PSAC's 50 Greatest Moments

In 2000-01, the PSAC celebrated its 50 Season as an organized conference. To help celebrate the season, the league sports information directors selected the conference's 50 Greatest Moments. They are listed below in chronological order according to the academic calendar.

July 19, 1996 - Edinboro’s Bruce Baumgartner Leads America into Olympic Games

Bruce Baumgartner, then wrestling coach and current director of athletics at Edinboro University, carries the United States flag at the Opening Ceremonies of the Centennial Olympic Games in Atlanta. Chosen by his fellow athletes, Baumgartner led the parade of over 600 Americans into Olympic Stadium as an estimated 3.5 billion viewers watched on television.

At the Games in 1996, he would go on to capture the Bronze Medal, marking his fourth medal in as many Olympics. Baumgartner previously won Gold in 1984 and ’92, and a Silver Medal in ‘88. Considered the greatest amateur heavyweight ever, Baumgartner owns a record 13 World-level medals.

July 31, 1996 - Clarion’s Kurt Angle wins Olympic Gold

Kurt Angle capped off a brilliant amateur wrestling career by winning the gold medal at 220 pounds in Freestyle competition with a 1-1 overtime, referee’s decision over Abbas Jadidi of Iran. Seven thousand fans packed the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, Georgia waving USA Flags. Angle won two NCAA Division I heavyweight titles at Clarion (1990 & 92) and was World Champion in 1995 prior to the Olympic Games.

September 29, 1979 - The Shippensburg Football Team Defeats Slippery Rock, 45-14, before 61,143 Fans in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The game, billed as part of the University of Michigan’s Band Day celebration, gained national attention and was one of the earliest broadcasts by the fledgling ESPN network. Sports Illustrated, the New York Times and the Washington Post, among others staffed the game. Fullback Steve Moskowitz broke the game open early in the first quarter when he ran for touchdowns of 75 and 63 yards. The Red Raiders led 31-0 at halftime before cruising to victory.

October 9, 1954 - The Shippensburg Football Team Claims 20th Straight Victory with 17-13 win at East Stroudsburg.

Shippensburg’s alert defense scored two safeties in a 17-13 win at East Stroudsburg as the Red Raiders overcame an early deficit to win their 20th straight game, establishing the PSAC record for consecutive football victories.

Following the first of two safties scored by Shippensburg, East Stroudsburg kicked from their own 20 and the Red Raiders drove 80 yards to paydirt with Percy Grimes passing to Jim Miller for the final 26 yards and the touchdown, giving SU its first lead. The Red Raiders scored another safety in the third quarter and then a fumble by the Warriors at the Ship 45 set the stage for a 55-yard pass from Grimes to Jim Shumate. The Warriors bounced back with a 55-yard punt return by Charles Shaw but could not narrow the gap any closer.

The streak began with wins in the final two weeks of the 1951 season. Then Charlie Mills returned the opening kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to pace Shippensburg to a 40-0 win over Trenton State in the 1952 season opener on September 27. Shippensburg went 7-0 for the year and averaged 38.0 points per game while allowing just 2.9 points per game. The team returned only nine kickoffs the entire year (it only gave up 20 points all season), and five of them were returned for touchdowns. The Red Raiders would remain undefeated in 1953 with an 8-0 mark and go 7-1 in 1954. The 20-game winning streak compiled from 1951 to 1954 is still the longest in PSAC football history.

October 10, 1998 - Slippery Rock’s Hail Mary Ending Leads to Win over IUP

"The Play" began with a single second left on the N. Kerr Thompson Stadium scoreboard clock with Slippery Rock in a 21-21 deadlock with longtime rival Indiana.

Overtime seemed a certainty until quarterback Randy McKavish threw a 52-yard pass that was deflected by a pair of IUP defenders into the arms of wide receiver D.J. Flick in the back of the end zone. The catch set off a mass celebration both on the field and in the stands.

IUP entered the game undefeated and ranked No. 2 in NCAA Division II while SRU was ranked 10th in the nation. The Rock hadn't defeated the Indians since 1982 prior to the dramatic 27-21 victory. "The Play" was highlighted on ESPN as it was named the "Compaq College Football Offensive Play of the Week".

The play is one of the many highlights of a three-year span of time for The Rock. It helped catapult SRU to its second consecutive PSAC-West title and second consecutive undefeated conference season. The Rock matched both feats again in 1999, and maintains a 21-game regular-season conference winning streak heading into the 2000 campaign. SRU has advanced to the NCAA Division II playoffs in each of the last three seasons.

October 16, 1993 - California Women’s Tennis Claims 50 Straight Victories

The California women’s tennis team won 51 consecutive matches and conference titles in 1991 and ’93. The dominant squad finished as runners-up in 1992. Coached by Rich Sacanni, the team had a number of all-conference players achieving honors in singles and doubles matches and a national finalist, Emma Lin.

October 30, 1994 - Jerry Sheska Doubles Up East Stroudsburg Soccer Titles

ESU head men’s and women’s soccer mentor Jerry Sheska coached both Warrior programs to PSAC titles in one day at a championship doubleheader in Altoona. His men's team beat Lock Haven, 3-1, as All-Americans Mike Feniger and Keith Schlegel both scored goals. His women's squad won the inaugural PSAC title game by edging Bloomsburg, 2-1, on two goals by Karen Hansen. Sheska has gone on to guide the ESU men to seven PSAC soccer titles in eight years from 1992-1999.

November 5, 1995 - Lock Haven Claims Sixth National Title for Retiring Head Coach Sharon Taylor

The Lady Eagle field hockey team defeated Bloomsburg, 1-0, to win its sixth national championship (4 NCAA Division II, 1 AIAW, 1 NCAA Division III) while achieving an unblemished 21-0 record and capturing its seventh PSAC crown in Sharon Taylor's final season as mentor. The 1995 team outscored its opponents, 73-6 and posted 15 shutouts. Taylor would retire with an outstanding 333-96-7 all-time record.

November 6, 1999 - Watts Builds Edinboro Cross Country Juggernaut

Under the direction of head coach Doug Watts, the Edinboro men’s and women’s cross country team continued their dominance of the PSAC and East Region. The men’s team captured the PSAC crown for the 15th time in the last 16 years, while winning the NCAA Division II East Region title for the 14th time in the last 15 years. In his long-standing reign, Watts has guided six men’s teams to national titles – two NAIA (1975 and ’76) and four NCAA (1986-88 and ’90).

On the same date, the women’s team, won the PSAC crown for the sixth time in the 1990s and eighth overall, and won its sixth East Region championship. Watts directed Edinboro to a school-best third-place finish at the 2000 nationals.

November 7, 1999 - Bloomsburg Wins Fourth Straight National Field Hockey Championship

Bridget Heckman and Belinda Price each scored a goal to lift Bloomsburg University to a 2-0 win over Bentley College in the 1999 NCAA Division II Field Hockey Championship game. The win gave the Huskies their fourth straight national championship, the first time at any level of NCAA field hockey that a team had won four consecutive national championships.

November 14, 1981 - Millersville Cross Country Makes Stunning Division II Debut

In its very first semester as an NCAA Division II institution, Millersville earned a national championship as the men's cross country team edged PSAC rival Edinboro by two points to claim the title at Lowell, Mass. Greg Cauller (7th place) and Don Williams (18th place) earned D-II All-American honors in leading Coach Eugene "Cy" Fritz's squad to national glory. It remains the only national title ever won by a Marauder men's squad.

November 14, 1999 - IUP Continues Stellar Football Tradition

On this date, the IUP football team earned its 10th NCAA playoff berth in 13 years under the direction of head coach Frank Cignetti. Included in that span is six semifinal appearances and national championship game appearances in 1990 and 1993.

With 10 appearances in the NCAA Division II football playoffs, IUP ranks behind only North Dakota State and UC-Davis in number of trips to postseason play. Coach Cignetti, who owns a 14-10 record, is the winningest coach in Division II playoff history. The second of those title contests, a 41-34 loss to heavily favored North Alabama on its home field in Florence, was recently selected the second best game in the history of Division II football.

November 19, 1988 - Millersville Football Upends IUP to Advance to Quarterfinals

Millersville's unheralded 1988 football team scored a 27-24 upset over the favored host Indians in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. Luke Hadfield's 34-yard field goal with 42 seconds to play in regulation was the winning score. Cornerback Darren Ryals returned two interceptions for touchdowns (53 and 60 yards) to set a D-II playoff record that still stands. The 'Ville rallied from a 24-17 fourth-quarter deficit to win its first-ever postseason football game and its school-record 10th victory of the season.

The following week, at Fargo, N.D., the Marauders gave national power North Dakota State all it could handle in the quarterfinals, leading 20-7 at halftime and 26-14 after three quarters. However, the Bison rallied with a 22-point fourth period to end MU's season, 36-26. That immortal '88 squad earned the Lambert-Meadowlands Cup, and is still considered by many as the greatest gridiron team of all-time at Millersville.

November 25, 1961 - West Chester Earns Division I Men’s Soccer Crown

The West Chester University men's soccer team won the NCAA Division I Championship by shutting out St. Louis in St. Louis, 2-0. Bill Faulk scored the first goal of the contest, marking the game winner. Goalkeeper Jack Junger was stellar in goal, keeping St. Louis off the scoreboard. West Chester advanced to the title game by knocking off Maryland, 4-2, in the quarterfinals. The Golden Rams never allowed another goal as WCU blanked Bridgeport, 1-0, in the semifinals. In winning the title, the Golden Rams avenged losses in the previous national tournaments. The previous year they had fallen to St. Louis, 2-1, in the semifinals, and in 1959, they lost to Bridgeport in the semifinals, 2-1, in 10 overtimes.

November 28, 1978 - West Chester Claims Fourth Consecutive Field Hockey Title

The West Chester field hockey team captured its fourth straight AIAW Division I National Championship by beating the University of Delaware, 3-0. The Golden Rams won the first four AIAW Field Hockey crowns (1975-78), finishing their run with a 20-1-2 season in 1978. The four-game tournament featured WCU beating Central Washington, 13-0, in the opening round. In the quarterfinals, the Golden Rams slipped by Virginia, 2-1, in overtime, before shutting out San Jose State, 1-0, in the semis. From mid-October of 1974 through October of 1978, the Golden Rams had gone 70 consecutive games without suffering a loss. WCU gave up just nine goals in 1978 - three in a 3-1 loss to Penn State. WCU then beat Princeton, Rutgers, Delaware and Temple in the EAIAW Regional to advance to the nationals. During WCU's four-year run, the Golden Rams were 32-0 in postseason play and allowed just 12 goals. From 1975-78, WCU posted a 71-1-9 record, outscoring its opponents, 257-35.

November 28, 1981 - Shippensburg Earns PSAC’s First NCAA Postseason Football Victory

The Shippensburg University football team upset second-ranked Virginia Union, 40-27, in the NCAA Division II quarterfinals. The Red Raiders became the first PSAC team to ever win an NCAA postseason game.

The big play of the contest was a 78-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Tim Ebersole to flanker Ed Noon for a touchdown. The victory gave Shippensburg the Lambert Cup, which went to the top Division I-AA or II team in the East. The Red Raiders were the last Division II team to ever win the Lambert Cup under the shared system between Division I-AA and II teams, as a separate trophy for Division II was created the following year.

November 29, 1980 - Lock Haven Wins Third National Soccer Title in Four Seasons

Bald Eagle soccer reached the program’s pinnacle by winning the NCAA Division II crown in its first season of competition since moving from Division III. A 1-0 victory over Florida International in the title game capped off a perfect 21-0 campaign. The impeccable record still stands today as the best undefeated record of any Division I or Division II men's soccer program. The 1980 championship marked the third national crown in four years for The Haven, which is the first team in Division III history to win back-to-back national titles.

December 1, 1979 - Shippensburg Earns Field Hockey’s National Championship

The Lady Raiders earned the crown at the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW) Division III National Field Hockey Championship by defeating Franklin & Marshall, 1-0, before 3,000 fans in Princeton, New Jersey.

Early in the first half Sue Rhodes made a centering pass to Synda Kline who scored the only goal of the game. Shippensburg had a 16-5 edge in shots on goal during the contest. Dorothy Fichter was the national AIAW Division III Player of the Year. She led Shippensburg during the season with 17 goals en route to the team’s 16-2-3 overall mark.

December 12, 1997 - Bloomsburg’s Irv Sigler Wins Harlon Hill Award

After becoming one of the few running backs in NCAA football history to average more than 200 yards per game in a season, Irv Sigler was named the winner of the 1997 Harlon Hill Award as the NCAA Division II College Football Player of the Year. Sigler averaged 203.9 yards per game in 1997 and scored 20 touchdowns. He finished his career as the all-time rushing leader in PSAC history with 5,034 yards. One of five finalists from the PSAC in the past 12 years, Sigler remains distinguished as the conference’s only Harlon Hill Award winner.

December 13, 1952 - Clarion Wins Lions Bowl

Clarion won the Lions Bowl football game over East Carolina, 13-6, to cap the school’s first undefeated football season at 9-0. The game was played in Salisbury, North Carolina. Quarterback Dave Bevevino tossed a 39-yard touchdown pass to future NFL All-Pro Alex Sandusky. The game winner was a 7-yard run by George Czap in the third quarter, breaking a 6-6 tie.

February 18, 1989 - Clarion Men Win 19th Straight Conference Swimming and Diving Championship

The Clarion men’s swimming and diving team won its 19th straight PSAC Team Championship by posting 641.5 points. In earning the title, the Golden Eagle men outdistanced Shippensburg by nearly 80 points. The streak, which started in 1971, is a record for a PSAC men’s program in any sport, and at the time, was the longest for an NCAA Men’s Swimming and Diving program.

February 21, 1998 - Clarion Women Win 23rd Straight Conference Swimming and Diving Championship

Starting in 1976, the Clarion women won the first 23 PSAC Swimming and Diving Championships straight through to 1998. At the time, the record for conference supremacy is the longest by any women’s Division II program regardless of sport or Division. During that streak Clarion won eight Division II national championships - 1977, 78, 80, 81, 82, 83, 84 and 86 - in a 10-year span. The Golden Eagles’ championship run remains the longest by any sport program in the PSAC.

February 28, 1987 - Millersville Sweeps Conference Basketball Titles

In the afternoon, the Millersville women's basketball team wins its second PSAC title, 56-55, over Lock Haven, at Bloomsburg. That evening, moments before the Marauder men tip off their quest for the PSAC hoops crown vs. California, the victorious women march into Pucillo Gymnasium hoisting the conference trophy inspiring the men’s team to follow in their footsteps. The partisan crowd, already excited in anticipation of the men's "State Game," goes wild. The 'Ville men cagers oblige and capture their first PSAC tournament title, 100-94. The sweep marks the last time that a school’s men’s and women’s teams won PSAC basketball crowns in the same year.

March 1, 1997 - Mansfield Earns Basketball Crowns in Four Different Decades

Mansfield becomes the only school in the PSAC to win men's basketball championships in the 1960s, 70s, 80s and 90s with a 94-80 win over Clarion in the PSAC Championship game at MU's Decker Gymnasium. More than 2,000 fans see Lou Judson score 34 points in that game as the Mountaineers finish the season with a school record 26-4 mark. The Mountaineers averaged 96.6 points per game during the 1996-97 season.

March 3, 1961 - Mansfield Becomes Pioneers of Men’s Basketball Championships

Davy Russell scores a game-high 31 points to lead Mansfield to a 97-87 victory over Indiana in the first PSAC Men's Basketball Championship game at Williamsport, Pa. Mansfield rallies from a 45-44 halftime deficit before 1,800 fans by hitting 15 of 21 free throws in the second half. The Mountaineers improve to 19-0 with the win and would finish 20-1 with the only loss coming in the NAIA Regional Championship game. Mansfield would appear in the first four PSAC Championship games, winning three of them.

March 3, 1984 - Mansfield Captures Only 14-Team PSAC Men’s Hoops Tournament

In the first and only time the PSAC Men’s Basketball Championship Tournament includes all 14 teams, the Mansfield Mountaineers win their 5th PSAC title with a 61-54 win over Bloomsburg at Hershey, Pa. The Mountaineers reached the final game after posting wins over Shippensburg, Millersville and Clarion to set up the championship game with Bloomsburg and go on to a 26-6 record.

March 8, 1997 - Edinboro Wins Women’s Basketball Regional in Dramatic Fashion

Meghan Miller’s jumper with three seconds remaining propels Edinboro to a 70-68 win over High Point in the championship game of the NCAA Division II East Regional. The Fighting Scots trailed by eight with just over five minutes remaining, but rallied to tie the game and force an extra session. Miller led the sixth-seeded Fighting Scots with a game-high 23 points, helping them carry on the stellar tradition of PSAC women’s basketball by advancing to the Elite Eight for the first time in school history. Miller and teammate Heather Gates were named to the regional all-tournament team.

March 9, 1974 - Bloomsburg’s Hitchcock Wins National Wrestling Title – Named Outstanding Wrestler

Floyd "Shorty" Hitchcock capped one of the best seasons ever in Bloomsburg University wrestling history by beating Mel Renfro of Washington, 10-4, for the 177-pound title at the NCAA Division I Championships. Hitchcock not only won the national championship, but was also named the tournament’s most outstanding wrestler, a feat he also accomplished at the Division II Championships a week earlier. For the year, Hitchcock finished with a record of 34-2-2, including 24 pins. Hitchcock is still a part of the PSAC today, as head coach of Millersville’s wrestling program.

March 9, 1990 - East Stroudsburg Goes Extra Sessions to Win Men’s Conference Basketball Honors

Keith Fisher drilled in a 13-foot jump shot from the right wing with three seconds left in overtime as East Stroudsburg stunned host Slippery Rock, 103-102, in the PSAC semifinals. The Rock came into the contest ranked second in the nation with a 23-3 record. Coach Sal Mentesana's team went on to win the school's first PSAC basketball title by beating Millersville, 108-102, in double overtime in the finals as center Jonathan Roberts (2,218 career points and 1,247 career rebounds) made a three-point play to break a tie. One week later in the NCAA Division II Tournament, the Warriors beat Slippery Rock again, 99-98, rallying from an 18-point deficit in the second half behind Roberts' 34 points.

March 10, 1973 - Clarion Wrestling Earns Three Individual National Championships

Clarion’s Division I wrestling team crowns three individual national champions, the most of any team at the 1973 national championships. Champions were Wade Schalles, Bill Simpson and Don Rohn as the Golden Eagles placed fourth in team scoring. It also gave Clarion five NCAA champions in two years (Garry Barton & Schalles won in 1972) and stamped the Golden Eagles as a Division I power under coach Bob Bubb.

March 11, 2000 - Slippery Rock Garners School’s First Women’s Basketball Regional Championship

Slippery Rock’s victory over Millersville was the summit of an NCAA East Region Women’s Basketball Tournament in which The Rock advanced to its first-ever NCAA Elite Eight.

A week earlier, the trip had seemed unlikely after The Rock had been quickly bounced out of the PSAC postseason tournament in the first round by IUP, 63-58. But after receiving an at-large bid to the East Regional as the No. 5 seed, SRU headed to Shippensburg University, site of the tournament, on a mission of redemption.

The Rock defeated No. 4 seed Belmont-Abbey, 93-77, and No. 1 seed Shippensburg, 74-65, setting up the title game with Millersville. The East Region championship was clinched when SRU knocked off Millersville, 65-45. The Rock displayed their tremendous endurance, playing their third game in three days, and running out to a 35-19 halftime advantage against the Marauders. Junior center Tracy Whitling was named the tournament MVP. The Rock finished the season 23-7, marking the most successful season in the history of SRU women’s basketball.

March 18, 1978 - Cheyney Men’s Basketball Team Wins National Championship

The Cheyney men's basketball team, under the direction of current Temple University head coach John Chaney, wins the NCAA Division II National Championship, 47-40, over the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Wolves would make a repeat trip to the national semifinals the following year, eventually capturing third-place trophy. The national title is the only one by a PSAC school in men’s basketball.

March 18, 1989 - East Stroudsburg’s Cuvo Excels as Back-to-Back National Wrestling Champion

Jack Cuvo beat Doug Wyland of North Carolina, 10-8, in the 118-pound finals to win his second straight NCAA Division I wrestling title and complete his second consecutive unbeaten season in the national tournament in Oklahoma City. Cuvo was 45-0 as a senior and 43-0 as a junior to give him 89 straight victories. His career record was 164-7. He never lost a dual match, going 73-0 in that type of competition. He won three PSAC and three EIWA titles, and was named the outstanding wrestler in the 1989 PSAC Championship Tournament.

March 21, 1987 - Bloomsburg Wrestler Ricky Bonomo Earns Third Straight NCAA Title

Ricky Bonomo won an 8-4 decision over Jim Martin of Penn State giving Bonomo the NCAA Division I 118-pound weight class championship. The championship was the third straight Division I title for Bonomo, just the second wrestler in PSAC history to win three straight national championships. Bonomo finished the 1996-97 season with a 28-2 record and went 116-12-3 throughout his distinguished career.

March 21, 1996 - Shippensburg Starts PSAC Women’s Hoops Dominance With NCAA Title Game Appearance

Shippensburg upsets second-ranked Abilene Christian, 84-81, in the NCAA Division II women’s basketball semifinals to advance to the national championship game in Fargo, North Dakota. Guards Tracy Spencer and Melissa Swartz scored 26 points and 23 points, respectively, and center Anne Svensson scored 13 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. The Lady Raiders became the first and the only PSAC team to date, to advance to the NCAA final four and the national championship game.

Shippensburg began its current streak of five consecutive PSAC championships in 1996. Ashley Totedo, only the seventh player in Division II history to be named first team All-America three years in a row, played a key role in the first four. The fifth crown was won on March 4, 2000 with an 83-57 win over Millersville in the title game. Point guard Julie Sutch hit eight three-pointers en route to a game-high 31 points.

March 22, 1969 - West Chester Wins First Ever National Women’s Basketball Championship

Under the leadership of its coach Dr. Carol Eckman, West Chester hosted and won the first National Women’s Basketball Championship in Hollinger Field House. The three-day tournament featured 16 teams, mostly Division I institutions by today’s standards. The event was a watershed mark for women’s basketball, eventually leading to the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championships and the WNBA.

March 22, 1997 - Lock Haven Wrestler Cary Kolat Heads Bald Eagle All-Americans with Second Straight National Crown

LHU wrestler Cary Kolat wins his second consecutive NCAA Division I national title with a 6-2 victory over Indiana University's Roger Chandler. His win set the stage for a school-record five Bald Eagle wrestlers earning All-America honors as Team Lock Haven rolled to a fifth-place finish, its best performance ever at the national meet. Joining Kolat as All-Americans were Terry Showalter, Mike Rogers, Brian Leitzel and Mike Geurin.

March 24, 1962 - Lock Haven’s Gray Simons Wins Seventh National Title

LHU wrestler Elliot "Gray" Simons defeated Oklahoma State's Mark McCracken, 7-2, in the NCAA Division I National Championship bout to capture his unprecedented seventh national title (3 NCAA, 4 NAIA) and sixth Outstanding Wrestler Award, helping put Lock Haven on the map as Mat-Town U.S.A. During his career at LHU, Simons assembled a phenomenal string of 84 consecutive match victories, and was the first wrestler from the PSAC to win three NCAA Division I titles.

March 26, 1982 - Cheyney Women’s Basketball Earns Runner-up Finish in First Ever NCAA I Championship

The Cheyney women's basketball team defeats the University of Maryland to earn a berth in the finals of the first ever NCAA Division I women's basketball tournament. The Lady Wolves end up falling to Louisiana Tech, 76-62, in the first-ever NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Championship. Cheyney posted an impressive 8-3 record in NCAA I tournament play from 1982-84, and were dominant in conference play, winning the first four PSAC titles from 1980-83.

March 27, 1992 - California Men’s Basketball Team Makes Title Run

Coach Jim Boone guided California to a Final Four appearance in Springfield, Mass. The Vulcans defeated South Dakota State in the first round of the "Elite Eight" before losing an exciting one-point game to Bridgewater State. Finishing with a 31-2 season record, the Vulcans put together a 29-game winning streak and were ranked No. 1 in the country at the end of the regular season.

The 1991-92 Vulcans were the first PSAC-West team to win an NCAA regional and advance to the national tournament. Coach Boone was named the 1992 NABC East Region Coach of the Year. He would direct the Vulcans back to the Final Four again in 1995-96.

April 2, 1977 - Clarion Claims Back-to-Back Division I Women’s Gymnastic Titles

The Clarion women’s gymnastics team won its second straight Division I national championship with a Division I record 147.80 team score. Clarion’s 1976 Olympian Carrie Englert scored a perfect 10.0 in the floor exercise, the first perfect score by a United States Collegiate Gymnast. Coach Ernestine Weaver led the Golden Eagles to a regular-season dual record of 12-0. Clarion was riding a 40-match winning streak, including five straight undefeated seasons.

April 20, 1996 - Kutztown’s Mobley Selected in the First Round of the NFL Draft

John Mobley becomes the PSAC’s highest-ever NFL Draft Choice when he is taken 15th overall by the Denver Broncos. Now in the prime of his NFL career, Mobley has gone on to win two Super Bowl rings with the Broncos, and along with Andre Reed, he has extended Kutztown’s streak of 26 straight seasons of representation in the NFL.

April 20, 1997 - Bloomsburg’s Hutchinson Earns 1,000th Career Victory

Marcie Hickey and Jody Barksdale each had two hits to lead the Bloomsburg University softball team to a 6-0 win over Dowling College. The win was the 1,000th in the coaching career of Jan Hutchinson combining her wins in field hockey and softball. Hutchinson became the first woman coach in NCAA history to ever reach the 1,000-win plateau. She entered the 2000-01 seasons with 1,185 victories.

May 6, 1998 - West Chester Reaches Heights of Women’s Lacrosse Dominance

The West Chester women’s lacrosse team became the first and only Division II program ever selected to compete in the predominantly Division I Women’s National Lacrosse Championship. The Golden Rams would repeat the honor in 1999 and finish out the millennium by claiming their 13th PSAC crown in 13 years in the league.

May 13, 2000 - Kutztown’s Track & Field Teams Sweep PSAC Championships

The Golden Bear programs became the first track & field teams to sweep the conference championships since Shippensburg accomplished the feat in 1993. It marked the first time in school history that both teams won the titles in the same season and capped a six-year span in which KU Head Coach Brian Mondschein guided his teams to a combined 10 ECAC indoor and PSAC outdoor titles.

May 19, 1998 - California Wins Back-to-Back National Softball Championships

The California softball team, under head coach Rick Bertagnolli, won back-to-back national championships in 1997 (53-5) and 1998 (47-7). In 1997, the team went 5-0 in the tournament, establishing themselves as the first-ever undefeated team in national D-II tournament play. The Lady Vulcans followed that performance by winning the title again in 1998. Third baseman Lith Webb was named an All-American for the fourth consecutive year, and in 1998, Danielle Penner was named NCAA Female Athlete of the Year and received the Honda/Broderick Award. Rick Bertagnolli was named the NFCA Coach of the Year in 1997 and 1998. Despite other finals appearances, California remains the PSAC’s only national softball champion.

May 21, 1986 - IUP’s Tammy Donnelly Wins National Title in the 10,000 Meters

Tammy Donnelly won the NCAA Division II title in the 10,000-meter run at the national championship meet in Los Angeles, coming in 200 yards ahead of her nearest competitor and also defeating the 1985 cross country national champion. Her achievement remains the only such NCAA milestone by an IUP woman. Donnelly has gone on to achieve acclaim as a standout marathon runner throughout the world.

May 21, 1989 - Bloomsburg’s Billone Earns National Tennis Title

When Mark Billone posted a 6-1, 7-6 win over Innocent Modica of Hampton, he became the first player in Bloomsburg and PSAC history to win an NCAA Division II Tennis Championship. Billone breezed through the Division II championships by winning six matches in straight sets and thus qualified for a trip to the NCAA Division I championship. Billone dropped his only match at the Division I championships and finished the year with a record of 39-14.

May 30,1992 - Mansfield Plays in Division II Baseball Championship Game

Mansfield becomes the first and only Northern baseball team to play in the NCAA Division II national championship game. After going 3-0, including a 6-2 win over Shippensburg in the PSAC Championship game, Mansfield would again defeat Shippensburg for the regional crown to advance to the NCAA Division II World Series in Montgomery. The Mountaineers won their opener and then beat Cal-Poly SLO, the No. 1-ranked team in the country, in two of three games to advance to the title game against the University of Tampa. After getting off to a 4-0 lead in the first inning, Mansfield would fall, 11-8. The Mountaineers ended the year ranked 2nd in the nation. Mansfield won 30 of its final 35 games in posting a 39-12 record while Tony Gulacy hit safely in the last 27 games of the season.

June 7, 1968 - IUP Golf Team Wins NAIA Championship

The IUP golf team traveled to Bemidji, Minnesota, in the spring of 1968 and captured the NAIA national title in what remains the only team championship for the Indians in either the NAIA or the NCAA. IUP won the tournament by 30 strokes, with Rick Hrip winning the individual championship, in one of the top performances ever by a Northern team in the event. Since joining the NCAA, the Indian golf team has won 18 PSAC crowns, qualified for 23 national tournaments and finished as high as third in 1982.