WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College Department of Athletics named head women's lacrosse coach
Alison Valerio as its 2022-23 Jack Rea Athletics Staff Member of the Year.
"Coach Valerio has done an amazing job at W&J and we are proud to honor her with this prestigious award," said Director of Athletics
Scott McGuinness. "She has turned W&J women's lacrosse into an annual contender and she is committed to helping to grow the game in the Western Pennsylvania area. Coach Valerio has developed tremendous bonds with her teams through the years and I am thankful for her leadership of one of our athletic department's most successful programs."
Valerio helped lead W&J to several notable milestones during a record-breaking 2023 season. The Presidents recorded a program best 15 wins and a program-high 14-game winning streak. W&J earned the top seed in the conference tournament after compiling a 9-0 record in PAC play. The Presidents were dominant throughout the season, as they won seven of the nine regular season conference games by double digits. The Presidents captured their fifth conference championship in program history with a 14-10 victory over Allegheny College in the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship match on May 6. W&J made its fourth appearance (third straight) in the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament.
Valerio has helped guide the Presidents to 31-straight wins against conference opponents, a streak which dates back to the start of the 2021 season. The Presidents defeated NCAA qualifier Mount Union for the first time in program history. W&J captured a narrow 16-15 win over the Purple Raiders on April 7. W&J was ranked No. 4 in the final Division III Region VI regional rankings. Valerio earned conference Coach of the Year honors for a fourth time in her 10-year career at W&J.
Amanda Effland and
Sarah Labovitz were both named to the IWLCA All-Boardwalk Region Team. Effland (Offensive), Labovitz (Midfielder) and
Caleigh Bogats (Rookie) all earned major awards from the PAC.
Rea served W&J student-athletes for 36 years as athletic trainer and was widely recognized as a pioneer in the sports medicine field. Rea was a kind, caring and supportive figure for decades of W&J Presidents. He was elected into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, the W&J Athletic Hall of Fame in 2002, the Pennsylvania Athletic Trainers Hall of Fame in 2004, and the Trinity High School Athletic Hall of Fame in 2017.
Jack Rea and Rebecca Booher, children of Jack Rea, were on hand Thursday morning to discuss Jack's dedication to W&J and present the award to Valerio.
The award has been presented annually since the 2015-16 academic year to a member of W&J's Department of Athletics. Past winners have included Ryan Verlihay (2015-16), Mike Lesako (2016-17), Michelle Wybranowski (2017-18), Todd Young (2018-19), Ian McDonald (2020-21) and Aaron Thompson (2022-23). The award was not presented in 2019-20 due to COVID-19.
