Lorri M. Slauson

Class of 1978

Inducted 2024

When Lorri Barnett came to North Central in the mid-1970s, it was just in time for her to become a Title IX kid. Title IX was the 1972 federal law that required public schools to create equitable opportunities for women to participate in school sports. Lori came along at just the right time to be on NC’s first Spokane League Girls Cross Country, Basketball, and Track Teams. She was a member of track relay teams who ran times that remained NC records for decades.

After graduating from NC, Lorri earned a Bachelor’s Degree in education at Eastern Washington University and a Master’s Degree in Curriculum and Administration from Gonzaga University. She went on to teach Fitness and Health in Spokane for 34 years: 11 at Glover Middle School and 23 years as a Fitness and Health teacher at and Athletic Director at Chase Middle School.

 Her experiences in sports at NC left her with a lasting love for coaching. During her career she had a wide variety of successful experiences coaching Cross Country, Volleyball, Basketball, and Track and Field. As an athletic director for 24 years she was committed to increasing and sustaining student participation in quality athletic programs.

For her accomplishments in promoting middle school athletics, Lorri received many honors, including 2005-06 Washington State Fitness & Health Teacher of the Year; 2012-13 GSL Athletic Director of the Year; 2012-13 Washington State Director of the Year; and a 2018 GSL Lifetime Achievement Award for over 20 years service to middle school athletics.