Washington & Jefferson College

For the second-straight year, the W&J sports information office has produced a list of what we believe are the top 10 moments for Presidents' athletics during the 2012 calendar year.  Relive the best moments from 2012 below, including an inspiring team which brought back a PAC championship for a campus and a family shaken by a senseless tragedy. 

10. Women’s Lacrosse Defeats St. Joseph’s (N.Y.) In ECAC Tournament - May 9
For the third-straight year, the women’s lacrosse team earned a bid to the ECAC Tournament and for the first time in school history, it was awarded a home game in the first round. The third-seeded Presidents jumped out early on No. 6 seed St. Joseph’s (N.Y.), scoring seven of the game’s first nine goals to take a 7-2 lead into halftime. W&J held off a late rally by the Golden Eagles and advanced to the ECAC semifinal round for the third consecutive season. Kelsey Kraus led the offense with three goals, while Brittany Fradkin added two of her single-season, school-record 63 goals during the game.

9. Zach Bellhy Becomes The 22nd 1,000-Point Scorer In W&J History - February 23
Needing 22 points to reach 1,000 for his career, Zach Bellhy poured in 23 points during the Presidents’ final game of the season against Bethany.  Bellhy’s free throw with 8:12 remaining in the game pushed him into an elite club of just 22 players in the 100-year history of W&J basketball. He scored 500 points during his junior season, tied for the third-highest, single-season total in program history, and led the Presidents’ Athletic Conference in scoring at 19.2 points per game.

8. Men’s Golf Makes Second-Straight Trip To NCAA Tournament - May 15-16
For the second-straight year and the fifth time in school history, PAC Coach of the Year Sean Dove led the Presidents’ men’s golf team to a berth in the NCAA Division III Tournament. W&J secured a bid to the tournament after winning its 16th PAC Championship by five strokes over Saint Vincent. Ryan Mazza shot the top round by a Presidents’ golfer at the NCAA Championship by carding a two-over par round of 74 that included four birdies.

7. C.J. Corcoran Earns Second Consecutive Berth To NCAA Track & Field Championships - May 26
C.J. Corcoran ‘12 placed 19th in the women’s javelin event at the 2012 NCAA Division III Track & Field Championships. Corcoran was competing in the event for the second consecutive season and was just the second President in history to earn a spot in the javelin event at the NCAA Championships, joining Jaimee Heffner, who won a national title in 1997. During the regular season, Corcoran posted the eight-longest throw nationally at 42.93 meters.

6. Josh Etzel Competes At NCAA Wrestling Championships - March 9-10
Josh Etzel became the first W&J wrestler since Kevin DeJuliis ‘03 and Kevin Johnson ‘04 in 2003 to compete at the NCAA Championships. Etzel won the NCAA Mideast Regional 141-pound title as well as his first Presidents’ Athletic Conference championship. He completed the year with a 24-5 record that included a 13-match unbeaten streak.

5. Cross Country Duo Makes History At PAC Championships - October 27
Senior Scott Ryan and sophomore Kristen Galligan swept the individual titles at the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships.  Galligan dominated the 110-runner field as she finished over three minutes ahead of her closest competitor to become the first runner in the 24-year history of the W&J women’s cross country team to win a conference championship. Ryan also enjoyed a strong performance as he completed the 8K race 44 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher to earn the third league title by a men’s runner in W&J history (Matthew Rudzki; 2005, 2007). Both Galligan and Ryan advanced to race at the NCAA Championships for the second-straight year.

4. Bethany Haver Becomes Four-Time All-American - March 24
Already a two-time All-American, Bethany Haver ‘12 added to her record-setting diving career by collecting two more All-America honors at the 2012 NCAA Division III Diving Championships. Needing at least an eight-place showing in both events, Haver placed fourth on the 1-meter platform and sixth at three meters. She is the first diver in W&J history to earn All-American status and the only diver from the PAC to have competed at the NCAA Championships.

3. Baseball Advances To NCAA Regional After Record-Setting Season - May 16-18
After setting a school record with 36 victories and a PAC record with 21 league wins, the W&J baseball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the third time in four years. At the NCAA Mideast Regional, Eddie Nogay tossed a complete-game shutout to help No. 2 W&J to its third tournament victory in school history. The Presidents finished the season ranked 20th by D3baseball.com, the first time that the program ended a season in the top-25 poll. 10 players earned all-conference status, led by PAC Pitcher of the Year Dave Trushel ‘12, while shortstop Aaron Klinec ‘12 earned the Presidents’ first-ever ABCA/Rawlings NCAA Division III National Gold Glove Award.

2. Kristen Galligan Earns First All-American Honor In W&J Cross Country History - November 17
Sophomore Kristen Galligan became the first-ever Washington & Jefferson cross country runner to earn All-America honors following her 12th-place finish at the NCAA Division III Cross Country Championship. Galligan ran the 6K course in a time of 21:27.40, a mere 35 seconds behind the national champion. Her performance was a 167-place improvement over 2011, when she became the first-ever W&J female cross country runner to compete at the national race.

1. #RIP5, W&J Captures 22nd PAC Football Championship - November 10
The W&J football team was able to overcome the tragic death of one of its leaders, senior running back #5 Tim McNerney, on October 4th to claim the 22nd PAC championship in program history. The Presidents reeled off four consecutive victories, including a de facto conference title game in the season finale against Waynesburg, to clinch its 22nd bid to the NCAA Tournament. Head Coach Mike Sirianni earned the PAC and D3Football.com South Region Coach of the Year awards, while 17 players, including McNerney, who was a unanimous first-team pick, garnered all-conference honors.