I’m proud of that relationship, and am equally proud to join with my House colleagues in saluting Dr. Frederick’s accomplishments.”
Frederick started at Central as a student-athlete, played on the Wildcats football squad, and graduated in 1959. He earned a master’s degree from the university in 1965, and a doctorate in education in 1974 from the University of Idaho.
Frederick spent 17 seasons as a Wildcats assistant football coach, and for all but five years since 1967, he was a CWU head coach, leading the baseball team (1968-78) and women’s basketball (1982-93).
He resigned as coach of the Lady Wildcats in June 2010, capping a 16-year run that included two of the most successful seasons in the softball program’s 18-year history. Frederick’s teams set a school record for victories in a season (22 in 2009), and then surpassed that mark with a 40-15 record and a conference championship in 2010.
He won or shared Great Northwest Athletic Conference Coach of the Year honors in 2009 and 2010.
Among his other achievements, Frederick was inducted into the Central Washington University Athletics Hall of Fame, both as an individual and as head coach of the Wildcats’ 1968 and 1970 baseball teams, and the 1987-88 women’s basketball squad.
He also served 19 years as Central’s athletic director, and was named National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Administrator of the Year for 1988-89. Frederick was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame in 1997.
In 1992, he took a one-year sabbatical from Central to serve as the NAIA’s interim director of Championships.
Taylor noted an anecdote included in the text of the resolution that he said illustrates “the principles and integrity that define Dr. Frederick’s life-long commitment to high standards of character and good sportsmanship.”
“WHEREAS: Dr. Frederick’s influence and impact on his players was demonstrated on April 26, 2008, when the Central Washington University Wildcats’ women’s softball team gained national attention in a game against the Western Oregon University Wolves.
Facing a scoreless game and needing to win in order to keep their Great Northwest Athletic Conference championship hopes alive, first baseman Mallory Holtman and shortstop Liz Wallace exemplified outstanding sportsmanship by carrying an injured opponent to touch the bases and score.”
“No matter where you go on the CWU campus, students, faculty and staff have the highest respect for Dr. Frederick. He’s a man of principled leadership, steadiness under pressure, straightforward honesty, and unfailing good nature. I’m glad we have this opportunity to thank him for his service to the university and his community,” Taylor concluded.
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For more information, contact: Bill Taylor, Senior Information Officer: (360) 786-7074
Photo: Left to right, Ann Anderson (CWU director of government relations), Kelli Spaulding (CWU assistant softball coach), Pearl Chilcutt (Dr. Frederick’s mother-in-law), Joy Simister, Dr. Gary Frederick, Rep. David Taylor, Gary Hyatt (CWU assistant athletic director), and Jim Gaudino (CWU president).
Click here for high-resolution photo
