Courtesy: WVU Sports
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Six outstanding contributors to Mountaineer athletics make up the 33rd class of honorees in the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame, announced today by Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker.
The 2023 class includes Trevor Gathman (rifle), Bruce Irvin (football), TeShawne Jackson (gymnastics), Jay Jacobs (broadcaster), Buddy Quertinmont (men’s basketball) and Renee Riccio (women’s swimming & diving). This class brings the total number of inductees to 229.
Induction ceremonies will take place Saturday, Sept. 23, prior to the West Virginia-Texas Tech football game. For tickets, fans can visit WVUGAME.com.
Renee Riccio
The late Renee Riccio was a three-time All-American in swimming & diving during her collegiate career from 1989-93. She was the first WVU swimmer to earn two All-America honors in the same season.
Riccio was considered coach Kevin Gilson’s top recruit in the late 1980s. She came to WVU after spending two years at The Peddie School in Hightstown, New Jersey. She had accomplished everything she could at Altoona High in Altoona, Pennsylvania, from setting a national YMCA record in the 50-yard freestyle as a 10-year-old to breaking every record Altoona had before enrolling at Peddie when she was 16.
A member of the 2008 Blair County Sports Hall of Fame, Riccio became the team’s top swimmer when she arrived in 1990. Riccio is one of just seven female swimmers in school history to qualify for at least three NCAA championships, encompassing seven different events in all. She earned All-America honors in 1991 in the 100 fly and in 1992 in the 100 and 200 fly.
Riccio graduated with four school records in the 100 butterfly, 200 butterfly, 200 I.M. and 400 I.M. Her 200 I.M. time of 2:02.38 posted in 1993 is the sixth-fastest in school history, and her 200 fly clocking of 2:00.06 ranks fifth.
During Riccio’s senior season, WVU was three points shy of having an undefeated campaign with victories over Pitt, Virginia Tech and Maryland. The team also won the Atlantic 10 and Eastern Championships. Riccio was team captain and conference MVP from her sophomore to her senior years. She was undefeated in dual-meet competition her entire career.
Riccio was one of 42 swimmers to qualify for the 1992 U.S. Olympic Trials and she ended up finishing 13th in the prelims with a time of 1:02.16. Riccio was a member of the Senior National Championship Fort Lauderdale Swim Team in 1992.
Riccio met her husband, Frank McCutchan, while both were members of the WVU team and after moves to Atlanta, Charlotte and Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, the couple made Morgantown their home for 20 years.
Riccio worked as a physical therapy aid, swim coach, and after taking several years off to stay home with her children, a swim instructor for children with special needs at SteppingStones of Morgantown. She volunteered extensively for Monongalia County Schools, including as a volunteer coach of the University High swim team.
Riccio passed away on August 24, 2021, after a year-long battle with melanoma.
Riccio is also survived by her two children, Jacqueline, who recently completed her WVU swimming & diving career, earning a victory in the 100 backstroke at the 2023 Big 12 Swimming & Diving Championships, and Frankie, who has just started his career on the WVU men’s swimming & diving team.
Trevor Gathman
Trevor Gathman was a two-time national champion and seven-time All-American in rifle from 1993-96, leading WVU to three NCAA titles during his career.
Gathman was a first team All-American all four years at West Virginia, earning first-team air rifle honors from 1993-96 and first-team smallbore accolades in 1995-96. He earned second-team smallbore honors in 1993.
A native of Corbett, Oregon, Gathman led WVU to NCAA titles in 1993, 1995 and 1996, and a runner-up finish in 1994. The Mountaineers posted a regular season record of 43-1 during his career.
Gathman was named College Sports Magazine Division I Rifle Athlete of the Year in 1995 and 1996 and the Collegiate Rifle Coaches Association Shooter of the NCAA Championship in 1996. He was named the team’s Most Valuable Shooter in 1995 and 1996.
After earning a bachelor’s degree from WVU, Gathman joined the United States Army in 1997 and was assigned to the U.S. Army Marksmanship Unit International Rifle Team after completing basic and infantry training. He retired from the Army in 2005.
Gathman won five interservice championships from 2001-04, was a 2001 national air rifle bronze medalist, earned silver medalist at the three-position national championships in 1999, was the 1999 NRA iron sight standing national champion, was a three-position gold medalist in 1995 and a prone bronze medalist at the Olympic Festival in 1994.
He won the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Army Service Ribbon and Army Superior Unit Award.
Gathman and his wife, Dixi, have two daughters, Miah and Anna, and live in Belleville, West Virginia.
Bruce Irvin
Bruce Irvin was an All-America linebacker in 2010 and 2011 and a first round NFL Draft pick in 2012.
As a senior in 2011, Irvin was tabbed First Team All-Big East after finishing fourth in the conference in sacks and tying for 28th nationally. He tied for seventh in the league in tackles for loss and tied for third in forced fumbles. Irvin led WVU in sacks (8.5), forced fumbles (3) and tied for the team lead in tackles for loss (15).
The Atlanta native collected a career-high seven tackles while adding two sacks versus Pitt. He was named a Fourth Team All-American by Phil Steele. In his first season as a junior at WVU in 2010, he was tabbed Honorable Mention All-American by SI.com. Irvin was named Second Team All-Big East after he finished second in the nation in sacks. He led the Big East in sacks and tied for fourth in tackles for loss. Irvin recorded a season-high four solo tackles against Maryland, including a season-high three sacks for 22 yards.
Irvin finished his WVU career fourth on the career sack chart (22.5) and third on WVU’s single-season sack chart (14).
The Seattle Seahawks selected Irvin in the first round (15th overall) in the 2012 NFL Draft. He was the highest selected Mountaineer since Adam Jones in 2005. Irvin was also the first defensive end and fourth defensive lineman selected in 2012.
He had three stints with Seattle (2012-15, 2020 and 2022) and also played for Oakland (2016-18), Atlanta (2018), Carolina (2019) and Chicago (2021). Irvin played in two Super Bowls, XLVIII and XLIX, winning XLVIII against Denver in 2014, 43-8, a game in which he made two solo tackles.
For his NFL career, he had 340 total tackles, 55 1/2 sacks, 16 forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, three interceptions, 13 pass deflections and two defensive touchdowns. Irvin was the NFL forced fumbles co-leader in 2016 and was named to the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2012.
Irvin was active in the community, especially during his time with Raiders. For his efforts, he was honored in 2017 as Oakland’s representative for the Walter Payton NFL Man of the Year Award. It is considered one of the league’s most prestigious honors, recognizing an NFL Player for outstanding community service activities off the field as well as excellence on the field.
Along with his own charities, Irvin hosted football clinics in Charleston, West Virginia and assisted with his teammates efforts. He volunteered with food banks, helped distribute food to families, visited children’s hospitals, participated in the team’s Crucial Catch community event – (breast cancer survivors), joined members of the local Girls Inc., advocating change together program and made financial contributions to help relief efforts for those affected by Northern California wildfires.
Irvin was a First Team All-American at Mt. San Antonio College prior to arriving at WVU. He played high school football at Stephenson High School.
Irvin returned to WVU in 2018 to earn his Regents Bachelor of Arts degree from the College of Education and Human Services. He and his wife, Jonnie, have three sons, Brayden, Brody and Beau.
TeShawne Jackson
TeShawne Jackson owns the most career perfect-10 scores in WVU gymnastics history with seven from 2000-03.
Jackson had a well-decorated four-year career, winning the East Atlantic Gymnastics League (EAGL) vault and all-around titles in 2001 and 2002, tying the WVU career record for individual conference titles with four.
In addition to holding the WVU school record of seven perfect scores, Jackson owns the Mountaineer career record for most scores of 9.9 or higher on vault and floor with 23 and 21, respectively. She holds school records of 10.0 on the vault (four times) and floor exercise (three times).
Jackson is the only WVU gymnast to score two 10.0s in one meet and owns the WVU Coliseum vault (10.0) and floor exercise (10.0) individual records. She tallied 48 career scores of 9.9 or better, a program record.
She scored 39.0+ in the all-around 15 times, ranking seventh in program history. Jackson competed in 51 career meets (14th all-time), ranks 13th in career points (1,636.95), ranks 14th in program history in career all-around meets (32) and tallied 506.625 points in 2002, the 17h-best season point total in history.
As a freshman, Jackson helped the Mountaineers advance to the NCAA Championships for the second consecutive season. She finished first on floor exercise at the 2000 NCAA Regional Championships, tying for the top event finish in program history and becoming the first Mountaineer gymnast to win floor at an NCAA Regional. She qualified for the 2002 NCAA National Championships in the all-around, boasting a WVU record 9.85 at an NCAA National Championships event.
WVU recorded a combined 77-31 record during Jackson’s career and claimed the EAGL team title in 2001.
Jackson was a 10-time All-EAGL honoree, earning seven All-EAGL First Team accolades, including four straight All-EAGL Vault First Team Awards. A 2003 team captain, she was the team MVP in 2002 and captured the 2003 Joseph Medrick Award for the team’s top all-around gymnast.
The Brooklyn, New York native, has a gymnastics move named after her, which is recognized in the Code of Points (tour jeté ring ½).
In 2000, Jackson captured the NCAA North Central Regional Championship in floor exercise and was an individual national qualifier in 1999 at Junior Nationals before qualifying as a collegiate gymnast in 2000 and 2002.
Jackson graduated from WVU in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in physical education with a co-concentration in athletic coaching education.
Following graduation, she has coached at numerous gymnastics training centers and has coached collegiately, including assistant coach stops at Ball State, William & Mary, Iowa State and Utah State. Jackson has tutored multiple club gymnasts who have obtained full college scholarships and multiple national champions. She also has led multiple teams to earn the North Carolina Club of the Year honors.
In 2019, Jackson was inducted into the Region 8 Gymnastics Hall of Fame.
Jay Jacobs
Former WVU cager Jay Jacobs has been analyzing Mountaineer men’s basketball games for nearly five decades on West Virginia University telecasts and more recently on the radio network.
The Morgantown native was initially hired by Paul Miller as a basketball analyst for Mountaineer Sports Network (MSN) television in 1977, forming a three-way pairing with the late Jack Fleming and Woody O’Hara. He also did television work for Home Team Sports, Creative Sports Marketing and ESPN during Sun Belt Conference games before transitioning primarily to radio in the mid-1990s when he teamed with Fleming, and then with veteran play-by-play man Tony Caridi starting with the 1996-97 season.
During his time broadcasting Mountaineer basketball, Jacobs has been on hand to analyze some of the greatest moments in WVU basketball history, including eight trips to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16, an Elite Eight appearance in 2005 and a trip to the Final Four in 2010.
In all, Jacobs has been involved with 20 NCAA Tournament teams, not to mention the two appearances WVU made in 1959-60 when he was a player.
Through the years, Jacobs did radio and television work for the women’s basketball program as well.
Jacobs, an all-state player and the all-time leading scorer at Morgantown High, was part of the Jerry West era at WVU – considered the “Golden Era” of Mountaineer basketball.
Following graduation, Jacobs coached four years at Union High in Benwood, West Virginia, and then several more at Thomas Johnson High in Frederick, Maryland, through the 1973-74 season when he left coaching for an administrative job in the Frederick County school system.
In 1996, he retired from his job as assistant principal at Ballenger Middle School to devote his full time to WVU basketball.
In addition to game broadcasts, Jacobs is also a popular contributor to the weekly basketball radio shows. During each season, the dedicated Jacobs faithfully makes the two-plus-hour, wintertime drive across the Maryland and West Virginia mountains to work basketball games and shows.
He earned his bachelor’s degree from WVU in physical education in 1961 and a master’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in administration in 1962.
Jay and his wife, Bonnie, currently reside in Walkersville, Maryland. They have one son, John, and one daughter, the late Lisa Quick, four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
Jules “Buddy” Quertinmont
The late Buddy Quertinmont helped the men’s basketball team to three Southern Conference titles and two NCAA Tournament appearances during his career from 1961-65.
Quertinmont, the first recruit signed by the late George King, played in 68 career varsity games, making 46 starts. At the conclusion of his four-year Mountaineer career, he had tallied a total of 1,053 points.
He was WVU’s top scorer on the 1961-62 freshman team, averaging 24.3 points per game, totaling 364 points for the season. That was the fourth-highest mark in WVU freshman history. He finished his varsity career with 689 points, 178 rebounds and 97 assists.
After playing behind All-America guard Rod Thorn as a sophomore, he was a starter his last two seasons, averaging 10.3 points as a junior and 14.5 points as a senior. Quertinmont tallied 20 points or more in a game 10 times as a Mountaineer.
The Point Marion, Pennsylvania, native scored a career-best 32 points against Duke on Feb. 6, 1965, at Cameron Indoor Stadium. He also notched 30 points against George Washington.
WVU won the Southern Conference Tournament titles in 1963 and 1965 and the Southern Conference regular season championship in 1963.
Following graduation, he played professionally in the Eastern Basketball League for the Scranton Miners. His high school career point total of 2,066 is still the school district’s second-most points ever scored and is sixth in Fayette County history. Quertinmont was a member of the first class to graduate from the new Albert Gallatin High in 1961. His 687 points as a senior led the entire state of Pennsylvania. He was a three-time all-county and two-time all-state selection.
He remained involved with his alma mater as owner and operator of Point Marion Ford from 1970 until his retirement in 2012. In the mid-1970s, Quertinmont, along with Lyle Horton and Coach Bobby Bowden, founded the Mountaineer Wheels Club to provide automobiles to WVU coaches. He was a longtime member of the Mountaineer Athletic Club and WVU Sports Hall of Fame Committee. He also served as the president of the WVU Varsity Club and the WVU Letterman’s Club. As a member of the WVU Touchdown Club, Quertinmont was the recipient of the Proficiency Award.
Quertinmont was inducted into the Fayette County (Pa.) Sports Hall of Fame in 2014 and the Pittsburgh Area Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.
He died in Morgantown on Dec. 3, 2017, at the age of 74. He is survived by his wife of 50 years, Brenda, son Buddy Jr., who played college basketball at Washington & Jefferson and daughter, Lori (Martin), who was a four-year letterwinner in women’s basketball for the Mountaineers and was one of the key members of WVU’s NCAA Tournament team in 1992. The Quertinmonts have three grandchildren: Jacob, Maggie and Will.