PSAC Alumni - Student-Athlete Success Stories

In 2000-01, the PSAC celebrated its 50 Season as an organized conference. To help celebrate the season, each institution recognized its top eight student-athlete success stories. They are listed below.

BLOOMSBURG

Charles "Chuck" Daly, Basketball, 1949-52
Hometown: Kane, Pa.
NBA Basketball Coach who won back-to-back league championships; also coached 1992 U.S. Olympic Gold Medal squad

Cindy Freeland, Softball, 1985-88
Hometown: Wormleysburg, Pa.
A two-time All-America catcher and Academic All-American at Bloomsburg; now a practicing internist in the Bloomsburg area

Matt Karchner, Baseball, 1986-89
Hometown: Berwick, Pa.
Major League pitcher with the Chicago Cubs; still holds Bloomsburg single-season records for home runs (14) and RBI (62)

Danny Litwhiler, Baseball, 1935-38
Hometown: Ringtown, Pa.
Played major league baseball with four clubs; he was later credited with the idea of using radar to track pitches - similar to today’s JUGS Radar Gun

Walter "Whitey" McCloskey, Baseball/Basketball, 1942-44
Hometown: Danville, Pa.
Multi-sport athlete who earned 11 letters at Bloomsburg; played professional basketball in the Pennsylvania State League and later made his mark as a high school basketball coach

Dave Superdock, Tennis, 1980-83
Hometown: Bloomsburg, Pa.
Helped Bloomsburg’s nationally ranked tennis team to four straight conference championships while compiling an individual record of 106-31; now works as a family practice physician in Lititz, Pa.

Linda Smith, Swimming, 1978-81
Hometown: Chambersburg, Pa.
Fifteen-time All-America swimmer now practices medicine in the Pittsburgh area

Bob Tucker, Football, 1964-67
Hometown: Hazleton, Pa.
Enjoyed a 12-year NFL career as a receiver with the New York Giants and Minnesota Vikings; three-time All-PSAC player who set nine receiving records at Bloomsburg

CALIFORNIA

Bill Depaoli, Wrestling, 1977-80
Hometown: Houston, Pa.
1979 Outstanding Wrestler at the NAIA Championships compiled a 124-8 career record; now owns his own construction company

Ray Greene, Basketball, 1968-71
Hometown: Greensburg, Pa.
A two-time All-American who was drafted by the Boston Celtics and Pittsburgh Condors (ABA); works as a regional service manager for United Parcel Service

Jenise Lockhart, Track & Field/Basketball, 1982-86
Hometown: Sewickley, Pa.
1985 national indoor high-jump champion and seven-time track All-American also played point guard for the basketball team; now resides in Grapevine, Tex., where she works as a customer service representative for Xerox Corporation

Elmo Natali, Football, 1950s
Hometown: Monongahela, Pa.
Retired vice president also served the university for 30-plus years as a dean, administrator and coach; held Vulcans’ single-season rushing record for over four decades

Danielle Penner, Softball, 1995-98
Hometown: Brampton, Ontario
Three-time All-America pitcher and 1998 NCAA Female Athlete of the Year; led the Lady Vulcans to back-to-back national championships in 1997 and 1998

Dr. John Pierce Watkins, Basketball/Tennis, Late 1940s
Hometown: Denbo, Pa.
Retired university president; began his career at his alma mater as a professor in the English department

Dr. Jack Taylor, Basketball, Early 1970s
Hometown: Snowden, Pa.
Vice president for student affairs at Bowling Green University

Dr. Allen G. Welsh, Tennis, Mid 1950s
Hometown: Uniontown, Pa.
Served a number of administrative positions at California over a 33-year tenure, including dean of men; coached conference championship tennis teams in 1963, ‘68, ‘71 and ’72; played on the Vulcans’ undefeated team in 1954.

CHEYNEY

Delores Andy, Basketball and Volleyball, Mid 1950s
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Former Recreation Director for the City of Philadelphia

Ed Bradley, Football, Mid 1960s
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
News Correspondent for CBS Television Magazine 60 Minutes

Charles Brown, Basketball, Early 1960s
Hometown: Indianapolis, Ind.
State Representative from Indiana

Marianna Freeman, Basketball, Late 1970s
Hometown: Syracuse, N.Y.
Head Women's Basketball Coach Syracuse University also serves as the president of the Black Coaches Association

Charles Grantham, Basketball, Mid 1960s
Hometown: New York, N.Y.
Former National Basketball Association Executive Director of Player Personnel

Andre Waters, Football, Early 1980s
Hometown: St. Petersburg, Pa.
Former All Pro defensive back with the Philadelphia Eagles

Jim Williams, Football, Mid 1980s
Hometown: Chicago, Ill.
Offensive tackle for the Chicago Bears

Wade Wilson, Basketball and Football, Mid 1930s
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Former President of Cheyney University

CLARION

Kurt S. Angle, Wrestling, 1988-92
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Two-time NCAA heavyweight champion; Olympic Gold medalist at 220 pounds in 1996. Now is an internationally known star with the World Wrestling Federation.

John V. Calipari, Basketball, 1981-82
Hometown: Coraopolis, Pa.
College and NBA head basketball coach; former University of Massachusetts (Final Four 1996) and New Jersey Nets mentor now serves as head coach at the University of Memphis

Dr. Margaret A. (Horning) Charley, Swimming, 1973-76
Hometown: Natrona Heights, Pa.
Practicing dentist in Pittsburgh; multiple All-America swimmer who led Clarion to the first-ever PSAC women’s swimming title in 1976

Frank Lignelli, Football/Wrestling/Baseball, 1946-50
Hometown: Monongahela, Pa.
Football All-American; in 23 years as an athletic director at Clarion, the school earned 11 national championships and 59 PSAC titles

Guido Malacarne, Football/Baseball, 1946-49
Hometown: Brookville, Pa.
Former president and chief executive officer of Penn Traffic; tackle who was one of the all-time best offensive linemen in Clarion history

Alex V. Sandusky, Football, 1950-53
Hometown: McKees Rocks, Pa.
13-year NFL starting guard was an All-Pro; 16th overall draft pick of the Baltimore Colts

Barbara Schaefer-Nejman, Diving, 1971-72
Hometown: Berea, Ohio
Helped pioneer women’s athletics at Clarion by winning two NAIA diving titles in 1971; later participated in the 1976 Olympics and now works as a school teacher in Phoenix, Ariz.

Pete Vuckovich, Baseball, 1971-74
Hometown: Conemaugh, Pa.
Former Major League pitcher; won American League Cy Young Award in 1982 with the Milwaukee Brewers; holds front office position with the Pittsburgh Pirates

EAST STROUDSBURG

Merrily Dean Baker, Six-sport Athlete, Early 1960s
Hometown: Bryn Mawr, Pa.
Former assistant executive director of the NCAA and former athletic director at Michigan State

Patricia M. 'Pat' Fisher, Basketball/Field Hockey/Tennis, Late 1950s
Hometown: Easton, Pa.
Head women's basketball coach and assistant athletic director at Lafayette College

John C. 'Jack' Gregory, Football, Early 1950s
Hometown: Lansdowne, Pa.
Retired athletic director from Bowling Green; also served head football stints at East Stroudsburg, Villanova and Rhode Island

Warren E. Hoeffner, Football, Mid 1950s
Hometown: Old Forge, Pa.
Chairman of the board and former president, CEO of Rex-Hide, Inc., a manufacturer of extruded rubber products founded in Western Pennsylvania in 1917 and now headquartered in Tyler, Tex.

William J. 'Bill' Lewis, Football/Baseball, Early 1960s
Hometown: Bristol, Pa.
Assistant coach of the Miami Dolphins; former head football coach at Georgia Tech and head coach and NCAA Coach of the Year at East Carolina

Charles A. 'Tony' McMunn, Soccer/Tennis, Late 1960s
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
President of RMM Corporation, Edin Prairie, Minn., and other companies involved in the hardware and mass merchant marketplace.

Jane Moffet, Basketball/Field Hockey, Early 1950s
Hometown: Pitman, N.J.
Former principal at Saddle River, N.J. High School; member of the women's professional baseball league ('A League of Their Own') from 1949-52

Dr. Raymond S. 'Sam' Niedbala, Track & Field, Early 1980s
Hometown: Carteret, N.J.
Co-Founder and vice president for research, STC Technologies, Inc., maker of drug-testing kits and similar products, soon to become OraSure Technologies, Bethlehem, Pa.

EDINBORO

Dr. Vyto Bankaitis, Swimming, Mid 1970s
Hometown: Fairview Park, Ohio
Professor of molecular biology; eight-time All-America swimmer

Jack McCurry, Football, 1969-71
Hometown: Bakerstown, Pa.
Football coach at North Hills High School who guided team to USA Today national championships in the 1990s; All-America defensive back

Bob Mengerink, Football, 1969-71
Hometown: Parma, Ohio
Superintendent of schools in Kettering, Ohio; key member of Edinboro’s PSAC Championship and Lambert Bowl team in 1970

Jolene Nagel, Volleyball, 1979-82
Hometown: Panama, N.Y.
Head women’s volleyball coach at Duke; also served as head coach at Georgetown and Cornell; helped Edinboro to three NCAA regional titles

Jim Prokell, Basketball, 1969-72
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
President and owner of Prokell Design & Communications, a graphic design and illustration firm; Three-time All-PSAC performer and draftee of the NBA’s Buffalo Braves

Lou Rosselli, Wrestling, 1989-93
Hometown: Middleport, N.Y.
Member of the 1996 Olympic Wrestling Team; won the U.S. National Championships in 1995, ’96 and ’99; now serves as an assistant wrestling coach at Edinboro.

Jack Swope, Soccer, Mid 1970s
Hometown: Paoli, Pa.
Executive vice president of the NBA’s Orlando Magic; All-PSAC player while at Edinboro

Mike Zafirovski, Soccer, Early 1970s
Hometown: Macedonia
President of personal communication at Motorola

IUP

Dr. Elisa Benzoni-Rosenhein, Track & Field/Cross Country, 1984-88
Hometown: Victor, N.Y.
Partner, Physicians for Women; five-time All-American (four in cross country)

Al Broadbent, Soccer, 1974-77
Hometown: Philadelphia, Pa.
Assistant chief of police, Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department; two-time All-American

Jeff Brown, Basketball, 1978-82
Hometown: Annapolis, Md.
Managing Director, Federal Express Corporation

Tammy Donnelly-Slusser, Cross Country/Track & Field, 1983-87
Hometown: Whitehall, Pa.
World-renowned marathon runner; five-time All-American (four in track & field)

Jim Haslett, Football, 1976-78
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Head coach of the New Orleans Saints; 2000 Associated Press NFL Coach of the Year; three-time All-American

Billy Hoffman, Baseball/Football, 1956-59
Hometown: Scranton, Pa.
Retired president, Coca-Cola France; previously president of Coca-Cola, Atlanta, Ga.

Gary Jefferson, Football, 1963-66
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Vice president United Airlines, Northeast Region

Tom Modrak, Football, 1962-64
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Director of Football Operations, Philadelphia Eagles

KUTZTOWN

John Gabriel, Basketball, 1975-79
Hometown: Hanover, Pa.
Vice president of basketball operations for the Orlando Magic; named 1999-2000 NBA Executive of the Year

Karen Kaufmann, Swimming, 1985-86
Hometown: Arcadia, Calif.
Reference librarian in the executive office of the President of the United States; helped form the first women’s swim team at Kutztown

Dr. Lori Lawson, Cross Country/Track & Field, 1983-87
Hometown: Tamaqua, Pa.
Physician at Thomas Jefferson Hospital

Sue Merritt, Basketball, 1975-78
Hometown: Lake Ariel, Pa.
Senior creatologist; international consultant in the field of creativity and innovation

John Mobley, Football, 1991-95
Hometown: Chester, Pa.
Linebacker for the Denver Broncos; won two Super Bowls; highest-ever PSAC draft choice (15th overall)

Michael Pladus, Wrestling/Football, 1976-80
Hometown: Shenandoah, Pa.
Principal, Interboro High School; named 1999 MetLife/National Association of Secondary School Principals National Principal of the Year

Andre Reed, Football, 1981-84
Hometown: Allentown, Pa.
NFL wide receiver; played in four Super Bowls with the Buffalo Bills; played last season with the Washington Redskins

Gus Yatron, Football, 1946-48
Hometown: Reading, Pa.
Retired Pennsylvania Sixth District Representative; served 16 terms from 1969 to 1993

LOCK HAVEN

Julianne Dickson, Field Hockey, Early 1960s
Hometown: Elizabethtown, Pa.
State Farm Insurance branch owner; member of Lancaster (Pa.) City Council

Dan Elby, Football, Early 1970s
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.
Executive director and founder of Alternative Rehabilitation Communities in the York and Harrisburg areas

Dr. Colleen Hacker, Field Hockey/Basketball, Mid-Late 1970s
Hometown: Lititz, Pa.
Assistant dean, Pacific Lutheran University; U.S. Women's Soccer Team Mental Skills Coach (1995-2000); Sports psychology specialist and consultant

Dr. W. Terrell Jones, Football, Early 1970s
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pa.
Vice provost, Pennsylvania State University

Bill Peterson, Football, Mid 1980s
Hometown: Irvona, Pa.
President of NFL Europe

Austin Shanfelter, Wrestling, Late 1970s
Hometown: Hershey, Pa.
President of Shanco Corporation/Amastec Company

Gray Simons, Wrestling, Early 1960s
Hometown: Norfolk, Va.
Head wrestling coach, Old Dominion University; two-time Olympian; National Wrestling Hall of Fame inductee – won seven national titles and six Outstanding Wrestler awards

Sharon E. Taylor, Field Hockey/Basketball, Mid 1960s
Hometown: Coatesville, Pa.
Director of athletics, Lock Haven University; U.S. Field Hockey Association President (2000-2004)

MANSFIELD

Tom Brookens, Baseball, Early 1970s
Hometown: Fayetteville, Pa.
Major league baseball player with the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Cleveland Indians; 12-year starter with Tigers (1984 World Series title)

Joe Ciampi, Basketball, Late 1960s
Hometown: Glen Lyon, Pa.
Head women’s basketball coach, Auburn University; three-time national coach of the year has guided Auburn to three NCAA runner-up finishes

Dick DiBiaso, Basketball, Early 1960s
Hometown: Monessen, Pa.
Head men’s basketball coach at Stanford from 1975-81

George "Doc" Fenton, Baseball/Basketball/Football, Mid 1900s
Hometown: Scranton, Pa.
Caught first forward pass in Mansfield football history; later attended Louisiana State and was eventually inducted into the National Football Foundation College Hall of Fame in 1994

Mike "Gazook" Gazella, Football/Basketball/Baseball, Mid 1910s
Hometown: Olyphant, Pa.
Played baseball for the New York Yankees from 1923-28; Started 44 games at 3B for the 1927 team, considered by many as the greatest baseball team ever

Huhgie "EE-yaw" Jennings, Baseball, 1886
Hometown: Moosic, Pa.
Major League Baseball Hall of Fame manager; compiled 1,163-984 all-time record and managed the Detroit Tigers to World Championships from 1907-09

Joe Shaute, Football/Basketball/Baseball, Late 1910s
Hometown: Peckville, Pa.
Played 13 Major League seasons as a pitcher with the Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers and Cincinnati Reds; 20-game winner in 1924; Mansfield baseball stadium named in his honor

George Woodruff, Baseball, Early 1880s
Hometown: LeRaysville, Pa.
Head college football coach at the University of Pennsylvania (1892-1901), University of Illinois (1904-05) and the Carlisle Indian School; compiled a 142-25-2 record in 12 seasons – third best all-time for coaches with an equal or greater tenure; coached John Heisman, John Outland and Charles Wharton

MILLERSVILLE

Brenda Bannan-Ritland, Lacrosse, Mid 1980s
Hometown: Fairfax, Va.
Professor of instructional technology and scholar, George Mason University; Two-time All-American

Shelly Bowie Bryant, Basketball, Mid 1980s
Hometown: Lexington, Ky.
Social Worker at the University of Kentucky Medical Center’s Heart/Lung/Liver Transplant Unit; doctoral student; all-time leading rebounder and shot blocker at Millersville, and ranks third in scoring

Jeff Bradley, Cross Country/Track & Field, Early 1970s
Hometown: Lancaster, Pa.
Teacher and coach at Hempfield High School; All-American in track and cross country, assistant coach of 1981 NCAA-II national championship team at the 'Ville

John Fox, Basketball, Mid 1980s
Hometown: Red Lion, Pa.
Played professional basketball for 10 seasons in European League; consensus All-American as a senior

Linda Kreiser, Field Hockey, Early 1970s
Hometown: Hummelstown, Pa.
Teacher and field hockey coach at Lower Dauphin High School since 1976; has amassed over 300 wins and multiple state championships; All-American at Millersville

Will Lewis, Football, Late 1970s
Hometown: Seattle, Wash.
Former defensive back in the NFL, USFL and CFL; now holds front-office position with the Seattle Seahawks; All-American at Millersville

Cherie Meiklejohn Spilis, Lacrosse/Field Hockey, Late 1980s
Hometown: Mount Laurel, N.J.
All-American and all-time leading scorer Millersville lacrosse history; now works as a school teacher

John Parker, Basketball, Mid 1950s
Hometown: Gwynedd, Pa.
Former professional basketball player in the Eastern Basketball Alliance; former NBA official; Millersville basketball’s first-ever All-American; has served over 40 years as a teacher and administrator in the Upper Dublin School District

SHIPPENSBURG

Carl Barger, Basketball, 1949-52
Hometown: Lewistown, Pa.
Former president of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Florida Marlins; former managing partner of Eckert, Seamans, Cherin & Mellot, one of the major law firms in Pittsburgh

Don Cunningham, Track & Field, 1984-87
Hometown: Bethlehem, Pa.
Mayor of Bethlehem, Pa.; youngest mayor in the history of the city

Dorothy Fichter-Cross, Field Hockey/Basketball/Lacrosse, 1977-82
Hometown: Norristown, Pa.
Captain of the United States National Lacrosse Team that won the 1990 World Cup

Mary Jo Grove, Basketball, 1966-68
Hometown: Chambersburg, Pa.
Co-owner KGL Skin Study Center

Spencer Keyes, Football/Basketball/Baseball/Track & Field, 1951-55
Hometown: Atlantic Highlands, N.J.
Retired superintendent of schools and retired administrator of the New York State Education Department Division of Civil Rights and International Relations

Robert "Moe" Powell, Football, 1948-49, ’52
Hometown: Hagerstown, Md.
Managing Director of Global Chemical and Maintenance Systems

Gov. Jeanne Shaheen, Basketball, 1965-67
Hometown: Selinsgrove, Pa.
Governor of New Hampshire; first collegiate women's basketball player ever elected governor of a state

Steve Spence, Cross Country/Track & Field, 1980-85
Hometown: Elizabethtown, Pa.
Bronze medalist in the marathon at the 1991 World Championships in Tokyo; U.S. national champion in the marathon and in road racing; 12th in the marathon at the 1992 Olympics; currently serves as head coach of track and field and cross country at Shippensburg

SLIPPERY ROCK

Tom "Tucker" Campion, Track & Field/Soccer, 1976-79
Hometown: Lansdale, Pa.
Retired Navy Seal (20 years); now works for an electronics company; four-time All-America decathlete

Linda Derk, Softball/Basketball, 1984-87
Hometown: Ligonier, Pa.
Head coach of the Women’s Professional Softball League’s Tampa Bay Firestix; 1999 WPSL Coach of the Year

Stan Dziedzic, Wrestling, 1970-73
Hometown: Allentown, Pa.
Olympic bronze medalist in freestyle wrestling (1976) and 1977 World Champion; now works as managing director for the investment firm Lehman Brothers

Brenda Egli, Track & Field, 1983-85
Hometown: Slippery Rock, Pa.
Packaging engineer for Eli Lilly and Company, one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world; All-American in the javelin

Greg Hopkins, Football, 1990-94
Hometown: Nineveh, Pa.
Member of the Albany Firebirds, 1999 Arena League Champions; holds SRU yardage marks for game, season and career

Ricky Porter, Football/Baseball/Track & Field, 1979-82
Hometown: Baltimore, Md.
Director of player development and community relations for the New Orleans Saints; following a five-year NFL playing career, also spent time as an NFL coach and scout

C. Vivian Stringer, Basketball/Field Hockey, 1966-70
Hometown: Edenborn, Pa.
Current head basketball coach at Rutgers University (three Final Four appearances), has also coached at Cheyney University and the University of Iowa; reached 500 wins faster than any other Division I women’s coach

WEST CHESTER

Gwen (Wentz) Alexander '73, Field Hockey/Lacrosse/Basketball, Early 1970s
Goalkeeper for 1984 Olympic Bronze Medal-winning USA Field Hockey Team (only U.S. Field Hockey team ever to win a medal); currently works as a teacher and coach

Linda Hill-MacDonald, Basketball/Field Hockey/Lacrosse, Late 1960s
Hometown: Morton, Pa.
First head coach of WNBA’s Cleveland Rockers; member of first collegiate women’s basketball national championship team in 1969

Cathy Rush, Lacrosse/Gymnastics, Late 1960s
Hometown: West Atlantic, N.J.
Former head women’s basketball coach at Immaculata College; appeared in five national championship games and won an unparalleled three straight; 149-15 career record at Immaculata

Bill Sharp, Track & Field, Mid 1950s
1956 Olympian in the triple jump; once held American Citizen’s record of 52-2 ¼; West Chester’s first track & field All-American

Ralph Tamm, Football/Track & Field, Mid 1980s
Hometown: Bensalem, Pa.
Former NFL offensive lineman; won Super Bowl ring with San Francisco in 1995; also played with the Browns, Redskins, Bengals, Broncos and Chiefs

Marian Washington, Basketball, Late 1960s
Hometown: West Chester, Pa.
Head women’s basketball coach at Kansas University since 1974; 500+ career victories; assistant coach of women’s Olympic Gold Medal team in 1996; member of first collegiate women’s basketball national championship team in 1969

Lee Woodall, Football, Early 1990s
Hometown: Carlisle, Pa.
Pro Bowl linebacker; won Super Bowl ring with San Francisco in 1995, currently plays with the Carolina Panthers

Jerry Yeagley, Soccer, Early 1960s
Hometown: Myerstown, Pa.
Head men’s soccer coach at Indiana University; has led the Hoosiers to five national championship titles in 27 years; member of West Chester’s 1961 national championship squad