Author: GBG Technology Group

Spring 2022 Newsletter

Pitt-Greensburg Athletics Announces Hall of Fame Inaugural Class Inductees

The first Pitt-Greensburg Athletics Hall of Fame Recognition Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, February 18. The ceremony will be held at 6:30 pm in Wagner Dining Hall.
“We would like this event to encompass two days. On Friday, there will be a banquet in Wagner to officially announce the inductees into the Hall of Fame. On Saturday at the final home game (basketball) of the season, those inductees will be announce to the fans,” Pitt-Greensburg Athletic Director Jeromy Yetter said of the inaugural event.
In the future, new Hall of Fame inductees will be announced during the Blue & Gold Celebration.
The new Hall of Fame will be located in the Fireside Lounge of Chambers Hall. Inductees have been asked to create videos which will be on permanent display.
“We would like to make sure that whatever we do is done with class and dignity. We have limited space and would like to make the best use of the space we do have,” explained Yetter.
The Athletics Department announced the inductees mid-January. The first class includes:
Dan Swalga – He was the Athletic Director who formed Pitt-Greensburg’s four-year athletic programs and oversaw the hiring of coaches and applied to the NCAA.
Matt Furjanic – The first basketball coach of the four-year program, he is the only basketball coach in Pitt-Greensburg history to win

back-to-back AMCC conference titles. He has won over 600 NCAA games.
Carol Gelet – She is the all-time winningest coach in Pitt-Greensburg history, and she also won Pitt-Greensburg’s first-ever basketball game in an NCAA tournament.
Jason Trout – He is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 2,160 points scored. He is also the program’s all-time leading rebounder with 926 rebounds. Overall, he ranks in the top 10 across 25 different categories in the record books.
Jen McIntosh Luciew ’06 – She sits atop every major women’s soccer career offensive category:
Continued page 2

The ’69 - ’70 men’s basketball team will be inducted this February.

MBAC Loses
Founding Member

It is with a heavy heart that the MBAC announces the passing of Thomas Jollie ’73 on Friday, January 7. A viewing was held at the Leo M. Bacha Funeral Home (Greensburg) on January 10. It was immediately followed by a private service. Tom was a founding member and vice president of MBAC as well as a board director for the Pitt-Greensburg Alumni Association (PGAA) and member of its events committee. Tom was the 2019 Volunteer Excellence award recipient, one of the campus’ top honors. He will be missed greatly by the campus community.

Hall of Fame continued

goals, assists, and points. She earned newcomer of the year honors, and was recognized every year for four years as an All-conference performer.
2002 Men’s Soccer Team – This team is being honored for being Pitt-Greensburg’s first men’s team to enter the NCAA tournament. The team includes: Head Coach Ted Wawrzniak, Assistant Coach John Curley ’76 (A&S), Alex Artayet ’05, Jake Bethem ’05, Jaime Deniziak, Scott Duryea, Greg Faltenovich ’05, Steve Forbrich ’06, Bryan Gesinski, Steve Green, Tyler Greene, John Guzowski ’04, Nick Hammon ’05, R.J. Hesketh, Jeremy Hettler ’04, Jim Horning ’04, Justin Innocent ’06, Peter Jonah ’05, Chris Krisnher, Chris Knauff ’03, Chris Krizon, Brett Marion ’05, Bill McIntosh ’03, Brandon Migitsch ’04, Mitch Paterline ’03, Kris Richardson ’07, Chris Roslonski ’06, Matt Spolski, Dan Stern ’05, Dave Tintera ’05, Mike Tintera ’03, Brendan Walk ’05, Corey Yerace ’04, Adam Zeleznick ’06.
1969-1970 Men’s Basketball Team – This team started the tradition of athletics on campus. Team members include: Head Coach John Hunter, Assistant Coach Gus Corso, Tom Jollie ’73, John Jamison ’77 (CGS), Steve Frick, Al Skrabski ’73 (ENGR), Bernie Cobetto ’73 (A&S), Tom Kristan ’73 (A&S), Alan Pearson, Fred Charles ’72, Paul Salley, Harry Bowser ’72 (EDUC), Dan Cottrell ’72 (EDUC), Dave Chesser ’73 (A&S), Mike Noppe ’72 (EDUC), Rich Hardway ’73 (A&S), and Manager Bob Gleghorn ’72 (A&S).
If you are interested in attending the ceremony, the cost is $25 per guest. Food and beverages will be served. The deadline to register is February 10. To read more about the inductees and register for the ceremony, please visit https://bit.ly/hof-induction-22 or scan this code:

Above:
Dan Swalga
Right:
Jason Trout
Below:
Matt Furjanic

SAVE THE DATE
Pitt Day of Giving—February 22, 2022
Please consider
making a gift!
Look for more details in your e-mail!

One for the Record Books as France Reaches 1,000th Point

On Monday, December 10, Pitt-Greensburg senior guard Jojo France became the 15th player in men’s basketball history to score 1,000 points. It didn’t take him long to score his first basket of the day against Franciscan University, which gave him the record-setting point.
With several games left to play this season, his final spot on the list of 1,000-point scorers has yet to be determined. The MBAC congratulates Jojo and wishes him well as he climbs the list of all-time leading scorers in school history.

Top: Jojo France shows off his plaque.
Middle: Jojo France marks his
accomplishment with grandfather
Jim France.
Bottom left: Jojo and his teammates celebrate in the locker room.
Bottom right: Jojo and his
grandfather pose with Cam Seigreid ’21, the last player to score 1,000 points.

Pitt-Greensburg
1,000 Point
Scorers
Jason Trout 2,160
Rocco Contristano ’16 1,538
Jerell Figueroa ’16 1,427
Kevin Conlon ’05 1,417
David Palmer 1,294
Rashad Davison ’10 1,210
Cam Seigreid ’21 1,151
Mike Connelly ’16 1,136
Daniel Waajid ’09 1,119
Josh Sapotichne ’01 1,102
Jim Kubichek* 1,095
Brian Hienle ’15 1,052
Marcus Thomas ’16 1,033
Josh Kucenic ’12 1,024
* - Accomplished during
the two-year program

Planning to Attend A Game — Here’s What You Should Know

If you would like to attend a game this season, please be aware of the campus’ policy for game attendance. Masks are required, and guests must sign-in for contract tracing, if necessary.
Since Athletics has gone paperless during the pandemic, game day programs are only available online. To view or print a program for the game, follow these steps:
Go to https://pittgreensburgathletics.com/
Hover over “Men’s Sports,” then highlight “Basketball,” and click on “schedule.”
Then, click on “Gameday program” under the game.
Once you have opened the program, you can view, print, or download.
If you can’t make it to campus for a game, please follow steps 1-2, and click on the TV icon to watch the game. Broadcasts do not usually begin until just before the game starts.

Visitors are welcome, but must follow current guidelines.

Friends, Globetrotters, & Bobcats

Alan Heter joins old friend and former teammate Chris Klimchock as the new assistant coach. While he is still building his coaching resume, his player resume is quite impressive.
Al played for Montour High School. Although they were playing against each other, it’s also where he first met Chris. They started their college careers together at Edinboro University, where they were friends, teammates, and roommates. Like Chris, Al didn’t stay at Edinboro but finished his college career at Point Park University.
After college, he had the opportunity to play basketball internationally. The game took him to China and Chile. He then pivoted from basketball to finance, which he thought was going to be his career. While working for the Bank of New York Mellon, he received a call from the Harlem Globetrotters. Their offer was too tempting, and he returned to basketball as a member of the Washington Generals, the Globetrotters’ longstanding rivals. His first tour took him to Canada. He then joined them for a European tour of military bases. Just before the pandemic struck, he was invited on a full tour with them.
It was about this time that Chris reached out to Al about joining the coaching staff. He had no idea where the campus was and had never thought about coaching. But, his grandma had always said that coaching was what he should do. The more he coaches, the more he thinks she turned him onto something positive. From working with Chris to learning from the other coaches to working with and mentoring the team, he loves it. As he looks to the future, Al looks forward to more coaching opportunities, building communities, and working in athletic administration.

The Other Klimchock

The MBAC Needs Your Help

Joining new head coach Chris Klimchock on the bench this year are assistant coaches Harry Bowser and Allan Heter. But, visitors may have also noticed another assistant on the bench this season. Who is that guy?
He is Rick Klimchock. He is, in fact, Chris’ father. Serving as an in-house mentor, Rick has helped his son with the daunting task of becoming a first-time head coach at the college level.
Joining the staff, Rick brings years of experience in athletics. After graduation from Washington & Jefferson College, where he was a wide receiver for the football team, he took a job at Greensburg Central Catholic High School (GCCHS). During his eight years at GCCHS, Rick taught social studies and coached both football and basketball. He moved on to Saltsburg Junior Senior High School as a guidance counselor and basketball coach. Next, he spent 14 years as a counselor and coach at Jeanette Junior-Senior High School.
His resume also includes several years of coaching at Franklin Regional Senior High School and Greensburg Salem High School. There was probably some coaching going on at home, too, with Chris and his siblings Laura and Ben who all played college basketball.

The MBAC hopes you enjoy the newsletters and the activities that they have sponsored.
Over the past five years, the MBAC has:
contributed to the purchase of a shooting machine for both basketball programs,
hosted alumni events,
distributed giveaways at games to build attendance,
sponsored welcome luncheons for new coaches,
enhanced the players stay on campus, and
participated in community projects such as donating Thanksgiving dinners and giving Christmas gifts to underprivileged children.
As the MBAC looks to the future, they hope to continue these activities. There are two ways you can help —
Please consider making a gift to the MBAC on February 22, 2022 for Pitt Day of Giving. When you give, you help the MBAC continue to support the campus. Watch your e-mail for details or contact Alumni Relations at pgaa@pitt.edu to learn more.
Share your time and talent. Volunteers are greatly appreciated and help continue the mission of the MBAC. As a volunteer, you can assist with the newsletter, share your ideas for future events and activities, build your network, and help grow the alumni community. If you’re interested in helping, please call/text “OG” Harry Bowser at 724-691-1378 or e-mail him at harryb@zoominternet.net.

Pitt-Greensburg Welcomes New Sports Information Director

New Sports Information Director Jacob Oberdorf has been a sports fanatic all his life. While at Leechburg Area High School he excelled in baseball and basketball. Following graduation, he attended Clarion University of Pennsylvania, where he studied journalism and strategic communication and worked with the student newspaper and the sports information office.
In his new position, Jacob hopes to increase the Department of Athletics’ social media presence, which is an invaluable part of recruiting and communicating with athletes. He would also like to be more of a mentor to students on campus.
“I come from a family full of teachers and have seen the impact they have made on their students,” he notes adding, that his biggest reward so far has been building relationships with the students. They push him to be the best he can be.
His biggest challenge has been navigating the new statistics program, and even though it’s taking time to learn, he can already see the benefits it will provide.
An early success has been adding play-by-play announcers to the videos of the on-line broadcasts, which help to bring the games to life and increase the viewers’ enjoyment. Jacob is quick to credit his intern, Jake Davey, who he has worked with on the project.
Jacob is extremely happy to be part of the history of Pitt-Greensburg basketball and Bobcat athletics. He hopes to bring big things to the athletic programs.

Student Announcers Give Online Broadcasts a Voice

Senior roommates Jake Davey and Brock McCormack have become the driving force behind the men's and women's basketball teams’ broadcasts. An intern majoring in communication, Jake is the assistant sports information director and a member of the men’s baseball team. Brock McCormack, a psychology major, is also a member of the baseball team and has had an interest in graphics and webpage design since high school.
When Jake found audio equipment in a storage closet, he had the idea for streaming the basketball games and pitched the idea to Athletic Director Jeromy Yetter and Sports Information Director Jacob Oberdorf. He wanted to improve Athletics’ media presence and give it a professional feel while also building his resume. Jeromy and Jacob encouraged him to pursue the idea. Jake began working with Jacob on a blueprint for the livestream.
While brainstorming ideas with his roommate Brock, Jake persuaded him to become directly involved with the project. They immersed themselves in it, researching established content creators and livestream operators.
Committed to creating an enjoyable and informative broadcast, they have gained valuable on-the-job experience, and as the season has progressed, so has the broadcast, which now has a more consistent flow. Jake does play-by-play and has come to learn that preparation is the key to a good broadcast. According to Jake, research, recon on the opposing team’s stats and rosters, and staying on top of the changing dynamics of the home team are essential to a quality product. Brock assists with statistical updates, social media updates, and commentary, as well as camera work. They speak during halftime and after games to identify how they can improve. They appreciate Jeromy and Jacob for giving them the opportunity and are also grateful for the help they have received from Jake’s internship adviser and Associate Professor of Communication Dr. John Prellwitz.
To view the broadcasts, follow these steps:
Go to the Pitt-Greensburg Athletics website at https://pittgreensburgathletics.com/.
Click on the “Multimedia Tab.”
From the dropdown list, select “Live Video Broadcasts.” The most current broadcast will show. Scroll down the page to choose previous broadcasts.

Top: Jake Davey
Below: Brock McCormack

Where Are They Now—
From Wildcat to Bobcat to Carolina Panther Country

Those who played during the early days of Pitt-Greensburg basketball remember fondly the big smile, the energy, the good times, and the friendship of Latrobe’s Tony Quatrini. Tony came to Pitt-Greensburg from Greater Latrobe High School where he was a two-sport standout, playing both football and basketball for the Wildcats. He gave up football when he was offered a scholarship to play point guard at Pitt-Greensburg for Coach John Hunter on what was then a junior college division of the NCAA in 1971 to 1973. When he thinks back on his playing days, however, it’s not wins and losses or game stats that come to mind, but rather “post-game gatherings with teammates at the Parkwood Inn in Greensburg and road trips to the Pitt field house.”
Tony’s experiences at Pitt-Greensburg helped to launch him into a very successful career in marketing and sales. He started in radio sales at WCNS in Latrobe and went on to be an account executive for radio station 96.1 in Pittsburgh (WXKX). From there he was promoted to director of sports marketing for the Steelers radio network, the University of Pittsburgh football and basketball network, and the Penguins radio broadcasts. Following these experiences, Tony moved to account executive for WTAE-TV, and from there general sales manager of Fox Sports Net Pittsburgh. His last job was vice president of marketing, sales and media for the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he says he was honored to work with one of the best sports franchises for 28 years. Over the years with the Steelers, Tony attended 15 Super Bowls, including three in which the Steelers competed, and what made these incredible opportunities even better was that his family was able to join him.
Tony has since retired but keeps busy serving on a number of boards and committees: the Chuck Noll Foundation (supporting research into sports-related brain injury); the committee for the selection of the Steelers Hall of Honor; the board of Charlotte Neighborhood Hope (an outreach ministry in Charlotte, NC); and a fundraising committee for Donnie Shell’s annual charity golf outing to support his foundation. Tony has been married to Leslie for 37 years and has three beautiful grown children: Lia, Valerie, and Sam. All are graduates of Grove City College and all are married to Grove City alumni! Tony and Leslie spend their time spoiling one grandchild, Ezra, and they split their time between their primary residence in scenic Davidson, NC, and a second home in Pittsburgh.
Though Tony returned for a team reunion some years back, he might be surprised to see how much the campus has grown and changed over the years. One thing that has always stayed the same, however, is that it’s still a great place to make friends…friends that can last for a lifetime! Tony would like to hear from his fellow MBAC alumni and can be reached through e-mail at quatrinitony@gmail.com.

Tony Quatrini and grandson Ezra

Bobcats on the Prowl

Alumni Jim Murphy '76 (A&S), Denny Colangelo '75 (A&S), and Jerry Fedele '75 (A&S) made the trip to Charlotte to see Pitt take on Wake Forest. They cheered on the Panthers to their first ACC Championship.
If you have photos that you’d like to share, please send them to the Office of Alumni Relations at pgaa@pitt.edu.
Photos may also be used in the monthly e-Connections Alumni Newsletter and the PGAA social media pages.

Coach’s Corner

It has been two and a half months since we’ve had our first practice together as a group, and it is incredible to see the strides that have been made so far as a team. We had a tough opening to the season, dropping our first five contests. However, since then, we have won four of our last six games and are starting to play together more as a team.
JoJo France reached the 1000-point mark a few games ago, which is quite the accomplishment! He is only the 15th player in Pitt-Greensburg basketball history to reach that mark. That success didn’t just happen by accident. He comes in every day to practice with such a competitive fire and focus on getting better. He makes everyone around him a better player, and he has a bright future ahead of him.
We are right around the midpoint of our season, and we sit right in the middle of the standings. I am proud of our players for their continued effort and focus during practice, which has allowed us to improve in many crucial aspects offensively and defensively. We will only continue to get better the rest of the season with the more time we have together.
Unfortunately, we have had a few games postponed due to COVID, but that has not deterred our team’s attitude to come in each day with a fresh focus on having the best practice we can have. I am looking forward to seeing how we progress through the rest of the season. We try to take it one day at a time and get a little better each day. Go Bobcats!

2021-2022 Men’s Basketball Schedule

Date	Opponent	Time	Result & Score	Win-Loss Record / (Overall, Conference)
11/5/2021	@ Carlow University		L 82-84	0-0, 0-1
11/8/2021	Washington & Jefferson College		L79-88	0-0, 0-2
11/12/2021	@ Lycoming College		L 64-75	0-0, 0-3
11/13/2021	@ Penn College		Postponed
11/17/2021	@ Chatham University		Postponed
11/19/2021	@ Juniata College		L 58-60	0-0, 0-4
11/20/2021	Washington & Jefferson College		L 102-88	0-0, 0-5
11/23/2021	@ Bethany College		W 83-70	0-0, 1-5
11/27/2021	@ Malone University		L 101-71	0-0,1-6
12/4/2021	Hilbert College		W 88-81	1-0, 2-6
12/8/2021	@ La Roche University		L 93-80	1-1, 2-7
12/18/2021	@ University of Pittsburgh Bradford		W 104-95	2-1, 3-7
12/20/2021	Franciscan University		W 93-62	2-1, 4-7
1/5/2022	@ Penn State Behrend		L 52 –66	2-2, 4-8
1/15/2022	@ Alfred State College		W 75-70	3-2, 5-9
1/19/2022	Penn State Altoona		L 94-73	3-3, 5-10
1/22/2022	@ Hilbert College	3:00 PM
1/24/2022	Medaille College	5:30 PM
1/26/2022	La Roche University	7:30 PM
1/31/2022	@ Mount Aloysius College	7:30 PM
2/2/2022	Penn State Behrend	7:30 PM
2/5/2022	University of Pittsburgh Bradford	4:00 PM
2/9/2022	@ Penn State Altoona	7:30 PM
2/12/2022	@ Medaille College	3:00 PM
2/16/2022	Mount Aloysius College	7:30 PM
2/19/2022	Alfred State College	3:00 PM