14th W&J Athletic Hall of Fame class announced
Washington & Jefferson College will induct five new members into the school’s Athletic Hall of Fame.
The 2012 class, which will be the 14th group inducted, features William E. “Bill” Amos (Robert M. Murphy Award Winner/football), Brian Dawson (football), Rafael Perez Mendez (swimming and diving), Kelley Ryan (women’s basketball) and Vicki Staton (women’s volleyball and basketball coach).
The induction ceremony will take place Sept. 7 in the Rossin Campus Center Allen Ballroom at 6 p.m. The 2012 induction class also will be recognized at halftime of the Presidents’ football game against St. John Fisher Sept. 8 at Cameron Stadium.
Amos 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 a 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 (Oct. 25, 1930 in Atlantic City, N.J.). Amos also was 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.
Dawson rewrote the W&J football record book as the Presidents’ starting quarterback from 1999-2002. He remains as the school’s career passing leader with 10,257 yards, 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 career yards. A 2001 All-American, Dawson threw 100 touchdown passes and was twice selected as the Presidents’ Athletic Conference MVP.
Rafael Perez Mendez was one of the most talented swimmers in W&J history. He won five PAC championships, including four individual events. The 1989 team Most Valuable Swimmer, Perez-Mendez set 12 school records during his three years on the squad and led W&J to 27 dual-meet victories. As a senior, Perez-Mendez was the 100 and 200 breaststroke conference champion and led the 200 freestyle relay to a title.
Ryan led W&J to its first appearance in the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament during her senior season, when she was named the PAC’s 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. A 5-7 guard, Ryan set the school’s single-game, three-point record in 1995 when she made seven threes against Frostburg State.
Staton has been a woman associated with W&J athletics for nearly four decades. Staton spent 28 seasons as head volleyball coach and her teams accumulated 367 victories. Staton also directed the women’s basketball program for 25 seasons and had a 279-227 record. Staton’s volleyball squads won five PAC titles (1994, ’96, ’97, ’98 and ’99) and two ECAC South Region Championships (1996 and ’97). She was the PAC Volleyball Coach of the Year five times. Staton’s basketball teams won eight Pennwood Athletic Conference championships, three PAC titles and an ECAC Southern Division championship. W&J also made two NCAA Division III tournament appearances during her tenure.
The 2012 class, which will be the 14th group inducted, features William E. “Bill” Amos (Robert M. Murphy Award Winner/football), Brian Dawson (football), Rafael Perez Mendez (swimming and diving), Kelley Ryan (women’s basketball) and Vicki Staton (women’s volleyball and basketball coach).
The induction ceremony will take place Sept. 7 in the Rossin Campus Center Allen Ballroom at 6 p.m. The 2012 induction class also will be recognized at halftime of the Presidents’ football game against St. John Fisher Sept. 8 at Cameron Stadium.
Amos 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 a 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 (Oct. 25, 1930 in Atlantic City, N.J.). Amos also was 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.
Dawson rewrote the W&J football record book as the Presidents’ starting quarterback from 1999-2002. He remains as the school’s career passing leader with 10,257 yards, 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 career yards. A 2001 All-American, Dawson threw 100 touchdown passes and was twice selected as the Presidents’ Athletic Conference MVP.
Rafael Perez Mendez was one of the most talented swimmers in W&J history. He won five PAC championships, including four individual events. The 1989 team Most Valuable Swimmer, Perez-Mendez set 12 school records during his three years on the squad and led W&J to 27 dual-meet victories. As a senior, Perez-Mendez was the 100 and 200 breaststroke conference champion and led the 200 freestyle relay to a title.
Ryan led W&J to its first appearance in the NCAA Division III women’s basketball tournament during her senior season, when she was named the PAC’s 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. A 5-7 guard, Ryan set the school’s single-game, three-point record in 1995 when she made seven threes against Frostburg State.
Staton has been a woman associated with W&J athletics for nearly four decades. Staton spent 28 seasons as head volleyball coach and her teams accumulated 367 victories. Staton also directed the women’s basketball program for 25 seasons and had a 279-227 record. Staton’s volleyball squads won five PAC titles (1994, ’96, ’97, ’98 and ’99) and two ECAC South Region Championships (1996 and ’97). She was the PAC Volleyball Coach of the Year five times. Staton’s basketball teams won eight Pennwood Athletic Conference championships, three PAC titles and an ECAC Southern Division championship. W&J also made two NCAA Division III tournament appearances during her tenure.
posted by Chris Dugan at
4/20/2012 05:58:00 PM
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