Dave Conn ’91, a two-time First Team All-PAC performer, became the first player in W&J football history to be named a Champion Division III All-American. During his career, he intercepted 15 passes, a record which still stands today. He is also still tied for the school record for interceptions in a contest after picking off three passes in a game in 1991. Conn excelled in the classroom and is one of just seven players in Washington & Jefferson history to earn GTE/CoSIDA All-America laurels twice during their career. He also earned a NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship in 1991. Conn was named to the Observer-Reporter All-District squad three years in a row.
Beth Bercik Leonard ’83 finished her career as one of the most distinguished swimmers in Washington & Jefferson history. A three-year letterwinner and two-time co-captain, her most successful season came in 1982 where she earned All-America honors in the 100 Individual Medley event. During her three years, Bercik Leonard set a new school record in the 100 Individual Medley a total of five times. As a sophomore in 1980, she also qualified for the Eastern Championships.
Art Massaro ’53 lettered three years for the W&J football team in the early 1950s and is considered one of the most talented players in the school’s history. Massaro played on both sides of the ball and also handled the kicking duties for the Presidents. In 1952, he led W&J to a 5-1 record, its best record in over 11 years, by scoring 75 points on 11 touchdowns and nine extra points. He also caught 10 passes for 418 yards and received All-District honors on both offense and defense by the Pittsburgh Press. He also scored all three touchdowns in a victory over Geneva and made the game-winning kick against Thiel. In 1953, he joined the coaching staff for the Presidents.
Andy Mestrovic ’51 was a four-year letterwinner for the W&J basketball team, who finished his career with 1,071 points. He enjoyed one of the most successful seasons in W&J history in 1950-51 when he scored 458 points in 21 games, the fifth-highest single season total in school history. During the same season, he scored 41 points at Ohio Wesleyan, which at the time broke the College record for most points in a single game. As a junior, he was named to the All-District squad and earned honorable-mention laurels in Pennsylvania. In 1951, he was honored as a First Team All-State selection. He also earned Tri-State Player of the Week honors six times in his career.
J.C. Morrow ’77 finished his career as one of the top quarterbacks in W&J football history. A four-year letterwinner, Morrow was named the PAC’s Most Valuable Player in both 1975 and 1976. As a junior, he completed just under 60 percent of his passes to become the first President to lead the nation in passing efficiency. His completion percentage was also the highest in the conference’s 20-year history. He also led the PAC in total offense as a junior, averaging more than 175 yards per game. Both seasons, Morrow was honored as a First Team All-PAC selection. For his career, Morrow finished with a total of 26 touchdowns.
Peter Munger ’74 became the first W&J swimmer in history to earn All-America honors by placing fifth in two events in 1974. He swam the 50 Freestyle in 21.84 seconds and the 100 Butterfly in 52.00 seconds, both of which shattered his own school records. Munger qualified for the NCAA Championships in all four years at the College and set a total of four school, three pool and two PAC records during his career. During his senior year, Munger owned the top time among small colleges in the 50 Freestyle for the regular season. Munger also claimed the PAC Championship in the 100 Butterfly in all four years and also won the 50 Freestyle conference crown three times.
Jack Rea was widely known as one of the leading athletic trainers in the eastern United States during his 35-year tenure at Washington & Jefferson. An innovator in conditioning and rehabilitation for athletes, Rea initiated a swimming and rehabilitation program in 1972. Included among the honors that he received at W&J are the Washington Knights of Columbus Special Award and the 1986 National Athletic Trainers’ Association 25-year Award. In 1990 the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Society recognized Rea as one of its founding fathers. He was also named to the Washington-Greene County Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1994.
Amy Rush ’91 was a two-sport standout at Washington & Jefferson who helped bring the school’s volleyball and softball programs to regional and national prominence. In volleyball, Rush was a three-time First Team All-PAC selection. She was also voted by her teammates as the squad’s Most Valuable Player three times. She twice finished second in the conference in kills averaging better than 3.0 per game. She was also the school’s first four-time First Team All-PAC honoree in softball. Following the 1990 season, Rush was named the league’s MVP. As a senior, she batted .365 with a slugging percentage of .617 and hit four home runs.
Ronald Salvitti ’59, 2002 Murphy Award Honoree, was a four-year letterwinner for the Washington & Jefferson basketball program in the late 1950s. His teams won 40 games during his four years, including a 15-3 mark in the 1958-59 season. The 1958-59 team also posted a 9-1 mark in PAC play. During his junior year, Salvitti led the team in field-goal percentage and was named the Red & Black’s Player of the Week in the final week of the season. He was second on the team in field-goal percentage during his senior season and once again earned Player of the Week honors from the Red & Black. He totaled 454 career points and has been an active member in the W&J community since graduation. He currently serves on the College’s Board of Trustees and was selected as W&J’s Entrepreneur of the Year in 1999.
Kelly Stacey ’91 finished her career as the school’s all-time leading basketball (men or women) scorer with 1,766 career points, a record which still stands today. She was a four-time First Team All-PAC selection and a two-time winner of the conference’s MVP award. In 1989, she led the PAC in scoring with 18.7 points per contest. As a sophomore, Stacey set a school record for points in a season by netting 450 markers for an average of 21.4 points per game. During her four years at the College, Stacey led the team in scoring all four seasons and was the top scorer in the PAC on three occasions. Following her junior year, she was named to the Kodak All-District Team.
John Yauch ’63 was a four-year letterwinner at tackle for the W&J football program. As a freshman, Yauch helped anchor an offensive line that was one of the top units in the conference. For his efforts, he was named to the 1959 Associated Press Little All-America Team. He continued his success as a sophomore in the 1960 season by earning First Team All-PAC status. He was also awarded the Coaches’ Player of the Week award and was the Red & Black Player of the Week honoree after week five. In his senior season, Yauch helped turn around a W&J program under Head Coach Chuck Ream by leading the Presidents to their first winning season in 10 years.
The 1921 Rose Bowl Football Team went down in history as the most successful athletic team in Washington & Jefferson history, advancing all the way to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., for the national championship game. The Presidents battled the University of California to the only scoreless tie in the history of the Rose Bowl. Playing with just 11 men, W&J held the heavily favored Golden Bears to just two first downs, zero completed passes and 49 yards rushing. In all, Washington & Jefferson set four Rose Bowl records. Under the guidance of Head Coach Earle “Greasy” Neale, W&J defeated the likes of Lehigh, Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Detroit en route to the national championship game. Following the season, Russ Stein was named an All-American, while Hal Erickson and Herb Kopf were All-East Eleven honorees.
