Lehigh University Athletics
Six standouts join Roger S. Penske Hall of Fame
5/7/2005 8:30:00 PM | Athletics
Long time cross country and track head coach John Covert brought a period of sustained success to Lehigh. The head coach of the cross country and track programs from 1967 to 1992, Covert led Lehigh to regional prominence on the cross country scene.
Joe McVeigh ’86 had the opportunity to learn under Covert during his time at Lehigh. “I can’t imagine a better match of coach and institution than John Covert and Lehigh — a scholar-Marine leading a team of overachieving students, molding them into athletic overachievers as well. He had high expectations of us, no doubt, and he got us to meet them not by issuing high-decibel demands, but by creating a track & field program in which initiative, self-reliance, and discipline were key to success. Those who had these qualities thrived. Probably not coincidentally, that seems to apply to pretty much everything else I’ve encountered later in life. It’s also pretty easy to develop strong character when you are guided by a person of character.”
During his time at Lehigh, Covert’s men’s cross country teams captured six ECAC conference championships and six IC4A titles. On the men’s side, Covert’s cross country teams posted a record of 199-99 overall, including a 23-2 mark versus rival
At the same time, his coaching success carried over to the track as he coached the men’s team for 25 years and the women’s team for its first five years as a varsity sport. On the men’s side, Covert’s squad was 98-21 overall in indoor track action and 98-47 in the spring outdoor season. Combined, they posted a 35-12 record against
“As far as I am concerned, this award is as much for the athletes who participated in cross country and track over those years as it is for me,” Covert said. “I am pleased to receive this honor on behalf of those student-athletes who worked so hard during my time at Lehigh.”
Prior to his arrival at Lehigh, Covert spent ten years as a coach at
A 1953 graduate of
The only Lehigh football player to earn All-American recognition at two levels, Jim McCormick became the first Lehigh football player to earn such an honor exclusively for his defensive play. A four-year starter at outside linebacker while handling the team’s punting duties for three seasons, McCormick was also a two year starter on Lehigh’s baseball team.
McCormick originally came to Lehigh as a tight end, but was quickly moved to the outside linebacker spot by head coach John Whitehead. On the defensive side of the ball, McCormick quickly made his presence known by leading the team in tackles as a freshman, recording 98 stops. He was also named a game-day captain as a freshman, which was a highly unusual honor for a newcomer.
By his sophomore season, McCormick was a star. On the 1977 National Championship team, he again led the team in tackles, recording 113 – including eight for a loss. At the same time, McCormick averaged over 34 yards per punt in 1977. He was also named Chevrolet’s Player of the Game for his performance in the national semifinal victory over a highly-rated Cal-Davis team.
His junior season, McCormick made 106 tackles, recorded two interceptions, and averaged 32 yards per punt to earn Division II Honorable Mention All-America status.
As a senior in 1979, Lehigh’s program moved up to the newly-created Division I-AA level, and McCormick continued to dominate. He was a tri-captain on the team that was a national runner-up. In addition to capturing the Hall Foundation award given to the graduating male athlete of the year, McCormick was a Kodak First Team and Associated Press First Team All-American. He amassed over 400 tackles in his career.
On the baseball diamond, McCormick’s played on Lehigh’s conference-winning team as a freshman, and led the Engineers in both home runs and runs batted in as a sophomore. He played right field, first base, designated hitter, and was also a pitcher. However, McCormick’s baseball career ended abruptly when he sustained a serious knee injury in the last minute of the Lehigh-Lafayette football game his junior year.
“I am humbled by this honor, and I am greatly pleased at the same time,” McCormick said. “Because I was defensive player, I didn’t think that I would get in. There are a lot of deserving defensive players in Lehigh history, and hopefully my entry will open doors for the many other deserving defensive players.”
McCormick graduated from Lehigh with a degree in history in 1980. A resident of
Considered one of Lehigh’s greatest “two-way” football players in the illustrious history of the program, Bob Numbers excelled on both sides of the ball during his time at Lehigh.
Both a center and a linebacker at Lehigh, Numbers was a three-year starter for the Brown and White. By his senior season, Numbers garnered several prestigious honors for his efforts as the team’s center. He was recognized as an All-East center, an All-Pennsylvania center, and a first team Associated Press Little All-American.
Defensively, Numbers was just as impressive. As a linebacker, he led the team in tackles in each of his three seasons. In 1950, Numbers was honored with the team’s Pat Pazzetti Award, handed out to the team’s most outstanding player during the 1949 campaign.
Following the 1949 season, in which he was a team captain, Numbers was asked to participate in the North-South Shrine game. Soon thereafter, he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers. However, Numbers declined those opportunities to pursue his engineering career.
Richard Doyne ’51 was a running back on Lehigh’s football team and followed the blocks of Numbers on the gridiron. “Bobby was a really excellent player,” Doyne explained. “From his linebacker position on defense he was always in motion and going after the play no matter where it was on the field. I didn’t know anyone on the Lehigh campus that didn’t like Bobby. He was just a great football player and terrific person.”
Prior to his enrollment at Lehigh, Numbers served his country as a member of the U.S. Navy from 1943 to 1945. During World War II, Numbers’ squadron was stationed on a torpedo boat in the
“I played football just for fun,” Numbers recalled. “I had decided that I wanted to get a real education, so that’s why I made the decision to enroll at Lehigh.”
Numbers graduated from Lehigh with a degree in civil engineering in 1950. Initially employed by H.E. Stoudt & Son General Contractors, Numbers was the superintendent of many construction projects in the
A three-time All-American linebacker at Lehigh, John Shigo amassed over 400 tackles during his time on the gridiron at Taylor Stadium.
A four-year letterwinner for the Engineers, Shigo immediately had a positive impact on the Lehigh defense. In his freshman season, the team went on to win the 1980 Lambert Cup, awarded for supremacy in eastern football.
As his career went on, Shigo began to be recognized for his play on both a regional and national level. In addition to accruing several ECAC Player of the Week awards, Shigo was honored as a First Team All-ECAC selection as a sophomore, junior, and senior. He led the team in tackles in each of those seasons. After garnering Honorable Mention All-America accolades as a sophomore in 1981, Shigo captured Second Team recognition as a junior. In his senior season in 1983, Shigo was named a First Team Kodak All-American.
“I am surprised and elated to be joining such a great fraternity, and to be joining such a great group of guys is all the better,” Shigo explained. “It is quite an honor to be associated with some of my friends that are in the Hall of Fame – members such as Steve Kreider, Mike Rieker, Rennie Benn, Marty Horn, and Coach [John] Whitehead. I have to give big kudos to my teammates, or this award would have never been possible.”
Shigo earned his bachelor’s in economics from Lehigh in 1984. After graduating from Lehigh, Shigo spent parts of two seasons with the
Since graduation, Shigo has remained active in the Lehigh Athletics Partnership as well as within his community. He has served on the board for the McDonald’s All-Star Football Classic since 1984. Shigo is active in youth sports in the Fleetwood,
The first women’s soccer player to be inducted into the Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame, Dia Johnson Smith is easily one of the greatest players in the brief history of the program. By the time she graduated from Lehigh in 1996, Dia Johnson held every single season and career scoring record.
Johnson established the school record for goals scored in a season (15), goals scored in a career (37), assists in a single season (10), career assists (25), points in a season (32), career points (99), game winning goals in a season (4), and career game-winning goals (8).
Audrey Aloi ’99 was a freshman on the women’s soccer team at Lehigh when Johnson was a senior in the fall of 1995. ” Every time Dia stepped onto the field, her passion for the game was obvious,” Aloi said. “Her drive and tenacity were unmatched by any of our opponents. You just knew other teams in the Patriot League would formulate elaborate defensive plays to try and stop her. As a captain, Dia led by example. Nobody worked harder than her in practice. She never gave up, ever, no matter the score. Dia reminded all of her teammates why we were there: because we loved the game. Watching her, you'd never forget that.”
It should come as no surprise that Johnson had the capability of being a major impact on the young program. At
Johnson came to Lehigh in the fall of 1992, as the women’s soccer program was only in its second season as a varsity sport at Lehigh. The Quakertown,
As a sophomore in 1993, Johnson earned her first All-Patriot League selection, an honor she would capture three times in her career. That sophomore season, Johnson also garnered the team’s most outstanding athlete honors for the second straight season.
Her junior and senior years were more of the same, as Johnson continued to help the program grow. She led Lehigh to the program’s first Patriot League tournament berth in 1994.
“I am surprised that I am being recognized,” Dia said. “To be placed with so many other athletes that are so highly regarded in Lehigh history, and to be amongst such tremendous people, makes the honor even better.”
Johnson earned her degree in sociology from Lehigh, and completed her master’s in education at Lehigh in 1998. She is currently a third grade teacher at
One of the most exciting grapplers to ever don the Brown and White, Pete Yozzo was a national champion at 142 pounds. A three-time NCAA All-American and a three-time EIWA champion, Yozzo became the first Lehigh wrestler to ever win 100 career bouts.
Wrestling at 142 pounds, Yozzo did more than just defeat his opponents; he dominated them. In his four years on the mat at Lehigh, Yozzo posted a career record of 100-13-3. In two-thirds of his victories (67 of 100), Yozzo earned bonus points.
Legendary Lehigh wrestling coach Thad Turner witnessed Yozzo’s fantastic career first hand from the sidelines. “I think Pete may have had one of the great analytical minds of all of the wrestlers I coached. He had a great aptitude to find out how to beat his opponent. He was a very hard worker and a pleasure to have on the team. His analytical mind has served him well in life after Lehigh too, as he has done extraordinary things since graduation.”
Not only did Yozzo pick up wins, but he did so against some stiff competition. In fact, five of his wins or draws came against eventual national champions.
As a sophomore, Yozzo won an EIWA title at 142 and went on to place third at Nationals. A year later, he continued his climb by winning another EIWA crown and posting a second place NCAA finish.
In his senior season, Yozzo won both an EIWA title and a national championship at 142 pounds. His pin of eventual two-time champion Pat Santoro in the national finals marked career victory number 100 for Yozzo. He won 93% of his matches during his final three years at Lehigh, and, over the course of his final two seasons, Yozzo scored bonus points in 75% of his bouts.
For his efforts, Yozzo was twice named the EIWA’s Outstanding Wrestler. He is one of five Lehigh matmen in the program’s illustrious history to have earned that distinction more than once over the course of a career.
“I am honored to be recognized alongside a group of people that I grew up looking up to: guys like Mike Frick, Mark Lieberman, and so many of the other wrestling legends in Lehigh’s great history,” Yozzo said.
Yozzo earned his degree in finance from Lehigh in 1987. Since graduating from Lehigh, Yozzo has been a founder of three companies. He is currently the founder and CEO of Think HR, a human resources firm based in
The annual induction ceremony and banquet is sponsored by the Lehigh Athletics Partnership.
