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MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Allegheny College Department of Athletics and Recreation is honored to announce its seven-member Hall of Fame class of 2022.

This year's class features four athletes and three coaches that have made a vast impact on Allegheny Athletics over careers that spanned more than 10 sports. Included in the group being inducted as the country celebrates the 50th anniversary of the passage of Title IX are six individuals who have helped advance women's sports at the College. The members of the Hall of Fame class of 2022 are: Greg Stone '78 (men's golf), Emily Pfeufer '08 (women's track & field), Ashley Rogerson '06 (women's soccer/lacrosse), Michelle Schaner Becker '93 (women's swimming and diving), the late John Wilcher (coach), Lona Lesh (coach/administrator) and Rick Creehan (coach/administrator).

Greg Stone '78 was a two-time All-American golfer for the Gators and led Allegheny to its first Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) team championship in 11 years as a sophomore in 1976. After pacing the Gators to the title as a sophomore, he returned to claim First Team All-PAC laurels as a junior en route to leading Allegheny to its first NCAA Championship appearance in 1977. He followed his All-America showing in 1977, the first such honor for an Allegheny golfer, with another All-America honor as a senior in 1978. In those two years, the Gators finished fourth and second in the nation, respectively. A four-year letter winner, Stone helped begin a stretch of 30-straight years of NCAA Championships appearances for Allegheny, one of the most all-time. 

Emily Pfeufer '08 earned three All-America honors and four North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Field Athlete of the Year awards in her time on the track for the Gators. She secured each of her All-America accolades in the triple jump, placing fourth and sixth and the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Division III Indoor Track & Field Championships, respectively, while also jumping to an eighth-place finish at the 2006 NCAA Division III Outdoor Track & Field Championships. All told, Pfeufer claimed 13 NCAC individual championships, having dominated the field events, notably the triple jump and long jump, which accounted for 11 of her league crowns. She also earned NCAC titles in the heptathlon in 2006 and 2007. At the conclusion of her senior year, Pfeufer was named the Allegheny College Senior Achievement Award winner.

Ashley Rogerson '06 was a two-sport standout for the Gators, capturing a combined five All-NCAC and All-Region awards between her time on the soccer and lacrosse fields. In lacrosse, she was selected to the NCAC First Team three times and was tabbed to the All-Region First Team in 2005 between a pair of Second Team honors in 2004 and 2006. As a junior in 2005, she tied for the team lead with 27 goals, before helping the Gators to a then-school record nine wins and trip to the NCAC finals in 2006. On the soccer pitch, she picked up NCAC First Team and All-Region laurels in 2004 and 2005. Her teams won nearly 50 matches in four years, and posted an impressive record of 22-7-4 in conference play. For her career, Rogerson scored 17 goals and amassed 38 career points. She was the 2006 Allegheny College Senior Achievement Award winner and was recognized as the NCAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year that same year.
 
Michelle Schaner Becker '93 was a 16-time All-American in the pool for the Gators, earning six awards apiece in 1992 and 1993 after claiming four in 1991. Her best individual finish at the NCAA Championships came in 1992 when the then-junior placed third by just under two seconds in the 400 individual medley with a time of 4:37.32. That same year, she also placed sixth in the 200 IM, touching the wall in 2:10.24 in the finals. As a senior in 1993, Schaner Becker finished as high as sixth, shaving nearly two seconds off her time in the 400 IM by timing at 4:35.85. During her four years, Allegheny had one of its most successful stretches in program history, finishing fourth at the national championships in 1990 and 1991, before placing 11th and ninth, respectively, in 1992 and 1993. Even 30 years later, she still holds the Allegheny Women's Swimming & Diving record in the 200 individual medley with a time of 2:09.12, a time she recorded in 1992. 

John Wilcher was the first coach of the women's soccer program at Allegheny when it began in 1985. He coached until 1997 and guided the Gators to a record of 157-81-16 (.618 winning percentage) during his 13-year tenure, leaving him to this day as the winningest coach in program history. In total, Wilcher's teams won five NCAC championships during that stretch and finished second twice, compiling a 77-23-8 mark in league play (.713 winning percentage). In all, his teams finished the season ranked in the top 20 in the nation four times and ranked regionally following eight seasons. As much success as his teams enjoyed, Wilcher's players also pulled in numerous accolades through the years. The NCAC recognized 87 of his players with All-Conference honors, while 31 players received All-Region awards and eight players earned 12 All-America laurels. Wilcher also had two players earn Academic All-American status during his career. Wilcher was also the first women's lacrosse coach at Allegheny, guiding that program from its inception in 1994 until 1998. During his time as coach, the Gators won 18 games and received 10 All-Conference honors. He also spent time in the role of head wrestling coach for a time when an unexpected vacancy prompted him to step in.

Lona Lesh can be remembered not just as a successful coach at Allegheny College, but a true trailblazer that helped lay the foundation and pave the way for women to not only have opportunities, but to excel. Lesh was hired by the College as an assistant professor of physical education during the 1972-73 school year, shortly after the passing of Title IX. Part of her charge at the time was to, "organize a program of women's intercollegiate sports at Allegheny." In 1974-75, she led the women's varsity tennis team to a 5-4 record and saw softball added to the offerings for women. The following year, the first official competition schedules for women's basketball, volleyball, tennis and swimming & diving were developed. It was also during the 1975-76 year that Lesh submitted documentation on structure and policies for women's athletics at Allegheny and served as a founding administrator of the Women's Keystone Conference (WKC). From that point forward, Lesh became known as the "Director of Women's Athletics" and saw Allegheny claim WKC titles in tennis and basketball, while sending seven qualifiers to the Eastern Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (EAIAW) Championships. By 1979-80, Lesh was promoted to Associate Director of Athletics and Allegheny participated in six women's varsity sports, before women's cross country was elevated as Lesh's behest in 1980-81.

Rick Creehan has won more games than anyone else in a men's team sport in Allegheny history, amassing 377 victories in 13 seasons at the helm of the baseball program. His squads won 30-or-more games in five years, including four of his last five campaigns in Meadville. The 1997 team that finished 40-8 still holds the program's record for wins in a season. That 13-year span is one of the finest in Division III history. During his time, Creehan earned three NCAC Coach of the Year awards and his program produced eight All-Americans, 31 All-Region picks, five of the program's six NCAC Players of the Year, three Pitchers of the Year, and a total of 98 All-NCAC honors. Additionally, more than 10 of his players went on to sign professional baseball contracts. Creehan also served as Allegheny's Director of Athletics for several years.

The 2022 Allegheny College Athletic Hall of Fame Class will be inducted with a formal ceremony in Schultz Banquet Hall on campus during Blue and Gold Weekend. This year's festivities are scheduled for the weekend of Sept. 24, 2022, with the Hall of Fame ceremony occurring on Friday night, Sept. 23, and the inductees being introduced to the crowd at Saturday's football game, a 2 p.m. PAC kickoff against Waynesburg. More information on the ceremony and the availability of tickets for the public will be released at a later date. Please direct any questions to Sean King, assistant athletic director for communications and Hall of Fame chair, at sking@allegheny.edu.