Wheeling, W.Va. Oct. 16, 2009 — Wheeling Jesuit University welcomes its extended family as it celebrates its Family & Friends Weekend, Friday, Oct. 23 – Sunday, Oct. 25.
A highlight of this year’s weekend is the festive Homecoming Parade that will travel along Washington Avenue, beginning at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday, Oct 24. Parade dignitaries include Pennsylvania Congressman Timothy Murphy, who is a 1974 alumnus and member of the House of Representatives and former Pittsburgh Steeler linebacker Robin Cole, who is the father of current Wheeling Jesuit senior Lacie Cole.
Everyone’s invited to enjoy the parade, which begins at the McDonough Center and travels out the back entrance of campus onto Washington Ave. then back to campus at the main entrance. Also marching in the Homecoming Parade are the Washington Wildthings, the Trinity High School marching band, Wheeling Jesuit athletic teams, student clubs, student government and area children participating in the WJU Hess Program. The parade is followed by a faculty-versus-student kickball match.
The weekend begins the night before with an opportunity to cheer the Cardinals on at the 7 p.m. men’s soccer game when Coach Jim Regan and his Cardinals take on Franciscan University of Steubenville. Evening entertainment for Friday is the 9:30 p.m. “Jesuit’s Got Talent” show in Troy Theater.
(Student Government has been working hard on planning the weekend and are shown here, from left front row, Emma Schmidt, Megan Foutty and Bethani Barsch; middle row Michelle Wright, Melissa Stephens, and Jay Park, and back row Trent Krupica and Tim Yelenic.)
On Saturday, Oct. 24, the university will induct three new members into the Cardinal Hall of Fame at a 10 a.m. brunch, held in the Erickson Alumni Center.
The three honorees are:
Jay DeFruscio, former head men’s basketball coach and Wheeling Jesuit Athletic director who is responsible for starting 14 new intercollegiate sports programs and for moving the university from NAIA to NCAA Division II status. He is the all-time leader in career wins, with 311 wins in 18 seasons and is a two-time WVIAC Coach of the Year. DeFruscio’s teams earned the WVIAC regular season title in 1989, the school’s first WVIAC Tournament Championship in 2005 and played in two additional NCAA Tournaments in 2005 and 2006 and one NAIA Tournament in 1989. He left Wheeling Jesuit to take his current assistant coach for the Indiana Pacers (NBA).
Steve Hemmelgarn ‘98, Cardinal swimmer was the NAIA All-American in 1995 and six-time WVIAC Conference Champion, Hemmelgarn also took the WVIAC All-Conference Champion in the 50, 100 and 200 Freestyle four times and earned the Penn-Ohio All-Conference honors in 50, 100 and 200 Freestyle three times. He was also the four-time Academic All-American and two-time Team Captain with the Cardinals. Today he is a career firefighter and paramedic for Liberty Township/Powell, Ohio, a part-time member of the Marysville, Ohio Fire Department, as well as a volunteer with the New Bremen, Ohio Fire Department.
Brian Cullen ’99, a Cardinal men’s soccer standout earned 1st Place Team WVIAC All-Conference status all four years at WJU, Regional All-American status twice and All-American Scholar-Athlete status twice, as well as the 1998 WVIAC Player of the Year Award. He was team MVP in 1996, 97 and 98 and was the team captain in 1998. He went on to become assistant soccer coach for the Cardinals and coached the Cardinals to a fifth place finish in the country (2000). He is now a plant manager for Weyerhaeuser and resides in Eugene, Oregon.
Established in 1987 to honor former student-athletes, coaches or other members of the WJU community who made significant contributions to Cardinal athletic programs, the Hall of Fame will have 68 outstanding athletes enshrined with the 2009 additions.
Also on Saturday, Oct. 24, the Fall Honors Convocation takes place at 11:30 a.m. in Troy Theater and recognizes students who have earned Dean’s List honors. The convocation is followed by a brunch for students and guests.
Family Weekend includes a Saturday evening Mass at 5:30 p.m. in the Chapel of Mary and Joseph for the entire campus, followed by a 7 p.m. Interactive Mystery Dinner Theatre ($10), with faculty and students taking part. Reservations are necessary for the dinner.
Finally for fans of soccer, there are men and women’s games on Sunday when the Cardinals take on Shepard University at noon (men’s team) and at 2 p.m. (women’s team).
For more information on the athletic events, please call Erin Ball at (304) 243-2053 or email to eball@wju.edu. For more information on the Family Weekend in general, please contact the WJU switchboard at (304) 243-2000.
