These high school athletes defined the state of Washington — who's the greatest?

In the northwest, Washington’s athletic prowess at the prep level is extremely strong. 

Basketball players like Paolo Banchero, Jamal Crawford and Marvin Williams have hailed from the state. Football stars like Emeka Egbuka and Drew Bledsoe. Undefeated wrestlers and a runner who turned pro in high school. 

Only a select few can make this list. 

Who is the all-time best Washington high school athlete?

As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, USA TODAY is launching its 250 for 250 series, looking to answer that question by celebrating the best athletes from each state.

From fans' votes, five athletes will be selected to represent the state as legends who have defined high school sports.

With that in mind, here are the Washington high school athlete nominees. The 15 players (listed in alphabetical order) were all standouts at the high school level. 

Corbin Carroll, Baseball, Lakeside School (Seattle) 

Corbin Carroll asserted himself as one of the most dominant offensive forces in high school, hitting .540 with 9 home runs and a 1.859 OPS, and winning the Gatorade Washington Baseball Player of the Year honors. He was drafted in the first round out of high school. 

Jamal Crawford, Boys Basketball, Rainier Beach High School (Seattle) 

Named Washington’s Class 3A Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons, Jamal Crawford became a Rainier Beach legend. He averaged 22.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game in his senior season, according to ESPN. 

Emeka Egbuka, Football, Boys Basketball, Steilacoom High School 

Emeka Egbuka was one of the best two-way players in the country in high school, recording a combined 2,919 receiving yards, 45 receiving touchdowns and 16 interceptions across his sophomore and junior seasons. He was the 2019-20 Gatorade Washington Football Player of the Year, recording a total of 31 touchdowns that year between receiving, rushing, punt return and pick-sixes. 

Alexa Efraimson, Cross Country, Track and Field, Camas High School 

Alexa Efraimson was the Gatorade Washington Girls Track and Field Athlete of the Year as a junior following setting a course record at the Nike Cross Nationals Final, winning the Class 4A individual state cross country championship, and setting the national 1,600-meter U.S. girls high school record with a time of 4:33.29. She turned pro with Nike prior to her senior year. 

Mel Hein, Football, Track and Field, Burlington High School (Fairhaven) 

Mel Hein, an inaugural member of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) Hall of Fame, was an all-state football player and a track athlete, eventually becoming a five-time All-Pro center with the New York Giants. 

Tim Lincecum, Baseball, Liberty High School (Renton) 

Tim Lincecum was absolutely dominant as a senior, winning Gatorade’s Washington Player of the Year as he went 12-1 with a 0.70 ERA and 183 strikeouts (18.1 K/9) in 91 innings pitched as he led Liberty to a championship, according to MaxPreps. 

Gerry Lindgren, Cross Country, Rogers High School (Spokane) 

A mid-century cross-country great, Gerry Lindgren became a star in his prep career, setting eight world high school records, including a 5,000-meter mark that stood for 40 years and a two-mile mark that stood for 49 years. The summer after graduating, he defeated a pair of Soviet Union runners to win the 10,000-meter event in the US-USSR Track Meet. 

Michael Porter Jr., Boys Basketball, Nathan Hale High School (Seattle) 

Michael Porter Jr. was one of the best high school basketball players of the 2010s, leading Nathan Hale to an undefeated 29-0 championship season and earning Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year honors with averages of 36.2 points, 13.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.2 steals and 2.7 blocks per game. He played only one season in Washington, but it was memorable. 

Ahmad Rashad, Football, Boys Basketball, Track and Field Mount, Tahoma High School (Tacoma) 

Ahmad Rashad (born Robert Earl Moore) was a star in three sports, winning the state high jump championship and leading the basketball league in scoring, according to the Football Foundation. Where he thrived most was football, being named to three straight all-conference teams as a receiver prior to a Pro Bowl NFL career.

Libby Roberts, Girls Wrestling, University High School (Spokane Valley) 

Libby Roberts never lost to an in-state opponent, winning four straight WIAA Mat Classic State championships, according to Sports Illustrated. She was just the fifth girl wrestler to sweep all four titles, per SWX. 

Brandon Roy, Boys Basketball, Garfield High School (Seattle) 

Before Brandon Roy became a championship-winning coach at Garfield High School, he was the team's star. He was twice named league MVP, according to King5, and averaged 22.3 points and 10.4 rebounds as a senior. 

Ryne Sandberg, Baseball, Football, Boys Basketball, North Central High School (Spokane) 

Ryne Sandberg was a three-sport star, setting a league passing record as a quarterback in football, earning him All-American honors; a two-time all-city player in basketball; and a two-time all-city baseball player who hit .417. With his number retired at North Central for both football and baseball, Sandberg played 16 years in the MLB. 

Hope Solo, Girls Soccer, Richland High School 

Few soccer players have had better high school careers than Hope Solo. Despite her future stardom as a goalie, she scored 109 goals at Richland, leading her team to three straight league championships and a state title in her senior year. Solo was a two-time Parade All-American.

Marvin Williams, Boys Basketball, Bremerton

Future NBA player Marvin Williams was a star at the high school level, earning recognition as a two-time All-State player and becoming a McDonald's All-American as a senior, averaging 28.8 points, 15.5 rebounds, 5.1 blocks, and 5.2 steals per game, and winning the Washington Player of the Year award.

Dalton Young, Boys Wrestling, Golf, Lakeside High School (Nine Mile Falls) 

Dalton Young became the first wrestler in Washington history to go undefeated in high school, completing a 170-0 career with four state championships. He also lettered in golf, according to his Stanford bio.