Cynthia Alexander Brozeski ’96 finished her career as one of the most successful and dominating swimmers in school history. Alexander Brozeski was twice named the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Swimmer of the Year and was also a six-time NCAA Division III All-American (three individual, three relays). Alexander Brozeski won 12 Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships during her career and led the 1993-94 Presidents to the first undefeated swimming season in school history (men or women). During that 1993-94 season, Alexander helped W&J set 32 records at the conference meet. Alexander’s time of 23.96 in the 50 freestyle on February 18, 1993, at the conference championship event remains as the pool, Grove City College Invitational and PAC record. The 1992-93 Academic All-American still holds the school record in the 100 freestyle in a blistering pace of 53.46. She is also still part of the school-record 800 freestyle relay team which performed in a record-time of 8:08.93.
Jason Baer ’96 was a four-year starting quarterback for the W&J football team who led the Presidents to four PAC titles and four trips to the NCAA Division III playoffs. Baer is a member of the most-winningest senior class in W&J football history as the Presidents posted a record of 43-6. He guided W&J to three-straight NCAA semifinal appearances, including a berth in the 1994 Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl. Baer is ranked second in school history in passing yards (7,550), completions (542) and touchdown passes (87). As a freshman, Baer finished seventh in the nation in pass efficiency after throwing for 1,686 yards and 21 touchdowns. He helped the W&J offense rank third in the nation in scoring offense. In the first round of the 1994 Division III playoffs, Baer stole the show as his four touchdown passes gave the Presidents a 28-0 victory over Trinity. Baer set a W&J record for most touchdown passes in a season with 25 in both 1994 and 1995 and was honored as an All-South Region honoree.
Cy Godfrey ’55 played in 54 games for the W&J basketball program and was considered one of the eastern United States’ top scorers for three seasons. His 1,276 points still rank him fifth on the school’s all-time charts and his 42-point effort versus West Virginia Wesleyan in 1955 remains as the second-highest single-game scoring output in the program’s long history. As a senior, Godfrey racked up 482 points which has stayed as the third-highest single-season total in W&J history. His 23.0 point per game average in 1995 ranked among the national leaders during a period in which W&J played Division I schools. One of Godfrey’s most notable accomplishments occurred during his senior season at the Quantico Marines Christmas Tournament. He led the Presidents to a runner-up finish and was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while competing against All-Americans from N.C. State and Iowa. Godfrey also battled three-time NBA All-Star and St. Francis College (Pa.) graduate Maurice Stokes throughout his collegiate career.
Terry Wilkins ’94 put Washington & Jefferson College men’s basketball on the map in the early 1990s. The four-year letterwinner helped the 1993-94 Presidents advance to the NCAA Division III Elite Eight with the best record in school history at 22-3. That same squad also set school records for winning percentage (.880), longest win streak (15) and most NCAA Division III Tournament victories (3). Wilkins was a three-time All-Presidents’ Athletic Conference honoree and was twice named the league’s Most Valuable Player. He was also honored to five All-Tournament teams throughout his playing days. As a senior, he was twice selected as the Division III National Player of the Week. Wilkins ranks third in school history with 1,410 career points. As a junior, Wilkins ranked 10th in the nation in rebounding. During his four years, the Presidents claimed three PAC Championships and accumulated a record of 55-39.
Melvin Bassi ’49 entered the 2005 W&J Athletic Hall of Fame class as the 2005 Robert M. Murphy Awardwinner. Bassi has been successful on and off the playing fields throughout his storied career. His athletic days began at Charleroi High School where he played football, basketball and baseball. After serving two years for the U.S. Navy in World War II in the South Pacific Theater, Bassi began his career as a President on the football team, playing alongside of W&J Hall of Fame members “Deacon” Dan Towler and Walter Cooper before an injury cut his career short. A member of the Phi Kappa Psi fraternity, Bassi was also an accomplished baseball player at the College for four years. Bassi, who earned a law degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1952, went on to coach youth baseball for 18 years and then spent another 16 years working as a regional sports official. He has practiced law for over 50 years as the senior partner in the law firms of Bassi, McCune and Vreeland in Charleroi and Washington. In addition, he has been the chairman of Charleroi Federal Savings for more than 40 years. He was named to the Charleroi Federal Savings’ Board of Directors in 1958. Bassi was first named to the Washington & Jefferson College Board of Trustees in 1973. In 1998, Bassi was honored as Washington & Jefferson College’s Entrepreneur of the Year. The achievement reflected the spirit, vision and abilities being nurtured in the College’s entrepreneurial studies program.
