SAN BRUNO, Calif. — The West Coast Conference will induct its 12th annual Hall of Honor class on Saturday, March 7 at the Orleans Hotel in Las Vegas, Nev. Ten individuals, one from each member institution, will be honored as part of the 2020 University Credit Union West Coast Conference Men's and Women's Basketball Tournaments in Las Vegas.
 
The 2020 induction class features one Olympian (two-time gold-medalist), one NCAA statistical champion, one NCAA National Athlete of the Year, one National Coach of the Year, two individuals collecting three NCAA Championships, two coaches compiling a total of 15 WCC Coach of the Year honors and 16 WCC regular season championships and 28 NCAA Postseason berths, and four individuals collecting a combined 12 All-American citations.
 
"The West Coast Conference is honored to celebrate the accomplishments of these former student-athletes and coaches as we celebrate the enduring legacy of our 12th induction class during the WCC Basketball Tournaments in Las Vegas," said West Coast Conference Commissioner Gloria Nevarez. "The 2020 Hall of Honor class represents the long-standing commitment by our member institutions to develop student-athletes by fostering an environment of athletic and academic excellence. These inductees excelled in a wide variety of sports while showcasing diverse paths to the top of their chosen athletic pursuits."
 
The 2020 WCC Hall of Honor class includes: BYU's Wally Joyner (Baseball), Gonzaga's Heather Bowman (Women's Basketball), Loyola Marymount's Terrell Lowery (Men's Basketball), Pacific's Dell Demps (Men's Basketball), Pepperdine's Nina Matthies (Women's Volleyball), Portland's David Kinsella (Cross Country/Track), Saint Mary's Ruth Montgomery (Women's Soccer), San Diego's Hank Egan (Men's Basketball), San Francisco's Taggert Bozied (Baseball) and Santa Clara's Aly Wagner (Women's Soccer).

Ruth Montgomery was a star at Saint Mary's from 1999 to 2002 and finished her career with the second most matches ever played by a Gael goalkeeper. A four-year starter, Mongtomery's tenure in Moraga coincided with the program's most successful four-year stretch ever. Led by head coach Paul Ratcliffe, the Gaels went 49-22-7 with Montgomery on the roster and 18-9-1 in ever-competitive West Coast Conference matches.

Montgomery's shining season came her junior campaign in 2001 as she helped Saint Mary's achieve their greatest season ever. The Gaels began the year 12-0-1 and posted wins over No. 3 Portland, No. 6 California, and No. 25 Pepperdine during that stretch. Saint Mary's climbed all the way up to No. 5 in the coaches' poll during the season and would go on to knock off two more top-25 teams before falling to No. 10 Stanford in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.

Montgomery was vital to the team's success during their incredible season that saw them finish 15-3-2. The then-junior was credited with 14 wins, a single-season program record that still stands today, while posting a sterling 0.69 goals-against average and seven shutouts.

More than 18 years after playing her final match as a Gael, Montgomery's legacy is still firmly entrenched among the school's all-time greats. She ranks either first or second in virtually all single-season and career records for goalkeepers and remains the team's all-time leader in career wins and shutouts.

Montgomery was taken by the Washington Freedom in the 2003 Women's United Soccer Association Draft as the first Gael ever drafted to the WUSA. Nowadays, Montgomery is a kindergarten teacher in the Bay Area, citing her time at Saint Mary's as so enjoyable that she has since made the Bay her home. In her free time, she enjoys taking hikes and working in her garden.

The Hall of Honor class will be formally inducted at the WCC Hall of Honor Brunch on Saturday, March 7 at 9 a.m. PT at the Mardi Gras Ballroom in the Orleans Hotel and each inductee will be honored throughout the course of the basketball tournaments.
 
Tickets to the WCC Hall of Honor Brunch & Induction Ceremony are available to the public and may be purchased by contacting Lindsey Jones in the WCC office via email – Ljones@westcoast.org. Tickets must be purchased by Monday, February 24.