Idaho Hall of Fame is the next stop for this Kennewick basketball great
When it comes to girls basketball in the Mid-Columbia, Emily Faurholt ranks right up there with the all-time greats.
She was part of the Kennewick Lions program that won a state title in 2000 and put together a string of 56 consecutive wins, and she was named the Class 4A state player of the year as a senior.
Basketball took her briefly to Seattle Pacific, and then to the University of Idaho, where she starred for three years.
Idaho will honor her accomplishments Sept. 7 when she is inducted into the Vandal Athletics Hall of Fame.
"It totally surprised me, 100 percent," said Faurholt, now 35 and a yoga instructor who has lived in Australia and New York, and will soon move to Toronto.
"I had no idea why they were calling when they reached me a month ago. It was kind of nice. It's nice to look back on those days."
Faurholt led the nation in scoring during the 2003-04 season (25.4 points per game) and ended her Idaho career with 1,938 points, which still ranks second all-time at the school. Her career average of 22 points a game ranks first.
She is the only Idaho player to win Big West Conference Player of the Year honors (2003-04), and she led the Big West in scoring in 2004 (737 points) and 2005 (697). She also ranks second in Big West history for career scoring average with 24.7 points per game.
And, as a 5-foot-11 forward, she was money at the free-throw line. She holds the Idaho record for free throws made in a season with 172 (2003-04).
She also held the record for most points in a game with 39 — which she did twice — until Walla Walla grad Mikayla Ferenz scored 41 in 2017.
After Faurholt finished her career at Idaho, she signed to play for a team in Spain, but that did not pan out.
"I left early," she said. "I thought, 'This isn't for me.' I was kinda done.
"I regretted it for a while, then I started teaching yoga and traveling. I taught yoga in Australia for 8 or 9 months. I've gotten to do some really cool things."
It all started at Kennewick High
Faurholt was a star for the Lions and coach Debbie Roueche for four years. She helped them win a state title in 2000 — a season that saw them roll to a 29-0 record.
As a senior, Faurholt and the Lions ran their win streak to 56 game, which at the time time tied Lakeside (Seattle) for the state record.
"I've always said I'll look back on this is 10, 15, 20 years and say 'Gosh, I was part of that,' " Faurholt said in 2001 after Kennewick tied the state record. "It's very special. It's a neat opportunity to go down in state history."
When she graduated in 2001, she was the Big Nine Conference's all-time scoring leader with 1,660 points. Carley Noyes of Moses Lake surpassed her in 2009.
Faurholt still holds the Kennewick scoring record, while former teammate Leilani Mitchell is right behind with 1,587.
Life after basketball
Faurholt discovered yoga in college and has taught for several years. It was in one of her classes in New York where she met her husband, Jim Sann.
Faurholt and Sann will celebrate their second anniversary in September, but they have been together for several years, along with Sann's two children Avery, 12 and Teddy, 10.
And while Faurholt's basketball career is over, Sann is in the middle of his. He just signed a three-year contract as an assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors. He also has coached with the New York Knicks, Houston Rockets, Chicago Bulls and the Brooklyn Nets.
"We have traveled a lot and spent a lot of time together," Faurholt said, recalling life in developmental leagues and tournaments.
The family is transitioning to life in Toronto, where she already has found a place to teach yoga.
Faurholt said she and her family will attend to the Hall of Fame ceremony, along with her parents and several friends.
Also being inducted into the Hall of fame are former football coach Dennis Erickson, Howard and Tere Foley (contributors), Allix Lee-Painter (track/cross country), Kayla Mortellaro (golf), Don Newman (basketball), Melinda Owen (track) and Chelsea Small (soccer).