Athletics at W&J
Determination. Founded Here.
The W&J Student-Athlete Experience W&J Athletics is a vital component of the student experience. Nearly half of the student body competes in a varsity sport, and our culture of teamwork, success, and commitment is fundamental to campus life. Through our varsity programs, we have produced extraordinary opportunities for studentathletes to achieve goals, develop leadership skills, and grow through competition.
Our Teams
Men’s Sports
W&J sponsors 26 NCAA Division III varsity sports and competes primarily in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC).
Football
Baseball Basketball Cross Country Golf Lacrosse Soccer Swimming & Diving Tennis Track & Field Water Polo Wrestling
While our rich history of athletic success demonstrates our dedication to sports, it’s our commitment to developing every aspect of a student-athlete that makes our program stand apart. Because at W&J, you’re not just an athlete; you’re a studentathlete. Coaches aren’t just coaches, but mentors, who will work with your faculty and student advisors to ensure your success in competition and in the classroom.
Women’s Sports Basketball Cross Country Field Hockey
The value of sports goes beyond wins or losses. You’ll compete at the national level in state-of-the-art facilities. You’ll also learn leadership skills through every practice, game, and interaction with your teammates and coaches.
Golf Lacrosse Soccer Softball
At W&J, we thrive together.
Swimming & Diving
— Scott McGuinness | W&J Athletic Director
Peyton Eckenrode | IF
Tennis Track & Field Volleyball Water Polo
Presidents’ Athletic Conference W&J has been a member of the PAC since 1958. The PAC is unique in the NCAA Division III landscape because all ten full-time members are within a two-hour radius in the tri-state region. This short distance between schools reduces class conflicts on road trips and allows families to be able to attend more games than most NCAA conferences.
Savannah Keough | IF/OF
Our Conference
PAC Members •
Bethany College (W.Va.), Bethany, W.Va.
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Chatham University, Pittsburgh, Pa.
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Franciscan University, Steubenville, Ohio
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Geneva College, Beaver Falls, Pa.
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Grove City College, Grove City, Pa.
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Saint Vincent College, Latrobe, Pa.
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Thiel College, Greenville, Pa.
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Washington & Jefferson College, Washington, Pa.
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Waynesburg University, Waynesburg, Pa.
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Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pa.
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Allegheny College, Meadville, Pa — will become member in 2022-23
PAC Affiliate Members •
Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pa. (Football only)
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Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio (Football only)
NCAA Division III More than 180,000 student-athletes at 450 institutions make up Division III, the largest NCAA division both in number of participants and number of schools. The Division III experience offers participation in a competitive athletic environment that pushes student-athletes to excel in competition and build upon their potential by tackling new challenges across campus and the wider community.
Maddi Gutierrez | F
Academics are the primary focus for Division III student-athletes. The division minimizes the conflicts between athletics and academics and helps student-athletes progress toward graduation through shorter practice and playing seasons and regional competition that reduces time away from academic studies. Participants are integrated on campus and treated like all other members of the student body, keeping them focused on being students first.
Our Facilities Thanks to so many generous alumni and friends of W&J, the Red and Black call home to numerous top notch facilities. Upgrades have been made in recent years to Salvitti Family Gymnasium, Ross Memorial Park, Alexandre Stadium, and Cameron Stadium. The Janet L. Swanson Tennis Center annually hosts the Presidents’ Athletic Conference men’s and women’s tennis championships. The addition of Eaton Fitness Center, which opened in the Fall of 2019, serves as the primary fitness space for the campus community.
James David Ross Family Recreational Center Built in 2017, this 30,000-square foot center includes three multi-sport courts, an indoor track, a yoga room/dance studio, and practice facilities for W&J student-athletes. Ross also hosts commencement ceremonies and Dub Jam, our spring concert, every year. The recreation center hosts many of W&J’s intramural sports offerings.
Alexandre Stadium
Henry Memorial Natatorium
Located on the same site as Ross Memorial Park and serving as the home for W&J men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse, Alexandre Stadium features 400 stadium seats and state-of-the-art FieldTurf.
The Henry Memorial Natatorium is the home for W&J men’s and women’s swimming & diving and water polo and features a six-lane, 25-yard pool with one - and three-meter diving boards in a separate well.
Brooks Park
Ross Memorial Park
Brooks Park has been the home to W&J softball since 2004. W&J has hosted PAC and ECAC Championship Tournaments at the site, which features a dirt infield and grass outfield.
Home to the W&J baseball team, Ross Memorial Park was selected as the venue for the 2015, 2016, and 2017 NCAA Division III Baseball Mideast Regionals. Ross Memorial Park features a full suite of stadium lights for night games, an Astroturf Diamond RBI series playing surface, and chair-back seating areas above both dugouts.
Cameron Stadium
Salvitti Family Gymnasium
Cameron Stadium has served as the home for W&J football since 1890. Featuring a capacity of 3,500 and a FieldTurf surface, Cameron Stadium is also home to W&J’s field hockey and track and field teams. Additionally, Towler Hall, named for former NFL great and 1950 W&J graduate “Deacon” Dan Towler, serves as the college’s hall of fame display center at Cameron Stadium.
The Salvitti Family Gymnasium was dedicated in November 2019 and is home to W&J volleyball, men’s and women’s basketball, and wrestling. The gymnasium is a state-of-the art facility with 2,000 new bleacher-style seats, a refurbished wood floor, HVAC, and new office and meeting rooms, including the Jerry L. Morrow Alumni Suite.
Eaton Fitness Center
Swanson Tennis Center
The Eaton Fitness Center opened during the Fall 2019 semester and serves as the primary fitness center on campus. The center is located in the Henry Memorial Center sports complex and provides brandnew treadmills, elliptical machines, and weightlifting equipment to promote health and wellness for our campus community.
W&J’s state-of-the art Janet L. Swanson Tennis Courts serve as the home site of the Presidents’ Athletic Conference Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championships. The six courts have lights for night practice and were opened in September 2015.
Team Accolades: •
W&J has claimed 17 PAC All-Sports Trophies, including 11 since 2005. The PAC
All-Sports Trophies are awarded annually to the schools that perform the best across the board in league competition. •
&J is the 24th all-time winningest football program across all three NCAA W Divisions and has the third-most wins in Division III history.
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W&J is the smallest school to ever compete in the Rose Bowl.
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W&J football has produced a streak of 37 consecutive seasons with a winning record.
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he W&J baseball team has played in two of the last four NCAA College World Series T (2017 and 2019).
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he 2018 W&J field hockey team set a school record with 18 victories and became T the first women’s sport in W&J history to win an NCAA Tournament match.
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W&J men’s and women’s golf have won a combined 29 PAC titles.
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W&J men’s soccer won consecutive PAC tournament titles in 2019 and 2020.
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W&J women’s tennis won its first-ever PAC tournament title in 2019.
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&J women’s basketball consistently ranks as one of the top programs in the Great W Lakes Region. In her 17 seasons with the Presidents, Head Coach Jina DeRubbo’s teams have won at least 20 games 12 times.
Student-Athlete Accolades: •
Sixty Presidents have been recognized as Academic All-Americans since David
Damico ’81 was first honored in 1978. Since 2007, 32 Presidents have been selected as Academic All-Americans. •
&J has celebrated four NCAA Division III individual champions. Diver Pat Pyrch W was the 1980 3-meter board national diving champion, while Jaimee Heffner ’99 captured the 1997 NCAA javelin title. From 2004-2008, Kaitlyn Orstein ’08 claimed eight national swimming titles, while Nick Carr ’16 earned W&J’s first-ever NCAA wrestling championship at the Giant Center in Hershey, Pa., in 2015, winning the 157-pound crown.
Jameson Campbell | C/OF/RHP
Our Championship Legacy
Our Promise W&J’s Department of Athletics provides quality, broad-based programs and athletic experiences that complement and fulfill the overall educational objectives of the College and create a community enriched by men and women of diverse backgrounds with uncommon integrity, competence, and maturity. The athletic staff aims to nurture student-athletes who are prepared to contribute substantially as responsible citizens and prominent leaders within their communities.
A Community Approach to Athletics W&J instituted a faculty/staff mentor program in 2007 to provide a valuable link between student-athletes, faculty, and staff. This program encourages faculty and staff to build deeper relationships with our student-athletes and their coaches and enhances the student-athlete experience. Faculty and staff team mentors enrich the overall experience for student-athletes by encouraging them to be fully engaged in their academic endeavors, while creating a greater understanding of the overall mission of intercollegiate athletics. Whether it’s participation on a varsity team, cheering in the stands, or playing on student-run club or intramural teams, our athletics offerings are designed to provide fun and engaging opportunities for you to be involved in the W&J community.
W&J Coaching Staff The dedicated Washington & Jefferson College coaching staff assists students in developing their full potential. Our coaches instruct, encourage, mentor, and support the goals and aspirations of our student-athletes. W&J’s talented student-athletes are highly motivated, and our coaches serve as the catalysts for creating exciting, competitive experiences for teams to thrive in. Coaches also demonstrate the importance of a healthy lifestyle by promoting positivity, balance, and nutrition.
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