General | 7/2/2018 10:02:00 AM
BLOOMSBURG, Pa. - The Bloomsburg University athletic department announced today that seven individuals will be inducted into the Bloomsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame on Friday, October 19. It marks the 37th Athletic Hall of Fame class and, with the addition of seven individuals, brings the number of members in the Bloomsburg University Athletic Hall of Fame to 182.
Being inducted as the members of the Hall of Fame Class of 2018 are former women's basketball coach Joe Bressi, Susan (Brophy) O'Donnell '81 (women's swimming), Adam Clay '05 (men's soccer), Jahri Evans '07 (football), Megan LaBuda '02 (women's basketball), Jennifer Lefever '96 (softball), and Tom Vargo '66 (wrestling).
The induction dinner and ceremony will take place on Friday, October 19 at Nelson Field House. Festivities will begin at 6:00 p.m. with a cocktail hour followed by the dinner and induction ceremony starting at 7:00 p.m.
Tickets and registration for the event will be announced in the coming days.
JOE BRESSI
Joe Bressi served as the Bloomsburg University women's basketball coach from the 1986-87 to the 1993-94 seasons and is still the all-time winningest coach in the program's history. Bressi guided the Huskies to a 175-47 overall record over his eight seasons which includes an 84-11 mark against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents. His .788 winning percentage remains tops in the school's record books as does his .884 winning percentage against conference opponents.
Overall, Bressi was a three-time PSAC Eastern Division Coach of the Year and, after the 1988-89 season, was named the Converse Division II Coach of the Year.
Bressi led the Huskies to the program's first-ever conference championship in 1992 after Bloomsburg knocked off Edinboro, 70-40, in the title game. He also led the team to six PSAC Eastern Division titles, four NCAA tournament appearances, and an NCAA Eastern Regional title in 1989.
The 1988-89 squad finished the regular season with a perfect 26-0 record and became the first NCAA Division II women's basketball team to record an undefeated regular season since the NCAA began sponsoring the sport in 1982. The team went on the finish the year with a 28-2 overall record with victories over Pace and Lock Haven in the NCAA regional tournament before bowing to Bentley in the Elite Eight. The 1990-91 team also finished the regular season with an unblemished record of 25-0.
Bressi started his brilliant coaching career at Bishop McDevitt High School and went 238-40 from 1976-86. After leaving Bloomsburg, he coached the men's basketball team at Lycoming College and won another 97 games in five seasons there. After a hiatus from coaching, he returned to the bench in 2014 at Bishop McDevitt and won 75 additional games. All told, Bressi has compiled an overall record of 585-183 in his four stops.
He is a member of the both the Pennsylvania Basketball Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame while also being a member of the Ed Romance Hall of Fame in the Mt. Carmel area (2004) and the Capital Area Hall of Fame in the Harrisburg area (2006). Bressi also received the Jim Barniak Award as part of the East Stroudsburg University Hall of Fame for non-athletes.
Bressi and his wife of 40 years, Carol, have two children – Mike (38) and Nikki (36). They also have four grandchildren – Kali (18), Gavin (6), Mason (4), and Kennedy (2).
SUSAN (BROPHY) O'DONNELL '81
Susan (Brophy) O'Donnell enjoyed a standout career in the swimming pool as she earned a total of 11 All-American honors in her four seasons with the Huskies. Brophy also won two Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) titles and finished fourth or better at the conference championships 14 different times. She also served as senior captain during the 1980-81 season and was the recipient of the Eleanor Wray Award for being the Top Senior Female Athlete of the Year.
In 1978-79, Brophy helped the Huskies to a perfect 10-0 record during the regular season and then a fourth-place finish at the PSAC Championships. Individually, she finished third in the 100-yard butterfly and fourth in the 50-yard butterfly while finishing third in five different relay events at the conference meet. She went on to earn three All-American honors, including ninth-place results in both the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 200-yard medley relay.
The next season, the Huskies went 7-2 overall and placed fifth at the conference championships with Brophy earning PSAC titles in the 200-yard freestyle relay and the 400-yard freestyle relay events. At the time, she helped break the school record in the 200-yard freestyle relay and then helped break the conference record in the 400-yard freestyle relay. She went on to earn three more All-American honors including a third-place finish in the 200-yard freestyle relay and a fourth-place result in the 400-yard freestyle relay.
Brophy and the Huskies went 6-3 in 1980-81 and then earned a tie for second place at the conference championships. Brophy had two second-place and two third-place finishes at the PSAC meet but then collected five All-American nods while helping the Huskies to a seventh-place result at the AIAW National Championships. She was a part of three team records (200-yard freestyle relay, 400-yard freestyle relay, and 800-yard freestyle relay) and helped the 400-yard freestyle relay team to a national runner-up finish.
At the time of her graduation in 1981, Brophy held eight school records.
Brophy continued her love for athletics following graduation as she became a certified personal trainer and a recent participant in the Masters Swimming Program. She is a member of the Parents Advisory Network at Bryn Mawr Hospital – an organization that counsels and supports families of infants in intensive care.
Brophy is currently studying interior design at Temple University and resides in Harleysville, Pennsylvania, with her husband and three daughters.
ADAM CLAY '05
Adam Clay was a four-year member of the Bloomsburg University men's soccer program from 2001 to 2004. Clay earned a number of postseason honors during his career and helped the Huskies to 37 victories over the four-year span.
A two-time team captain, Clay was a three-time All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) First Team honoree and earned three National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) First Team All-Region awards during his four-year career. He still ranks third on the school's all-time career goals scored list with 30 and ranks fourth all-time in career points with 69. He also was the recipient of the Danny Litwhiler Award in 2003 for being Bloomsburg's Underclass Male Athlete of the Year.
Following his playing career at Bloomsburg, Clay played professionally for the Reading Rage in 2004 and then for the Harrisburg City Islanders from 2005 to 2008. He helped the Islanders to a USL National Championship in 2007. Clay was also the founder and went on to serve as player/head coach of Hershey FC, which competes in the National Premier Soccer League.
Clay also played one season of minor league basketball as a member of the Harrisburg Horizon, who participates in the Eastern Basketball Alliance.
Clay started his coaching career at Bloomsburg in 2005 when he served as an assistant to head coach Paul Payne. He is currently the head women's soccer coach at Penn State Harrisburg where he will be beginning his seventh season in the fall of 2018.
Clay graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2005 and currently resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, with his wife Kelly, daughter Sophia (7), and son Austin (1).
JAHRI EVANS '07
Jahri Evans is one of the most decorated offensive linemen to put on a Bloomsburg University football jersey. He then went on to have a prolific career in the National Football League, primarily playing for the New Orleans Saints.
Evans took over as a full-time starter on the Huskies' offensive line in 2003 but it was in 2004 that the awards started rolling in for the left tackle. He was an American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) First Team All-American as a junior while earning Second Team All-American honors from both the Associated Press and from the Don Hansen Football Gazette. Then, as a senior in 2005, Evans helped the Huskies to an average of 284.3 rushing yards per game – eighth-most in the country. He went on to earn First Team All-American honors from five different organizations – the AFCA, Daktronics, Don Hansen Football Gazette, Associated Press, and D2Football.com. He was also a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award, which honors the nation's top lineman in Division II, in each of his last two seasons.
He earned both the Danny Litwhiler Award as Bloomsburg's Male Underclass Athlete of the Year in 2005 and the Robert B. Redman Award as Bloomsburg's Male Senior Athlete of the Year in 2006.
Evans was then selected in the fourth round (108th overall) by the New Orleans Saints in the 2006 NFL Draft, becoming the first Huskies' player chosen in the draft since 1992. He was selected to six consecutive Pro Bowls (2009-14) and was named a First Team All-Pro in four consecutive seasons from 2009-12 while earning Second Team All-Pro accolades in 2013. Evans was also named to the Pro Football Weekly All-Rookie Team in 2006, was a two-time Madden Most Valuable Protectors Award recipient (2009, 2011), and was a member of the New Orleans Saints' 50th Anniversary Team in 2016.
Among Saints' offensive linemen, his six Pro Bowl appearances ranks second all-time in team history. He also ranks second all-time in Saints' history with 169 career games played. He helped the Saints finish in the top six in the league in total offense in all 11 of his seasons (2006-2016), including six number-one rankings. He also helped New Orleans finish in the top ten in scoring in nine of his 11 seasons, including number one rankings in 2008 and 2009. Evans was named to his first Pro Bowl and earned First Team All-Pro recognition for the first time in 2009 – a season that was capped off with the Saints' victory over the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV.
In 2008, The Jahri Evans Foundation was created to illustrate to student-athletes that academic excellence paves the way to athletic excellence through encouragement, determination, and hard work. The Jahri Evans Foundation is dedicated to enriching the lives of youth by improving their quality of education and promoting the overall health, safety, and physical fitness of all children. Evans and his foundation have sponsored free youth football and cheerleading camps each year in Philadelphia with over 325 youth participating annually. Evans also assists former Bloomsburg assistant coach, Brian McBryan, at the annual McBryan Clinic which is designed to give high school offensive linemen the skills they need to be successful.
He and his foundation have provided over $1.5 million in charitable donations to date including donations to The Philadelphia School District and the building and rebuilding of homes along with Habitat for Humanity, The Wounded Warrior Project, United Way, and Operation Home in New Orleans for residents and military veterans as well as donations to many other youth organizations and community groups. The Frankford Alumni Association awarded Evans with The Pioneer Achievement Award in 2010 for distinguished leadership, achievement, and service and in 2014, he was awarded The Hope Award given by The Irving Morris Foundation for his many charitable donations, his concern with the welfare of others and his support, time, dedication, and generosity and love in helping our communities thrive.
Evans graduated from Bloomsburg in 2007 with a degree in exercise science. In 2009, he established a full scholarship for out-of-state minority students enrolled in Bloomsburg's Master of Science Clinical Athletic Training Program. The Jahri Evans Football Endowed Scholarship was established in 2014 and will carry on forever. Then, in 2017, Evans received his MBA from The University of Miami in Executive Business Administration.
Evans and his wife, Takia, welcomed their first child, Atlas, on March 16, 2018.
MEGAN LaBUDA '02
Megan LaBuda was a four-year standout on the Bloomsburg University women's basketball team from 1998 to 2002. During her career, the Huskies posted an overall record of 83-29, including a 39-9 mark against Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) opponents.
LaBuda was named the PSAC Eastern Division Athlete of the Year following the conclusion of the 2000-01 season. That season, the Huskies went 24-6 overall with LaBuda leading the way by averaging 16.4 points and 9.1 rebounds. Her 493 points that season are ninth-most in a single season in program history while her 272 total rebounds ranks fourth in a single season at Bloomsburg.
Additionally, LaBuda was a two-time PSAC Eastern Division First Team honoree as a junior and as a senior while also earning Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division II All-Star and Daktronics All-Region accolades during her junior campaign. She was named the NCAA Division II Eastern Regional Tournament Most Valuable Player as well as the Joanne McComb Female Underclass Athlete of the Year in 2001.
At the time of her induction, LaBuda ranks sixth on the school's all-time career scoring list with 1,375 points while ranking fourth all-time in career rebounds with 801. She is also 14th in career steals (186) and in career blocks (59).
LaBuda graduated from Bloomsburg University in 2002. She currently resides in her hometown of Hazleton, Pennsylvania, with her fiancé Kevin Schadder and her three daughters – Sophia (11), Evelyn (10), and Ada (6) – with daughter number four on the way in November! She has been employed as a teacher for the last 14 years and currently teaches sixth grade in the Hazleton Area School District. In her spare time, LaBuda enjoys coaching her daughter's basketball and softball teams.
JENNIFER LEFEVER '96
Jen Lefever helped the Bloomsburg University softball team to a record of 169-33 over her four-year career and led the Huskies to three Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Championships, one NCAA runner-up finish in 1995, and one fourth-place NCAA result in 1993.
Lefever was a two-time All-American at shortstop for the Huskies after garnering First Team honors by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) in 1995 and Third Team accolades from the NFCA in 1994. She was a First Team All-PSAC East member in 1995 and a Second Team All-PSAC East recipient in 1996. Also in 1995, Lefever earned All-Tournament honors at the NCAA Division II National Championships after leading the Huskies to the title game against Kennesaw State.
Following the 1995 campaign, Lefever was named the Joanne McComb Female Underclass Athlete of the Year.
At the time of her induction, Lefever ranked third all-time in program history with 270 career hits while tying for the school record in career triples with 22. She also ranked third all-time in career doubles with 53, fourth all-time in career runs scored with 176, sixth all-time in career runs batted in with 144, and 16th all-time in career home runs with 17.
Lefever graduated from Bloomsburg in 1996.
In 2000, Lefever moved to New York City to pursue work in television and spent 10 years in production on shows for HBO, MTV, and A&E. She then attended Fordham University, graduating with a Master's degree in social work in 2012 and has since worked as a psychotherapist, both privately and in community mental health, for the past six years.
Lefever happily continues to play softball in a co-ed slow-pitch softball league in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.
TOM VARGO '66
Tom Vargo was a four-year letterwinner and four-year starter on the wrestling team from 1962 to 1966. He was a two-time Pennsylvania State College Athletic Conference (PSCAC) champion his junior and senior year and placed second as a sophomore and third as a freshman. He was also a two-time NAIA All-American placing fifth in 1963 and third in 1965, which helped the Huskies win the NAIA Team Championship. The team did not participate in the NAIA his senior year. He was co-captain of the team in 1966 and received the Robert B. Redman Award as Outstanding Male Senior Athlete. Vargo was a two-time NCAA Division I tournament participant and was twice selected by Amateur Wrestling News as an NCAA Division I All American Honorable Mention.
In post-collegiate competition, wrestling throughout the Middle Atlantic States, Vargo won 10 open tournament titles. He was also a Wilkes Open and East Stroudsburg Open finalist.
Vargo taught health and physical education for 34 years at Lancaster Catholic High School in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He coached wrestling for 20 years overall and, in his 15 years as a head coach, his teams never had a losing season. His overall coaching record was 184-61-3 with his teams winning four League/Section Titles. Vargo was also voted as the Section Coach of the Year three times. His accomplishments are especially noteworthy since the school did not sponsor a junior high wrestling program.
As head tennis coach at Lancaster Catholic from 2001-05, Vargo's teams compiled a 43-2 record in Section II and won three Section Titles. In 2005, they were Flight Champions of the 21-team Lancaster/Lebanon League, District III AA Champions, and PIAA State Semifinalists.
Vargo also coached freshman football for 12 seasons.
He was inducted into the District III Wrestling Hall of Fame in 1995, the Lancaster Catholic Athletic Wall of Fame in 2005, and the Lancaster/Lebanon League Wrestling Hall of Fame in 2015.
Vargo, who is retired, resides with his wife, Jo, a retired kindergarten teacher, in Lititz, Pennsylvania. They are the parents of Thomas Z. Vargo, a Research Scientist for Pioneer Corn in Des Moines, Iowa, and Dr. Erik P. Vargo, a Systems Engineer for MITRE Corporation in McLean, Virginia.
