W&J Announces 14th Athletic Hall of Fame Class
WASHINGTON, Pa. – Washington & Jefferson College Director of Athletics Bill Dukett has announced the five new members who will be inducted into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame. The 2012 class, which will be the 14th group inducted, features William E. “Bill” Amos ’28 (Robert M. Murphy Award Winner), Brian Dawson ’03 (Football), Rafael Perez Mendez ’91 (Swimming & Diving), Kelley Ryan ’95 (Women’s Basketball) and Vicki Staton (Women’s Volleyball and Basketball Coach).
The induction ceremony will take place on Friday, September 7, 2012, in the Rossin Campus Center Allen Ballroom at 6:00 pm. The 2012 induction class will also be recognized at halftime of the Presidents’ football game versus St. John Fisher the following day at Cameron Stadium (1:30 pm).
William E. “Bill” Amos ’28 (Posthumous) was a dominant force in the Presidents’ football backfield as a fullback in the late 1920s. He was a two-time All-America and All-East selection. During his three years with the Presidents, Amos’ teams posted a 20-3-4 record, including an unbeaten 7-0-2 mark in 1927. Amos went on to coach W&J for three seasons (1929-1931), including the first indoor night college football game in history (October 25, 1930 in Atlantic City, N.J.). Amos was also one of the founding members of PONY baseball. The Robert M. Murphy Award bestows special recognition, in former football graduate manager Robert “Mother” Murphy’s name, to selected athletes, male or female, who exemplify outstanding lifetime achievements.
Brian Dawson ’03 rewrote the W&J football record books as the Presidents’ starting quarterback from 1999-2002. He remains as the school’s career passing leader with 10,257 yards, a number which still stands as the 18th-best total in NCAA Division III history. At the time of his graduation, Dawson was one of only 42 quarterbacks among all NCAA divisions to pass for 10,000 yards. A 2001 Hewlett Packard All-American, Dawson threw 100 touchdown passes and was twice selected as the PAC MVP.
Rafael Perez Mendez ’91 was one of the most talented swimmers in Washington & Jefferson College history. He won five Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championships, including four individual events. The 1989 Team Most Valuable Swimmer, Perez-Mendez set 12 school records during his three years on the squad in which he led W&J to 27 dual-meet victories. As a senior, Perez-Mendez was the 100 and 200 breaststroke conference champion, while also leading the 200 freestyle relay to a title.
Kelley Ryan ’95 led W&J to its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament during her senior season in which she was named the PAC MVP. Ryan also helped the Presidents win the 1993-94 PAC and ECAC Championships. She finished her three-year career with 991 points, 306 rebounds and 186 assists. The 5-foot-7 guard set the school’s single-game, three-point record in 1995 when making seven shots from beyond the arc against Frostburg State.
Vicki Staton has been a woman associated with Washington & Jefferson College athletics for nearly four decades. Staton spent 28 seasons as the head volleyball coach and her teams accumulated 367 victories. Staton also directed the women's basketball program for 25 seasons and helped the Presidents post a 279-227 overall record. Staton's volleyball squads claimed five Presidents' Athletic Conference titles (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999) and two ECAC South Region Championships (1996 and 1997). She was honored as the PAC Volleyball Coach of the Year five times. Her basketball teams captured eight Pennwood Athletic Conference Championships, three Presidents' Athletic Conference titles and an ECAC Southern Division III Championship. W&J also made two NCAA Division III Tournament appearances during her tenure.
The W&J Athletic Hall of Fame is designed to honor and memorialize those individuals or teams who have made outstanding contributions to Washington & Jefferson College athletics and have helped bring recognition, honor, excellence and distinction to the College and its intercollegiate athletic program. For more information on attending the induction ceremony, contact the W&J athletic office at (724) 223-6054.
