Hall of Fame
PSAC Championships under John Papa: (# Track & Field * Cross Country)
Women: 2003 #, 2001#, 1999#, 1995*, 1995#, 1989#, 1987#
Men: 2000#, 1994#, 1991*, 1987#
Since 1987, when he was named head coach for both the cross country and track and field programs at Slippery Rock University, John Papa and success have been synonymous.
Papa-coached student-athletes have claimed six NCAA Division II national championships, three NCAA national runner-up honors and 59 All-American awards.
Under Papa's direction, Rock teams have captured 12 Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference team titles - seven in women's track and field, three in men's track and field and one each in men's and women's cross country - and have been PSAC runnersup 11 times.
Papa's track and field teams have also included over 105 individuals who have captured PSAC titles.
Papa-coached student-athletes added five chapters to the history of success in 2004-05:
• Tony Carr earned his second NCAA All-American honor in the javelin at the 2005 National Championships with his seventh-place finish;
• Bill Jordan was a 2005 NCAA national qualifier and PSAC champion in the decathlon;
• Preston Gibbs qualified for the NCAA indoor championships after winning both the long and triple jump at the PSAC Indoor Championships and added the PSAC outdoor triple jump title;
• Calista Shoaff qualified for her third straight trip to the NCAA national championships and also earned All-PSAC honors in the javelin;
• Kristen Jones set a new school record in the 100m and qualified for the NCAA outdoor championships and also claimed runnerup honors at the PSAC outdoor championships.
Papa's coaching success isn't limited to track and field, though.
In addition to winning two PSAC championships, Rock cross country teams have also won two NCAA East Regional championships and have placed among the top 10 teams at the NCAA national championships on two occasions.
Continuing to build on that strong tradition, the women's cross country team placed second at the 2004 PSAC championships.
Papa has been duly rewarded for his Midas touch. He has been awarded nine PSAC "Coach of the Year" honors and received eight United States Track Coaches Association "East Region Coach of the Year" awards during his 20 seasons as a head coach at the Rock.
Hand-in-Hand with his team's athletic achievements has been a stellar record in the classroom.
Numerous Papa-coached student-athletes have been recognized as Academic All-Americans and the 2005 men's and women's track & field teams earned USTCA All-Academic team honors.
During the spring 2005 academic year, the men's cross country team (3.330) and the women's track and field team (3.392) had the highest team GPA's of the 23 varsity sports at Slippery Rock.
In 2000, his women's cross country team had the highest athletic team grade point average in SRU history with a 3.518 mark.
Behind Papa's leadership, The Rock has been selected as the site for numerous championship competitions : NCAA Division II Cross Country National Championships in 1992 and 2001; 2000 PSAC Cross Country Championships and 2004 Outdoor PSAC Track & Field Championships.
The Rock will also host the 2005 PSAC Cross Country Championships.
The Rock also serves as the annual host site for the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL) championship meet.
During the 2004-05 academic year alone, The Rock hosted 40 cross country and track and field events and had more than 5,000 runners on its cross country course during the fall season.
Papa's approach to coaching is not focused on winning alone, though.
"Our goal is always to have everybody on the team reach his or her potential," he says. "Not everyone can be a PSAC champion, but everyone can set a goal and be excited about hitting it. That's what we're all about--no one's left out--and it's been working so far."
Coach Papa began his career at SRU as a student-athlete in 1975 after graduating from Gateway High School in Pittsburgh.
As a sophomore at The Rock, he earned All-American honors by finishing sixth in the decathlon event at the NCAA Division III national meet.
Two years later, he placed second at the national championships in the decathlon and led SRU to the Division III national championship under the direction of Bill Lennox, who turned the coaching reins over to Papa shortly after he accepted the position of director of athletics at The Rock.
After graduating from SRU with a degree in elementary education in 1979, Papa accepted a teaching position in Leesburg, Va., where he built a winning program.
He directed Loudoun County High School to second- and third-place state finishes and produced several individual state champions.
Papa returned to The Rock in the summer of 1984 to begin his coaching career as a graduate assistant and was awarded his master's degree in athletic administration.
The following year, Papa served as assistant track and field coach and was then named head men's track and field coach in the spring of 1986.
At the start of the 1987 season, Papa was also named head coach of the men's and women's cross country program.
In 1994, Coach Papa was inducted into the Slippery Rock University Athletic Hall of Fame.
