WVU Sports Hall of Fame Class Selected
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (For Sunday release: May 24, 2015) – Six outstanding contributors to Mountaineer athletics make up the 25th class of honorees in the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame, announced today by Director of Athletics Shane Lyons.
The 2015 class includes Jerome Anderson, Bobby Bowden, Kevin Gilson, Ken Herock, Megan (Metcalfe) Wright and Amos Zereoue.
Induction ceremonies will take place Saturday, Sept. 26, prior to the West Virginia-Maryland football game. This class brings the total number of inductees to 162.
Jerome Anderson
Jerome Anderson played men’s basketball from 1973-75, averaging double figures all three years in Morgantown.
For his career, he averaged 12.6 points per game (12.1 points as a sophomore, 11.5 points as a junior and 14.1 points as a senior). Anderson shot 45.2 percent from the field for his career, averaged 34.8 minutes per game, had 202 career assists and averaged 6.4 rebounds per game.
The Mullens, West Virginia, native scored 971 points in 77 games, starting 71 of those contests. He scored career highs of 24 points against Pacific on Jan. 18, 1975 and Penn State on Feb. 19, 1975. Anderson had 10 assists against Boston University on Jan. 4, 1975, and 14 rebounds against Cornell on Jan. 10, 1973 and Syracuse on Feb. 11, 1974.
A two-time team captain who earned three varsity letters, Anderson is a member of the 1966-75 all-time men’s basketball team at WVU.
Anderson was selected in the third round of the 1975 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and in the seventh round of the 1975 ABA draft by the San Diego Sails. He played two seasons in the NBA (1975-77) as a member of the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers. Anderson averaged 2.6 points per game in his career and played on the Celtics’ team that won an NBA championship in 1976. He played with the West Virginia Wheels (AABA) in 1977-78.
The 6-foot-5 guard/forward later played and coached professionally in Sweden and Norway. Among his achievements as a coach is a BLNO championship with the Ulriken Eagles in 2007.
Anderson died in Heisinborg, Sweden, in 2009 at age 55 after a long illness. He left behind three sons, Julius, TeJay and Denzell and two daughters, Terri and Tony.
Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, spent 10 seasons (four as offensive coordinator and six as head coach) at West Virginia from 1966-75.
As head coach at West Virginia, he guided two Peach Bowl clubs in 1972 and 1975, with his 1975 team finishing No. 20 in the nation. Bowden posted a 42-26 record at WVU from 1970-75 and developed three first team All-Americans in Jim Braxton, Dale Farley and Danny Buggs, along with numerous NFL Draft selections.
Bowden was the first coach to lead WVU to multiple bowl games, and his 1972 team ranked fourth in the nation in scoring (36.5) and sixth in passing yards (227.8).
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Bowden began his head coaching football career in 1956 at South Georgia College, where he posted a 22-11 record in three seasons. He then posted a 31-6 record at Howard College (now Samford University) from 1959-62 before becoming an assistant coach at Florida State from 1963-65 and offensive coordinator at WVU from 1966-69. Bowden left WVU to become the head coach at Florida State, where he compiled a 315-98-4 record from 1976-2009, including national championships in 1993 and 1999. Bowden’s 1993 team defeated Nebraska, 18-16, in the Orange Bowl, and his 1999 team which was ranked No. 1 for the entire season, defeated Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, 46-29, to finish 12-0. He is credited with a 377-129-4 record in 44 years as a Division I head coach.
In those 44 seasons as a Division I head coach, Bowden had 40 winning seasons (including 33 consecutive at Florida State), and 36 Division I-A winning seasons. From 1987-2000, Bowden coached Florida State to 14 straight seasons with 10 or more victories, and his team had a final ranking of fourth or better in both of the major polls.
Bowden is the only coach in NCAA Division I to lead his team to 15 consecutive New Year’s Day bowl games (1991-2005), the only Division I coach to win 11 consecutive bowl games (1985-95), the only Division I coach with 14 straight bowl trips without a loss (1982-95), the only coach in Division I to compile 14 straight 10-wins season (1987-2000), the only coach to take his team to 28 consecutive bowl games and the only coach in Division I history to compile 14 straight top-five finishes in the AP poll from 1987-2000.
During his career, he produced two Heisman Trophy winners, 24 consensus All-Americans, three Johnny United Award winnings and two winners each of the Thorpe Award, Butkus Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Vince Lombardi Award.
Bowden received the National Football Foundation’s highest award – the Gold Medal – in 2006. He was the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year in 1980, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year in 1991 and won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 2011. In addition to the two national championships, Bowden led Florida State to 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
In 2004, Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State was named Bobby Bowden Field. Among the awards named in honor of Bobby Bowden are the Bobby Bowden National Coach of the Year Award, presented by The Mountain Touchdown Club of Birmingham and the Bobby Bowden Athlete of the Year Award, presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Bowden, a 1953 graduate of Howard (Samford), and his wife, Ann, have six children (Terry, Tommy, Jeff, Robyn Hines, Steve and Ginger Madden) and 21 grandchildren.
Kevin Gilson
Kevin Gilson served as head coach of the men’s swimming and diving program from 1967-96 and the women’s swimming and diving program from 1980-96.
His 30-year career at WVU produced six All-Americans (Rick Hyser, Kreg Lewis, Debbie Scott, Kim Kaufman, Aileen Convery and Renee Riccio) and 27 NCAA qualifiers. Hyser was the first men’s swimming All-American in 1983 and Kaufman was the first women’s All-American in 1985. Gilson helped Convery compete in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Gilson compiled a 290-153-1 record as coach of both programs (197-100-1 with the men and 93-53 with the women).
Gilson won 10 Eastern League championships (five men and five women), led the men to four Atlantic 10 team titles and guided the women to three Atlantic 10 team championships.
Recognized as one of the top collegiate coaches in the nation, Gilson was acknowledged time and time again by members of the media and his peers. In 1976, he was selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the West Virginia Coach of the Year. He was honored as the Eastern Conference Coach of the Year four times and was the 1994 Atlantic 10 Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year. Gilson earned Atlantic 10 Women’s Coach of the Year honors in 1993.
In 1992, he received the Distinguished Coach Award from the College Swimming Coaches’ Association of America, the highest honor given in the coaching profession chosen by his peers.
Gilson led two teams to undefeated seasons (1980 and 1983) and at the time of his retirement, every single men’s and women’s team record was accomplished during his tenure.
Gilson earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Maryland in 1964 and received his master’s and doctoral degrees from WVU. He continued teaching for 10 more years as an associate professor in the WVU School of Medicine.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three daughters, Erin, Shawn and Tara, and five grandchildren, Molly, Kevin, Jane, Owyn and Bella.
Ken Herock
Ken Herock lettered three seasons as a tight end and linebacker for the Mountaineers from 1960-62.
For his career, he finished with 24 catches for 292 yards and two touchdowns, including 14 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown as a senior. On defense, Herock finished with 109 career tackles, including 60 solo stops.
His best game on offense took place against Oregon State on Oct. 27, 1962, when he registered career highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (80). Herock earned All-Southern Conference honors as a tight end and linebacker.
WVU went winless during his sophomore year in 1960 and two years later, WVU won eight games, including WVU’s first-ever victory at Syracuse’s Archibald Stadium.
Herock has been in professional football for more than 38 years. He had a six- year pro career as a player, spending time with the Oakland Raiders (1963-67), who he helped win the 1976 Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Bengals (1968) and the Boston Patriots (1969). Herock was the first Mountaineer to play in a Super Bowl.
Following his playing career, he has been respected throughout the NFL for his expertise as a talent hunter and administrator. Herock has been a scout, coach, personnel director and general manager in the NFL. He has also served on the College Relations Board for the NFL.
Herock was named the Oakland Raiders director of player personnel in 1975. In 1976, he became the first director of player personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Within three years, he helped build the Bucs into a playoff contender, reaching the NFC Championship in 1979. Herock remained with Tampa Bay through 1984 and was responsible for supervising the first scouting combine, which eventually evolved into the Indianapolis National Invitation Camp.
He returned to the Raiders from 1984-86 before he was named the director of player personnel for Atlanta in 1987. Herock then became the team’s vice president of player personnel a year later, a position he held through the 1996 season. While he was in Atlanta, the Falcons drafted Brett Favre in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft.
Herock returned to the Raiders for a third time in 1997, leaving Oakland following the 1998 season. Herock joined the Green Bay Packers and was named vice president of personnel where he remained until 2001. In 2002, Herock established Pro Prep, a service which prepares future professional prospects for the National Football League.
A native of Munhall, Pennsylvania, Herock is a member of the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania State Hall of Fame.
Herock and his wife, Barry, now live in Gainesville, Georgia. They have two sons and five grandchildren.
Megan (Metcalfe) Wright
Megan Metcalfe, who achieved a national championship and nine All-America honors, is the most prolific distance runner in West Virginia women’s track and field history.
Competing at WVU from 2000-05, Metcalfe became the first Mountaineer to achieve two All-America honors in cross country. The Edmonton, Alberta, native earned her first All-America accolade as a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team, which finished in eighth place. Metcalfe’s second All-America award, and first individual, came with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter race at the 2002 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Her third All-America honor came with a ninth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championships, making her just the second female cross country All-American in school history and only the fourth Mountaineer to earn All-America honors in two sports.
Metcalfe earned her fourth and fifth All-America accolades in 2003 by finishing fourth in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and was a part of the then-school record setting distance medley relay team in that same meet.
Her sixth and seventh awards came in March 2004, when she placed fifth in the 3,000 meters and again was a member of the distance medley relay team.
Metcalfe’s eighth and school-record setting All-America honor came at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championships, where she recorded a 16th-place overall finish.
Metcalfe capped her brilliant career with a ninth All-America honor and a national championship when she won the 5,000 meters at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
During her career, Metcalfe’s teams had numerous top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
She competed at the World Cross Country Championships twice during her tenure at WVU and competed at the World University Games in Turkey.
Metcalfe earned first-place finishes in the Canadian Senior Championships in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, the Pacific World Cup in Burnaby, British Columbia, and at the 2007 Pan-American games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Metcalfe competed in the final at the World Indoor Championships in the 3,000 meters in Valencia, Spain. She competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for Canada, making the finals of the 5,000-meter race and running a personal-best time of 15:11.23 in the opening heat.
One of three track and field national champions in school history, Metcalfe earned numerous honors at WVU: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 All-Big East, 2000 Big East Freshman of the Year and the 2003 Big East Most Outstanding Female Track Performer.
Metcalfe won the 3,000 meters at the 2002 and 2003 Big East Indoor Championships, captured the 5,000 meters at the 2002 Big East Outdoor Championships and won the 10,000 meters at the 2003 Big East Outdoor Championships.
Metcalfe still holds school records in the 3,000 meters indoor (8:58.17), the 1,500 meters outdoor (4:12.00), the 3,000 meters outdoor (9:04:02) and the 5,000 meters outdoor (15:47.64).
Metcalfe earned magna cum laude honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and graduated with a master’s degree in physical therapy from WVU in 2005.
Metcalfe is married to Jonathan Wright of Fairmont, who she met while Jonathan was competing for the WVU men's cross country team. They have one son, James and are expecting a daughter in October, and they reside in Morgantown. Metcalfe works part-time as a physical therapist at Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Amos Zereoue
Amos Zereoue played football from 1996-98, leaving WVU as one of the top running backs in school history.
A native of Hempstead, New York, Zereoue finished his career ranked first in rushing yards with 4,086 (now fourth all-time) and second in career rushing attempts with 786. He finished his career ranked second in all-purpose yards with 4,628 (now fifth) and second in rushing touchdowns with 42 (now third).
Zereoue became the first player in school history to have 1,000 yards rushing in three consecutive seasons (1,035 in 1996, 1,589 in 1997 and 1,462 in 1998). For his career, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and averaged 123.8 yards rushing per contest. Zereoue caught 55 passes for 374 yards and two touchdowns and returned eight kickoffs for 168 yards (all in 1998).
He set a then-WVU record for freshman rushing yards with 1,035 in 1996. Zereoue set the school record with 21 100-yard rushing games (now tied for second), with WVU posting a 21-4 record in those 100-yard games.
Zereoue rushed for a career-high 234 yards at Notre Dame in 1997, which now stands as the seventh-most rushing yards in a game at WVU. He ranks third and fifth in single-season rushing yards (1,589 in 1997 and 1,462 in 1998). Zereoue’s 283 rushing attempts in 1998 are still the second-most rushing attempts in school history. He and Pat White hold the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season (18), and his 252 career points rank fifth among non-kickers.
Zereoue earned multiple awards and honors at WVU: All-Big East First Team in 1996, 1997 and 1998, Big East and ECAC Rookie of the Year in 1996, one of 12 players to be named to the All-Big East first team three times, was a Heisman finalist in 1997, 1997 ECAC Player of the Year, Sporting News All-American Third Team in 1997, semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, eight times named Big East Player of the Week and a member of the WVU all-time team for 1990-99.
He left WVU after his junior season for the NFL Draft as the Big East’s all-time leading rusher. A member of the 1997 Gator Bowl, 1997 Carquest Bowl and 1998 Insight.com Bowl teams, Zereoue was drafted with the 34th pick in the third round, 95th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1999 NFL Draft.
Zereoue played for the Steelers from 1999-2003 and rushed for a career-high 762 yards and four touchdowns with the Steelers in 2002. He spent a year with the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and with the New England Patriots in 2005. For his career, he had 2,137 yards on 553 carries with 10 touchdowns.
Before coming to WVU, Zereoue was the first-ever two-time Thorpe Award winner as the top prep player on Long Island. He held Long Island records with 5,369 yards and 59 touchdowns through 1994.
Following his NFL career, he owned a restaurant in Manhattan, and came back to WVU to finish what he started in the classroom. On one of the proudest days of his life, he received his Regents Bachelor of Arts degree on May 17, 2015, as part of the student-athlete degree completion program.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (For Sunday release: May 24, 2015) – Six outstanding contributors to Mountaineer athletics make up the 25th class of honorees in the West Virginia University Sports Hall of Fame, announced today by Director of Athletics Shane Lyons.
The 2015 class includes Jerome Anderson, Bobby Bowden, Kevin Gilson, Ken Herock, Megan (Metcalfe) Wright and Amos Zereoue.
Induction ceremonies will take place Saturday, Sept. 26, prior to the West Virginia-Maryland football game. This class brings the total number of inductees to 162.
Jerome Anderson
Jerome Anderson played men’s basketball from 1973-75, averaging double figures all three years in Morgantown.
For his career, he averaged 12.6 points per game (12.1 points as a sophomore, 11.5 points as a junior and 14.1 points as a senior). Anderson shot 45.2 percent from the field for his career, averaged 34.8 minutes per game, had 202 career assists and averaged 6.4 rebounds per game.
The Mullens, West Virginia, native scored 971 points in 77 games, starting 71 of those contests. He scored career highs of 24 points against Pacific on Jan. 18, 1975 and Penn State on Feb. 19, 1975. Anderson had 10 assists against Boston University on Jan. 4, 1975, and 14 rebounds against Cornell on Jan. 10, 1973 and Syracuse on Feb. 11, 1974.
A two-time team captain who earned three varsity letters, Anderson is a member of the 1966-75 all-time men’s basketball team at WVU.
Anderson was selected in the third round of the 1975 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics and in the seventh round of the 1975 ABA draft by the San Diego Sails. He played two seasons in the NBA (1975-77) as a member of the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers. Anderson averaged 2.6 points per game in his career and played on the Celtics’ team that won an NBA championship in 1976. He played with the West Virginia Wheels (AABA) in 1977-78.
The 6-foot-5 guard/forward later played and coached professionally in Sweden and Norway. Among his achievements as a coach is a BLNO championship with the Ulriken Eagles in 2007.
Anderson died in Heisinborg, Sweden, in 2009 at age 55 after a long illness. He left behind three sons, Julius, TeJay and Denzell and two daughters, Terri and Tony.
Bobby Bowden
Bobby Bowden, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2006, spent 10 seasons (four as offensive coordinator and six as head coach) at West Virginia from 1966-75.
As head coach at West Virginia, he guided two Peach Bowl clubs in 1972 and 1975, with his 1975 team finishing No. 20 in the nation. Bowden posted a 42-26 record at WVU from 1970-75 and developed three first team All-Americans in Jim Braxton, Dale Farley and Danny Buggs, along with numerous NFL Draft selections.
Bowden was the first coach to lead WVU to multiple bowl games, and his 1972 team ranked fourth in the nation in scoring (36.5) and sixth in passing yards (227.8).
A native of Birmingham, Alabama, Bowden began his head coaching football career in 1956 at South Georgia College, where he posted a 22-11 record in three seasons. He then posted a 31-6 record at Howard College (now Samford University) from 1959-62 before becoming an assistant coach at Florida State from 1963-65 and offensive coordinator at WVU from 1966-69. Bowden left WVU to become the head coach at Florida State, where he compiled a 315-98-4 record from 1976-2009, including national championships in 1993 and 1999. Bowden’s 1993 team defeated Nebraska, 18-16, in the Orange Bowl, and his 1999 team which was ranked No. 1 for the entire season, defeated Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, 46-29, to finish 12-0. He is credited with a 377-129-4 record in 44 years as a Division I head coach.
In those 44 seasons as a Division I head coach, Bowden had 40 winning seasons (including 33 consecutive at Florida State), and 36 Division I-A winning seasons. From 1987-2000, Bowden coached Florida State to 14 straight seasons with 10 or more victories, and his team had a final ranking of fourth or better in both of the major polls.
Bowden is the only coach in NCAA Division I to lead his team to 15 consecutive New Year’s Day bowl games (1991-2005), the only Division I coach to win 11 consecutive bowl games (1985-95), the only Division I coach with 14 straight bowl trips without a loss (1982-95), the only coach in Division I to compile 14 straight 10-wins season (1987-2000), the only coach to take his team to 28 consecutive bowl games and the only coach in Division I history to compile 14 straight top-five finishes in the AP poll from 1987-2000.
During his career, he produced two Heisman Trophy winners, 24 consensus All-Americans, three Johnny United Award winnings and two winners each of the Thorpe Award, Butkus Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Vince Lombardi Award.
Bowden received the National Football Foundation’s highest award – the Gold Medal – in 2006. He was the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Year in 1980, the Walter Camp Coach of the Year in 1991 and won the Amos Alonzo Stagg Award in 2011. In addition to the two national championships, Bowden led Florida State to 12 Atlantic Coast Conference titles.
In 2004, Doak Campbell Stadium at Florida State was named Bobby Bowden Field. Among the awards named in honor of Bobby Bowden are the Bobby Bowden National Coach of the Year Award, presented by The Mountain Touchdown Club of Birmingham and the Bobby Bowden Athlete of the Year Award, presented by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
Bowden, a 1953 graduate of Howard (Samford), and his wife, Ann, have six children (Terry, Tommy, Jeff, Robyn Hines, Steve and Ginger Madden) and 21 grandchildren.
Kevin Gilson
Kevin Gilson served as head coach of the men’s swimming and diving program from 1967-96 and the women’s swimming and diving program from 1980-96.
His 30-year career at WVU produced six All-Americans (Rick Hyser, Kreg Lewis, Debbie Scott, Kim Kaufman, Aileen Convery and Renee Riccio) and 27 NCAA qualifiers. Hyser was the first men’s swimming All-American in 1983 and Kaufman was the first women’s All-American in 1985. Gilson helped Convery compete in the 1988 Summer Olympics.
Gilson compiled a 290-153-1 record as coach of both programs (197-100-1 with the men and 93-53 with the women).
Gilson won 10 Eastern League championships (five men and five women), led the men to four Atlantic 10 team titles and guided the women to three Atlantic 10 team championships.
Recognized as one of the top collegiate coaches in the nation, Gilson was acknowledged time and time again by members of the media and his peers. In 1976, he was selected by the West Virginia Sports Writers Association as the West Virginia Coach of the Year. He was honored as the Eastern Conference Coach of the Year four times and was the 1994 Atlantic 10 Men’s and Women’s Coach of the Year. Gilson earned Atlantic 10 Women’s Coach of the Year honors in 1993.
In 1992, he received the Distinguished Coach Award from the College Swimming Coaches’ Association of America, the highest honor given in the coaching profession chosen by his peers.
Gilson led two teams to undefeated seasons (1980 and 1983) and at the time of his retirement, every single men’s and women’s team record was accomplished during his tenure.
Gilson earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education from Maryland in 1964 and received his master’s and doctoral degrees from WVU. He continued teaching for 10 more years as an associate professor in the WVU School of Medicine.
He and his wife, Elizabeth, have three daughters, Erin, Shawn and Tara, and five grandchildren, Molly, Kevin, Jane, Owyn and Bella.
Ken Herock
Ken Herock lettered three seasons as a tight end and linebacker for the Mountaineers from 1960-62.
For his career, he finished with 24 catches for 292 yards and two touchdowns, including 14 catches for 174 yards and a touchdown as a senior. On defense, Herock finished with 109 career tackles, including 60 solo stops.
His best game on offense took place against Oregon State on Oct. 27, 1962, when he registered career highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (80). Herock earned All-Southern Conference honors as a tight end and linebacker.
WVU went winless during his sophomore year in 1960 and two years later, WVU won eight games, including WVU’s first-ever victory at Syracuse’s Archibald Stadium.
Herock has been in professional football for more than 38 years. He had a six- year pro career as a player, spending time with the Oakland Raiders (1963-67), who he helped win the 1976 Super Bowl, the Cincinnati Bengals (1968) and the Boston Patriots (1969). Herock was the first Mountaineer to play in a Super Bowl.
Following his playing career, he has been respected throughout the NFL for his expertise as a talent hunter and administrator. Herock has been a scout, coach, personnel director and general manager in the NFL. He has also served on the College Relations Board for the NFL.
Herock was named the Oakland Raiders director of player personnel in 1975. In 1976, he became the first director of player personnel for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Within three years, he helped build the Bucs into a playoff contender, reaching the NFC Championship in 1979. Herock remained with Tampa Bay through 1984 and was responsible for supervising the first scouting combine, which eventually evolved into the Indianapolis National Invitation Camp.
He returned to the Raiders from 1984-86 before he was named the director of player personnel for Atlanta in 1987. Herock then became the team’s vice president of player personnel a year later, a position he held through the 1996 season. While he was in Atlanta, the Falcons drafted Brett Favre in the second round of the 1991 NFL Draft.
Herock returned to the Raiders for a third time in 1997, leaving Oakland following the 1998 season. Herock joined the Green Bay Packers and was named vice president of personnel where he remained until 2001. In 2002, Herock established Pro Prep, a service which prepares future professional prospects for the National Football League.
A native of Munhall, Pennsylvania, Herock is a member of the WVU College of Physical Activity and Sports Sciences Hall of Fame, the Western Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame and the Pennsylvania State Hall of Fame.
Herock and his wife, Barry, now live in Gainesville, Georgia. They have two sons and five grandchildren.
Megan (Metcalfe) Wright
Megan Metcalfe, who achieved a national championship and nine All-America honors, is the most prolific distance runner in West Virginia women’s track and field history.
Competing at WVU from 2000-05, Metcalfe became the first Mountaineer to achieve two All-America honors in cross country. The Edmonton, Alberta, native earned her first All-America accolade as a member of the 2001 distance medley relay team, which finished in eighth place. Metcalfe’s second All-America award, and first individual, came with a third-place finish in the 3,000-meter race at the 2002 NCAA Indoor Championships.
Her third All-America honor came with a ninth-place finish at the 2002 NCAA Cross Country Championships, making her just the second female cross country All-American in school history and only the fourth Mountaineer to earn All-America honors in two sports.
Metcalfe earned her fourth and fifth All-America accolades in 2003 by finishing fourth in the 3,000 meters at the NCAA Indoor Track & Field Championships and was a part of the then-school record setting distance medley relay team in that same meet.
Her sixth and seventh awards came in March 2004, when she placed fifth in the 3,000 meters and again was a member of the distance medley relay team.
Metcalfe’s eighth and school-record setting All-America honor came at the 2004 NCAA Cross Country Championships, where she recorded a 16th-place overall finish.
Metcalfe capped her brilliant career with a ninth All-America honor and a national championship when she won the 5,000 meters at the 2005 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships.
During her career, Metcalfe’s teams had numerous top-20 finishes at the NCAA Championships.
She competed at the World Cross Country Championships twice during her tenure at WVU and competed at the World University Games in Turkey.
Metcalfe earned first-place finishes in the Canadian Senior Championships in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010, the Pacific World Cup in Burnaby, British Columbia, and at the 2007 Pan-American games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Metcalfe competed in the final at the World Indoor Championships in the 3,000 meters in Valencia, Spain. She competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing for Canada, making the finals of the 5,000-meter race and running a personal-best time of 15:11.23 in the opening heat.
One of three track and field national champions in school history, Metcalfe earned numerous honors at WVU: 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 NCAA All-Mid-Atlantic Region, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 All-Big East, 2000 Big East Freshman of the Year and the 2003 Big East Most Outstanding Female Track Performer.
Metcalfe won the 3,000 meters at the 2002 and 2003 Big East Indoor Championships, captured the 5,000 meters at the 2002 Big East Outdoor Championships and won the 10,000 meters at the 2003 Big East Outdoor Championships.
Metcalfe still holds school records in the 3,000 meters indoor (8:58.17), the 1,500 meters outdoor (4:12.00), the 3,000 meters outdoor (9:04:02) and the 5,000 meters outdoor (15:47.64).
Metcalfe earned magna cum laude honors with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and graduated with a master’s degree in physical therapy from WVU in 2005.
Metcalfe is married to Jonathan Wright of Fairmont, who she met while Jonathan was competing for the WVU men's cross country team. They have one son, James and are expecting a daughter in October, and they reside in Morgantown. Metcalfe works part-time as a physical therapist at Ruby Memorial Hospital.
Amos Zereoue
Amos Zereoue played football from 1996-98, leaving WVU as one of the top running backs in school history.
A native of Hempstead, New York, Zereoue finished his career ranked first in rushing yards with 4,086 (now fourth all-time) and second in career rushing attempts with 786. He finished his career ranked second in all-purpose yards with 4,628 (now fifth) and second in rushing touchdowns with 42 (now third).
Zereoue became the first player in school history to have 1,000 yards rushing in three consecutive seasons (1,035 in 1996, 1,589 in 1997 and 1,462 in 1998). For his career, he averaged 5.2 yards per carry and averaged 123.8 yards rushing per contest. Zereoue caught 55 passes for 374 yards and two touchdowns and returned eight kickoffs for 168 yards (all in 1998).
He set a then-WVU record for freshman rushing yards with 1,035 in 1996. Zereoue set the school record with 21 100-yard rushing games (now tied for second), with WVU posting a 21-4 record in those 100-yard games.
Zereoue rushed for a career-high 234 yards at Notre Dame in 1997, which now stands as the seventh-most rushing yards in a game at WVU. He ranks third and fifth in single-season rushing yards (1,589 in 1997 and 1,462 in 1998). Zereoue’s 283 rushing attempts in 1998 are still the second-most rushing attempts in school history. He and Pat White hold the school record for rushing touchdowns in a season (18), and his 252 career points rank fifth among non-kickers.
Zereoue earned multiple awards and honors at WVU: All-Big East First Team in 1996, 1997 and 1998, Big East and ECAC Rookie of the Year in 1996, one of 12 players to be named to the All-Big East first team three times, was a Heisman finalist in 1997, 1997 ECAC Player of the Year, Sporting News All-American Third Team in 1997, semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, eight times named Big East Player of the Week and a member of the WVU all-time team for 1990-99.
He left WVU after his junior season for the NFL Draft as the Big East’s all-time leading rusher. A member of the 1997 Gator Bowl, 1997 Carquest Bowl and 1998 Insight.com Bowl teams, Zereoue was drafted with the 34th pick in the third round, 95th overall, by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 1999 NFL Draft.
Zereoue played for the Steelers from 1999-2003 and rushed for a career-high 762 yards and four touchdowns with the Steelers in 2002. He spent a year with the Oakland Raiders in 2004 and with the New England Patriots in 2005. For his career, he had 2,137 yards on 553 carries with 10 touchdowns.
Before coming to WVU, Zereoue was the first-ever two-time Thorpe Award winner as the top prep player on Long Island. He held Long Island records with 5,369 yards and 59 touchdowns through 1994.
Following his NFL career, he owned a restaurant in Manhattan, and came back to WVU to finish what he started in the classroom. On one of the proudest days of his life, he received his Regents Bachelor of Arts degree on May 17, 2015, as part of the student-athlete degree completion program.
