WEST CHESTER, Pa. – West Chester University announced its athletics hall of fame Class of 2012, which will be honored at the annual hall of fame banquet on Saturday, Sept. 8 at Wyndham Gardens Exton Valley Forge.
The class of seven individuals and the 1969 women’s basketball national championship team will also be introduced at halftime of West Chester’s football game against Gannon University that same afternoon.
The Class of 2012 consists of four women and three men, who have helped shape the storied tradition of excellence within West Chester University’s athletic history spanning five decades. Additionally, 1969 West Chester State College women’s basketball squad will be honored.
The induction ceremony, set to take place on Saturday, Sept. 8, 2012, at the Wyndham Gardens Exton Valley Forge (formerly the Inn at Chester Springs) on N Pottstown Pike in Exton, Pa., brings the West Chester University Athletics Hall of Fame total number of honorees to 351 plus four teams.
This year’s class is comprised of
Diane Burkett (’97),
Betty Costanza (’69),
Joe Elwell (’71),
Bill Krauss (’70),
Colleen McNamara (’90),
Tim Murphy (’79) and
Kim Rochon (’01). Also earning induction into the West Chester University Athletics Hall of Fame is the 1969 women’s basketball squad that won the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (CIAW) National Invitational Intercollegiate national championship with a 65-39 victory over Western Carolina University in the title game.
Also being honored for their distinguished contributions to West Chester University and West Chester athletics are
Jen O’Donnell and
Tom DiCamillo. O’Donnell will receive the Addy Kelly Award while DiCamillo will be awarded the Bill Van Sant Award.
The West Chester University Athletics Hall of Fame was created in 2000 when three of the five existing halls of fame (Baseball, Wrestling, Women’s Athletics) were merged under one umbrella. The Killinger Foundation (Football) and Messikomer Foundation (Men’s Basketball) still operate separately, but inductees into those halls of fame are included in the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame.
The introduction of the Class of 2012 marks the end of a lengthy selection process that began during the winter. A 10-member selection committee representing athletic administrators and current head coaches, former West Chester University athletes and Rams’ Athletic Association members began the process of developing a workable list from the hundreds of athletes nominated. Only athletes that graduated from WCU were considered and only those 10 years removed from their playing days were eligible.
In addition, the selection committee followed a charter, established to support the West Chester University Athletics Hall of Fame that profiled a myriad of strict eligibility requirements for former athletes, coaches and administrators to be considered. "Primary" consideration for election to the WCU Athletics Hall of Fame was granted to accomplishments during an individual's tenure as an athlete, coach or administrator while at West Chester University. Honors attained or accomplishments that pre- or post-dated a candidate’s time at West Chester University were granted "secondary" consideration.
Once the selection committee comprised its recommended list, the names were forwarded to Director of Athletics, Dr. Edward M. Matejkovic, for his review and official ratification.
WEST CHESTER UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS HALL OF FAME CLASS OF 2012
1969 Women’s Basketball Team
West Chester University’s women’s basketball squad finished off an undefeated season with a 56-39 victory over Western Carolina in the National Invitational Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game at Hollinger Field House sponsored by the Commission on Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (CIAW). The event marked the very first national championship end-of-season tournament for college women’s basketball and was organized by West Chester University head coach Carol Eckman. Only four of West Chester’s 10 opponents reached 40 points against the Golden Rams’ defense. Co-captains Pat Ferguson and Diane Wright led a starting five that consisted of all seniors and juniors. Along the way, West Chester defeated fellow state schools East Stroudsburg (twice) and Lock Haven.
1969 Schedule/Results (9-0-1)
Opponent Result Opponent Result
Gettysburg W, 67-39 Ursinus W, 60-40
East Stroudsburg W, 86-20 Glassboro St. W, 66-32
Ursinus W, 50-47 Northeastern^ W, 79-33
Southern Conn. St. W, 49-47 Lynchburg^ W, 53-28
East Stroudsburg W, 47-41 Iowa^ W, 70-30
Lock Haven W, 59-33 Western Carolina^ W, 56-39
^ CIAW National Invitational Tournament (West Chester, Pa.)
Diane Burkett – (Class of ’97)
Women’s Swimming
A four-time All-American at the 1995 NCAA Division II Women’s Swimming Championships, Diane Burkett eventually became the school’s first national champion in 1997 and is still considered by many today to be one of the top female swimmers to come out of West Chester University. She earned the PSAC Female Swimmer of the Year award in both 1995 and 1996 and walked away with the WCU Female Athlete of the Year award in 1997. She currently holds the second-fastest time in the 200-yard backstroke at West Chester University. In addition, she holds the sixth-fastest time in the 400 individual medley, the seventh-fastest time in the 100 backstroke, and the eighth fastest time in the 200 IM, at West Chester University.
Betty Costanza (Class of ’69)
Women’s Track and Field
One of West Chester University’s most successful track & field athletes, Betty Costanza was nationally ranked in the pentathlon and competed in both AAU National Pentathlon Championships and the 1964 U.S. Olympic Trials. Following her personal competition in the sport, Costanza started the University of Pennsylvania track & field program from scratch in 1976, serving as the Quakers’ head coach until her retirement in 2002. During her coaching tenure, Costanza coached Penn to 10 Big Five championships, and a number of her athletes saw personal success on the track, including Jan PhengLaOr, who became Penn’s first Olympian, and Chris Lundy, who was the Quakers’ first three-time distance All-American in 1992. Outside of her coaching, Costanza chaired both the Heptagonal Games Association and the NCAA Division I Track & Field Coaches Association. She also authored a book, titled
Women’s Track and Field. Costanza was inducted in to the University of Pennsylvania Athletics Hall of Fame in 2008.
JOE ELWELL (Class of ’71)
Men’s Soccer
A four-year letterwinner for West Chester University’s men’s soccer team, Joe Elwell was integral in the success of the University’s soccer team in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s. A two-time All-American, Elwell participated on both the 1967 and 1968 teams that reached the NCAA Tournament. West Chester University authored a record of 32-11-7 and reached the national tournament twice. In 1968, the Golden Rams’ captain was named an alternate for the U.S. Olympic team.
Elwell also received accolades from the Delaware County newspapers for his athletic abilities, being named “Soccer Player of the Millennium.” In addition, he received the honor of induction into the Delaware County Chapter of the Pennsylvania State Athletic Hall of Fame. Following his soccer career, Elwell served for 36 years as a teacher and coach at Germantown Academy, as well as serving for 35 years as the chairperson of the Physical Education Department for Germantown Academy. Elwell also played professionally for a brief period of time in the American Soccer League (ASL).
BILL KROUSE (Class of ’70)
Men’s Track and Field
A former record-holder in numerous sprint events, Bill Krouse led the West Chester University Track & Field team to back-to-back team titles at the MAC Championships in both 1969 and 1970. Krouse set the record for the 100-yard dash while competing at the U.S. Track & Field Championships his senior year. At the Middle Atlantic AAU Championship, Krouse was a member of the 440 and 880-yard relays which set West Chester University records. During his collegiate career, he lost only once in the 100 and 220-yard sprints against conference competition.
Following his college career, Krouse taught and coached for 34 years at Red Lion High School. In 1988, he was named the Pennsylvania Elementary Physical Education Teacher of the Year. Krouse expanded his coaching expertise to the softball field, taking the Red Lion girl’s softball squad to Pennsylvania State Championships in 1980, 1981, 1984, and 1987. In addition to his success at the state level, Krouse’s teams also saw success at the county and district levels, earning a number of championships. Krouse also accepted the role of Community Recreation Director at Red Lion.
COLLEEN MCNAMARA (Class of ’90)
Women’s Basketball
One of West Chester’s top point guards during her career, Colleen McNamara graduated as the school’s all-time career assist leader with 509 – a record that still stands today. She also held the school’s three top positions for assists in a single game, upon her graduation, which includes the current single-game assist record of 14 versus Immaculata. McNamara was named the team’s captain her senior year.
Currently a member of the Collegium Charter School in Exton, Pa, McNamara has 15 years of teaching experience in the field of Health and Physical Education. In 2000, she earned her master’s degree in Sports Administration from West Chester University. McNamara was awarded the Dr. Ben Champion Education Award from The Pathway School in 2002, and between 1998 and 2008, she was a Sports Instructor for Downingtown Area Recreation, which included a beginner’s basketball class for children 5-12 years old. She is currently affiliated with PSAPHERD (Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance).
TIM MURPHY (Class of ’79)
Men’s Swimming
A former team captain for West Chester University’s men’s swimming team, Tim Murphy helped the Golden Rams finish in the top half of team standings at the PSAC Championships his junior and senior seasons. Upon graduation, he got his start in the coaching field while serving as an assistant coach at West Chester University while earning his master’s degree.
Today, Murphy is widely considered one of college swimming’s most successful Division I head coaches at Harvard University where he has won six Eastern Intercollegiate Swimming League (EISL) titles and authored a 111-11 overall record over the past 14 years. He has mentored over 22 All-Americans while many of his pupils have gone on to compete at the Olympics, World University Games, Pan-Pacific and Pan-Am Games. This past summer, Murphy was selected to coach the U.S. national men’s open water team at the 2012 Olympic Games in London. He is a 10-time recipient of the American coaches Certificate of Excellence. Murphy currently holds a seat on the OIOC committee for USA Swimming as well as serving as vice-president of the American Swimming Coaches Association Board of Directors.
KIM ROCHON (Class of ’01)
Field Hockey, Women’s Lacrosse
One of the finest all-around female athletes to come out of West Chester University, Kim Rochon received a myriad of awards during a decorated four-year playing career. As a member of WCU’s Division I field hockey squad, she scored 190 goals while posting 223 career points. She helped the Golden Rams to back-to-back regular-season titles in the Atlantic-10 while earning the conference player of the year award in 1999. On the lacrosse pitch, Rochon was a two-time IWLCA All-America selection and two-time Division II Attacker of the Year.
Rochon also excelled in the classroom where she was a GTE Academic All-America pick in 2000. She is the only West Chester University athlete to win the school’s student-athlete of the year award and athlete of the year award, for a grand total of four major awards, in back-to-back years. She was also named a member of the NFHCA all-academic squad on two separate occasions.
