General 1/10/2026 12:00:00 AM

Inaugural Class Inducted into Penn State Abington Ogontz Hall of Fame

Gallery: (1-10-2026) 2025-26 Hall of Fame

Huntingdon Valley, Pa. – Penn State Abington Athletics formally inducted its inaugural class into the Penn State Abington Ogontz Hall of Fame on Saturday in a ceremony held at the Philmont Country Club. The 2025-26 class includes 10 individuals who laid the foundation of athletics on campus.

The inaugural class includes, Dr. Wesley A. Olsen Sr. `64, Deb Andress `80, Bob Barton `73, Jeanne Bradley, David Castellanos, Patricia L. Clayton `74, Jim McGettigan, Al Miles, Joe Pavlow and Dick Wiseman.

"Tonight's Hall of Fame celebration was about honoring the legacies of those who built the foundation of athletics at Penn State Abington," said Erin Foley, Director of Athletics, Intramurals and Recreation. "Their achievements laid the groundwork for the success we enjoy today, and it's an honor to recognize the lasting impact they've had on our department and campus community."

2025-26 Penn State Abington Ogontz Hall of Fame Class

Dr. Wesley A. Olsen Sr. `64 (Professor – Coach – Administrator)
During his 22-year tenure at what was then Penn State Ogontz, Wes Olsen was known for his supportive and collaborative leadership style. His career was defined by a series of firsts including pioneering the role of athletics director from 1964-1986 and launching 11 varsity sports.

As the campus' first men's basketball head coach from 1965-1972, Olsen compiled a 64-36 record. Simultaneously, he served as the original men's golf coach between 1967 and 1970 and then again from 1987 to 1998. He led the golf team to three Commonwealth Campus titles and three runner-up showings in the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference, which named him Coach of the Year for the 1997-98 season.

In 1990, Olsen was the recipient of the Robert J. Scannell Roll-of-Honor award established by Penn State University Athletic Conference to recognize an administrator, faculty, staff member or coach who has served campus athletic, intramurals and recreational programs with distinction.

Olsen served as an associate professor of kinesiology, and in 1991 he was honored by Penn State with the Evelyn R. Saubel Faculty Award for outstanding achievements in the College of Health and Human Development while being committed to human service and serving students. In 1993, he co-founded Project Power, an academic enrichment program for ninth graders at Philadelphia's Olney High School.

In 1980, he initiated the annual Wes Olsen Senior Scholar Athlete Award to honor two student-athletes with the highest cumulative grade point average. Olsen passed away in 1999, and his legacy lives on at Abington through scholarships and awards bearing his name.

Deb Andress `80 (Instructor – Coach)
Deb Andress arrived at what was then the Ogontz campus in 1976 where she played for fellow Hall of Fame inductees Jeanne Bradley in field hockey and Jim McGettigan on the swimming and diving team.

Andress spent two years at Ogontz before transferring up to University Park. She spent two seasons playing for fellow Hall of Fame inductee Jeanne Bradley on the field hockey team as well as competing on the swimming and diving team for another Hall of Famer in Jim McGettigan.

Andress earned Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference (CCAC) all-conference honors in both the 200-medley relay and 200-freestyle relay during the 1976-77 and 1977-78 CCAC Championships. In 1978, she was named the campus's outstanding female athlete. Andress moved to University Park to complete her degree, and she joined the national championship lacrosse team. Andress continued to play field hockey at University Park, and her team placed second in the 1979 national championship.

Andress returned to Ogontz to coach the field hockey team during the 1980-81 academic year and then again from 1984-1992. She accumulated a program record 55 victories and had three second place finishes in the PAIAW. The team won a record nine games in 1988-89 and 1990-91.

When Penn State Abington added women's lacrosse as a varsity sport in 2008, it only made sense to have Andress, who was already a full-time instructor in kinesiology, build and grow the new program as the first head coach. Andress led the team to its first appearance in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) tournament and had six players earn All-NEAC honors.

Andress was inducted into the City All-Star Chapter of the Pennsylvania Hall of Fame in 2021 as well as the Eastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the US Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2015.

Andress passed away in 2014 and left a lasting legacy on the Penn State community. She spent over 30 years as a Nittany Lion impacting the lives of many as a teammate, coach, instructor and friend.

Bob Barton `73 (Instructor – Coach – Administrator)
Bob Barton served as the campus's director of athletics from 1996-2006. Over 31 years, he proudly coached almost 500 student-athletes on four varsity sports.

Barton's Penn State Ogontz story began in 1966 when he played for the men's basketball team, but he left to serve in the Army and returned to compete from 1971-1973. He was hired as supervisor of Athletic and Recreational Operations in 1974 and held that position until 1982 when he became an instructor of physical education/kinesiology until 2008.

On top of leading athletics, Barton served as the head baseball coach from 1977 to 1986 and the head softball coach in 1987. Beginning in 1986, he became the men's basketball coach for four years and then returned to the team from 1991 to 1997. He also coached the men's tennis team from 1989 to 1991 and Team Tennis from 1991 to 2008.

Barton's teams amassed over 325 combined victories in four sports and he earned coach of the year accolades in each. His teams hoisted championship trophies including winning two softball titles in 1997, men's basketball in 1988 and 1994, and Team Tennis, which won seven titles.

Barton was honored twice with the campus's Chief Ogontz Award, and he was the recipient of the Robert J. Scannell Roll-of-Honor award.

A former student-athlete recently made a gift to establish the Bob Barton Scholarship at Penn State Abington, which supports outstanding full-time undergraduates.

Jeanne Bradley (Coach)
Jeanne Bradley jump started three varsity sports as one of the campus's first field hockey and softball and women's basketball coaches. Bradley compiled 35 victories in field hockey which ranks second all-time and had 34 wins in seven seasons as the head softball coach.

She coached women's basketball for nine seasons, beginning in 1970, and she is the second winningest women's basketball coach in campus history with 85 victories. Bradley's teams dominated the hardwood by winning the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference (CCAC) title from 1971 through 1975. The team finished with a onetime program record of 14 victories in the 1974-75 season. The following two years, they were runners up in the CCAC Tournament.

Bradley stepped in as field hockey coach beginning with the 1970-71 academic year. Her teams had five winnings seasons, finishing 7-3-2 and 7-1-2 in consecutive seasons.

In 1972-73, the campus added varsity softball to its roster, and Bradley became the team's first head coach, a position she held for seven seasons. After three consecutive winning seasons, her team went 10-2 in 1975-76.

Bradley was a driving force that helped grow three separate programs at Ogontz and made a major impact of the lives of hundreds of student-athletes during her coaching career. Her leadership was a key factor in establishing the culture and infrastructure that allowed the growth of varsity women sports on campus.

David Castellanos (Soccer Coach)
David Castellanos coached the men's soccer team for 15 seasons from 2005 to 2019 and helped the program transition into NCAA Division III. His teams won 142 games at Abington, the second most in program history.

Castellanos led Abington to seven North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC) tournament appearances and three regular season titles while 74 Nittany Lions received All-NEAC honors. Abington was also selected to compete in the Eastern College Athletic Conference postseason on four occasions.

In 2012, Abington emerged victorious in the team's first appearance in the NEAC tournament after capturing the regular season title with a 9-1-0 record in conference play. Castellanos led Abington to back-to-back NEAC regular season and tournament titles in 2017 and 2018 as the team finished a combined 20-0-1 in conference play during that championship run. Abington's two conference championships earned the Nittany Lions the NEAC's automatic qualifier into the NCAA Division III tournament.

With team success came individual success as Castellanos was selected NEAC Coach of the Year in 2012, 2016 and 2017.

As the women's soccer coach from 2007 to 2013, Castellanos led his student-athletes to 61 victories, a record that still holds. The team won the 2011 NEAC championship on a penalty kick shootout. They finished 16-2-1 overall and 11-1-0 in conference play.

In 15 years at Abington as men's and women's soccer coach, Castellanos accumulated 203 victories, three NEAC regular season titles and three NEAC championship victories along with two NCAA appearances.

Patricia L. Clayton `74 (Instructor – Coach – Administrator)
Patricia L. Clayton served as the director of athletics for a decade beginning in 1986 and became the campus's winningest coach in both women's basketball and women's volleyball.

She arrived at Ogontz as a student-athlete in 1970 and played basketball. After two years, Clayton moved on to University Park to complete her degree while joining the basketball and softball teams. She still holds University Park's single-game record for most rebounds in a game with 25.

Clayton began her legendary coaching career in 1979 as she took the reins of both the women's volleyball (1979-1990) and basketball (1979-1987) programs. During that time, Clayton totaled 305 combined victories with 185 wins in volleyball and 120 wins in basketball.

Clayton's volleyball squad won nine championships under her guidance with PAIAW titles in 1980, 1981, 1982 and 1984. The team also won the Eastern Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference Championship in 1984, 1986, 1987, 1988 and 1989. The program was a finalist in the 1984 PCAA Championship match.

Clayton's basketball teams were just as successful winning the PAIAW championship three years in a row (1984-1986) and claiming the 1985 Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference (CCAC) title.

In addition to team success, Clayton received several individual accolades. Clayton was named the CCAC Women's Basketball Coach of the Year and earned the same honor in women's volleyball in 1984 and 1987. Clayton also was the EPCC Women's Volleyball Coach of the Year five times earning the award in 1984 and then four straight years from 1986-1989. In 1998, Clayton received the prestigious Robert J. Scannell Roll-of-Honor award Clayton is one of five individuals from Abington to receive the honor since the awards inception in 1990.

Clayton's legacy goes far and beyond the court. She also reached students in the classroom and as an administrator. She served on the Abington College Faculty Senate from 1990 to 2009 and as an academic adviser in three Penn State colleges.

Jim McGettigan (Instructor – Coach)
From 1968 to 1989, Jim McGettigan guided the men's soccer program to 219 wins as its first head coach, compiling a .750 winning percentage that remains the program's benchmark.

In the 1970s and 1980s, Ogontz became "Title Town," as McGettigan's teams won 15 Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference (CCAC) championships, including six straight from 1977-82 and 11 titles in 12 seasons from 1977-1988. McGettigan's teams posted 19 winning seasons, highlighted by a program-record 18-win campaigns in 1983 and 1987. The 1987 squad finished 18-2-1 and still owns the program's best single-season winning percentage (.928).

In 1991, McGettigan received the prestigious Robert J. Scannell Roll-of-Honor award, which is given annually to an administrator, faculty, staff member or coach who has served campus athletic, intramural and recreational programs with distinction.

Off the field, McGettigan was a physical education professor at Ogontz until 1992. He wrote two books, the Complete Book of Drills for Winning Soccer and Soccer Drills for Individual and Team Play, that are still used by coaches nationwide.

McGettigan passed away in 2010, but his legacy lives on through Abington's annual Coach of the Year award named in his honor.

Al Miles (Professor – Coach)
Al Miles coached the men's tennis team for 14 seasons from 1975 to 1989 while also serving as an associate professor of English and the humanities for 25 years.

His teams accumulated an impressive win/loss record of 118-41 and is currently the program's all-time winningest coach. Miles' teams won seven Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference (CCAC) Championships, including three consecutive titles from 1977 to 1980. The 1978-79 team finished with an unblemished 13-0 record and had eight student-athletes earn All-CCAC honors.

The Nittany Lions finished undefeated again in 1985-86 with a 12-0 record, capped off with another CCAC title and EPCC championships. The team followed with another CCAC championship the next year with a 13-2 record and won Miles' seventh championship in 1988-89, his final season coaching.

Miles also coached the women's tennis program for four years from 1979 to 1983, compiling 17 victories. The team won the CCAC Championship in 1979-80 and were runners-up in 1980-81.

A gentleman and a scholar, Miles exemplified the finest qualities of a collegiate educator. His love of tennis and teaching made him an inspiration to his students and athletes in addition to making him a great coach.

In 1993, Miles received the prestigious Robert J. Scannell Roll-of-Honor award, which is given annually to an administrator, faculty, staff member or coach who has served campus athletic, intramural and recreational programs with distinction.

Miles passed away in 1993, and his legacy is still felt on campus today. Athletics recognizes a student-athlete with the Al Miles Tennis Award, which is given to a student-athlete with a GPA above 3.0 and who demonstrates leadership and teaching in tennis.

Joe Pavlow (Baseball Coach – Administrator)
Joe Pavlow is the winningest baseball coach in campus history, accumulating 181 victories from 2008 to 2017 while helping Abington transition into the NCAA Division III.

Pavlow hit the ground running, in his first year with the Nittany Lions. The team won 22 games in 2009 and two years later had another 20-win season and finished 12-2 in the North Eastern Athletic Conference (NEAC). Abington went on to advance to the 2011 West Division championship game against Penn State Berks.

Abington registered five 20-plus win seasons under Pavlow and qualified for the NEAC tournament seven times with five regular season championships (2011, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2017). With team success, came individual success as Pavlow was named the NEAC Coach of the Year in both 2016 and 2017. Abington went a combined 24-6 in conference play those two years.

Pavlow also received coach of the year accolades in his first season from the Pennsylvania State University Athletic Conference.

Under Pavlow 31 players earned All-NEAC recognition, two were named player of the year and a third was honored as rookie of the year.

Pavlow served as the Athletics compliance director and its representative for major fund-raising initiatives.

Dick Wiseman (Instructor – Coach)
Dick Wiseman, the campus's all-time winningest men's basketball coach, guided the Nittany Lions from 1978 to 1986. He also coached the softball program from 1980 to 1986 and again from 1996 to 1999.

Wiseman coached the men's basketball team to 152-61 (.713) record in eight seasons, including a program record 27 wins in 1984-85. That year Ogontz finished 27-3 overall and 11-1 in conference play and as a result Wiseman was named the Commonwealth Campus Athletic Conference (CCAC) Coach of the Year. One year ago the team returned to campus to mark the 40th anniversary of their historic season.

Under Wiseman, his teams won three CCAC championships and six Eastern Division titles.

From the court to the diamond, Wiseman also coached the Abington and Ogontz softball teams in two separate stints. In combined 10 seasons he won 140 games with a .611 winning percentage. Wiseman ranks second all-time for most victories, including a 23-2 season that saw the Nittany Lions win the 1985 EPCC championship. The team won six different championships in three different leagues under Wiseman. He was named the PIAA Coach of the Year in 1998.

Outside of coaching, Wiseman taught physical education courses for 30 years and served as an advisor. In his own words, Wiseman had the privilege to have 'worked with some wonderful people and made lifelong friends.'

Nominations for the 2026-27 Hall of Fame class can be made by clicking, here.

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