Whitney ReeAnn Sullivan, hailing from Cascade High School, was a Track and Field standout. She earned varsity letters in track & field, volleyball, and basketball. Her dominance was unparalleled, clinching four WA state titles in shot put and two in discus, including a record-setting shot put mark of 47’3″ that remains unmatched in Washington. Whiteny won the Oregon vs Washington Meet of Champions every year from 2002-2006. Her versatility extended beyond field, garnering accolades such as All-State hitter for Cascade’s volleyball team and All-Conference honors in basketball. At one point she was ranked second in the nation as a high school athlete. She was also a two-time high school All-American.
Transitioning to collegiate athletics Whitney chose to attend the University of Washington (UW) on an athletic scholarship. She redshirted her first year at UW before transferring to Cal State Northridge. There, she made an immediate impact, contributing to the team’s victory in the Big West Championship. As a sophomore she achieved a career-best shotput throw of 50’6″ in the NCAA West Regional. She placed 3rd in the Big West Championship for shotput her sophomore year. She placed 4th in the Big West Championships for shotput in her junior and senior year. After a great collegiate career, she graduated from Cal State Northridge completing her bachelor’s degree in 2011. In 2012 she was inducted into the Cascade High School Athletic Hall of Fame.
After college Whitney continued to make a difference, dedicating time to coaching, mentoring and ministry.
Read on to hear more about Whitney and her athletic career!
SCSC: Do you want to start by introducing yourself and letting us know what you are being inducted for?
SULLIVAN: My name is Wendy Sullivan; you probably would know me as Whitney Hooks. Hook ‘em Hooks is what they used to call me! I’m being inducted into the Hall of Fame for track and field. During my high school years, I was victorious when it came to throwing the shotput and the discus. I had won 6 state titles, and I was the first person to do that in history. I was also the most recruited athlete in the northwest across all sports, because I was a 5-sport athlete, so I was pretty active when it came to athletics. I’m excited to be honored by you guys and I’m excited for the ceremony as well so thank you for having me!
SCSC: What was it about Track & Field that piqued your interest at the beginning?
SULLIVAN: To be honest, being a 5-sport athlete, for basketball and volleyball, my coach suggested to me to branch into other sports and stay conditioned and in shape. I didn’t really want to do Track & Field, but I was so glad that I did. It opened up doors for my education and getting a scholarship. That was very advantageous to commit to another sport.
SCSC: Can you tell us about your time competing in school?
SULLIVAN: I was at Cascade High School from 2002-2006 and after graduating, I was in between ASU and University of Washington. I really thought I was going to go to ASU, but I decided I wanted to stay local. After a year, I decided I wanted to spread my wings and go see a different place and compete somewhere else, so I ended up transferring out to Cal State University Northridge. It worked out perfectly because the same coach, her name was Sly, was at Cal State Northridge, but she had previously recruited me for a full ride scholarship to UCLA that I turned down in 2006 coming out of High School. I gave her a call, asked her if my scholarship was still available, and she said yes. I packed up my bag and drove my car down the I-5 into Los Angeles, and what a journey it was.
SCSC: What inspired you back then and what inspires you now?
SULLIVAN: I had a solid coach in high school, Bill, he was like a second father to me when it came to mentoring me outside of being a good athlete. I was raised in a house where there were hard things to see as a child, however, it defined who I am and how I live my life. He was solid and good for me, it wasn’t just ‘get in the ring and compete and perform’, it was ‘hey I know you’re not feeling this today let me order a pizza and let’s sit in the hallway and chat’.
Now, I’ve been radically set free to be who I am and I’m walking in my purpose. I pastor a local church here in Temple, TX with my husband. It’s amazing to walk with women and men who’ve had so much trauma, even married couples, and to bring them into this space where they’re no longer held in bondage by old mindsets or any anything that happened to them. To help them realize that they too can be who the Lord has called them to be. Also, just walking in my purpose by working with female entrepreneurs, rising up a non-profit temple right now. We are working on raising capital for women entrepreneurs and teaching them how to master their skill set so that they would be able to contribute to this community and create wealth for the Kingdom of the Lord. Not only to glorify him, but most importantly show them that if they did come from a house of poverty, or place where they may not have a meal, they don’t have to stay that way and they can create something beautiful for generations to come.
SCSC: What do you consider to be your career highlight?
SULLIVAN: My first state title was huge my freshman year. That first title really showed me what it means to be devoted and dedicated to something and push through hardship. I went in as a favorie to win and had a lot of people come against me. It came down to my 5th throw and I was so frustrated that I was having an off day. My coach looked at me and said “Hey do me a favor, run across the track and get me a cup of water” and I thought “Is he out of his mind?”. I was obedient and got the water and my next throw I had was my winning throw to take the state title. I realized that in that moment, he took my eyes off of the pressure and he put it on something else. It totally just lifted that burden off me, and I came in through muscle memory and made the winning throw.
SCSC: What is the biggest lesson you learned through sports?
SULLIVAN: I think there’s so many lessons that I learned. If I had to pinpoint one, it would be listening to your body. Learning to listen to my body was big for me because it was under so much pressure and stress for like 20 years. I was training for the Olympics too in 2021 and mentoring some athletes at the time, and got called in ministry, and I gave it all up. I don’t I don’t ever regret that because that gym turned into a church, which was my confirmation I made the right decision, I wasn’t listening to my body, and it really led me to burnout. It started to become a job versus something that I enjoyed, and when you take enjoyment out of something, you don’t want to continue showing up for it.
SCSC: What does receiving this award mean to you?
SULLIVAN: I cannot help but think about the principle of reaping and sewing, what you sew you’re going to reap. I sewed a lot of seeds into the community of Snohomish County, whether it be competing and bringing publicity to the state and even internationally and nationally. I really feel like the seeds are being watered right now and they’re going to be brought to increase. It keeps me encouraged to keep sewing even if you don’t see that the seed has sprouted yet, to grow and bloom because when the right time and the right season comes it’ll get the rain.
You can honor Whitney and the 7 other inductees at the Hall of Fame Banquet on September 25th at Angel Of The Winds Arena. Visit 2024 Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet (auctria.com) to make a donation or purchase tickets.